Round 1 over! DING, DING, DING!!!

What a WONDERFUL day!!!  Today went much better than I could have imagined.  We hit a few snags in our day, but overall, we did good and I feel great!

Unfortunately, I was unable to get a port placed this morning.  My doctor had her baby about a month early and is now out on maternity leave.  I went for our blood work this morning and straight up to Diagnostics Imagining for the port placement.  By the time my bloodwork arrived back, it was questionable as to whether or not we would proceed with either the port, chemo, both, or neither one.  I was running a low grade fever of 99.3 and my white blood cell count was up to 20.  Way above where they wanted it to be which is ideally between 5-9.  The surgeon paged my oncologist, Dr. Jenkowitz, and her covering Dr. returned the call.  He was at another office, did not have access to my charts, and did not know that Dr. Jenkowitz had prescribed Dexamethasone (a steroid) to help increase my white blood cell counts.  They thought an infection was brewing in my system, so they refused to put a port in today.  The hope is that this steroid will raise my white blood cell counts, fight infections, and the when the full effect of the chemo kicks in and knocks my immune system down between days 10-14, it will decrease my odds of getting sick. At least that is what I understood from the conversation.

After being refused a port, we were sent up to my oncologists office to discuss whether or not we would postpone chemo or continue as planned.  The decision was made to go forward with the chemo.

Prior to starting the chemo I finally got the results of the MRI scan.  It turns out the mystery in my L2 vertebra is most likely a small hemangioma in my lower back and coincidentally right near where I had surgery 7-8 years ago to remove a lypoma.   What a relief!!!!  It also turned out that the breast tumor hadn't changed much since my last office visit.  The covering physicians assistant got the same measurement as they did on my last office visit.  Now we hopefully watch it shrink!!!

About noon, we finally started treatment.  First the Herceptin, then steroids (because I got confused and missed my morning dose), then Benedryl, then Taxotere, and finally Carboplatin.  I seemed to tolerate all the drugs pretty well and even managed to get a brief nap in among all the beeping and blood pressure cuff pumping every 20 minutes.  The Benedryl made me very tired and has caused me to have the worst dry mouth ever!

We return in three weeks to get the port in place and for round two of chemo!  I get my hair chopped off tomorrow evening and will post pictures as soon as I can.  :)  A little nervous about it, but so excited.  I have been wanting to chop my hair short for quite some time.

Thank you again everyone for your support, love, and faith that we can and will beat this disease.  The meals have also been a HUGE help!!  Thanks Lisa, Stephanie, Jennifer, Anastasia, and Aunt Karen for the wonderful food!  Also, a huge thanks to Stephanie for stopping in to visit with us while we were waiting for my drug cocktail to be prepared at the pharmacy!  It was so wonderful to see you.  You're such an inspiration to me! 

Check back tomorrow for picture of a new do!

So very, very, very BLESSED!!

And tomorrow we FIGHT BACK!!!  But onto that later!!!

This weekend my family and I had one last round of pictures taken before I start chemo tomorrow.  I figure it will be a while before my hair is ever this long again!  Sarah Schadler did them and she did a FANTASTIC job.  I have to say, both my husband and I are very pleased with the results.  It was a bitter sweet day.

As most of you know, Kennedy was running a HIGH fever on Saturday (103.8) and I was honestly worried we would have to cancel, but she was a trooper!!!  We had to wake her this morning and ran a little late - as I call it running on Lehmier or Beth time - but she was great today, even with a fever still and sore, sore gums.  Those bottom teeth are breaking through!

Here are a few shots from our session.  I hope you enjoy them!  I know we will cherish them and are grateful to Sarah for her willingness to accommodate us.


I start round one of chemo tomorrow morning.  Call me crazy, but I am excited!  Tomorrow we FINALLY begin fighting back against this evil disease.  Pray my enthusiasm remains as I am being poked, prodded, having blood drawn, a port inserted, and receiving a special cocktail of drugs pumped into me to help destroy/shrink the cancer cells.  Pray for Chris as I can't imagine how he feels.  Helpless I imagine and scared.  I love him so much and am blessed to have him as my husband.


Many, many, many thanks to those who have signed up to race with us on Mother's Day.  At last count we had a total of 25 walkers/runners, and I know of at least 6 more who said they were signing up.  I am AMAZED at the outpouring of support.  I have  heard that a Philadelphia Triple B's Team is also currently in the works.  I am in tears at the outpouring of love and support!  You are all awesome!!!  Contact me if you are interested in participating with that team!  Words alone can not express how grateful Chris & I am to have such wonderful friends and family in our lives.  Thank you all for the cards, books, meals, babysitting offers, and support.  We are very grateful and blessed to have each of you in our lives!


Check back tomorrow evening for an update!  And please keep myself, Chris, and Kennedy who will be with her pappy in your prayers tomorrow.  (Pappy might need some too since Kennedy is still teething!!)  Love to all!!

Walk this way!

So, my wonderful cousin, has graciously humored my wishes and set me up with a "team" for Pittsburgh's Race for the Cure. I say graciously because she is quite pregnant - only 5 days away from her official due date and dealing with an army of her own at home (3 kids, a dog, and a hubby!).

So join me! If you will be in Pittsburgh on Mother's day, walk with me!!! God willing, there will be BEAUTIFUL weather and I will feel AMAZING!!! I plan to walk the one mile walk with those I love by my side and I hope you will join me. I am a survivor, living, battling, and hoping to kick this demon OUT THE DOOR!!!

If you are unable to walk with us, kindly consider helping our efforts in raising awareness of this disease. It affects 1 in 8 women, a number I NEVER, in my wildest dreams imagined would fall prey on me... Sure, heart disease or a stroke... I was expecting those given our family history - but never cancer. One thing this journey has taught me is to never say never...

To donate online towards my pledge program, click here.

If you prefer to mail in your contribution, please mail to:
Komen Pittsburgh Race for the Cure
1133 South Braddock Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15218

Please identify that your donation is in support of my participation.

Thanks in advance for you generosity and support. My family is so blessed to have each and every one of you in our lives!

(On the health front, still no news about the results from the MRI. Still keeping the perspective that no news is good news, but I might just call in tomorrow to see if they have any information to share with me.)

And the countdown to chemo begins!

My mom, dad, Chris, and I were back at Magee this Monday to meet with the oncologist and had great hopes of finding out more specifics of my treatment and what we are dealing with.

Answers we were seeking and answers we got! I was thrilled to hear that my CT/PET scan came back almost all clear. Only one area of concern - my L2 Vertebrae. It had show bright on scan and both the oncologist and the radiologist agreed that we needed to further investigate to make sure there was nothing to be concerned about. So after my oncologist appointment I had to have yet ANOTHER test - an MRI or my L2 vertebrae. Fortunately the wonderful office staff got me an appointment that day and we were able to get the test done on this trip. We still do not have an information or results back from this test, but I can only assume no news is good news, right?

I was given the Lupron shot at this office visit to essentially place me into a medical menopause while undergoing chemotherapy. Essentially it will shut down my reproductive system. It will also give the gal who is always hot, hot flashes and all the glorious things menopause brings. So with this drugs help, instead of me releasing an egg each month, those eggs could be saved and give us that much more of a shot to hopefully have a second child one day, God willing.

I start chemotherapy on March 15th and will continue every three weeks to receive it for six sessions. That morning I will arrive at Magee VERY early to have surgery to have a port placed, then begin the first of 6 chemo treatments. The chemo treatments will be every three weeks and will last about 4 hours. The cocktail of drugs they will be using will include Carboplatin, Taxotere, and Herceptin. The Herceptin drug will continue for a full year and as it was explained to me is one extra drug we can use in are arsenal to fight the cancer. My HER-2 number wasn't exactly positive, but wasn't an absolute negative. Which from my understanding is a good thing - because if I was HER-2 positive, from the little knowledge I have, it would mean the cancer is much more aggressive. The doctor also said due the size of the tumor, the cancer is at a stage II with no nodules.

Once the chemo starts I will have to continue to go for MUGA Scans every three months to keep an eye on my heart since the drug Herceptin has a 3% effect on the heart.

I was told I can be around friends and family during chemo, but need to be careful around those who are sick. The chemo will lower my blood counts which help me fight off diseases and I will be much more susceptible to getting sick. In fact, at Kennedy's well baby visit today, they would NOT give her the Chicken Pox vaccine because it is a live virus and can stay in her system for 6 weeks which would be me at a huge risk - even though I had chicken pox as a child. Also, if I spike a fever of 100 degrees or higher, I must be admitted to the hospital for IV antibiotics.

Lastly, because of the amount of Taxotere they are using they said I would definitely lose my hair within 2 weeks of starting chemo. I have lined up an appointment to get one final family photo of me with my current hair do for 3/14, then on Tuesday, 3/16, I plan on chopping my hair short. That way when it starts falling out, it won't be such a shocker.

So, that's all I got for now... Waiting on the MRI of my L2 vertebrae and waiting to start chemo. I've been trying to keep my mind busy and not think to far ahead.

THANKS AGAIN EVERYONE FOR THE THOUGHTS, PRAYERS, CARDS, MEALS, COOKIES, & SUCH. My family really appreciates it!

And the fight begins!

VICTORY WILL BE MINE!!

My wonderful mother suggested I start blogging my journey through this new "chapter" in my life! So, here it is and I promise to keep it updated as often as I can. Something tells me that I will have quite a bit of free time to do so. :P

I guess since I haven't written in such a long time and update is in order.

Kennedy is now 15 months old and such a blessing in my life. She is meeting all her milestones and keeping her mother on her toes! She managed to climb an entire flight of steps by herself without me knowing today - thankfully I found her before she attempted to come down them.



But she isn't the reason for the sudden interest of update of this blog and in fact - this blog may take on a whole new life. Keep on reading and you'll see what I mean...

FEBRUARY 14, 2010
I found a lump on my left breast. Sure, I've felt lumps before, but this one felt different. Hard, big, and suspicious... I informed my husband of my finding who reassured me it was probably nothing, not to worry, and we would call my OB in the morning.

FEBRUARY 15, 2010
I called my new OB's office who agreed to see me at 5:15pm that evening. The only appointment they had available. Chris, my husband, drove me since the snow was falling pretty fast and the roads were getting slick.

I went to my appointment at Greater Pittsburgh OB-Gyn in Moon. The doctor believes that the lump is a Fibroadenoma since there isn't a family history of cancer.

They scheduled me for an ultrasound at 8am. After the results come back, the doctor said she would call to discuss where we go from there (i.e whether or not it is what she thinks it is or worse, cancerous). Most likely she said the lump will need removed and I will need surgery. The nice thing though is she is pretty sure it is benign.

FEBRUARY 16, 2010
So I went to Magee this morning (which took me two hours coming from Moon, left at 7am, got there at 9am) for my ultrasound. I was surprised that even though I was late, they took me as soon as my paper work was filled out. I had my ultrasound and then another one immediately afterward with the doctor in the room. I was kind of surprised that the doctor actually came in to look at the ultrasound himself and actually maneuver the wand around himself. After all the technician had been saving the images and capturing the many angles of my "lump." By the time the second ultrasound was done there were two doctors (Dr. Loo & Dr. Hoffman), a second gentleman who they identified, but unsure of his role, and the ultrasound technician...

I was then whisked away for a mammogram which struck me as odd considering just after getting settled in, one of the nurses told me I was too young at 31 to need or even be considered for one since we have no family history of breast cancer. I just went with the flow and didn't think twice about it while they squeezed both breasts and took images from multiple angles.

I then was told to wait because a biopsy would be needed and they had to get the script from my doctors office. It didn't take too much longer and before I knew it a third Dr. was doing yet another ultrasound. It was just me, her, & another technician in the room. She asked if the other doctor's had told me anything and of course I said no, that everyone had been hush, hush, but at that point things started to seem odd and out of place to me. Multiple doctors in the ultrasound room, the sudden need for the mammogram, and not letting me leave without the biopsy.... As the third Dr. (Dr. Charmin?) was looking around on the monitored, she turned it to me and said well I hate to be the one to say this to you, but I am fairly certain it is cancer. At this point I was in shock... She stated she has seen lots of images in her career and would not have said anything if she wasn't pretty sure. I asked her before we began if she would be the one to talk to my husband, since he was home taking care of Kennedy.

The biopsy started and the other female Dr. (Dr. Loo?) joined the room to assist. It took about an hour and three shots of lidocaine to remove the samples they needed. My wound was dressed and I got my discharge papers and a list of surgeons.

Dr. Hoffman, who was the most senior of the doctors present today, called Chris and filled him in, but never mentioned cancer. He stated that we will only know for sure in 3-5 business days. Only the one doctor and the technician referenced cancer and even did so with Dr. Loo in the room. Her mannerisms suggested she agreed with other doctor's statement but would not speak anything of it, which I assume is because of liability reasons.

I know it is about 2-3cm in size and not a cyst. That was all the information I got from my appointment today...

FEBRUARY 18, 2010
Today is the day I got the news: CANCER. So, I just got off the phone with Dr. Hutchinson at Greater Pittsburgh OB-GYN. They informed me that I have Invasive Ductal Carcinoma - Nuclear Grade 3. No clue what this means, but it doesn't sound good. They said they don't have all of the information yet as the samples are still going through the staining process. I meet with Dr. Ronald Johnson at Magee on Monday at noon to develop a plan of attack and get more information.

FEBRUARY 22, 2010
My husband, mom, dad and I made the trip to Magee this morning for my appointment with Dr. Johnson, my surgeon. He was very thorough, but really didn't have a ton of new information for us as my biopsy results haven't come back yet. He explained that he wants me to see an oncologist first and go from there.

He has me set up for a battery of tests which start tomorrow... I have an appointment tomorrow at Magee with the oncologist, then a bone scan. So, I will be at the hospital all day again tomorrow.

Wednesday I have a CT/PET Scan.

I also am awaiting a phone call from a genetic specialist doctor to see if the cancer is just "bad luck" or "bad genes" since we really do not have history of breast cancer in my family. I am almost hoping this is just a case of bad luck. If it is the opposite, my sister, nieces, mom, and Kennedy will have to be tested to see if they carry the gene. That just scares the daylights out of me. I am also worried because if it is bad genes, the mention of a double mastectomy was brought up.

Right now we are still in the dark on the "signature" of this cancer. Once we know the make-up, a lot of our questions will be answered... As of right now Dr. Johnson and the rest of my family is praying for a case of bad luck, that we can shrink the cancer mass with chemo, and remove what little might remain and limit the amount of reconstruction needed. He wants me to undergo Chemo while I am healthy and not undergoing it while recovery from major surgery. Makes sense to me...

FEBRUARY 23, 2010
To say my husband and I are exhausted would be an understatement. This week has been CRAZY! I never imagined our world would be tossed upside down by cancer.

Today we met with the oncologist. We were at Dr.'s for over 3 hours this morning. They still do not have all the answers. My HER-2 number? is still undergoing testing/further analysis. Until they get that back we won't know which forms of chemo or trials I might be able to undergo.

I did learn that our ability to have children in the future will be compromised. I was essentially told that I can see a fertility specialist, undergo treatments, and save some embryo's in the event we can not get pregnant after I beat this or we can get started with chemo as early as next week. My husband and I have had a lot to digest over this past week, so we agreed to meet with the fertility doctor Thursday to get the full scoop. Supposedly the chemo ages me (my eggs/uterus) 10+ years and will possibly put me into early menopause. But our doctor said there was a chance we could still get pregnant without help once I am healthy again. I think this was the hardest news we got today. I know in my heart my family isn't complete, but my husband doesn't feel right about creating embryo's for a "what if" situation when the percentage of not needing them is greater than 50%. I guess the fertility doctor is just going to clarify the details and present a clear picture for us.

Other than that, the only other real news we know is that the cancer is estrogen-receptor positive. Another reason for us NOT to do hormone injections. It will only help "feed" the cancer.

Tomorrow I get a CT/PET Scan. Thursday is the fertility doctor & a MUGA Scan. And Monday we go back to the oncologist to discuss chemo. They want to start that right away.

Thanks again for all the prayers, thoughts, and offers for help. My husband and I both appreciate them.

FEBRUARY 24, 2010
Today was a rough one... The fertility doctor told us that our chances of conceiving a child post chemo without help are about 10%. We were informed of our options and have decided against harvesting any eggs and creating embryo's. Both my husband and i are pretty religious and are placing our faith in God. When all is said and done, if we are blessed with another child, then GREAT, WONDERFUL.... If not, then that is fine too. Many options exist today - adoption is a definite possibility for us. Plus we feel blessed to have Kennedy. A healthy, vibrant, beautiful little girl who need her mother to FIGHT this demon. I plan on being here for a long time and hope to make her proud one day.

We almost canceled the fertility doctor appointment and I am sooo glad we didn't. Another option was presented to us that I believe Chris and I are going to do, with the approval of my oncologist. Essentially I would be given a shot called Lupron which would shut down my reproductive system, placing me in menopause essentially. So instead of me releasing an egg each month, those eggs could be saved and give us that much more of a shot to hopefully have a second child one day, God willing.

WHEW! Well, sorry about that being one overwhelming entry!!! Hopefully my next posts won't be as long. :-)

WHAT'S NEXT?
Well, tomorrow I get stuck again and have MORE blood word to see if my liver can tolerate the Lupron and Monday we go back to the oncologist to hopefully get some much desired answers.

Thanks in advance for all the thoughts, well wishes, and prayers. Chris, myself and my family certainly appreciate them!!!

7 Months Old!

I can not believe how times flies. Kennedy is now 7 months old and such an amazing blessing in our lives. Here are some recent pictures. Enjoy! ;-)

3 Months Old

My First Boat Ride

7 Months Old - Playing Dress Up

Welcome Baby Kennedy!

So, many months have passed since I last blogged and A LOT has changed to say the least!

The most important change is that of the birth of our daughter, Kennedy Elizabeth. Surprisingly Chris & I got pregnant right away. I am grateful for that and reminded every day what a blessing baby Kenni is in our lives.

My pregnancy was far from perfect, but I can honestly say I enjoyed being pregnant, up until the last month or so. It was then that I had to go for weekly blood tests, NST's, and weekly office visits. My blood pressure decided to shoot up causing the doctors to get concerned.

On November 7th my blood pressure went really high, so my OB changed my blood pressure medication. On Saturday, the 8th, it continued to fluctuate and crept up really high again. So with the doctors orders to go back to the hospital, Chris and I were on our way to Ohio Valley for them to monitor me. If I remember correctly, they kept me until morning and sent me on my way home. The doctor said I just needed to give the medication some more time to "kick in." That same day it was all over the place and the medication did not seem to help. The next day, Monday the 10th, I called the OB's office and insisted they see me right away.

The rest is history!

Here are some pictures of our bouncing baby girl! We are thrilled to have Kennedy in our lives.