Cancer Score: Chemo 3 Jeanne 1

I thought that I would treat this chemo protocol like 4 quarters of a basketball game and although we all know what the final score will be come March 2nd, I thought this would be a fun way to share my chemo thoughts and experiences. Since each quarter lasts approximately 20 days I'll update periodically with both team and individual stats and highlights (hopefully no lowlights).
The scouting report on Chemo had it looking very powerful, strong and potent. Well, it did not disappoint as it took two nurses and 10 minutes to get the IV needle inserted into my vein...Chemo was armed with MANY drugs, too many for me to remember. I responded well to Chemo's potency by showing that I was not allergic to any of its weapons and I think I tolerated Chemo's power well during the treatment. I am continuing to play stellar defense against Chemo. I have stopped its attacks of nausea for the most part. However, I am showing signs of fatigue and wish I could call for a sub right about now; oh well.
First quarter updates to continue at a later date...

My sister Phyllis was my Chemo partner for today and it was so great to have her with me. We rocked the Infusion room with our fashion and gossip magazines and constant chatter and witty banter. I don't think many of the patients appreciated all that we had to offer but most of them finished before I did. I did realize that there are people far more sicker than I am and I prayed especially hard for a man who was there for a very long time today, getting many chemo drugs. He looked very sick...
Tomorrow I go back to Dr. Janis' office to receive my two shots: one for nausea and one to boost my white blood cell count.
Ordered hats, scarves and hair-pieces tonight. That was an experience...
Both Lancer teams (JV and Varsity) are playing for tournament championships tomorrow. I am hoping to attend both games...
Chloe will be coming home with us from Matt's game in Ventura...I miss that girl!!

Thanks for the comments on the blog today...I've read them all...more than once.
This journey has begun with so much optimism, caring and compassion. Your prayers and good wishes have been the driving force. Thank you from the bottom of my heart...
With continued love and thanks,

Jeanne

Post Christmas Posting...

Can't sleep...up extra early for church, waiting for coffee to finish...no newspaper yet...thought I'd update. Christmas was wonderful for the Ruiz family...lots of time with family and friends...many, many extra long hugs and much love...God is good all the time!!
Chemo will start on December 29th...four cycles all together with the last one scheduled for March 2nd. According to Dr. Janis, my oncologist, the risk of "residual, microscopic, metastatic cancer cells" was significant enough for me that chemo isn't really an 'option', it just is...so we begin on Tuesday. I think I have done all of my reading homework, dropped off my prescriptions, have my chemo buddy(my sister Phyllis)and am ready to begin this leg of my journey.
I spent some time looking at wigs/hair-pieces...I like the bangs that velcro into a hat, or long, straight "Cher hair" that velcros into a hat...I may opt for black so don't be surprised if I start singing, "they say we're young, and we don't know, we won't find out until we grow..." I hope to have fun with the whole 'fake hair' thing. I just don't want to frighten my special-ed students.
Once chemo is finished, after they give my body a few weeks to compose itself, we'll begin 6 to 7 weeks of radiation therapy. That ought to be a snap, so I've heard. I'm hoping to work as much as I can, taking time off as I need to rest and 'chillax' as Austin says.
Coolest thing I've seen this vacation...fellow high-school bball coaches and Matt's players wearing pink wrist bands...pink in gymnasiums is a good thing...also heard that I get special mentioning in the Lancer's pregame prayers (Thanks Lucas). I feel all of your prayers and am so blessed by your caring and compassion. Here is a great verse from Colossians that a fellow breast cancer survivor sent to me in a card: "We pray that you will have the strength to stick it out over the long haul-not the grim strength of gritting your teeth but the glory-strength God gives. It is strength that endures the unendurable and spills over into joy, thanking the Father who makes us strong enough to take part in everything bright and beautiful that He has for us.
With thanks and love,

Jeanne

Radiation+Chemo=My Second Cancer Cure

Well, the results of my Oncotype DX test are in and as much as I have always strived for high test scores this is one time when a high score was not necessarily in my favor...my high recurrent score sealed the deal for Chemotherapy as the first part of my treatment protocol. I begin my first of four treatments on December 29th and will take my last treatment on March 2nd. Cytoxan and Taxotere are Dr. Janis' drugs of choice for me, amongst NUMEROUS other concoctions to combat the host of side effects that are expected...already got two presciptions today; one for Compazine and the other for a Cranial Prosthesis (can you believe that terminology??) I guess insurance will pay for a wig if we use the proper vocabulary.
When the Chemo is completed we will explore hormone therapy options and get going with my radiation therapy. Maybe I'll be finished by sometime in June, we'll see.
I have a ginormous folder to read/study all about my new journey. I'll share more of the fascinating information in subsequent posts. I am relieved to know the next step and confident that I will make it through this, definitely better for having gone through this experience. So blessed to be able to wait until after Christmas to begin.
As I was pulling into the garage, listening to the Christmas Music radio station, I heard this verse of Amazing Grace; once again (just like the rainbow last week) God's timing was perfect. After all, it is all about His Timing, not mine...

The Lord has promised good to me,
His Word my hope secures;
He will my Shield and Portion be,
as long as life endures.

We did get our Christmas tree up and decorated...funniest thing heard around the Ruiz Christmas Tree this evening...(see if you can guess who said it), while holding an ornament of the Baby Jesus that read The Greatest Gift, "Oh, guess that's referring to me because I am the greatest gift given to you guys, this ornament must have been from my first Christmas". We all said, "Oh Brother!"...
With much love and thanks for all of your prayers, love and support,

Jeanne

ROR'd

I was ROR'd (check Law and Order [or ask Austin] for explanation) and worked Tuesday through Friday. I love my students and here are some snippets of the best language heard in the speech office at McGaugh, "This flower is for you, my mommy buyed it at the flower store", "Is that a big pink flower?" (clearly it was...rhetorical questions abound with my students), "I like that big pink flower" and "hope you feel better, Mrs. Ruiz." Staying home was hard...lots of time to think about cancer...as I was driving to pick-up Chloe from school on Monday, stopped at a red light at Carson and Clark and having a particularly teary moment I looked up and saw the MOST beautiful rainbow...God is Good All the Time!!! A list is coming soon...The Blessings Involved with my Cancer Diagnosis-there are many.

Saw the Radiation Oncologist yesterday(OK I could be his mom). We have a plan (36+) radiation treatments with External Beam Radiation (EBR), but the start date is still undetermined as we will review the results of the Oncotype DX study with my 'regular' Oncologist, Dr. Janis (he could be my dad) on Tuesday afternoon. So many men (doctors) so little time... If Chemotherapy is indicated then radiation therapy will have to wait until chemo is completed. We should have a plan in place after Tuesday's appt.

304 College Park Drive is starting to look a lot like Christmas...the It's A Wonderful Life Village and Lionel Train are up. Christmas carols are blaring from the IPod...Life is Good! I played BOTH my handbells in rehearsal today and it was the BEST feeling since my diagnosis (11/12/09-exactly one month ago). I can't wait for tomorrow's Christmas Concerts...
My favorite quote of the Season..."I Believe...the best Gift I ever received came wrapped in swaddling clothes"
I Believe...
Will Post after Tuesday's appointment.
Thanks for your continued Love, Prayers and Support,

Jeanne

Under House Arrest

Saw two doctors today. Dr. Link, breast cancer Oncologist encouraged us to explore a new type of Radiation Therapy that involves pinpoint radiation (5 consecutive days/twice a day). He also wants to wait on the Onco DX study before he (we) make a final decision regarding chemotherapy. I have an appointment with a radiation Oncologist at LB Memorial next Tuesday. I will also see the radiation Oncologist, Dr. Kwon at Los Alamitos Hospital next week to discuss traditional radiation therapy (33 treatments). Dr. Link did not like the looks of my lumpectomy incision/area "that's a huge hematoma you've got there, bet that is tender, maybe you could get in to see Dr. Rayhanabad (surgeon) sooner rather than later." So, on our way home from lunch we stopped in to see Dr. Lowe, my primary care doctor...we discussed oncologist opinions/recommendations and when he looked at my lumpectomy incision he immediately put me on "house arrest" for the weekend. "You've been doing way too much...did you hit it or injure it?, You've broken off some scar tissue and caused a lot of blood to fill up the cavity where they removed the tumor." So, I am house bound this weekend...will supervise the hanging of outdoor lights (I usually do anyway) and watch the Lakewood semi-final CIF football game on my plasma screen instead of from the stadium sidelines.
Other cancer news: Jeanne's genes are negative (which is a positive thing for her ovaries) and for Chloe.
Jeanne's jeans still fit, even though she hasn't been able to run since November
7th, still hoping to do the Huntington Beach Super Bowl Half-Marathon on February 7th...
Thanks for your continued prayers and good wishes.
Love,
Jeanne

Next Hurdle-still jumping

OK, visited the oncologist with the photographic memory today. As usual, he was a wealth of information. Radiation is for sure, probably 33 treatments. He gave me the name of the radiation oncologist to contact in Los Alamitos. Surprise, surprise, there are still more tests to be done on my cancerous tumor specimens (they save those things) to decide whether or not to add chemotherapy to my treatment protocol. The oncologist is ordering an ONCO DX study to determine my rate of cancer recurrance (sp?). This score will weigh in on determining chemo or no chemo for me. We are still waiting on the results of the BRCA (breast cancer gene testing) as that may weigh in on my treatment protocol as well. When I was explaining all of this to our good friend, Russ May, basketball coach at Cerritos College he said "this is the only Jeanne (gene) you need to know about, she is right here, alive and kicking". Love those coaches. Matt lost his opening season game by a buzzer beater tonight-we were sad.
I have another oncologist appointment this Friday (moved it from Thursday so I can watch Austin and Ryan in their first JV bball game of the season). I am hand delivering all of my mammogram, MRI, Ultrasound slides and pathology reports tomorrow before Matt's game at 5PM. Life goes on and it is good!!!
Vodka/Cranberry is my medication tonight-may I sleep better than last night.
Thanks for the comments-I think the sling looked good with my plaid flannel today.
Work is good...special ed kids are oblivious and that is OK. If they are communicating, I am happy.
Love you all and thank you all from the bottom of my heart for all of the prayers and good thoughts.
I will keep you posted. I will keep my promises.
Love,
Jeanne

Second and Third Hurdles

Sorry it's taken me so long to post. Second Hurdle: Lymph node pathology report-both nodes clear!! Thanksgiving in Santa Barbara with family was wonderful! Third Hurdle: Treatment Protocol-???? Oncologist appointment tomorrow with Dr. Janis in Los Alamitos and a second opinion oncologist appointment Thursday with Dr. Link in Orange. All my doctors so far have said to plan on radiation for sure; chemo is a possibility as is hormone therapy...like I need more hormones :)
The healing process is going well. I am very sore but I think it is a good sore, at least that's what I keep telling Matt.

Thanks to you all for your prayers and good wishes. They are what is keeping me going.
Back to work tomorrow morning, with my arm in a sling.

Will keep updating, I promise.

Jeanne

First Hurdle

Surgery today. Tumor and two nodes gone. First node: clear. Second node: suspicious cells that require further testing, but not necessarily cancer. So, all in all, good!

Not feeling much pain right now, but vicodin is my friend. :) Wine my friend in 24 hours. :)

Taking Monday and Tuesday off from school. Will meet with Dr. Rayhanabad, surgeon, on Wednesday. Headed to Santa Barbara Wednesday night for Thanksgiving with Jeanne's family. Will meet with Dr. Janis, oncologist, on Monday, Nov. 30.

Biggest question: what lies ahead with treatment?