Just after my diagnosis, I called our local fertility center to try and get an appointment before my surgery. I was so nervous we would need to do something prior to surgery in order to have any biological fertility options afterwards, and we were quickly running out of time. They were so fantastic and wereContinue reading “13. Fertility, Second Opinion, Moving Forward”
Category Archives: cancer
12. Coping with the plan
The day after my official diagnosis, I took Charlotte to school and Penny to the vet (see, life just keeps going even the morning after a cancer diagnosis). I got a call from my oncologist’s office saying they needed to get me in for a CT scan to check for any evidence of the diseaseContinue reading “12. Coping with the plan”
11. Official Diagnosis and Treatment Plan
My oncologist said my ultrasound was relatively normal except for a small lesion that could indicate cell regrowth or could be bleeding from the D&C. She mentioned she could have a room full of radiologists look at my ultrasound and they would all probably say it looked normal, which, looking back now, is a bitContinue reading “11. Official Diagnosis and Treatment Plan”
10. Oncology
The oncologist was able to see me that afternoon. Mason met me at the cancer center. And suddenly I felt very grateful we live in a university town with a research hospital and insanely talented doctors, and all I had to do was drive from my office and deal with the annoying parking garage. WeContinue reading “10. Oncology”
9. Pathology Results
Throughout the nearly 3 weeks it took to get pathology results back, my HCG levels dropped to 46.6. I saw my doctor for a post-op appointment on October 7th where she informed me she had consulted with an oncologist at UVA to make sure there was nothing we should be doing while we waited forContinue reading “9. Pathology Results”
8. D&C
They set the procedure up quickly for September 20th with another doctor. A “D&C” is a dilation and curettage and is typically used to remove tissue from the uterus for diagnostics or clear the lining of the uterus after a miscarriage. It’s done under anesthesia and doesn’t last long. I think I was back inContinue reading “8. D&C”
7. Miscarriage
Every day that week (and many days after) felt like an eternity. I couldn’t eat anything and was having such a hard time concentrating on anything else. On Wednesday of that same week, I went back for repeat blood work and was told my levels had basically remained the same at 132.6. I begged forContinue reading “7. Miscarriage”
6. The Pregnancy Test
I had 7 negative pregnancy tests in a row during my time on Accutane (February-August). I took my birth control religiously and we were extremely careful. I was so sure there was nothing to worry about when I missed my period in July that I didn’t even mention it to Mason until a week later.Continue reading “6. The Pregnancy Test”
5. Accutane
This past February, I went to the dermatologist to talk about acne. My acne didn’t really develop until my 20s and got MUCH worse during the beginning of my pregnancy. I also can’t leave my face alone – if there’s something there, I’m going to mess with it and make it 10 times worse. So,Continue reading “5. Accutane”
4. Pregnancy and childbirth
I have an amazing 2 year old daughter named Charlotte. She’s beautiful, articulate, curious, loving, opinionated, and so funny. She makes us laugh every single day. I learned I was pregnant with Charlotte on April 11, 2017 when I was about 6 weeks along. I started to journal that week and kept track of mostContinue reading “4. Pregnancy and childbirth”
Life One Step At A Time 