Since my surgery, I have had monthly blood draws to test my HCG levels (my tumor marker). Currently, my blood draws consist of a screening at the front door of the lab building, a temperature check, a mask, no sitting in the waiting room, lots of hand sanitizer, and they usually have me out inContinue reading “22. Cancer and Fertility in the time of Covid”
Tag Archives: HCG
17. Unknown Future
I wrote this post on the eve of my 31st birthday. My 6-week appointment was coming up and I was feeling stressed about the results and the impending holidays. For those that know me, you know I hate my birthday. December birthdays suck in general (there’s way too much going on with the holidays andContinue reading “17. Unknown Future”
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”
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”
2. My Cancer Diagnosis
So let me tell you what I know about my cancer. I’ve researched this diagnosis for months, spoken with two teams of oncologists from two universities, received reports from 4 different pathologists, and I still have many questions. Most of the statistics I will mention have come from the American Cancer Society, or other scholarlyContinue reading “2. My Cancer Diagnosis”
Life One Step At A Time 