Shauna’s Story

Site created on September 22, 2019

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Newest Update

Journal entry by Keith Gardner

Man, Shauna has done a really horrible job keeping this updated.......  :)   I apologize yet again as I have not done a very good job of staying on top of this.  Shauna started her radiation on April 20th.  She ended up going back to Northwestern Delnor cancer center for her radiation treatment.  We originally were going to be going to a more local location but they didn't seem to have a sense in urgency in getting her radiation started,  even though when we initially met with the Dr he didn't want to have Shauna wait more then 6 weeks from her last chemo treatment.  Due to Covid 19, the Dr kept on pushing her radiation start date back.  After reaching out with Dr. Menini, Shauna's Oncologist, we decided that it would be best to get her in sooner and deal with the drive (in addition to also feeling more comfortable coming back to where they took care of Shauna).  

She had to have 20 total radiation treatments and tomorrow (Friday) will be her last one.  She has reached another milestone in her treatment.  Radiation had a different type of side effect(s) but she no longer had the nausea feeling and more importantly the bone pain was gone.  She still has been feeling run down and tired but it hasn't been to the extent that the chemo had her at.  She will occasionally have a bad day where she doesn't have any energy but thankfully those have been very few and far between.  Besides the usual rash and burning/itching, she also has had pain/tightness in her right arm and muscle from her forearm up to her bicep and shoulder area.  This is yet another side effect from the radiation.  Although the radiation is done tomorrow, the Dr told Shauna that she can expect to get a little worse before she gets to feeling better.  It should last another couple weeks to a month, the tiredness and run down feeling along with her arm pain.  

We had a little scare a couple weeks ago after Shauna saw and felt another lump in her right breast.  They ended up having her come in for an ultrasound and we met with Dr. Whereat who eased our minds by letting us know that it was from the radiation.  Between the ultrasound and then a mammogram that they also did, and Dr. Whereat's exam, it showed that the cancer has not returned and everything was removed from the surgery.  Although this was a scare, it ended up reassuring Shauna that everything was gone.  And now, her hair is even growing back, which makes her very happy.  Me, not so much as all she does now is rub it in my face everyday as her hair is coming in better then mine!!!  I just don't tell her that there is more gray then ever before....  

They will be looking to take her port out next and then we will see about a date for her next surgery to remove her ovaries.  This is not something that the Dr's will want to wait too long for but the Covid 19 may push her surgery back a little bit.  

Besides that we are all doing good and have been absolutely loving all this time together cooped up in our house with the 4 kids during this time.......  In all honesty though it has been nice to "slow down" for a little bit and get back to eating family dinners together on a regular basis and spend some time as a family.  Sports have been a large part of our life and it's been very strange to have empty calendars along with nights and weekends off.  

Thanks again for all the well wishes, thoughts and prayers.  We hope that everyone is staying safe and healthy during this time and I know Shauna is looking forward to getting back out and seeing everyone again (hopefully at sporting events!!). 

Keith
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