it was an eggcellent day... + chemo

Monday, August 1st I had a procedure to remove the eggs from my ovaries I had been growing for just over two weeks. I was put under sedation for this procedure so I was very comfortable. The two weeks leading up to this involved many ultra sounds, phone calls, blood draws, medications, and three times a day injections into my stomach. I don't miss that at all. I am thankful for the opportunity and the knowledge out there to do this, but it was not an enjoyable process I would like to do again. What is bizarre is that insurance doesn't cover egg retrieval, even if you are a cancer patient. But yet there's me bringing the same drunk over and over, day after day, to the hospital via my ambulance and insurance covers that for them. Really makes no sense to me.

The result of the egg retrieval got us 16 eggs. Which is "good" apparently. Well, 10 of them were "mature" meaning able to become embryos. Seven of those actually became embryos, not all 10. So now we are waiting for the 7 to make it through their first week of life before they freeze them, and they will let us know how many survived. They said to expect 1-2 hopefully. I was quite shocked, and disappointed frankly. We are praying all 7 will survive so that we have more chances of the IVF procedure working in the future because it's not a guarantee it will work on the first try. 

I worked overnight from Sunday-Monday, and got no sleep before the egg retrieval. And then Monday night I worked overnight into Tuesday, and of course didn't get off on time (our line of work), and so I got 2 hours of sleep before heading into HCMC for my first chemo treatment. I would definitely recommend not doing that. I felt like garbage before even starting treatment. Once in the oncology office, the nurse goes, "did you numb your port?" I was like, uh with what? And she said, "with the lidocaine" and I said no, when was I given that? She goes "Whoops, they must have forgot". Cool. 

So here I am, crabby, tired, a little hungry frankly, and now annoyed because this woman was going to grab a hold of my port, in my chest which is already sore because it's only a week and half hold, and tap it with a needle. One would think it's no big deal I let medic students practice IV's on me. No biggie. Well. I don't like touching my port. It's sore and kinda grosses me out. Once again, thankful for the medical technology, but learning to accept and live with this device in my chest. So she taps it with the needle. It hurt. Real bad. She made sure to get me lidocaine for next week's treatment so it's not as sore. 

After that she did a blood draw, and sent that to the lab, this will happen before every appointment, each week. Then you wait, you may or may not see your doctor depending on the week, and then you start the infusion once your blood work comes back. I am not a huge fan of my doctor currently. She is not a breast cancer specialist. So I am really looking forward to the meeting with the doctor at Rochester Mayo who is a breast cancer oncologist, on August 17th, and feeling like a doctor actually respects me and all the efforts I've made, and changes I've made in my life since the diagnosis. All the research we have done, all the people we have reached out to, and energy we have put into learning how to beat this. I told my HCMC doctor that I cut out sugar (cancer can only grow off of sugar) and that my cancer is not swollen or sore anymore. She said "I don't think that would make that big of a difference..." and then proceeds to feel my cancer spots and noticed that they haven't grown and the swelling was down. I am learning (as is Tony and my family) how much we have to advocate for what I want, and what is best for us. This woman is full of wisdom, I don't doubt it, but just not in the area where I need it most. Right now she is helpful with signing paperwork for me for FMLA, and signing off on the beginning of my cancer treatments until we meet with Mayo. The nurses have been very nice, and the infusion room is not terrible at HCMC. HCMC specializes in some really great things. But breast cancer is not one of them. But that's ok. We have other resources. 

I am able to have humor in my diagnosis, and have learned how much your mind plays into your overall wellness. I had a patient tell me the other night (who was very high on meth) tell me he was going to kill me. I told him that I have stage 4 cancer so better luck next time. The cops and my partner had a shocked looked on their face and then busted out laughing. I can only imagine how my Dad would laugh, and if for some odd reason that police body camera footage ever went to court, there I would be "ah sir I have stage 4 cancer so better luck next time trying to kill me.." here's some sedation meds to combat all that meth in your system, night night time! 

I am planning on working through my cancer, as I don't have a chemo drug that has as many side effects as one normally hears about. I enjoy my job and it makes me feel cancer free for a little bit at times. 

After my first chemo treatment, I felt fine, had some minor all over body aches. But they went away once I got up and walking, started doing normal things at home, and took a shower. Other than that all feels fine. I got up and went to the gym this morning with Tony. The instructor running the class couldn't believe I had chemo the previous day, but I felt like myself. We have a great plan in place to help my body detox the chemo so that it doesn't "build up" on itself in my body. Help it flush out along with toxins that need to leave my body. That includes spending daily time in a sauna, exercise, a castor oil liver patch that helps my liver detox when I sleep at night, regular chiropractic work, and then also plenty of fluids everyday. 

If you made it this far, thank you. Thanks for taking time out of your day to care about how my life is going. Tony and I are flying out tonight to Sacramento, California for my best friend's wedding in Sonoma Valley. Kind of a bummer to go to wine country when alcohol turns into sugar in your body, and you are sugar free, but that's ok. It's only temporary right? ;) 

Thursday we have a girls day to get our nails done, Friday Tony has a motorcycle trip with the boys and the girls are doing a winery tour, Saturday has a brunch with a rehearsal, and Sunday is the wedding. Tony and I have to leave Sonoma Valley at 2am to arrive in Sacramento at 3am on Monday morning, so we can check in and be ready for our flight at 5am, to go to Dallas for a wig contest that I won and the wig fitting is on Monday, and my appointment is at 1pm. Our plane lands at noon. We will be cutting it close, but it's all worth it for the dream wig that I got to request, due to the girls from my gym nominating me for the contest. We will fly home from Dallas Monday night, and land at 11pm so that we can finally be home after that! Sunday-Monday will definitely be a marathon, not a sprint. 

We can't wait to be in California and slow down for a day or two, not have any cancer appointments, and be with my best friend Lauren and celebrate her marrying Jason. She helped me order a new bridesmaid dress last minute so that it will cover up my port because it's still not healed very pretty, and I just wanted it covered up for a day. Which I know I can do whatever when it comes to my port but I am a lot more comfortable wearing this new bridesmaid dress covering my port, which my mom had to take 5 inches off the bottom to hem it up! Thank goodness she is so good at that! 

Here we are for now, in the Minneapolis airport, trying to figure out our rental car from Sacramento to Sonoma Valley, as our flights got delayed. Shocker. The Southwest customer service agent I spoke with called me a breath of fresh air because I told him I just needed help with flight times so I can adjust our rental car/come up with plan B. Either way, we'll be in California tonight. Vacation can't come soon enough! :) 

Link to our go-fund me if you feel led to donate to help cover our egg retrieval and extra cancer expenses. We appreciate every prayer, dollar, encouragement, text, hug, and love you have all sent us already.

https://www.gofundme.com/f/q3wj8-alis-army