chemo session 4

As I continue this journey of making Pink lemonade out of the lemons 🍋 life has handed me, I am grateful to share that my latest labs looked good 💗. Because of that, I was able to complete chemo session four on December 31 with Marshfield Clinic before transitioning my care to Aspirus. Getting this session done now gives Aspirus more time to secure the approvals needed for my final two chemo treatments. After those are complete, I will move into eight additional immunotherapy sessions that will take place every three weeks. I truly feel this timing worked out in the best possible way.

I also completed my genetic testing consult and lab work. Based on my history of facing two different breast cancers before turning fifty, along with some family history, the specialist felt I was a strong candidate for testing and thought there was a chance I might carry a gene. For anyone in my family who has been wondering about the results, here is what they found. They tested twenty eight strands of my DNA related to breast and gynecological cancers. My results came back negative. This means that none of the known genes associated with these cancers were present. It does not completely rule out the possibility of a gene that has not yet been identified or the influence of family history or environmental factors, but it is reassuring news.

My next step is an appointment on Monday, January 5 to get established with an oncologist at Aspirus James Beck Cancer Center. I am looking forward to receiving treatment closer to home. I will also be asking to set up consultations with both a general surgeon and a plastic surgeon at Aspirus so that everything is in place as I move ahead.

There may be more to share after my appointment on Monday, but for now this is where things stand. Double the lemons 🍋 means double the strength 💪, and I am holding onto that truth every day as I continue this fight for the second time.