WARNING LONG POST: Our Crazy Life

First and foremost thank you to our team (above), Martha's CUREsadors and thank you to all who donated on behalf of our team. We had a blast! Of course when we got there and my mom and I saw the sea of pink we were taken aback by all the families who had survived breast cancer. The whole experience was uplifting and of course the support of our friends and family who joined us that day was amazing!

Sign-up for the Austin Race for the Cure Team will begin in June and the race is scheduled for November 1, 2009.

On April 9th my mom was seen by a cardiologist to insure she had not sustained damage to her heart as a result of the chemo. For the past month or so my mom had been experiencing shortness of breath when she was par taking in strenuous activity. Not wanting to take any chances her Oncologist recommended she visit a Cardiologist. After visiting with the Cardiologist on the 9th the Doctor recommended my mom have a cardiac catheterization to examine blood flow to the heart and test how well the heart is pumping. As you can imagine my mom was really disappointed she would have to undergo another procedure after her last chemo treatment. But what can we do? We have to continue to move forward. So, on April 10th my mom had her last treatment! This was a very happy day and a major accomplishment in my mom's journey! I can't say it enough I am so very proud of her.

Of course it did not go down without a hitch. Paul Michael (my husband) was in a car accident that morning. Thankfully no one was seriously injured and through the grace of God no one was in his passenger seat or else it would be a different story. The accident occurred in my parent's neighborhood, a lady ran a stop sign. She t-boned his passenger side. If anyone would have been on the passenger's side they would have suffered major injuries. As it is Paul Michael was taken by ambulance to the hospital and four staples closed the cut in his head. He suffered some major bruising to his torso and back, he also has been suffering from headaches since the accident. So, he will be going to the Doctor tomorrow for a follow-up. While it seems Paul's injuries are mostly superficial, I cannot say the same about his car. His car was totaled and we are down to one vehicle until the insurance companies can hammer everything out. As I have told him the car can be replaced, he cannot be, so I pray he will begin to feel better soon.

My mom learned the results of her BRACanalysis at her last treatment and she did test positive as a breast and ovarian cancer gene carrier. So, what does this mean? Well, without talking to a genetic counselor we only know what it means on the surface. The results have helped her with making the decision regarding surgery. Now that we know she is gene carrier she is 60% more likely to develop breast cancer on her other breast so, it makes sense to have a double mastectomy. The decision may be clear but it's still hard. I know it has to feel like your body has betrayed you. There are also implication for me. I will most likely have the analysis performed and then explore my options. However, now is not the time. My efforts are focused on my mom at this point and once this is behind us I will cross that bridge when it's time. My extended family on my mom's side may also be tested. You may ask yourself why would you possibly want to learn such a fate well here are some reasons:

• A woman who knows she carries a BRCA mutation can start cancer screening at an earlier age. She can also choose options like risk-reducing medications and preventive surgery
• Doctors can help women move forward with the right action plan for their particular risks
• Women already diagnosed with cancer may be able to prevent a second cancer
• Test results can help relatives learn and understand more about inherited risk and how it may affect them

So, this brings me to this week my mom suffered from some major side effects from the chemo on Monday and Tuesday. Yesterday the cardiac catheterization was performed and my mom did very well. According to the cardiologist she is not suffering from any major blockages. Apparently an artery has to be 70% blocked before they will insert a stint or perform an angioplasty. My mom has one artery that is 50% and another one that is 30% blocked this can be treated with beta blockers and of course through diet and exercise.

My mom's surgery date has been set for May 11th. The surgery will take approximately 8 hours and she will be in the hospital minimum four days recovering. Allowing for four weeks recovery time at home. As the date nears we are all growing increasingly nervous but its time to face this thing head on. At the time of surgery pathology will be run on the tissue removed and it will be determined if more chemo and/or radiation is needed post/sugery.

I will certainly keep you posted!

P.S. Happy Birthday to Paul Michael and Robert!

Dad, Mom, and Me