wpr;457694. We've heard both the oncologist and radiologist tell her she is "cancer free"!

What great news....a blessing.

Thanks for sharing

Excellent news! Having lost three family members to cancer, and having family and friends that have made it through, I can relate and am very happy for you and your wife and family. It's a terrible thing to go through and I'm so glad to hear that she has a clean bill of health.

My friend got it (Lymphoma if I recall correctly) a few years back, she was 34 or so at the time, and the way she described it was downright science fiction. She had a "chemo purse" that she was able to wear that administered the treatment. She could even go to work and everything, which was equal parts surprising and amazing to me. I think it was caught early so the treatment wasn't as severe or invasive as it could have been.

wpr;457697Amazing as it sounds, she doesn't. Who would have thunk it?

Well, I will have to have a talk with that young lady if/when I see her again!

earthquake;457703Excellent news! Having lost three family members to cancer, and having family and friends that have made it through, I can relate and am very happy for you and your wife and family. It's a terrible thing to go through and I'm so glad to hear that she has a clean bill of health.

My friend got it (Lymphoma if I recall correctly) a few years back, she was 34 or so at the time, and the way she described it was downright science fiction. She had a "chemo purse" that she was able to wear that administered the treatment. She could even go to work and everything, which was equal parts surprising and amazing to me. I think it was caught early so the treatment wasn't as severe or invasive as it could have been.

Thanks EQ. Medical tech has changed a lot in the past few years. My Dad had prostate cancer in 2005. They did some of the same things but I can clearly see some of the differences. For him chemo was the last ditch stab before he passed away. This time chemo was first, before surgery. They wanted to shrink the tumor first. Chemo is also the last treatment. But that is only because one of the "receptors" was positive. 

 

Very glad to hear this, as mentioned on the Facebook. I'm cancer ignorant (thankfully) so I'm just glad that it seems things are clearing up for Rhonda. 
 

Looks like we made it!
Today was Rhonda's final chemo treatment.
SHE RANG THAT BELL!

This process has taken more than a year to complete. We went through:
First the shock of the diagnosis.
Then what I call the "Big Chemo" treatments to kill the cancer cells. They used 4 and 3 different chemo drugs. Each treatment lasted 4-6 hours. The hospital was on COVID lock down so I sat in the waiting room while she was being treated. It was 90% successful.
Surgery to remove the tumor.
Radiation. 5 days a week for 4 weeks. It doesn't seem like much but it was a grind for both of us.
Because her receptors were triple positive (estrogen, progesterone and HER2) she had to go through what I call "Little Chemo". It was only one chemo drug and it targeted the HER2. Slowly but surely it destroyed the protein. Slowly but surely she got more and more fatigued. 14 treatments. They were usually every 3 weeks.
There were 3 times her treatment was pushed back. Three times her port was malfunctioning.
This past month or two she slept as much as a newborn does. It was frustrating to her but that is what happens when you don't have any protein in your body. She has no appetite. She is down to eating just cottage cheese with peaches and yogurt.
Before the chemo infusion she is given steroids to counteract the swelling the chemo causes. The steroids keep her up at night. Typically she does not sleep at all the day of her treatments no matter how tired she is.

Any plans for a celebration are on hold. She is heading back to bed. Hopefully she will gain her strength over the next few months.
She didn't want to do a gift exchange with me. That's fine, we really don't need anything. If we do, we don't wait for a birthday or some significant day to get it, we just buy it then. Last week I did find something online that I wanted to give her. A scented candle with an elderly couple walking together. The sentiment was about our journey together. She was a little upset because she didn't get anything for me. I told her the candle sums up our lives together, especially this past 16 months. She agreed. She liked the scent (Good for me. I never even thought about it.) and it did sum up our "adventure.) The next day I brought out her second gift. Another candle. This one says, "I'm sorry your boobies tried to kill you." I laughed. She laughed and said it was appropriate.
Today I gave her a third gift. A necklace with a pink tourmaline stone. The sales clerk at the jewelry store said it is the same shade of pink as breast cancer awareness.
I am so proud of her.

While treatments are over the healing process is going to take time.
I think I need a nap.

That is awesome news...thanks for sharing!!!

Great news wpr!

wpr;462445Looks like we made it!
Today was Rhonda's final chemo treatment.
SHE RANG THAT BELL!

Heck yeah!! Let's go, Rhonda!!!!

That's super great news and now you guys can make some New Years Resolutions and actually keep them lol.

Congrats again