I made my monthly visit to MD Anderson yesterday. I have officially started my last month on the PARP Inhibitor. My blood counts were PERFECT again yesterday! We are all so, so thankful and so blessed. This means I will continue taking the full dose until the end of March, then I will prepare for surgery. I’m so grateful I get to continue taking the full dose and it is our hope & prayer that I have a complete response (as reflected in my previous ultrasound) when the surgeon removes the tissue and lymph nodes. Surgery is scheduled for April 26. I still haven’t decided what type of surgery I want. My posse and I will meet with the plastic surgeon the end of March and I think I’ll then have enough info to make the best decision for myself.
I completed my first solo trip to MDA yesterday. I have the best support system; I always have at least one family member at every appointment and the nurse usually has to bring in an extra chair. Nurses laugh as Cade and my mom each whip out their separate notebooks to write down my BP and weight (I always wonder if that’s really necessary). They always diligently take notes and ask great questions. But to say Cade has a busy week would be an understatement. So, we decided a few weeks ago I could handle this appointment on my own…and I waited until the absolute last minute to inform my sweet momma I was going by myself. This appointment really just consisted of a blood draw to make sure my counts were good, then I stopped by to see the port pokers, picked up my medication and I was back in Houston traffic before I knew it. For the record, my port poker informed me not everyone likes their port! I also asked Dr. K and Jill and they both agreed not everyone loves their port, so I guess I’m not crazy. My port poker also informed me the number of steps required to flush a port in America is overkill…girlfriend, I agree! I’ll have to take a picture next time, but the surgery pack and sterile instruments required for the 30 second flush are out of control. That might be the most intimidating part. Dr. K did say I might like my port more once chemo starts…one can only hope.
Last week I was able to spend a few days at home with my parents and it was just what I needed. While I was there I made an appointment to chop my hair off, I got to play with my sweet colt Ruby and my parents and I spent a lot of time at the ranch.
We even cooked hotdogs and s’mores over a fire, it was so much fun!! All of these things were fun before cancer, but it’s like I see these things with new eyes now. I appreciate every second I have with those I love and eating a smoky hotdog with my mom and dad was indescribably wonderful. We’ve all heard it or said it ourselves, life is short. I know I said it but never really considered it until recently. If you could live forever, would you? I think there is something beautiful in knowing we don’t have forever. It creates an urgency to take the time and spend days with those we love, to help others, to be kind and to be thankful for the days we have. I didn’t feel the urgency before cancer interrupted my life, but I do now. I’m so grateful the Lord gave me this life and He has placed the most perfect people here to help me through. When I got back to College Station there was a package waiting for me. Cade and I opened it together and as I read each card we both teared up. A group of women (I have never met), who have all been touched by cancer in some way, heard my story and put together a survivor bag for us. It includes all sorts of goodies to help get me through treatment and a beautiful bag we will take with us to MDA for chemo days. I just can’t get over the kindness people I’ve known for years, and people I don’t know at all have extended to us. This is a club I had hoped to avoid, but I’ve got to say the company is pretty sweet.
Lucketts In Love 