Hang ON! It's gonna get REALLY BUMPY!

I was feeling so normal today...I got up very early and went to work!!! Never thought I'd feel so excited about that, but it felt so "Normal". I drove the school bus for the first time in 3 months. It was just like getting back on a bike.

The middle school students (just the sixth graders) had their orientations today. We had to run the regular route, bring them to school and then take them back home several hours later.

When that was all done, I waited for my 3:00 appt. with my Oncologist. The results of my Onco-Test were back. She spent some time in the past few days consulting with other Doctors, too.

Their collective consensus was that I should have chemo. Mainly because I am "young", and they feel it would greatly reduce my chances of a re-occurance. I was not aware that IF there is a re-occurance of my kind of cancer, it will be a stage 4 [which is incurable]. Faced with that eventuality, I will choose to have chemo, because it will up my chances for getting rid of this.

I can't say as I am happy about this outcome. On the way home from the visit, I felt shaky and scared. I tried to call several friends. No one was answering their phone. I felt very alone, and so just went straight home. Gary listened, and is going to come with me to the first treatment. I think he feels as upset about all this as I do. It is scary for him, as well.

So, I will go to my meetings for the bus drivers tomorrow and get my in-service training, and then I will head over to the Clinic at 12:30. It will take about 3 hours for the IV to go in. Then I have to return on Friday at 4 pm for a shot...I think that one is for anti-nausea.

In the meanwhile, I am just plain nervous about how this will all affect me. I HATE being sick! and tired, and nauseated, and achey. YUCK!

I will have treatments every two weeks, and will have 4 treatments, and then will discuss with the Doctor if I can continue on to the next 4 treatments, so that makes 8 in all.

Two weeks after the chemo ends, I will begin six weeks of radiation, five days a week.

Then, I will begin a regimen of hormone suppression pills that I will have to take for five years!

After five years, if there is no return of cancer that is a good sign. But it takes ten years cancer-free for them to say I am "cured". It will be a LONG HAUL!!!

Thanks for your thoughts and prayers. I'm not out of the woods yet.

Love you all!

Mary