A long day

We left the house around 9 a.m. yesterday morning and didn't return until almost 12 hours later. It was a long day and I need to recover from it today with rest, relaxation and perhaps a nap.

First I had my appointment with my London oncologist yesterday morning. When I told him about the shrinkage seen on my CT scan after one round of Regorafinib, he seemed pleasantly surprised. I anticipated he'd recommend chemotherapy because that's the treatment with which he's familiar, but he encouraged me to go see Dr. H in Hamilton to discuss whether I could still be on the clinical trial and if my surgery and its subsequent delay in treatment excluded me in any way.

So, I made an appointment with Dr. H for next Tuesday to get more information and scope out my options. If the Regorafinib is effectively working and it didn't cause the peptic ulcer (Dr. P doesn't think it did), it may still be the best treatment option at this point.

After the trip to the cancer clinic, we had time to kill before my mom had to report to the hospital for her prophylactic double mastectomy, so we strolled around White Oaks Mall and had lunch. Of course, mom was required to fast, so she tortured herself by watching us eat lunch. I know exactly what that feels like given I spent many days in the hospital while others around me ate.

It's amazing how much my stamina has decreased over a short period of time. That combined with the abdominal pain from my surgery curtailed the amount and speed of my walking. Once I'm healed, it's going to be a long, painful road back to fitness.

By 1 p.m., we checked into St. Joseph's Health Care and the nurses whisked my mom back to prepare her for the three-hour surgery - which was a success. Even though she was wheeled into the operating room an hour early, she had some post-operative nausea delaying her release from recovery. Michael and I waited around to see her after the operation, so we didn't even leave the hospital until 8 p.m. My mom and sister started their 1-1/2 hour trek home about an hour later. I think everyone is going to be exhausted today. I suspect my mom will also be very sore.

When the plastic surgeon visited us in the waiting room to tell us the surgery was successful and to give post-operative instructions, she hugged me and said, "This was supposed to be your day too." Yup, it was, but the stupid cancer (and the unexpected perforated duodenum) derailed those plans.

But I'm happy for my mom. Her chances of developing breast cancer are now almost non-existent. Maybe one day, I too will be able to have this risk-reducing surgery.

Three successful surgeries in October. Now it's time for us all to heal and move forward.

Tina