An update is long overdue!  I finished radiation November 6th and flew home the same day.  I was so ready to be home with Brent, the kids and the dog!  And I was REALLY excited to sleep in my own bed and on my own pillow.  My family (mainly Brent) tells me I’m a high maintenance sleeper 😆. I like what I like 🤷🏻‍♀️

Radiation was much more difficult than I thought it was going to be.  By week 3 I was exhausted and by week 4 I was having quite the skin reaction.  All normal side effects but for some reason I thought I wouldn’t experience any of them.  My skin at 4 weeks post radiation is pretty much back to normal.  I had to go to Houston on 11/16 and have one more trip 12/19 for skin/tissue checks with my plastics team and then I should be done down there until March.  

I had my first infusion of Zometa while I was down there.  I will have them every 6 months to protect my bones from osteoporosis since I will be hormone blocked and it helps to prevent bone metastasis as well.  I did well with the infusion and couldn’t even tell I had it done.  On 12/8 I will start new meds for hormone blocking and an oral non-chemo.  It’s a maintenance drug for those of us who have genetic mutations.  So, although it isn’t chemo it still has all the same side effects!  Hopefully, I won’t notice too much of a difference.  I will be on this drug for 1 year and then move to another drug that is also targeted therapy to block substances that play a role in cancer cell growth.  I will be on that drug for 3-4 years.  Due to the toxicity of these drugs I will have monthly labs and appointments with oncology in Sioux Falls.  I will still go to Houston every 6 months to meet with radiation oncology and medical oncology.