LAST Treatment!!!!!

Today was my LAST treatment! OMG I am so excited that they are all done. I am scared out of my wits too! I have had chemo...then 17 radiation treatments and now it's over. I go in on the 8th to see Dr. Smith (my oncologist) and probably discuss having a PT scan done. I need to get a full body scan. That's the only thing that ever makes me really nervous. I never ever had a full body scan. I couldn't lie flat in the beginning. Getting the MRI of just my chest was torture. By the time we knew it was Hodgkins there was no way I could lie down in that machine. The doc said it was pointless after I felt better to do an MRI because I was pregnant and if anything was there the chemo could have gotten rid of it. So basically I don't know if it ever spread or not. I have no idea. I didn't get any radiation anywhere else...so hopefully it hadn't spread. I know I had this for at least 3 years before anyone knew. I knew something was wrong but listened to doctors saying it was my thyroid. *insert eye roll here* Anyway listen to your hearts people when you know something is wrong with yourself! Don't be a hypocondriac. I didn't sit around worrying and stressing. I just calmly knew something wasn't quite right. Just listen to yourself. You know your own body. Either way. I am DONE! Woooooot! I will update and let everyone know how things are going and the day I am officially declared in remission will be a day to PARTY! :)

Only Three More to Go!!!

I didn't have a treatment today, since it is New Years. I have 3 more to go! So far I have had no side effects from the radiation. The doctor said he expects me to have trouble swallowing. So far I have not. It's weird...but I am not complaining. Radiation side effects are not instant, they can happen weeks after the treatment starts from what I am told. So I am not counting my chickens before they are hatched, so to speak. It's so weird that all this is drawing to a close. I'll be of course getting regular scans and having to check for growth and all that. I am so scared of it growing back. That's a big fear of mine. Recurrance. What a terrifying word. I have made it through so much. I can't bear the thought of it coming back. But if it did, I'd fight. Just like I did this time around. One bit of exciting news. I had contacted our local news station with mine and Gabriella's story. I contacted the news station from where I used to live as well. We'll be moving back to that area soon. Well they are BOTH interested in the story! The local station wants to set something up and take pics and interview us. I am sooooo excited. I can't wait for Gabriella's story to get out there. Not many people realize chemo can indeed be given safely in pregnancy. Who would think so? I certainly didn't! But now I know that it can be done and I think it is so important for other mothers that God forbid find themselves in this situation, know that the option to carry the baby to term AND be treated is entirely possible!

Update

I have 7 more radiation treatments left. Getting near the end!

Update and some new pictures

I had my 6th radiation treatment today. There isn't much to update on at the moment. I am feeling no side effects so I am thankful for that. The worst part is still the drive. So much time on the road. I love my doctors there. They are so nice and friendly. Everyone is alway shocked by the fact that I was pregnant during all this. Here are some new pics of hubby and the baby which I thought were just adorable. She loves her daddy and turns her head and stares whenever she hears his voice. I love her little snowsuit that her daddy picked out! And there is a new pic of me with the headband I just bought. It may be hard to tell but my hair is thinner by about 50% from what it was before chemo. I bought headbands because it adds some *umph* to my hair I think. I hate how thin it is but I'll be thankful that I didn't lose it all. I hope it thickens up fast. It's too thin even for a ponytail. It looks silly and slides out. Then the last pic is of me and my daughters Angelina and Mikayla :) Enjoy!

Port Surgery Today and Radiation number 5

So I got my port removed today. I was totally freaked out because for the surgery to put it in I was totally put to sleep. This time? They kept me awake and used a local anesthetic. I hate those because they burn so bad at first. He pokes me all over with this thing. Yes it hurt pretty bad. But you know, I grin and bear it. He says he doesn't like the scar I got. It shouldn't have gotten so wide and he doesn't know why it did. So he says he'll cut the scar off and try to make a thinner line this time. So he starts to cut and towards the end I feel it. OUCH. He injects more anesthetic. Then cuts more...a few cuts later I feel it again. He injects more anesthetic. By then I am good and numb and I feel tugging and hear the skin snipping. Then he gets that done and starts the removal of the port. He says he'll pull the tube out of my vein first, so I feel pulling and tugging (which is pretty gross feeling). Then he gets the tube out. He shows me. It's SOOO much longer than I expected. It's quite long and I can't fully explain it.The tube looks blue. Then he says he'll now remove the actual port part which is the big round part. He pulls and tugs more and says it's coming out really easy. But it feels incredibly weird. I feel some liquid start pouring down my side and onto my back. I am thinking it could be blood but it felt cool, not warm like I'd expect. It WAS blood. Anyway he gets the port out, and shows me which is totally cool because I have had this thing for almost a year and never saw it. I wanted to see it. So then he says he wants to make it heal better and for the scar to not be as wide so he was cutting away some *fibrous tissue* from under the area where the scar will be. I have no idea what that means or how it helps...but OK. The nurse giggles and says he's cutting away some fatty tissue and then laughs and says I don't have any to spare. I like that nurse by the way. ;) Then he cuts and snips and pulls...and I try not to look while he pulls this chunk of flesh out of me. Yes ewww. :) Anyway he then stitches me up. I have no idea how many stitches I got but it felt like a whole lot. I am all bandaged up right now so I'll have to wait until tomorrow to really get a look at it. I am portless now! Wooooot! I am so glad it's gone.