October 28
(“First” day of clinical study). Started the day at Yale at 9:15 this morning and I’m finally up and pumping at 2:00pm.
This has been such a long day already and it’s not over yet. Started out with what I thought would have been routine blood work but ended up in tears as the nurse was jabbing me in the chest with a needle about an inch long as she tried to access the already tender port. It hurt but but what I really missed was Angela, my caring and gentle oncology nurse at the Westerly Women and Infants office.
I had a quick, yet reassuring visit with Dr. Silber and the nurse navigator for the research team, who are both proving to be a comfort for me. They reviewed all of the scans I had last week and I’m proud to say there has been no new growth!!!
Then the endless waiting occurred as there was a problem with getting the medicine released from the pharmacy. Nice thing is they serve you and your guest/caretaker with free lunch.
My sister, Jen and I have been laughing throughout the afternoon and I really can’t thank her enough for taking the day off work to take me on this adventure today. Jen and I have been through a lot together, but what I love the most about Jen is that she is always right by my side through all the difficult times in my life. Well, Jen, at least this time your not holding a ziplock bag with my teeth in it!!!!! Love you!!!!
October 24
Oh my goodness, things are moving a bit faster now. Trying to squeeze as many things in as possible before the tough stuff starts. Last week I finished up scans that will be used as baseline data. Thank you so much to my mom for taking me to Yale New Haven on Friday despite the rain and “traffic” for a visit with my oncologist. Many more thanks to my close friend, Lisa, for meeting me Friday night at the Guilford Yale imaging center and keeping me company through the CT scan and brain MRI and then getting dinner with me.
I’ve come to realize that it’s the little things in life that mean the most. I spent my Saturday afternoon visiting with my friend Darlene and seeing her and her husbands artistic talents first hand. They are the most artistically talented people I know and look forward to crafting with Darlene real soon in her studio.
Reality slapped me in the face on Sunday morning as I needed to de-clutter and basically sanitize my bedroom to create a “safe zone” for the anticipation of low white blood counts. Which brings me to the week ahead.
Also, this week I will be having surgery on Thursday to have a Power-port placed, which is an implanted device that will be used to pump the chemotherapy directly into my heart to be dispersed systemically throughout my body. Then Friday I am scheduled to start chemotherapy.
More updates to come this week, again I hope to see many of you out there at the fundraisers this week.
#weTRI4Aimee #keepsmiling