Post surgery #1

Ok, I have already freely admitted that I am the worlds worst blogger! I have confirmed it with most of my readers and now my husband is also conceding the point!

Where do I begin?? Well, I finished chemo #8 on the 25th of Feb and managed to get through the side effects a little bit easier--mostly psychologically knowing I didn't have to go back for more chemo made it much more tolerable! I still am dealing with side effects--mostly neuropathy (numbness in fingers and feet) but that should subside in the next couple of months. Fatigue still plagues me but every day I feel stronger so I am moving in the right direction!

I had a Breast MRI taken and the results were not altogether surprising. The chemo appears to have reduced one of the tumors but not so much on the other one. This means that I did not have a full response to chemo and that there is cancer still inside me. In the meantime, my gallbladder has continued to be the source of misery, pain and suffering. So, when I met with the breast surgeon to discuss the breast-he was very surprised and disappointed to hear that my gallbladder was so bad off and not taken care of when it was flaring up! The plan immediately changed as he decided that he could not send me in for a mastectomy (or bilateral mastectomy) with a sore gallbladder as it would not be conducive to good healing.

So, yesterday I had surgery to remove the 2 tumors and a sentinel mode (left side) and a laporoscopic surgery to remove my gallbladder (right side). It was a 2 hour surgery which went very well but unfortunately I did not do so great immediately afterwards in the recovery room as I was there for 4 1/2 hours! And judging from the look on colman's face when I got back to my room--I didn't look so hot (I know that's hard to believe ...)anyhoos, after several hours of feeling cruddy--I now feel less cruddy! I might actually get sent home tomorrow much to the delight of the little ones!

Next week I meet with my oncologist on Tuesday to discuss how things have gone and aftercare. On Friday, (hopefully it will be doubly good) I will meet with my breast surgeon to discuss the pathology of the lymph node and tumor status as well as I should have the genetic results to help us determine how soon I have to go for the mastectomy or bilateral mastectomy.

I know that this is a lot of information and a bit confusing at that but, rest assured that I have had a lot of positivity in my life in the last few weeks as well:
Happy birthday to Colman SeNIOR--took my love to dromoland castle for a lovely getaway dinner, B&B. Returned home and had a splendid family party with the kids!
A special visit from my dearest friend Karen (notice I didn't say 'oldest'...even though she was one of the first to concur with my world's worst blogger title!)--we had a blast hobbling around (can't feel my feet and she had surgery on her foot--it was a great glimpse into our future as old chicks!)loads of yummy lunches and dinners!
Topped off the last week with a visit to Carrick on Shannon to celebrate our little Sheila's 3rd birthday with some of her cousins, aunties, uncle and grandma. This took us to st. Patrick's day land parade and boat parade on the Shannon river. Aunt cheena took our eldest boys out on the river to participate in the parade and they had the best time!! We then followed all of this up with a fireworks display down at the river that evening which was a perfect ending to a perfect day!

We have been extremely touched and humbled by all of the notes, letters, FB messages, phone calls--all too numerous to mention but absolutely appreciated from the bottom of our hearts! Our boy's school, Kiltiernan National school, has even organised a special 'healing' mass for me on the 9th of April for our kid's friends and the parents that we have been blessed to call 'friends'. Please know that Colman and myself are truly thankful and in turn pray for all of our friends as well--you are all so good to us and we are forever blessed by your presence in our lives!

I will be in touch again--I promise!!!
Thank you all for your friendship and love--it means the world to me!!
All my love,
Heather