**10 Days Post Op**

Hello Family and Friends :)

Today marks 10 days post op!! I am healing and getting around pretty good.  Slower some days, but for the most part I am getting around rather well. My belly is still very swollen, but that is sure to go down in a few more weeks once I have healed inside and out. After surgery was done they put on Steri-strips that were rather long, about 3-4 inches.  I went into Dr. Borst's office today for my post op appointment.  My incision was checked and they said it looked great! I was healing very well and fast. The Steri-strips were removed.  I am THE MOST TICKLISH person in the WHOLE WORD, so I was laughing and squirming all over the table each time she removed the strip! Haha she put more steri-strips back on which are a lot smaller about 2 inches in length.  Those will eventually fall off on their own.  I can't wait until I am able to sleep on my stomach.  I miss that the most! :)

I was scheduled today with a PA in Dr. Borst's office by accident.  When I saw him in the hospital he wanted me to follow up with him today.  My appointment was at 1030am today and when the PA came in and not Dr. Borst, I of course questioned it.  We had a lot of questions, some in which the PA couldn't answer.  She went and got Dr. Borst.  We met in his office and got all of our questions answered. He is such a great doctor.  He said today "I am going to scream out loud when you are in remission" haha and said "I can't think of any better thing I should be doing other than getting up in the morning and coming into my office to help my patients beat this" I am truly blessed to have been referred to the best of the best!

My appointment today was to talk about Chemotherapy and Radiation.  As my Pathology came back on my lymph nodes and my ligament's.  The Ligament's were clear. As for the lymph nodes he took 14 of my lymph nodes in my pelvic region.  Of those 14, 3 were positive for Cancer.  2 on the right and 1 on the left.  This is the best news.  It's better it was 3 of 14 and not 14 of 14.  He took my para aorta node on the left and right, in which both of those were negative.  This is also the best news.  He has every reason to believe the cancer is contained in my pelvic area.  Since my para aorta nodes were all negative, this means the cancer was caught early enough, it hasn't spread to the rest of my body.  Since the cancer was in 3 of my lymph nodes this now means my cancer is Stage 3.  Now becomes all the tough questions.  Chemo and Radiation will start ASAP, which will be next week some time.  I have a Chemo Teaching appointment tomorrow at 930am.  This will answer anymore questions I have about Chemo and will tell me when, and how often I will have Chemo, also how long each treatment will last.  I do know Chemo will be done 3 days in a row, then off for 2 weeks, on 3 days and off 2 weeks.  I don't know how long each treatment will last.  I will also have an appointment on Friday at 330pm with a Radiation doctor.  I do know Radiation will be 6 weeks long, and will be 30 minutes each treatment, and I will have to do that 5 days a week.  In the mean time, I will have a PET Scan, and a port placed.  The PET Scan will tell us where the Cancer is at in my body.  As far as we know it's contained in the pelvic area.  The Port is so they won't have to stick me each time I go in for Chemo.  That will stay in as long as I need treatment. And will be placed in my chest at the same hospital I had Surgery...Banner Good Samaritan.  All my treatment will be done at Dr. Borst's office, both Chemo and Radiation.  He told me I will be off work for 3 months on top of the 6 weeks I am off now.  I have applied for Disability and FMLA, so I hope I will have a Job when all this is said and done.  :) There is an old wives tail that Cancer feeds off oxygen.  This IS an old wives tail and IS NOT TRUE.  Cancer will not spread due to me being opened up for surgery.  After Chemo and Radiation is done, and I am in remission, there is a 50% chance of recurrences.  With Cancer if it does come back it comes back worse than it started.  We will just face that if the time comes.  He said I am OK to start my B12 injections again, I am about 3 weeks past due on these.  I will also need to get a multi-vitamin with Iron.  My Prognosis is about 50%.  Which means I have a 50% chance of survival.  My chances are higher than someone older than me.  I am over all healthy and relatively young, my body heals quicker.  We have heard from a lot of Cancer patients that the best thing to do is protein shakes before and after treatment.  Uncle Pat is putting together a care package for me! :) This will inculde protein powder, vitamins and and biosalts.  All these things will help to keep me as healthy as possible while going through treatment.

Since I am doing Chemo and Radiation there is a chance I will lose my hair.  I have made the decision that I will NOT get a wig, I will NOT cover up my bald head.  I will NOT give Cancer the satisfaction of making me feel ashamed of myself for having this disease. I will beat this disease and it will not get me down.  Everyone keeps asking me "how are you?  Or How are you feeling" to that I must answer, I feel great! I am alive and I am happy.  I have the best support system a girl could ask for!!  I can't even begin to tell each and every one of you how much I appreciate you and thank you for all the love and support you all have shown me! I can't thank you enough.

I love you with all my heart,