Angels spotted carrying cookies at MD Anderson!

TWO SWEET WOMAN w/ Some YUMMY cookies!


Just wanted to give a great big HELLO and THANK YOU to two wonderful woman who have touched many people lives at MD Anderson as well as there tummys-Lois and Annette! Thank you both for always being there to lend and ear, fill my belly, and always have a smile to greet me!!! You make coming to treatment fun (well as fun as it can be that is) but all in all "thank you" for donating your time to everyone and well just for being Angels in disguise!



XOXOXOXO,
Deanna

You look mighty fine in them GENES!!!

Just returned from meeting with Ryan (see above) from Genetic Counseling at the Breast Care Center @ MD Anderson! He was very nice and explained a lot to me (what I remember is a different story LOL)... Anyway he suggested due to the family history, me having the girls and believe it or not Dylan too (males can get breast cancer and of course prostate is related) however no other circumstances are really related to breast cancer I am the only one as far as we know with breast cancer! So, anyway I am having the genetic testing done also my Oncologist suggested it! So part of me will be going to Salt Lake City, Utah to a place Myriad Genetic Laboratories, Inc. if I can't be there well at least my blood and my genes will have a good time and forget about everything lately that has been going on!!! I would love to just go somewhere anywhere I really get a chance to get away during treatment (look for other blog coming soon...) anyway it will take about 2 weeks for the results to come back. Due to the cost of the testing it will be only be tested for the BRCA1 and the BRCA2 gene. Apparently we all have this gene along with other cancer genes! It is when they are mutated, non-functional or missing a protein is when the "C" comes into play! It is almost like cooking and having everything just about done and well oops your missing one ingredient, or you put too much salt in, or the eggs or milk you used were old or expired. He stated that usually only 1 out of 500 have the messed or malufunctioning gene and that most cancers occurs by chance (called sporadic). The cancer risk for BRCA mutation carriers are as follows:

...........................BRCA1 MUTATION .......................GENERAL POP
Breast Cancer 56%-87%....................................................... 12%

Ovarian Cancer 27%-44%...................................................... 2%

2nd Primary 48%-64%.................................................. 2%-11%

Breast Cancer

Just an FYI for all my sister "C' bloggers out there...


I can email anyone more information if needed just let me know!!!

Anyway, there was so much said I had to take notes and made sure I obtained all booklets and pamphlets so to have Emily look over them for me... I am sure though that she has already researched it on the internet! So, anyway... the results will be back in 2 weeks and if it comes back positive which is like 1 in 500 very low then I will have withhout a doubt will need to have a Hysterectomy as well as the Double Bisectomy and well Dr. Shah and I spoke and due to the type of cancer, how it spread and my just plain dumb luck I just may go ahead and go through with the Double Bisectomy anyway! It will lower my risk tremendously!!! And now a days with all that is going on the world, the sadness and the losses around me, other wonderful people that have cancer, previously had cancer and the wonderful, fantastic people around me that I can not let down by not being here well, I have decided to have the surgery done regardless of the Genetic testing! Anyway, I need to go now almost done with my Chemo!!!

Have a wonderful and blessed day ALL of you and remember to live each day to it's fullest!!!

STOP AND SMELL THE FLOWERS!!!


xoxoxoxox,
Deanna

Bleep you CANCER

This is for you CANCER!!!

Three big raspberries!!!

NOW GO AWAY AND LEAVE US ALONE!

DAMN YOU CANCER! DAMN YOU!!! NO REALLY %*#$! YOU CANCER! I AM REALLY TIRED OF WHAT YOU ARE, WHO YOU ATTACK AND EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO TO THE PEOPLE YOU ATTACK, TO WHAT YOU DO TO THE FAMILIES, TO THE CHILDREN!!! GO AWAY AND LEAVE EVERYONE ALONE!!! OK I feel a little better now!!! LOL Just had to vent a little!!!

Hello All!

Just wanted to do a quick post... Had #11 of #12 yesterday!!! Yippee!!! Gettin' closer and feelin' groovy! Lada da da da da feelin' groovy!!! Ok there goes those darn steroids again!!! LOL anyway just wanted to let everyone know that I am doing pretty good today had a really rough night last night and a really crazy day today! But hangin' in there! Thanks to wonderful friends and family! I also just want to give a personal shout out to my two new sisters that I have recently met (you know who you are Barbie & Heather!), my good friend Pat M., my old old (not in age however LOL) friends that I have recently made contact with (you know who you are too but just in case... Cathy, Pam, Karen, Debbie and Honey you all are wonderful), family that I have just reunited with (Dody, Stacey, my nephews), my family (ok to many of you all to list), my NACM NTO family, my SACM/NACM family and my friends, to all of you who have given my so much love, support and well the spunk to keep on keepin' on! Ok feelin' sentimental now you all can blame this on Cathy!!! Just a note to all that I have an appointment on Friday and hopefully I will be told exactly what will be going on with me, my treatments, how I am doing with my battle, war and my kickin' cancers ass!!! I feel at times that I have been given the run around and well either Michael or Emily will be coming to this one! I love you all thank you for everything! Going to go get me some applesauce now (the only thing besides that and yogurt that I really eat for the first 2 days after Chemo!!! Keep on Keepin' on!!! Love you all!

XOXOXOXOXO,
Deanna

3 kinds of meds that I take for Chemo

Just an fyi... Here are the 3 types of chemo that I am currently taken every week! Herceptin, Decadron(steroid) and Taxol...

Chemo Tuesday - Happy Hour...

Hello all... Sitting at MD Anderson, 5th Floor, Room 20, first chair to the left, getting Chemo treatment #10 of 12! I am pretty sure that this is correct!!! Yippee! Then off to round 3!!! I missed my Doctors Appointment today! Had so much going on! Sarah, had to get her shots today for school - long story short-was told one month ago that she was up to date on her shots so no appointment was made however when I called the school about something else I was made aware that she needed more!!! ARGH wake up people!!! That should be a topic in my blog I will not do that now on this one... Anyway I missed my appointment today with Dr. Shah and will need to reschedule - I have many other questions for her. HER2 nue is/was positive "what exactly does this mean?", just questions (I will be bringing in Emily and/or Mike when I do or record it - LOL!), also I need to go to see the Genetics people. Anyway, today I had a MUGA scan for my heart, something that is required every 2 months for me while on Herceptin then off to Chemo I went and here I sit...

Words to live by (a reminder to me and my fighting friends)!

Cancer is a word,
NOT a sentence.

Hello all! Another one bites the dust!

As Emily said today "another one bites the dust"!!! Yippee, todays treatment was a little rough on me the Taxol and Herceptin is running it's course on me even though Dr. Shah cut the Herceptin down a lil' it and the Taxol are making my bones ache something fierce that the pain pills are not helping... It really feels as if they are on fire, tingly and achy all at the same time! I just wanted to post a lil' before I lie down and elevate my legs... Dylan is up we took a late nap (5:15) of course I woke up before he did and no matter what I tried I could not get him up so, Sarah, Shelley (Sarah's best friend and my adopted daughter LOL) and I proceeded to make dinner we tried to wake him up again to eat and well to no avail did he do so. UNTIL I was ready to go to bed that is... Now he is up and movin', Sarah and Shelley said that they would play with him for a bit and try to wear him down (may be the other way around LOL)... I am going to read a lil' and stretch out! And before I go to sleep say a prayer for all of you, myself, and for the lil' girl that is missing!

God bless you all and a wonderful day/evening to you all!


xoxoxoxoxoxo,

Deanna

Just an FYI and a prayer request!

Lately I have come across 4 wonderful women that are fighting cancer and one of them we just reconnected and I have known since high school... One is 46 her name is Barbie and has been dealing with breast cancer now for 4 years and has been taking chemo off & on since. She has had 2 masectomys (one was her implants)! The other is a 35 year old woman (Stephanie) who was recently diagnosed (in February) with breast cancer also is done with her chemo and will be starting radiation soon. And the one from high school(Debbie), well she is the sister of one of my close friends from high school, she has just completed chemo (do not remember when she started) and is starting her radiation. The other is going through radiation and chemo now and is a very very close person to me she has been there for me so, PLEASE keep all of them in your prayers! These are all young strong women! I am just shocked at how wide spread this cancer thing is... NEVER ever would have thought that I would be one of them nor any of these woman that are in my life now... As well as for all the others and for the woman who need to check their breasts I would just say on a weekly bases "because you just never know!"!!!

Hello ALL I miss you!!! Just sittin' at chemo...

Just wanted to tell everyone how much I love and miss everyone!!!

And I would like to thank EVERYONE for everything!

God Bless You All!!!

XOXOXOXO,

Deanna

P.S. Feeling a lil' low and sentimental now. Just looked at some of my pics since my diagnoses and from my party and well feeling a little sad! DAMN Steroids! LOL really I am ok... Just tired and a sentimental now (note the word "mental" LOL)...

Plus, I keep forgetting to wear my pink wig in!!! I have had private rooms the last three times and keep forgetting to bring it in it would be the perfect opportunity now when I do bring it in next week I will be in a room with 3 other people... LOL but I will do it anyway PROMISE...

So, check this blog next week at around 3:30!!!

I am feeling a lil' down now also, because today while waiting I met the YOUNGEST one ever during chemo (just recently have I met people close to my age everyone else up until last tuesday has been 60 or over...) anyway the girl today was recently transferred from Fla Hospital, she is 19 going on 20 this year, she looked so weak and fragile, we were both pretty much bundled but she also had on a winter hat and sweat pants, she seemed a lil' out of it, during her chemo (she was 2 doors down) her blood pressure started to drop and she was not doing to good she was also complaining of chest pains she was taken upstairs, my heart my thoughts and my prayers are with her now! I still have a hard time understanding God's purpose for things like this at times I really do and feel guilty/bad that I do so...

Just an update!

Just hangin' with my lil' ones!

Mommy loves her some Dylan!

Hello all! So so sorry that I have not blogged in a while... This new round of chemo (weekley) well, it is harder for me... I was told that it would not be but it is for me. Not sure really though if it is the chemo or just all the chemo catching up with me. Plus with school out I have been busy and more to do. School will be back in soon so we shall see. I will miss Sarah though she has been such a great help to me she is such a good girl!!! Things are ok I guess miss my old routine though PC (pre-cancer)!!!

Well, let's see... Tomorrow I will be on infusion #8 of 12!!! I have been dealing with neuropathy in my feet and it has now reached my fingertips and at times my hands... The feet and toes are really annoying. It is almost like when your leg goes to sleep and you know the feeling you get when it starts to wake up that tingly, pins & needle feeling? That is how it feels in my toes and 1/2 f my foot and it is starting in my hands now! The doctor prescribed Neurontin 300 mg and it helps keep it subsided then on my last 2 chemo treatments the dose was cut down %*)!O*(%)*! I did not like this as you can see by the cursing above... ( I feel as if I am missing out )... I have to have another Mugascan done to check my heart to see how bad the chemo is effecting it if at all and how the treatments are going in getting rid of my cancer... My hair started to come back but is now falling out once again. Not as bad as it was around Easter though - it just looks now like I have a bad case of the mange LOL. Still having a hard time sleeping especially after treatment and well, I have gained so much weight from the steroids not from sitting around though because I am unable to sit still with the stuff. However, my brain / memory has gone on a lil' vacation! I am totally like ADHD now no lie. I start doing something then see something else then see another thing. By the end of the day I am exhausted, the house is messier and well nothing is done! Really this is not an exaggeration. And the muscle and/or joint aches at night time at times just drive me crazy!!! But listen all and listen you Damn cancer cells - as Helen Reddy once sang I will not I repeat NOT be defeated "I am strong - I am invincible I am WOMAN!!!" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRKnv9so5O8
wow I have always loved Helen Reddy (just a lil' info for anyone if there is ever a "Deanna Pop Quiz"...
Ok all well better go. I will post sooner and more often next time... Promise (I keep my promises)...
LOVE YOU ALL!
xoxoxoxoxoxoxo,
Deanna