General updates since Kadcyla #2 is coming up soon and we all know I wait until the last minute since my anxiety won't let me sleep well before treatment:

Surgery recovery has been ok--my right side is healing fabulously with some minimal fluid buildup (think of a tiny waterbed under your skin). My left side is another story, since apparently lymph nodes make WAY more of difference that I was giving them credit for, and I'm only missing three! Range of motion is good, but I can't really reach for things and my arm is heavier than I think it is, and also doesn't rest up against my side normally. The left incision (and surrounding area) is quite hard and pitted, which I'm hoping will improve once I can do some therapy for fluid buildup and scar tissue. I'm also missing a lot of nerve endings still, so a lot of the time it just feels weird to the touch. And unfortunately, I started getting armpit hair again (go figure) but I'm totally not shaving an area I can't feel since that's just an accident asking to happen!🤣

My hip MRI was good, and the lorazepam I took before to help take the edge off worked so well that I fell asleep during the scan, even with all the hammering noises! There are small spots that showed up, like on my previous scans, but the oncologist doesn't think that's what is causing my hip pain--there's actually a "mild partial tear of the right gluteus medius tendon insertion with adjacent gluteal soft tissue edema." So it's probably the tear in my tendon and swollen surrounding tissue that's causing the issue, which sounds way better than pain caused by cancer so I'll take it.

This new chemo really kicked me to the curb over the last few weeks--I slacked on my fluid intake and wasn't as good about taking my nausea medication (I very quickly  forgot how to be a good chemo patient haha) so I had a rough time recovering. Exciting things that happened include, but are not limited to: extreme nausea, drying fissures on fingertips and feet, changes in food and water taste, crippling fatigue, blood pressure spikes, weakness, constipation, random hives, brain fog, and...more brain fog.😉 Will definitely be planning for weekly fluids now!

Isabelle is staying with family in Raleigh for several weeks while Grandma is away--which is helping immensely with the extra stress of preschool/school getting out and having extra kiddos home. She is missed, but I know she is being doted on constantly and getting all the snuggles she needs!

So, I was STILL waiting on my last drainage bulb to dry up/slow down, and went in for my first lymphedema appointment...only to discover that my "bulb line" was hanging about an extra 8 inches out of my chest wall! The suture securing the tube to my skin scabbed over and detached a couple days ago, and it had been having some issues. After the appointment and going up for fluids, I met with my surgeon's nurse--and it was decided that the last drain should be pulled (even though the drain output was still too high) so that I wasn't at risk for infection. I just need to watch for extra fluid buildup and make sure I do my lymphatic drainage massages to keep body fluids moving to a "functioning area." Now that the last bulb is out, radiation mapping can take place later this week and we can start making a therapy plan.

Cameron had an awards day ceremony (pictured) earlier in the week and I actually got "dressed up" with makeup/fake breasts/drain concealer pouch... was really self-conscious but I don't think anyone was paying too much attention. My hair is starting to come back (different texture than the first time it fell out) on my head and my eyebrows, but my lashes are still MIA. This new chemo is going to slow down growth as well, so send all the collagen/castor oil/growth serums my way!🥰

That's (hopefully) all I can think of for now... I'll post more later--thanks for everyone being patient with me!