So, we met with Dr. Anderson this morning for a long time....and got a lot of answers.
I start chemo next week Wednesday already, which was a shocker to me, and then will induce baby the week after that, which would be 36 weeks gestation. Before we start chemo, I need to have a cardiac ultrasound to make sure that the tumor isn't compressing any major vessels, which is now scheduled for tomorrow morning. Then, I meet with the surgeon again tomorrow to first take out my stitches from last week, and then plan to put a port in my chest for the chemo, which will most likely be Monday. Dr. Anderson was pretty confident that this is stage I or II hodgkins, which is great news, but we can't know for sure until after I have the baby and can have a PET scan. I will have chemo once every 2 weeks for 6 months total, and then probably radiation after that.
After todays appointment, things are much more real to me and it's been a little bit more rough to be tough. I for sure will lose all of my hair, which is one of the hardest things for me to deal with, even though it seems vain in light of everything else going on, but then I will look like a cancer patient. I was hoping to kind of fake it through and look pretty normal, especially for my kids. I don't really want them thinking mommy is sick. Maybe it will grow back curlier... :)
I've been blessed with such great doctors - I know for sure that Dr. Lee and Dr. Anderson are both Christians, and that really helps when dealing with things like this.
I guess I just covet prayers that everything will be ok tomorrow on the echo so that I can have the port put in, instead of having to use my veins in my arms for chemo. Dr. Anderson is starting chemo right away because he is confident that he can shrink the tumor with just a few doses of chemo, to prevent any respiratory or cardiac complications that could come from having a huge mass on my chest.
Well, I'm just blubbering on and on....thanks for all of your thoughts and prayers.