Hello.
Thank you for your e-mails and calls. I am saving responding to your e-mails for when I am at home more in the weeks to come. I am very happy to hear your news and updates about the slightest things in your lives. It allows me to feel close and connected to you until we can catch up on the phone.
As of today, I am FINALLY finished with all tests, exams and extra doctor visits. My Breast Cancer Stage is II. I am ready to start chemotherapy every 2 weeks on April 27th which will continue until the fall. Then there will be a break and then radiation starts. I am doing the “Dose-Dense…AC followed by T” treatment for those of you who know chemotherapy protocols.
After exhaustive research and exhausting doctor visits, I have chosen my oncologist. My surgeon’s favorite oncologist is Anne Moore at Weill-Cornell. I met with Dr. Moore and said that I would prefer if humanly possible to stay our in the suburbs for treatment given that visits to the doctor’s office are very frequent in between the every 2 week chemotherapy. She recommended Dr. Hollister at Greenwich Hospital. Greenwich, CT is about 15-20 minutes from my home. Dr. Hollister is a very good fit and that is where I will be treated. It is far easier for me than Manhattan to go to Greenwich especially since driving will often be forbidden. Greenwich allows friends to help and is a short taxi or train ride away. Greenwich Hospital has the added perk of looking like it is in the United States as opposed to a deeply poor and unhygienic country which is what all the other NY offices look like…..On top of all that, the chemo is administered in relative privacy instead of the forced group circles that most places offer.
On Saturday, I told Liam about the cancer and chemotherapy. That was the most difficult thing I have ever done in my life. I will be doing the best I can to minimize the damage to him and the twins as much as possible. I hope I can succeed in this and be able to take care of them during the treatment. I have already ordered one custom-made wig and am in the process of ordering several others as I hope that will ease the situation for the 3 of them as much as possible. Christine is doing research on make up and hats etc so I am in good hands.
I am in the process of joining Gilda’s Club (Gilda Radner which died of ovarian cancer in 1989…Gene Wilder, her widower, organized a nation-wide cancer support club in her honor).
I will also try to find a yoga class when I have time for ‘stress management’…in the meanwhile I rely of the good people in the pharmaceutical industry.
I don’t think there will be anything significant to report for quite a while. I will be in touch in a group e-mail when I am halfway through treatment in a few months.
In them meanwhile, please feel free to call or text as I can speak freely now…if I don’t respond it is because the international texting with Sprint rarely works so if you send me a text and I don’t respond within a day send me an e-mail and let me know you texted…I really want to work out the American phone system….so we can text…if it doesn’t work I will get another GSM Blackberry as Vic took mine…
Please keep your notes coming, too. They are a source of great comfort.
Signing off for now….Love, Babs
