I Love It When a Plan Comes Together

Whew! When a person is first diagnosed with cancer, they become a professional patient. So. Many. Appointments. I’ve made the rounds to consult with each related specialty: surgery, plastic surgery, medical oncology, radiation oncology, occupational therapy, plus lab work. Some of those more than once. We created a plan, encountered logistical and scheduling issues, adjusted the plan. My head has been spinning trying to keep track of it all. So much so that I *might* have forgotten to update my parents on a few key things along the way. Oops.

EVERY patient’s plan is unique and depends on a variety of factors. My plan, as it currently stands: Chemo port placement on March 3, chemo starts March 10. I’ll get two medications targeted to the Her2 receptors and two more general chemotherapies. Surgery in August if all stays on schedule, time to recover, then daily radiation for 7 weeks. Any of this can be delayed if the body is having trouble bouncing back between treatments, and they will keep a close eye on my bloodwork and heart function.

In the meantime, my support network is growing and keeping me strong. As the initial terror wears off, I focus on the plan ahead. And the math. (That’s what I do for a living, after all.) So much incredible math goes into understanding and treating cancer. And for a math nerd like me, that’s some comforting stuff.