Hi everyone!

Aly beat me to it with an update on her FB, so if you're friends with her, this is repeated news, but for those who aren't on FB, here's a little update on Aly's cancer journey:

She's doing so well post-surgery. Up and moving about and pretty much back to normal, minus a little pain and discomfort here and there. Aly is also doing great from her last chemo round as well. Once again, a few lasting effects every now and again. It's been one day short of a month ago that Aly had her double mastectomy. To say she handled everything recovery related well, would be an understatement. Her recovery time was so much faster than we had anticipated, no doubt due to Aly's strength throughout the ordeal.

A couple weeks ago we got the results of the pathology...meaning the tests they run on the tumors/tissue they took from Aly during the mastectomy that contained the cancer. And in the words of the surgeon when we spoke with her, there's some good news, and there's some bad news...

The surgeon said she was able to gain good margins, which in cancer speak, means when the mastectomy was performed, there was a margin of tissue around the cancerous tumors that were not cancerous, meaning it was still contained in the breast, and in those reduced cancerous areas initially found. Which means Aly is cancer free! However, and man, do i hate this however, there was still more cancerous tissue in the tumors removed than the surgeons/oncologists would have liked to see. 

What this means is, the plan for Aly's post surgery infusions have been changed. Aly was originally supposed to continue with an infusion every three weeks of two drugs called Herceptin and Perjeta. These drugs were two of the four that were not considered "chemo drugs" during her chemo, but rather medication used to block Aly's hormones, the bad ones that grow the cancer instead of help to fight it. The drugs had very little to no side effects, like the other two that cause hair loss, fatigue, nausea, neuropathy and all the other yucky feelings Aly has had since May. 

Aly was supposed to have these two drugs placed into her body through her port until May of 22. Now with the news of the cancer being removed, but there still being more of it in that removed tissue than the docs were comfortable with, those two drugs are being changed to one drug called Kadcyla. Kadcyla is used to ensure that if there was any cancer left in Aly's body, that it doesn't grow. Now, you're probably confused as we were..."but i thought they got good margins and Aly is technically cancer-free!?!?" true, but Aly's cancer is the type that is so fast growing, and if just one tiny cell of cancer remains, and it grows, it will grow very fast and most likely move into other parts of Aly's body....not good. So Kadcyla is now the best proactive approach, that if there were any tiny cells left, Kadcyla will kill it. Kadcyla also has to be used for 14 cycles, every three weeks. Which means Aly will be on chemo for another 42 weeks : /

This was initially devastating news for Aly and myself. Here we thought the double mastectomy would be the culmination of her successful cancer battle, and we could get back to regular life with a new appreciation. But now it looks like we're back at it with more chemo. Bad news with this drug change-up, Kadcyla is considered a chemo drug, unlike Herceptin and Perjeta. So with it comes all the nasty side-effects Aly thought she was done with, minus the hair loss. That's the only silver lining...Aly's hair will continue to grow back. 

We're still actually waiting on additional conversations with Aly's oncologist to see the severity of these symptoms from Kadcyla. Will it be worse than before because it's for 42 weeks? Or because it's 42 weeks, the strength of the drug is displaced over that much longer of a time, so the strength of that drug is decreased. We're still waiting to find that out... Also, keeping in mind that this is done as a preventative measure, not like before, when the chemo was actually attacking three cancerous tumors in Aly's breast that measured over 5cm combined. When we know more, I'll obviously update everyone. Aly's next and new infusion with Kadcyla is scheduled for 11/23, and then every three weeks until fall of 22.

We've let this bombshell sink in over the last couple weeks. I was mad as hell initially. Like Aly I thought this was the end, and I think over time, for both Aly and I, we took the time to let it sink in. Aly's type of cancer is so aggressive. And we knew we needed to be equally as aggressive to beat it. It's shit news, but smarter heads prevail and we know this is the right move.

Since the news of the new plan, Aly and I took a small trip to Boston, which was "wicked" cool. Amazing city. Definitely the getaway she and I needed. Just me and her, exploring a new city. Also took the time to see Salem. It was always on our bucket list to do Boston in the fall, and Salem around Halloween....and here we were actually enjoying that historic town ON halloween. Highly recommend to anyone thinking about a trip out there.

Photos are of Aly and me in the North End, where we stayed, Aly enjoying a Latte at breakfast, Aly in front of Allison's house in Salem, from the movie Hocus Pocus. And finally Aly underneath "Wiggin St" in the North End, with her wig. Never losing her sense of humor through this whole thing. 

Will keep you all in the loop with new news as it comes. Thanks for following along.

- Thomas