I'M PERFECT

Once again, I sigh a big sign of relief.... "YOUR PERFECT" were the words Sloan said.. Music to my ears, tears to my eyes and a huge THANK YOU TO GOD for once again answering my prayers..

Busy Days

I know that it has been a long time since my last post but things have been quite crazy around here. I am feeling great and back to work and loving it.. The kids have all adjusted nicely and are busy with after school activities, CCD , homework, etc..

Since my last blog,I have had an infected elbow that turned out to be quite an ordeal.. After a couple of weeks, two trips to the emergency room, oral antibiotics and 4 shots of antibiotics, it is finally clear. After that I ended up with a slight cold but nothing alarming. My hair is growing like nothing I have ever seen. CURLY!!!CURLY!! CURLY!! I have learned that I must put an incredible amount of gel on it each day or else it grows!! I used to look like Mr. Brady but these days, I resemble the Fresh Price of Bel Aire. It gives both myself and my family many laughs!

Be careful what you wish for.... I wished for hair and boy did I get it!

Today I went for my blood work. It is hard to believe that it is once again time to take a trip to Sloan for a checkup. I should have my results by Thursday. The results of the blood work will let me know that everything is fine. This way, when I go to Sloan, I have nothing to worry about.. No surprises. Monday 10/1 I meet with the oncologist as well as the surgeon. I have to go back in on Tuesday 10/20 to meet with the plastic surgeon. Hopefully, we will be able to schedule my exchange surgery.. I will keep you posted.

In the mean time, we have Halloween parties, hockey games and the Breast Cancer walk in Point Pleasant. My parents are looking to come for a visit as well as both my brothers..

Fright Fest is on at Great Adventure and they are all anxious to experience the thrills..

All in all- Life is Good/ Great!

Say a quick prayer that all is well with my blood work and I will keep you posted.

I DID IT!

I have officially made it back to work! School started on Wednesday 9/2 for me. As of today, I have 2 days under my belt! Feeling great and loving being back in the mix!
Hope that everyone and their children have a GREAT school year.

Happy or Sad ???

Just got off the phone with the nurse from Dana-Farber. It looks like I will not be eligible for the clinical study that involves chemo. The study is not going to start realistically until the earliest November. Since that is the case, I will miss the 6 month window from surgery until the study starts. I really don't know how I feel about this. I did however have a very in depth conversation with the nurse in regards to the exercise and diet portion of the study. I need to have moderate exercise for at least 180 minutes a week and have a very low fat diet. I have been walking about 3 miles a day, so that is great but as far as the low fat diet...I need to get busy on that. As far the chemo they would have put me on, they are not even close to knowing if it helps triple negative breast cancer or not. This too makes me have mixed emotions..
Anyway, everything is going great here.. Enjoying the last few weeks of summer. Hope you are too.

As an afterthought, I want you all to know that my computer crashed about 3 weeks ago. I have since bought a laptop but have lost all your email addresses... Help!

Summer

The summer is going so quickly. We have been relaxing and enjoying it dispite the weather. We spent last weekend in Virginia with my family celebrating my niece Jeannie's college graduation. I thought that I would post a few pictures for you to see.

I contacted Dana Farber in regards to the study. They are still awaiting the final paper work before they can get started.. I will keep you posted.

Hope that you are all enjoying your summer...

Summer Is Here

Summer is finally made it to New Jersey and we are loving it. Nothing exciting has really been happening here but at this point nothing is great! We have been enjoying the pool, beach and lots of good friends. Next weekend we are off to New York to visit with my family and relatives. We are all looking forward to getting away and seeing so many people who we haven't seen in a year.
Hope your summer is off to a great start.
No news from Dana-Farber yet. I will keep you posted..

Maintenance

I never thought I would be saying these words but......................................I am on maintenance! It is like angels singing. My appointment at Sloan was great. Everything is great and I don't have to see the oncologist for 4-6 months!!!
Dr. Dickler (Sloan oncologist) definitely wants me to participate in the study at Dana-Farber but other than that, get back to "normal life".

Boston and Our Angel Flight

What a day!
Let me start by saying that it was fabulous! It was a rough start but everything went great. We woke up to both Sean and Luke being sick. Figures of all days. Anyway, we called in Vera who came running and stayed with the boys until Aunt Mary got here.. Thank God for both of them!
We met Scotty (our pilot) at Monmouth Airport at 9:30. After going over flight procedures we departed about 10:00. I have to say, after much anxiety, this was the best flight I have ever been on. Everything was great and we were treated by everyone like royalty. My appointment with Dr. Parker at Dana-Faber was quite interesting. When the door opened, in came Dr. Parker sporting his bow tie.. We spent quite sometime going over my history and path reports. After that, he gave me a full exam.. Interesting as he even looked at my nails for residual signs of chemo. When that was complete, he told us about the study. Here goes.... At the end of July, Dana Farber will be comparing two stands of study in order to see the impact either or both have on triple negative breast cancer. The first strand is diet and exercise.. The second strand is diet, exercise along with more chemo. Which ever one I am chosen to be in is totally random. After talking with Dr. Parker, either way I can't go wrong...I will be receiving more info as the study gets closer. Tomorrow, I am off to Sloan for my checkup...I am anxious to hear what they have to say about this whole thing as they are the ones that sent me there..

We departed from Boston around 4 and landed at about 5:20.. Not bad.. Sure beats driving and it sure was an adventure! One that both Dan and myself enjoyed and thought was pretty cool.

Once again, I have found myself surrounded with angels, whether they are here on the ground or up in the air. I am truly blessed!

Bloodwork

Just got the results of my bloodwork...I'M PERFECT!!!

4 months

Does the shirt look familiar? 4 months ago, I was wearing this shirt to celebrate the end of chemo. Now we're celebrating the end of radiation. It's amazing what has transpired in just 4 months.... new boobs, hair... and a much better outlook on this whole thing.

Friday was my last "blast". I am so happy that I was able to make it through without having to stop to give my skin a break. I am burned pretty bad, but it doesn't hurt and am putting special cream on it to help it heal.

My trip to Dana-Farber is set for the 16th. I am excited and anxious all at the same time. Who ould have ever thought that I would be a jet setter? After Dana-Farber, I have a check-up at Sloan on the 18th. I had blood work done yesterday and should have the results sometime next week. I am confident that everything will be fine but am still holding my breath. We have plans for a fun weekend.. Tomorrow we are going to Pocono for the Nascar race...Lots of fun and a big party..

Enjoy the sun and I will update when I get my blood results!

No Go!

The trip to Boston was scrapped due to the weather. I will have to call Dana-Farber and reschedule. I will keep you posted!

Getting Ready

When one thing ends another begins. This is my last week of radiation. Everything has gone remarkably well. I am definitely burned but that is exactly what was supposed to happen. I have been busy talking to Angel Flights and getting everything in order for my first voyage to Boston. Thursday morning Dan and I will be on our way.. The anxiety is building quickly but I am sure this will soon become routine also... Keep praying and hopefully I will have some funny stories to tell about this next step in my journey..

Half Way There

I am officially half way through radiation. Hurray! Although my skin is beginning to look slightly red, I still do not feel it.
June 4th is my appointment at Dana-Farber in Boston. For those of you that I haven't spoke to, let me catch you up to date. Both of my doctors at Sloan want me to participate in a clinical study at Dana-Farber which is located in Boston. My doctors consider this coarse of treatment and being proactive. What the study is in detail I will find out then. I have spoken in depth with a woman from Point Pleasant who had pretty much the exact same case scenario as me. She had all her main treatment at Sloan and then participated in this study at Dana-Farber. She had wonderful things to say and feel that this study helped play a vital part in her being cancer free. With this said, I have been really busy trying to get all my records and films up there. I have also been in contact with Corporate Angels which is an volunteer organization that works in conjunction with the airlines and corporations to get patients up and back to appointments at no cost. Who would have ever thought that I would be a jet setter! Anyone wanting to go with me, the invitation is open!
The Moore household is finally getting back to some normalcy. I feel good and have once again started cooking!. The meals from all my neighbors have stopped. All good things must come to an end. I don't know what we would have done without all their help when we were going through the toughest of times!
I was fortunate enough to go to a baby shower at work the other day. (Roseann, you look adorable.) Deb picked me up and Anne brought me home. It was so incredibly WONDERFUL to see everyone.. It felt so good being there and I really look forward to getting back to work.
Dan and the kids are all doing well and anxious for summer to be here as we all are.
Guess that is enough for now.. Keep the prayers coming!

Relax

Relaxation was the name of the game today. After my radiation treatment ( which is going right along) it was off to the spa. Monmouth Medical along with the Monmouth Women's Coalition offered a free day at the spa in Long Branch. What a day is was! It started off with a pedicure, followed by a manicure and facial. After that it was lunch with a nutritionist, make-up class and ended with yoga. (NO, I did not do any headstands!) It was incredibly relaxing and good for my mental health, as the weather is not helping in that area. I feel good and my hands and feet look great.. Where is that sun anyway?

Radiation

Today was my first day of radiation. What a pleasant surprise.... no needles, no noises and just a few short minutes. It is hard to believe that for the first time, it was painless. I know that it won't always be like this, but I am thankful for whatever I get. I will be going every day Monday-Friday for 6 weeks....The doctor says I will skate by the first couple weeks but than will get what looks like a burn and fatigue. Doesn't sound to bad. Hopefully I am right..I will let you know.

Tatoos

I am officially "tattooed". Yesterday was my initial visit to the radiation oncologist. Another long day but good one, I am all set and ready to go. They made a mold for me to lay on and tattooed me for the machine. On Friday I have to go back for an x-ray and radiation starts on Monday. I will be going everyday, Monday-Friday for 5 1/2 to 6 1/2 weeks. Seems like a long time but I am sure this will go quickly. The actual treatment only lasts about 10 minutes if that. It will take me longer to get there and back.
I am feeling much better since the sun has made an appearance and my mobility is getting there. I can now get both hands over my head although it is still not comfortable. Everyday is another day stronger and closer to normalcy.
The kids went back to school yesterday with quite a few mumbles..I just keep telling them that this is the final push and summer will be here before long. Dan is good. He is back working at the waterfront, so his days are long. Hopefully that won't last to long.
Hope everything is going well with all of you. Keep on praying and I hope to see you all sometime soon.

Fully Expanded

Well folks, I am fully expanded and I mean FULLY expanded. I feel as if I could pop! I must say they are looking good, just a little on the large side. In order for them to make you the size you want, they have to over expand you. Dan is loving life, as I am looking forward to the downsizing that will happen with the exchange surgery. Monday 4/20 is my initial visit to the radiation doctor. Things are moving right along!
I hope you all had a wonderful holiday. My family was very busy. It stated off by going to a friends house for Sader dinner followed by a visit from my younger brother and his family. They were able to spend a few days with us before they went on to my parents house. The kids had a blast as well as us. Easter way another great day. The Easter bunny was here bright and early and then we actually made it to church at 9:15! Mary, Dave, Paul, Nadia. Carl, Cloe and Nanny were all here. Mary and Dave did everything! It was so nice to sit, relax and visit with all of them.
Hope to see you all sometime soon.

Enjoy

Wishing you all a blessed Easter..
I will be in touch soon.

Expansion 2

All went well today. I am almost fully expanded. One more hit and I am there!!! Tomorrow I will call to confirm my radiation appointment as I have misplaced my appointment card. My sister has been here since Sunday and took me into the city. She is an amazing person and a real calming factor to me. Somehow, I feel so much better. My brother and his family are coming at the end of the week. It will be wonderful to see and spend time with them also.
Thank you all for all your support especially last week when I was having a tough time. Knowing you are all there for me (us) makes me so much stronger.. I truly love you all.
To all my Eagleswood buddies..... CONGRATULATIONS!! You have made it to Easter vacation! ENJOY!

Expanded

Yesterdays visit to the plastic surgeon went quick and painless. The were able to put in 120cc of saline on each side. At that rate, I should be showing soon. Dan is still praying for Dolly Parton size boobs but, he doesn't stand a chance.
I also wanted to clarify my path reports as I didn't really get it right the first time..( It's amazing how we process only so much.) The chemo affected all the cancer (both masses and the lymphs) it just didn't completely kill it. Chemo totally killing the cancer only happens in about 20% of patients. The amount of lymph nodes that were affected is still the same. I will just have to very careful on my right arm as to not trigger lymphodema (swelling). Dr. King was able to get all the cancer out with clear margins. It is important to get the radiation going as quickly as possible in order to "sterilize that area".
We are planning to start radiation by the end of the month.

Let the expansion begin

Revisited the pathology report with Dr. Dickler and Dr. King and talked about our plan of action. We are now moving into the expansion phase. Tomorrow morning is the first one... Should be interesting!

Pathology Report

I just got off the phone with Dr. King. There were two distinct caner tumors in my right breast. One tumor was killed by the chemo, while the second one wasn't. Dr. King is looking in to why that happened and if we need any other coarse of treatment because of that. She removed 24 lymph nodes under my right arm. 11 of them showed signs of cancer. Dr. King was able to get clear margins in all areas. Radiation is going to be an important part of my treatment, so we will discuss this in depth tomorrow with her and Dr. Dickler (the oncologist).My left breast was clear.
I guess I will have a better handle on this after we meet tomorrow.. I will keep you posted. You keep praying!

All is good

Just got off the phone with the plastic surgeon. After discussing the fluid output of my drains, he feels that it is time for them to come out! Hurray! Once again, bright and early tomorrow morning, Dan and I will going to NYC to do this. Everything is going better than expected.. Keep praying..

I'm Home

I'm home! What a wonderful feeling. Feeling good but moving slow.. Thank you for all the cards, flowers, fruit and calls. I love you all. I will write more when I am up and around!

Pray

Surgery is on for tomorrow at 7 am.
I will update the blog as soon as I can.

Feeling Great

Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend.I have been enjoying spending time with friends and getting outside. Yesterday we went to the St. Patrick's Day parade in Seaside. Not only did we get to spend time with Deb, Ken and their family, we also ran into Dan's cousin Don and his family. After the parade it was off to the rink for Travis' playoff hockey game. Although his team lost, I think he had a great season and really enjoyed the sport. While we were there, I was able to spend time with Karen Maxwell (a friend from work). It was so uplifting to see her.

Sean, Kate and Luke are also enjoying the nicer weather. Once again, "Hide and Go Seek" has become a daily activity in our yard.

Tomorrow is another day and it is back to business. I am busy trying to get all my "ducks is a row".

Keep the prayers coming as phase 2 is quickly approaching..

Love you all.

Cautiously Optomistic

Dan and I went to Sloan today to meet with the surgeon and the oncologist. What a great day. Both doctors said that by looking at the MRI with contrast they did a couple of weeks ago, it appears that the chemo killed all the cancer in my breast including the lymph node!! Of course nothing is 100% and we will not know for sure until the pathology report comes back from the surgery.Who could ask for anything more?!! I am going for surgery on Wednesday, March 18th instead of the 20th. No need to panic, it got moved up because of the doctors scheduling. I will still need radiation but we are not sure when that will take place. The doctors are leaning toward starting radiation after I am expanded from the first surgery. I also got up the courage to ask what stage my cancer was. Believe it or not, I never asked the doctors that, I was just going off what I read on an initial report. Anyway, I am stage two bordering on stage 3 due to the size and lymph nodes..Not that it really matters anyway..
I am feeling GREAT!! At this point, I am ready to tackle this next phase... As I refer to it, it is time for the clean up crew to go in and then build the new me!! Bring it on!!
Keep the prayers coming as the BIG GUY upstairs is definitely listening!!

Other options..

Yesterday I was off to Sloan once again. I had an appointment with the plastic surgeon and then an MRI. The plastic surgeon seems to think that I should have my first surgery, than radiation then the "exchange surgery" six months after I finish radiation.....His logic is that radiation should not be put off by completing two surgeries and than the healing process. I keep asking myself how long is this going to drag out? After much thought, I have come to realize once again that if anyone is capable of killing and getting rid of this cancer it is the doctors at Sloan so, I need to do what is right and not just try to rush through this.. The final layout of treatment will be determined on March 9th when I meet with the cancer surgeon and oncologist.
I woke up this morning in a much healthier frame of mind and decided that I needed to focus on getting healthy for surgery and not on the time factor. Saying that, I did my morning Yoga ( to the best of my ability) with Wai Lana on TV. I must admit, this is quite a sight! After the kids got off to school, I went for a walk. It felt great to get outside in the cool fresh air. Then...... I came home and crashed!
I will keep you posted..

Phase 1 COMPLETE!!

It is hard to believe that 4 months has passed and I am OFFICIALLY DONE WITH CHEMO!!

I did it! We did it!! Treatment went well yesterday and I was never so happy to get the h--- out NYC as I was yesterday.

Thought that I would give you all a good chuckle and show you what I really look like.... Hairless...plump.... and VERY HAPPY!! My girlfriend Loretta had the t-shirt made for me..Everyone at Memorial loved it..as well as me..

Surgery has been changed to March 20th. In the meantime, I need to start getting into fighting shape for the next phase... (My famous last words!) We will see how that goes..

Thanks for all your support, we are a third of the way there!

Almost There

It seems as if time is passing so quickly since my last post. Treatment on Monday went well, however, I am feeling more fallout from this new medicine. I have once again gone into my slumber and have even felt nauseous at times.. Anyway,,, ONE MORE TO GO!!!

On a lighter note.. Dan and I were able to make it to our friends sons wedding on Saturday night. We had a wonderful time and laughed like we haven't in months. I got up the nerve to wear my wig (which by the way I still hate) but had to wear a hat over it.. Thought you might enjoy that picture...

Also, Dan celebrated his 46th birthday on Monday. WOW. The kids baked and decorated his cake and I managed to make it to the table for that one. I promised Dan a round of drinks for both of us when this is over..

Thinking of you all as always!!

We're getting there!

All is going along. Had a really great visit with my family. On Monday I went for treatment. Unfortunately, I had an allergic reaction to the medicine. That experience was interesting to say the least. Anyway, they were able to give me the rest of the medicine after some time. (Thank God).My biggest fear is that they wouldn't be able to give me the meds. My body is starting to feel achy which is one of the side affects and of coarse, I am requiring a lot of sleep. My spirits are up and each new day is one step closer to being done with this whole mess. Thinking of you all... The kids are all doing well. Back into the swing of school.
To all my friends at Eagleswood.. hang in there, monitoring will be over with in a matter of days!

LIfe Is Good

Feeling good and looking forward to the weekend. My parents,Greg ( my oldest brother) and my sister are coming down. (Kim is going to take me to the city on Monday and Tuesday) I am really looking forward to spending time with all of them.
I was able to enjoy a nice visit with Maryanne N. the other night and have seen quite a few of the neighbors. I think that it does me good to spend time with friends.
The snow is finally falling. They say it is just a dusting but, I will take whatever.
Hope that you all have a wonderful 3 day weekend. I will keep you posted!

T.G.I.F

Everything is going as planned. The new treatment went well besides the fact that we left for the city a 7 am and didn't get home until 7:30 pm. Thank God for Aunt Mary who once again pulled through and was able to pick up the kids and watch them until we got home.
I saw the doctor on Monday and she says everything is going as anticipated. She even said that she thought we would get even more positive results from this new medicine. This new stuff is a much longer treatment. I was in the chair for 4 hours which I must say, I slept through. I no longer have any of the nausea, but get VERY tired from it. I didn't think that it was possible for that to happen.
Deb was a real trooper once again and took me back on Tuesday for my shot. As much as I hate having to go back the second day, I really enjoy spending the time with her without having any interuptions! Thanks Deb.

I spoke with the surgeon today and my surgery has been set for March 13th.. WOW!!! I know that I have a long road still to travel but I can't wait for the Chemo to be over and for some hair to start growing back..After the surgery I will need 4 to 5 weeks of radiation. That shouldn't be to bad and I will have that done out of Monmouth Medical with the Sloan Doctors as traveling to the city every day for that would just be to much...

Anyway, TGIF to all of you. I can't tell you how much I used to look forward to the weekends. I still do, as we can all be home together. However, I will say something that I never thought I would say...... I look forward to getting back to work!

Enjoy the weekend.... BRING ON THE SNOW!!

All Good Things in 2009

Happy New Year to All!
Things are finally settling down at the Moore house. We all had a wonderful Christmas filled with family and friends. I did remarkably well after my last treatment. I think with all the holiday excitement and my sister and niece taking me, I actually did not go into my "golden slumber".
All my family arrived by Christmas afternoon, which was really a treat. The only member missing from my siblings was my younger brother and his family. Hopefully, we will get together soon. Mary and Kathy are coming over this Saturday. We are all very excited about being able to spend some more time with them.
Monday is back to the city for my 4th treatment. This is when they are changing my medicine. This medicine shouldn't cause nausea, but may bring bone and joint pain as well as tingling in the hands and feet. We will see.
I can't tell you all enough how great it makes me feel to sit and talk with you, read your emails and just know that you are praying for me. You all are keeping me going! This battle really stinks... but I know in the end, we will all have much to laugh and smile about...
May all the good things that you wish and dream for come to you in 2009!
I love you all.