Maui or bust

This Friday Greg and I will be boarding an airplane and traveling to Maui for 8 days.  We are going to celebrate our 10 year anniversary.  We have talked about this trip since our honeymoon on Kauai. We booked our trip in December and it's finally go time!

   This last weekend I was going to go have a pedicure when I landed in the ER instead. I developed a blood clot in my right arm called a DVT.  The Maui trip was in limbo.  I immediately was started on blood thinner injections and was instructed to see my oncologist on Monday. I will be on blood thinners for three months and I need to have a procedure this Thursday.

Even though this trip isn't exactly what we had planned I feel extremely blessed to be going.   I can't wait to spend some quality time with my husband.
   

Cancer free, but not free from cancer.

(Don't let the title throw you, I am not in a perpetual state of fear, just realistic about how a cancer diagnosis will impact my life forever.)

    After a long year of surgeries and cancer treatment (chemo sucks) I can finally say I am done!

    What an experience, it's hard to even think about everything that I have gone through.  Honestly some of it I don't want to, so I'll just block it out. One thing that I will always remember is everyone who stood with me, prayed for me and just loved me. If that's you Thank You!

    Life is getting back to "normal" and I feel I can be me again. Even though things are becoming more "normal" I know they will never be the same as before my diagnosis. My kids will ask questions that most won't understand. They become a little different if anyone in the house is sick and in bed. They talk about bald Mommy.  You know the fun stuff. I won't even go into what goes through my mind every time I have a cough. That being said these things do not happen on a daily basis. 

    I think it is safe to say that I am cancer free, but I'll never be free of cancer.

Team Huber

  This lovely group of people ran a 5K last weekend.  The best part they did it for me!  Thank You so much for showing your support and all the encouraging words that help me fight this battle everyday.  I also want to recognize two people who ran on Sunday.  Amy ran a half marathon (I'm tired just typing that)  and Ellie ran a 10K.  You are all amazing!

(Front) Jonnie, Tina, Becky, Rachelle, Crystal, Angie, Justine, Genny,

(Back) Aimee, Michelle, Sheila, Connie, Jen, Vince, Kate, Rory, Blake, Natalie, Lisa

Not pictured Amy, Stephanie, Ellie.

Hair today, gone tomorrow

  It's official the hair is leaving my head.  I'm not upset or sad about my hair loss, (yet) I'm just not prepared for it.  I don't know if you can prepare yourself for something like that.  I have taken hair for granted all my life and now will understand how important it is for my self image, keeping me warm at night, and the way others see me including my children.  I think that one thing that really bothers me is I will look "sick".  Before no one knew I had cancer unless I had told them but now the world will know.  I am preparing myself for the days ahead when strangers will stare and children will...... well, be children.  I will be embracing my baldness, no wig for me, who wants to wear a hot, itchy wig in July?  No Thank You!  Instead I will be trying other methods of covering my head, hats, scarves, etc.  If anybody knows of great ways to cover ones head please share.  On another note I have my second dose of chemo this Thursday.  The first dose was pretty terrible but I think that it could have been worse.  Continued prayers for little to no side effects would be wonderful.  

Busy week

   Tomorrow I go back to the hospital for a minor surgical procedure.  I will be having a permanent port placed. Also called a port-a-cath.  If you don't know what that is I will explain.  It is a device that will be implanted under the skin and it is used to administer all of my chemo and herceptin treatments. It is inserted into a large vein.  This will prevent me from having to have an IV and it will make it easier to have blood work/labs done.

(Here is a picture of a port-a-cath)

   I am scheduled Thursday to receive my first dose of chemo.  I'm not really sure what to expect as some people have almost no side effects and some people have debilitating side effects.  (Prayer for little to no side effects would be great!)  

   On another note I wanted to post a song that I just love.  No matter what I go through in life this song is so relevant. 

Desert Song

This is my prayer in the desert

When all that's within me feels dry

This is my prayer in my hunger and need

My God is a God who provides

And this is my prayer in the fire

In weakness or trial or pain

There is a faith proved

Of more worth than gold

So refine me Lord through the flames

And I will bring praise

I will bring praise

No weapon formed against me shall remain

I will rejoice

I will declare

God is my victory and He is here

And this is my prayer in the battle

When triumph is still on it's way

I am a conqueror and co-heir with Christ

So firm on His promise I'll stand

All of my life

In every season

You are still God

I have a reason to sing

I have a reason to worship

This is my prayer in the harvest

When favor and providence flow

I know I'm filled to be emptied again

The seed I've recieved I will sow

The Plan

   Surgery went well and now we are hopeful for a speedy recovery.  After I have healed my surgeon will give us the green light to begin treatment for the invasive cancer.

   As I said in my last post we went to see an oncologist.  I have been sitting on this information waiting for it to sink in. Here it goes.  The tumor came back as HER 2 +, which is a very fast growing, aggressive type of cancer.  In the past the prognosis was for this diagnosis was not very good.  Luckily for us there is a new drug specifically for HER 2 + cancer.  This drug is called Herceptin and it has only been available for 6 years. Because of this drug the prognosis is very good.

   The treatment plan also includes two different types of chemo.  Every three weeks I will go and have an infusion of chemo/herceptin.  I will need 6 doses of chemo, but a whole year of herceptin.  I don't know what to expect and am worried about being sick.  The doctor has explained that the chemo will wipe me out and I shouldn't expect to do much for a week after infusion.  Nausea is to be expected.  And yes I will lose my hair.  I recently cut it, I want to have control over the amount of hair I lose and I will probably just shave it off when it starts to fall out.  Those clippers I bought at Costco last year are going to come in handy.  We are estimating that this will all begin the first or second week of May.

Two steps back

   This Friday I am scheduled for another surgery.  One of the incisions is not healing properly.  My surgeon had been hopeful that it would resolve on it's own, but after close monitoring there is not enough improvement.  I was starting to feel better and now I have to take a couple steps back.  
   Today I see the medical oncologist and hopefully we will get some answers.  Specifically what kind of treatment we can anticipate.  As far as I understand radiation is off the table but chemo is still a possibility as well as more targeted therapy depending on the type of tumor we are dealing with.
  

 Thank You for all of your continued prayers.