Surgery Eve

I have had a lot of people surprised that I am not having surgery first in the line of defense against cancer. I am having some surgery tomorrow, but not THE surgery. That one will be after all the cycles of chemotherapy. This is not unusual. I guess most people hear about the surgery/radiation or surgery/chemo/radiation schedule of events. My doctors have decided that for my treatment the chemo/surgery/(possible) radiation is the best way to go. 

Tomorrow I am scheduled for surgery to insert a port which they will use for chemotherapy. This is so I don't have to have an IV put in every time I go. At that time, they may also do an SNL - Sentinel Node (something-L) biopsy. I will find out that in the morning as the results from the MRI is what determines if that will have to be done or not. I don't know this from researching, but I am thinking (and hoping) that if the SNL does not have to be done will be the best because that will mean that the lymph nodes have not become infected. Still my own opinion, but if it hasn't gone to the lymph nodes, doesn't that mean that it is contained in the breast? Wouldn't that be a good thing? Well, we shall find out tomorrow.

Also, I learned on Friday that Dr. Sri has ordered another scan - either PET or CT depending on what the insurance will authorize - to be done before she will start chemo. I don't know if she ordered that before or after she read the MRI results - before I assume to have it ready if needed. Because of that, I am not sure when chemo will actually start.

Joanne came over and gave me all her 'stuff' - that she used during her cancer treatments. She has some ice gel packs that help with neuropathy, some L-Glutamine that will help with mouth sores. She is also letting me use her wig and her hat/wig! She had some nice scarfs and beanies. I guess I need to learn how to tie those on correctly. 

This is all still surreal. I don't really feel that it is going to happen. I am still thinking there is going to be come kind of 'out' for me. I feel like I can handle all of it - but I don't want to lose my hair. I haven't ever been a hair lover, and I have not ever really liked my stick straight hair - I just don't want to deal with not having it. Having to keep warm with a hat, wearing a wig, drawing on eyebrows and eyeliner and special shampoo. There are so many other things to keep track of - getting different toothpaste, using mouthwash, making sure to get this or that supplement. It is all overwhelming to me. As I said before, I am not a researcher, and I have been very blessed with tips and stuff from others. This is all coming so fast. But then again, if it were to all start 3 weeks down the road, I would be saying the same thing 3 weeks from now. 

I was thinking this was going to be a little longer, but the evening has gone away from me. We'll see how up to writing I am tomorrow.