3/12/25 POD #13 > I spy

She’s been my ride or die. 

She’s been my aide. 

My housemaid.  

My wound care nurse. 

My uber. 

My shoulder to cry on <that one time I allowed it>.

She knew what I needed and got it ready before I did. 

If she could have carried me from room to room, she would have. 

If she could have absorbed all my pain, she would have. 

My mom is literally a saint. She cares for everyone else above herself. She is the most selfless, accommodating person I know. 

We created this new normal. 

I will NEVER be able to fully express my gratitude. 

And today, after being with me for 2 weeks, she left.

 

But FIRST, my appointment with the oncologist whom I had yet to meet. I was anxious to hear what she had to say - because her role was the chemo bit. 

We had to wait almost 50 min in the room but for those of you who have ever been stuck with me waiting for something…I will always bring out the entertainment. 

So we played 'I spy 🕵️‍♂️ '

I quickly texted my siblings:  “She is a WICKED sore loser”

Mom repeating..."I ALREADY said the stool, the wall, do you consider THIS gray? You said it wasn't that..." It took her 50 guesses with clues to find my first object, took me exactly ONE to find hers 🤣 Then I made her play round #2 - it was too fun not too.

After the visit, I texted once then cut, pasted, and adjusted as necessary for various peeps so here is a version of what some of you may already have heard in some way shape or form:

*At this point, without pathology being back, but thinking positively, I will not need a port. Dr. Agostino (here on out referred to as Dr. A) feels I have good veins and there’s enough time in between sessions where they can go in one arm and then the next.

*The two chemo drugs she is recommending can be administered once a week every three weeks for four sessions = 12 weeks total.

*With regards to side effects, there is something called the cold cap that can be utilized to minimize hair loss. Obviously there is no guarantee, but in her experience and with how thick my hair is, she said it may not even be noticeable. Again, no guarantees just what she was suggesting.

On the flip side….

*If pathology comes back and indicates that four or more lymph nodes are positive for cancer (at this point we are going with the I have three or less on both sides), then we do have to go a different route with different chemo drugs - Red Devil - that’s a 20 week treatment plan, etc. etc. But she is hoping, as she put I,t to not pull the rug out from under our current thought process. 

*At this time, she had called and messaged the pathologist in order to expedite the report from my surgery however it remains “results pending” in my chart.

We really liked Dr. A and felt the appointment was a good one. 

No port?! WIN!

Only 4 sessions of chemo?! WIN

Minimal hair loss?! WIN

Let’s go to Giacamo’s!

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Well….later in the evening pathology came in. I scoured the 7+ pages looking for answers. 

Left side looked good. 

That right side?  
Let’s just say I was prepping myself for the meeting with the surgical oncologist tomorrow…

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Mom made it home safely, and I missed her already.