Treatment Planning

I am at a complete loss for words. The support that has been presented to me over the past few days has been more than I could have ever imagined. I feel the love, prayers, thoughts, words.  I am truly blessed. I am so grateful. Thank you, thank you, thank you.  Let's do this!  Shout out to my HKU fam. Oh my God you guys are amazing. From being surprised to a gorgeous basket filled  cards overflowing with words of encouragement. A lucky bamboo, a perfectly sized mug with an inspirational quote to hold my large morning cup of coffee, a bottle of Balsamic Vinegar (no, no, no, it was my favorite alcoholic beverage that rhymes with fine), a delicious latte, Chik fil A chicken nuggets, brownies, my favorite candy, a Hair-apy offer to cut a sassy cut for FREE!, a gift certificate for entirely too much to Circa so I can dine in style and finally...my favorite a gift certificate to Red Door Spa! I have never gotten a massage before and I am so thrilled. My family, you have truly blown me away. When I carried my basket in to my parent's house this and placed in on the counter to show off to my Mom like a 5 year old would show off a drawing, I bawling. I am filled with such hope and love. My soul has been fueled. I find such strength in the positive vibes around me. Belle approves of my sunflowers too.

Another shout out to my girl scout troop 1851! Yes, I am a lifetime girl scout and I'm not the least bit embarrassed.  We run a tight crew. I miss you girls a ton and hope life is swell. The flowers are gorgeous and so healthy. I love you! Thank you!!!

I am so blessed to have a friend who has been with me 10 years as she informed me a couple days ago. Happy friendaversery my beautiful euphonium partner (P.S. spell check doesn't accept that word, what bull is that?!) I'm so glad we got our hair appointment together. I love your blonde locks and my short cut is definitely better than long damaged hair that I sported before.  I'm not one for selfies...and I stress that. BUT my hair stylist @ Signature Salon (Jess W) did SUCH a pheonmenal job that I have to share

Look at that incision! Its not bad at all! I'm going to have a purty little scar :) 

Finally I have to mention my mother who is my rock in every aspect of this Journey so far. She moves my furniture in a U-Haul while I'm asleep. She drives me to every appointment, scan and beyond. I love you so much Mom. I wouldn't be able to do this without you. I admire you so much and hope I can grow into the woman you are. 

So the cancer is doing well. It says hello. Just kidding, it needs an eviction notice and that's exactly the plan.  My oncologist is WONDERFUL. She is confident, knowledgeable, caring and holistic. I am going to start ABVD chemotherapy once every other week for 6 cycles. One cycle consists of two treatments or terms which are easier for me to grasp, one month. The ABVD acronym stands for the drugs that will be used.

A is for adriamycin
B is for bleomycin
V is for vinblastine
D is for dacarbazine

It almost sounds poetic. Almost.  Adriamycin can have negative effects on the heart so I got an echocardiogram to get a baseline functioning level of my heart. Its only been one week and already I am totally comfortable taking off clothes in front of healthcare workers. Probably not the greatest but being naked is no biggie in my book. I whipped off my shirt and laid bare chested before the echo tech. Since I work on a cardiac floor, seeing my ventricles pump properly was very touching. No murmurs :). During treatment there is a possibility of me getting swollen legs or dyspnea (shortness of breath). If that is the case,  we will investigate how my heart is holding up.
Bleomycin can have negative effects on my lungs so I will use the Pulmonary function test I had done a while ago to use as a baseline to my respiratory status. According to my doctor, around the 6th week of treatment, I may see some changes in how I am able to exhale.
Vincristine causes neuropathy which is loss of sensation in some fine motor movements. I may have numbness in my fingertips and feet. This also occurs around the 6th treatment. Most survivors fully regain sensation in these outer extremities.  Looks like I'll have to avoid cross stitch for a while...not that I sew.



Staging with Hodgkins is evaluated by how many lymph nodes are involved and how they are located. Because my initial CAT scan showed lymph nodes above and below my diaphragm, I can expect a minimum of a Stage 3 diagnosis. Not a big deal. I had some labs drawn including a pregnancy test....ha ha what a joke! No babies here. In addition I got a full body PET scan to look at exactly where my involved lymph nodes are "hiding".  Before the scan I got injected with radioactive dye. Then I got to lay in a pitch black room in a lounge chair with a heating unit blowing on me. To top off my little zen time, I was giving a orangesicle flavored contrast drink that had the consistency of an room temperature avocado.  It wasn't delightful. I called my doctor today to ensure the results were sent to her. She will return my call with a number, either stage 3 or stage 4. No matter what it is, it's going to be okay.

Now the big kahuna: Fertility. I had reflected on this a little while back in July but brushed it off figuring if I wanted kids one day and couldn't have my own, I would adopt.  Chemotherapy can effect your ovaries somehow, I have no idea and frankly I'm not motivated enough to look into it. I live my life by hoping for the best and preparing for the worst. I have an appointment with Shady Grove Fertility tomorrow to discuss egg harvesting so that if I were to encounter some bumps down the road with getting pregnant, I have security that I planned ahead. Do I want kids now? Absolutely not. But lets be honest, its no secret children make me happy and I would love little ginger freckled tykes in the future. The problem with fertility planning is it can take time, which is unfortunately something I don't have ample supply of to waste. We need to start chemo ASAP but want to make sure my eggies are safe.  It'll all work out in time. I'm not stressing it for one second.

Babies, ECHO, PET scan. Now its time to think about a port!!!  I'm scheduled for this Friday at 0730. It will be done under light sedation. Yay for the fun drugs.

I am a female so naturally you think chemo and what comes to mind? Ladies...? HAIR. Yeah I got some and I don't wanna lose it! I hate having this intrinsic vanity but of course it claws at my mind. Am I projected to lose my golden locks? Yup! When? Week 3 of treatment. And the idea of having clumps of hair fall out is pretty mortifying so yes I plan on shaving it off. In the mean time, I am loving the ease of shoulder length hair.  My hair will grow back after treatment. At the end of the day family and love is all that counts. As far as wigs, I am most looking forward to getting one that looks like Ariel from the Little Mermaid. I want long RED hair. Insurance covers the price of wigs. So recommendations for styles are always encouraged!

I'm in good spirits, like a 10/10. Work is supper supportive and accommodating when it comes to my schedule. I'm sure many of you have now seen my gofundme page (www.gofundme.com/shamiltolymphomawarrior). I NEVER ever want to seem like a charity case. When my coworkers first presented the idea to me, I immediately said no. The thought just made me uncomfortable. With encouragement and time, I decided to go for it. I appreciate the support that friends and beyond are showing me. The money will be used just for medical bills. All the extra funds will be donated to heart and kidney. Them babies need some swings and vibrating chairs!

Lastly, the apartment is coming along nicely! Dupont circle is an unbelievable area.  I feel so safe and chic.  I was just taking pics to display but noticed that it looks more like hoarders than a place of living. Once unpacked, rather than pictures, everyone is invited to just visit. The couch is super comfy ;)