damn it doll :-)

so..........

had an appt with the oncologist today, and he confirmed that the mass in my chest is lymphoma. which is such a relief. i am so glad to FINALLY know what it is, after all this waiting. we have been waiting on the biopsy, and man, they like to test your patience.

i saw dr. poisson, no not poison ;-) he was amazing. i didn't know a whole lot about him going into the appt, but he is awesome. plus he has this south african/british accent and talks really fast, so it keeps it fun :-p AND he has a sense of humor.... huge relief!

i can't spell or pronounce the exact type of lymphoma, but all we really need to know is that it is lymphoma. and dr poisson wants to start treatment asap. i feel like i am gushing about our doctor, but he was so good to us. i think we were at his office for a total of 3 hours. he let us ask every question. he even called OHSU and discussed treatment options with the specialist up there mid-way through the appt. which was our second opinion. he emphasized that we don't have time to waste.

the mass is so big he doesn't want it to grow and compromise my airway. and neither do i, obviously. he was very adamant about needing to start treatment asap. which is chemo. i won't go into the chemo details, they are a little confusing, unless i write a whole book. but i am starting chemo this wednesday in medford. the chemo we chose, includes a 4 day hospital stay, every 21 days. it will be a little crazy! but this type of chemo is the best option for our situation. i am confident in our choice and so is the doctor :-D

we don't know what stage the cancer is yet. we are STILL waiting on the biopsy to determine the stage. i  am going for a bone marrow test. to see if the lymphoma has advanced to the bone marrow. i will be going for a CT w/ contrast and also a PET scan. you can look them up if you want to know what they are ;-). i will be getting a PICC line inserted into my arm, which is where they administer chemo. the line will go through my vein into my chest to where they want to chemo to go.

there is a lot to do before wednesday. lots of appointments. but it's all good! we are getting the ball rolling.

the visit at the office was pleasant. my parents, nolan's parents, and of course the two of us, were all crammed into the exam room. it was all very positive, upbeat and proactive. no one cried and we all had smiles.

is it weird to say i'm excited?! i FINALLY know what it is, and i FINALLY know how we will treat it. and i will FINALLY start breathing easier as the mass shrinks. i think that is what excited me the most. being able to breathe. FINALLY!!

after i get the PET scan, the dr is going to start me on some steroids to start "treating" me until we start the chemo. the steroids will actually make the mass a little smaller.  they will make me eat like crazy, YES!  it will be like i am on "20 cups of coffee" YES! i am tired of taking 2 naps a day. all of these "side effects" sound good to me :-D

i will let everyone know about visitors, in the upcoming weeks. i may be restricted... it's one thing the doctor lightly brushed on today.

so i am about to fall asleep, it's been a long day. if i have left anything out, i will check it over tomorrow and post a new blog if i did :-D

thank you to everyone for all of your prayers and thoughts, and support!

OH! and i received a "damn it" doll.... funniest thing ever. this little ol' volunteer  lady gave it to me, and said whenever i need to, i can take it and hit it against something and say "damnit! damnit! damnit!" i almost lost it.... this sweet old woman beating this doll showing me how to use it..... i wish i could have caught it on film. nevertheless i will post a picture of the ugly thing :-)

and the other picture is a the rx's i picked up tonight... looks overwhelming right? lol.... we're only getting started :-)