My Mastectomy Has Been Scheduled

The long awaited date has arrived! I check in to the hospital for the mastectomy at 6 a.m. on Tuesday, December 2nd and will be in the O.R. by 8 a.m. The surgery should last about 3 hours followed by a 2-day stay to ensure that there aren't any complications. 

I am a candidate for immediate breast reconstruction so, my surgeons will perform a 2- stage operation. The first stage will be after my surgical oncologist completes the mastectomy. My plastic surgeon will step in and finish up with a tissue expander (a deflated, temporary implant) under my pectoral muscle and a few drainage tubes to help flush out excess fluids. The drainage tubes will remain for a period of 1 to 4 weeks. Once the drainage tubes are removed, the expander will be filled with saline through a port every 2 - 3 weeks over a period of approximately 6 months. My chest will feel tight and uncomfortable as my skin is stretched, but I can handle it. 

"For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength." 

Philippians 4:14

The second stage will be performed after the skin has rejuvenated and the breast mound is large enough to replace the expander with a permanent implant (cutting along the same incision as the mastectomy). At the same time, my surgeon will perform surgery on the natural breast to create symmetry. What a deal, eh?! If only I could get an eye surgeon in there to perform lasik surgery, too!

There are more details leading to a complete reconstruction (e.g., fat grafts, tattooing, possible radiation therapy), so I'm looking at about 1-1/2 to 2 years of working with my plastic surgeon. Oy vey!

The best part is knowing how blessed I am to have such a great team of surgeons on my side and knowing that I have a Great God who has my back! Can I get an "amen?!"

"O Lord my God, I called to you for help, 

and you healed me." 

Psalm 30:2

As always, thank you for your continued prayer and support.

~ Deidre

I Have Finished Chemo.

Have you ever had one of those mornings when you wake up feeling lousy? You think to yourself, " I wonder if I look as bad as I feel?" You look in the mirror and ... well...

On Wednesday, November 5th, I had my 6th and final chemo treatment. The side effects from the last three were really rough. There were times when I questioned if I could complete the chemo. The nausea, muscle cramps, bone pain, deteriorating finger and toenails, digestive issues, insomnia, fatigue, etc., intensified and lingered with each passing treatment.

I had an end-of-chemo mammogram and MRI which showed zero signs of the invasive cancer. YEAH! Now I am awaiting the appointment with my surgical oncologist on November 20th to discuss what to expect after the mastectomy and hopefully coordinate a surgery date with my plastic surgeon. I still have to go to the infusion center for about 14 more rounds of the targeted drug, Herceptin, since it needs to be administered for a year to be effective. I should be finished with that in August 2015.

I'm really nervous about the mastectomy, so I would appreciate it if you would pray that the surgery is a success.

Lots of love,

Deidre

"A Friend Loves At All Times..." Proverbs 17:17a

My friend, Tanya, works for a company called It Works! They have a "Give Back Day" where one can donate a portion of their sales to an organization or a cause. I am pleased to announce that Tanya has chosen to donate to my youcaring.com fundraiser. 
Check this out:

Tanya Kingsbury

6 hrs · 

I NEED YOUR HELP!!!!

One of my friends Deidre Melanese is fighting Breast Cancer right now! She is a amazing Godly woman who I met almost 20 years ago at the Horizon School of Evangelism. As most of you know fighting cancer is expensive and insurance does not cover everything and she is not able to work during this time which makes paying her basic necessities tough! Her blog to follow her journey is here
http://yourdailydoseofdeidre.blogspot.com/2014/08/gods-been-good-to-me.html?spref=fb

One of the things I love about IT WORKS is they are HUGE about giving back and Sept 6th is IT WORKS GIVE BACK DAY. I am wanting to donate $5 for every Body or Facial Wrap I sell between now and Sept 6th to help Deidre. Also any products purchased on my website I will donate to her my commissions! I feel so fortunate to be able to try and help raise money for her!

Wraps are $25 each and $5 of every wrap sold will go to her. You can also host a party in her honor and I will donate $5 for every wrap and you will get yours for FREE! You can look on my site for pictures of what our wraps can do they are ALL natural and it is fat loss not water loss! My website is www.kingsburyskinnywraps.com

If you would like to just donate to help the link to donate is here...
http://www.youcaring.com/medical-fundraiser/deidre-cancer-free-or-bust-/177421/update/206066

This is a great opportunity for you to try out a Body or Facial Wrap, support Tanya's business, and help raise funds for my medical needs. Everybody wins!!

Thank you, Tanya, for your prayers, support and generosity.

<3 Deidre

God's Been Good to Me

I am often told that I have a great attitude and a lot of joy for one battling breast cancer. I'm going to have to agree. I do have a lot of joy. God continues to bless my socks off and  assures me that He is with me every step of the way. I'm so excited to share some of the things He has done.

"My mouth is filled with your praise, declaring your splendor all day long."

Psalm 71:8

On July 31st (8 days after my 1st round of chemo), I was admitted into the hospital with a fever, thrush, mouth sores, and an acne-like rash. I spent the next 7 days getting a cocktail of antibiotics before being released. I was more concerned about my loss of finances than I was about my health. 

I'm so thankful that my landlord, John, was available to look after my two dogs. The blessing continued when John waived my rent for the month of September!!

I had my 2nd round of chemo on August 13th followed by an injection of Neulasta to promote white blood cell growth. I was delighted to be accompanied by my dear friends, Bonnie, Heather, and Natilee. It was quite the social event. 

Post-chemo hasn't brought any flu-like symptoms as I had after the first round, however, I am more fatigued and my hands and feet have been tingly (a sign of temporary nerve damage -- a common side effect).

More blessings after church service this past Sunday... I was overwhelmed with the outpouring of love by fellow believers praying over me. It's so important to be in fellowship. I am often reminded of this verse:

"Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another -- and all the more as you see the Day approaching."

 Hebrews 10:25

By the way, I drove to church in my '94 Mazda that was sold to me by a woman I have never met for $1. Yes, that's ONE DOLLAR. She drove over 11 hours to deliver it to me here in San Diego. Thank you, Jeanne B.!

Did I mention that God's been good to me? God's ALWAYS been good.

Please continue to pray for healing & God's provision and if you'd like to make a donation, please click on the "Deidre - Cancer Free or Bust" link located in the upper right corner. 

Thank you all for keeping me in your thoughts and prayers,

oxox Deidre

My First Chemotherapy Infusion

Last week, I had an implantable catheter or port-a-cath surgically tunneled under the skin in my chest. The catheter was inserted into a large vein under the clavicle and the port was inserted entirely underneath the skin and attached to the catheter. There is a visible bump on my chest but the tip of the catheter is not seen. Before each access or needle insertion the skin over the port is numbed with Emla cream. Then a special needle is inserted through the skin into the catheter that is connected to the port. All blood drawn and treatments will be administered through this port-a-cath thus, reducing the number of needle sticks directly into the vein. This port will remain in place throughout the duration of chemotherapy and the mastectomy.  

On Wednesday, July 23rd, I arrived at UCSD Moores Cancer Center at 8 a.m. for my first chemotherapy infusion. I had blood drawn from my port to insure that I could handle the dose of each drug. Then, I checked in with my oncologist who gave the green light to proceed with treatment. Finally, I picked seat 11C, which I nested in for the next 5 hours.

Before any treatment began, I was given an IV solution of  Zyrtek, Tylenol, and an anti-nausea drug. That took about 30 minutes. 

The next 60 minutes I received Perjeta, which is a drug designed to target HER2+ cancer cells. Followed by 90 minutes of Herceptin, another target drug that is effective against HER2+ cancer cells.

The third infusion was 60 minutes of Taxotere, a chemotherapy drug (premedication of the corticosteroid pill, Decadron, started the day prior to Taxotere infusion, which continued for 3 days to reduce the severity of fluid retention and allergic reactions).

The fourth infusion was 60 minutes of the chemotherapy drug, Carboplatin. One of the common side effects listed was "vomitting and nausea usually occurring within the first 24 hours of treatment." I can attest to this as FACT.

Finally, a saline solution was used to flush out the port-a-cath before sending me on my way. 

My next visit is in 3 weeks. One down; 5 more to go!!

Seat 11C where I set up camp, ordered lunch, took advantage of the free wi-fi, and had a great conversation with Kathy Grand. I love you, Kathy, and have been so blessed by your willingness to accompany me to all of my appointments. Your presence and love have meant the world to me.

Here's a close up of the port-a-cath that was inserted under my skin. Technology and medical science is amazing!!

As always, I'd like to thank all of you for keeping me in your thoughts and prayers. I'm feeling the love. 

Peace and blessings,

Deidre

Look out Beyonce... I might get a wig just like yours!

Welp, all of the tests results are in... I still have breast cancer. 

In fact, I have Stage 2b invasive cancer from the tumor AND non-invasive Stage 0 cancer throughout the rest of the breast tissue. The cancer is also ER (estrogen receptor) positive and HER2 (human epidermal growth factor receptor 2) positive, so my hormones are promoting the cancer cell growth and the gene mutation accelerates the growth making the cancer more aggressive. If you recall back in April the tumor was Stage 0 non invasive but has since progressed to Stage 2b invasive in 3 months. The good news is that it doesn't appear to have spread to my lymph nodes. Thank you, Jesus!

I will begin chemotherapy on July 23rd which will be administered for 18 weeks. According to my calculations, I should complete my last round of chemo just in time for Christmas! This course of treatment increases my chances of survival and decreases the likelihood of recurrence, however, it will not shrink or eliminate the non tumor cancer throughout the rest of the breast tissue. I will still need to have a mastectomy.

In preparation for chemo, I have been scheduled for an echocardiogram (must have a strong heart 'cause there are rare side effects of heart failure due to the drugs), a pre chemotherapy educational visit (to tell me about all of the side effects like losing my hair and nails... and possible heart failure), a catheter port consultation followed by surgery (a chest iv for the chemo drugs will be inserted under the skin), and a dentist appointment (apparently going to the dentist is an issue while going through cancer treatment). Phew!! I think I might splurge on a $20 mani-pedi from Groupon while I still have my nails. ;-) 

As always, thank you for your continued prayers, donations and support. I have peace of mind knowing that I'm not going through this alone.

With much love,

Deidre


In the morning, LORD, you hear my voice; 
in the morning I lay my requests before you 
and wait expectantly. Psalm 5:3

Looking Forward to Some Cancer Treatment Action

I have had multiple appointments and tests since my last post, but we still haven't come to an actual first course of treatment. My patience have certainly been put to the test. 

The tumor board will be meeting on Monday, June 23rd. ALL of my lab results should be in, Lord willing, to help them advise me on the best decision in my course of treatment. 

I should have a new post for you in the next few days.

Thank you for your continued support and prayers.

If you'd like to make a donation to help me reach my $5,000 goal toward medical expensive, please visit my fundraising page:

<iframe src="http://www.youcaring.com/fundraiser-widget.aspx?frid=177421" width="260" height="398" frameborder="0"></iframe>


With much gratitude,

Deidre

“Let Me See Your Breasts.”

     “Let me see your breasts.”

     I wanted to respond with, “That’s the worst pick up line I’ve ever heard,” but I refrained because it was my plastic surgeon making the request and I didn’t think he would get the humor in my response. 

     In the past two weeks I have had two more mammograms, an MRI, and another biopsy of the growing tumor plus an additional biopsy of another area of the breast tissue. 

     Today, I had a consultation with my plastic surgeon, “Dr. D,” which was fruitless because a course of treatment has not yet been established (immediate mastectomy OR chemotherapy for a predetermined number of weeks followed by a mastectomy). 

     My surgical oncologist, “Dr. B,” ordered all of the tests that I have had since May 22nd to help her determine my course of treatment, but my biopsy (the last procedure in this series of tests) results won’t be ready by the time I see her for my follow up appointment tomorrow (Thursday, June 12th). Dr. D suggested that I cancel Thursday’s appointment, but if I do, I won’t see Dr. B until she comes back from vacation after June 26th, so I’m keeping my appointment.

     I was really hoping to have more answers by the end of this week, however, my patience continue to be stretched like a snail’s yawn. I suppose I’ll just keeping waiting and waiting and waiting and waiting. 

     I'm reminded of this bible verse: Proverbs 13:12

     One day I will be cancer free!

~ Deidre

Feeling Blue

Mel here! Yesterday and today have been rough days for Deidre.I will post details of today's doctor's appointment, tomorrow. In the meantime, please pray that her tomorrow is a brighter day!

Well, it's about time!

Three Days Worth!   

Thursday, May 22
It's been 18 days since I sat in my surgical oncologist's office to received the news that I would need a mastectomy.  It's been 11 days since the Tumor Board returned with a second opinion supporting the surgical decision. It has also been 11 days since I was told that, although I am a candidate for immediate breast reconstruction, my surgical oncologist and plastic surgeon were affiliated with different hospitals, so I would have to begin breast reconstruction at a future date. Nine days ago, I successfully switched doctors and am currently a patient of UCSD Moores Cancer Center. Today, I have an appointment/consultation with my new surgical oncologist. I'm pretty excited!

Friday, May 23

Wow, what a day. UCSD Moores Cancer Center is amazing! They have a living garden, cancer resource library, cancer education workshops, nutrition, cooking, and fitness classes... and an amazing staff of nurses, resource coordinators, case workers, case managers, therapists... the list goes on and on!

Dr. Blair is my general surgeon/surgical oncologist. She examined me and looked over my charts. Here are some things she said (to the best of my recollection):

1.The tumor feels bigger than 2 cm (1 inch); feels more like 4 or 5 cm. 

2.Thinks the original diagnosis is not completely accurate... concerned that may have
   invasive cancer.

3. More fact finding is needed: 

          a. I had cbc and comprehensive metabolic panel blood work drawn today

          b. MRI & mammogram needs to be scheduled with UCSD imaging

          c. Another biopsy

4. Once the type of cancer has been determined, we can decide what type of surgery:

          a. If the cancer is highly aggressive/invasive, we want to get the cancer out, so a
              mastectomy will be in order. If the cancer or tumor is at least 2 cm away from
              the nipple, a nipple and/or skin sparing mastectomy may be performed.

          b. If the cancer is aggressive, but responds to chemo to shrink it, then that will
              allow for a lumpectomy and breast reduction. 

My next appointment with Dr. Blair will probably be the third week of June. She will have had the opportunity to review my blood work, MRI, and mammogram. 

TODAY! Saturday, May 24

Hello! Mel here. I just finished talking to Deidre this morning. She is so grateful for all the love and support everyone is showing her. (a special thanks from me to our sweet Bonnie for taking Dee to her appointment this week and being such an amazing advocate and note taker for her!) Deidre is looking forward to her Life Group tomorrow. They are doing a community outreach and she is super-excited to help serve the homeless! 

Have a happy Saturday and please take a moment to pray for Deidre! 

I have peace and joy and love and hope

As I have been reading through all of the wonderful and encouraging comments being left on my Facebook page, fundraising page, and blog, I came upon a comment containing a declaration of sorts written by an anonymous author:

"What Cancer Cannot Do"

Cancer is so limited... 

It cannot cripple love 

It cannot shatter hope 

It cannot corrode faith 

It cannot destroy peace 

It cannot kill friendship 

It cannot suppress memories 

It cannot silence courage 

It cannot invade the soul 

It cannot steal eternal life 

It cannot conquer the spirit 

- Author Unknown 

It reminds me of a passage in the bible: 

"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." John 10:10

I am not a victim of my circumstance. My circumstance will not rob me of my joy. I am not afraid. I have peace and joy and love and hope! Can I get an "Amen"?

Amen, Deidre

Deidre, do not let your heart be troubled...

Saturday evening, Deidre was telling me how nights have been pretty rough on her, mentally. As a result, she hasn't been sleeping and has become extremely tired and exhausted during the days.

Most of us can relate to our minds not being able to turn off during stressful times, when all we want to do is sleep. I told Dee that I absolutely know how that feels. And that, that is the time I have my best and longest prayers/conversations with God. Whatever is weighing heavily on my mind and preventing me from my 8 hours of much-needed slumber, is most likely the exact same things that I should be "giving to God" and trusting Him to take care of. 

Sunday morning came and my church sang "Your Love Never Fails". One line in particular stood out to me and is what gave me the idea for today's post. "There may be pain in the night, but joy comes in the morning." This fact has given me comfort many times and through many trials in my life. 

Today, please specifically pray for Deidre to cast her anxieties on her Father and to get back into a good, healthy sleeping pattern.

"Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus."
Philippians 4:6-7 

I am blessed!

Thank you, everyone. I am truly humbled by the outpouring of prayers, support, and generosity. I am blessed!

~ Galations 5:13 - Serve one another humbly in love

If you know her, you adore and love her.

If you don't know her, stick around and you'll soon want to!

                

 I am her "sister" and long-time bestie, Melane.

This is me.

(the 4-leaf clover on my cheek is
completely random & irrelevant)

Deidre has recently been diagnosed with breast cancer. 

I am creating this blog for many reasons...to help Deidre's loved ones keep updated on this new journey and to prevent her from having to retell the same info over & over...to help organize her thoughts... and to help her stay connected with you...

Deidre and I will both be updating this blog. (she is a better story-teller than I am) Our goal is for one of us to write daily. Hence the name, "Your Daily Dose of Deidre"! 

What can YOU do? Oh, I'm so glad you asked! 
Pray for Deidre. Pray for healing, comfort, peace, and her continued sense of humor. Pray for her doctors. Pray for her living and financial situation. Praying is so easy and so effective! I have an idea...Come back to "Your Daily Dose of Deidre" everyday and pray for Dee after each visit to her blog! 

Those of you lucky ones that live near Deidre (I do miss me some San Diego! Remind me why I moved away? sorry~A.D.D. kickin' in)  You awesome Southern Cali folk can offer to go shopping for Deidre or cook her a meal, accompany her to appointments, deliver her cheerful treats...or come up with your own way to help our Dee.

We can also all help Deidre in her pocketbook. There is gonna come a time when she is unable to work and bring home the bacon. (mmm...bacon) If you are able to support Deidre financially, click on this link below (ANY amount is appreciated)!

To bring everyone up to speed, the following is Deidre's timeline of her diagnosis up to this point (in her own words):

March 17, 2014 - Felt a lump in my right breast. Confident that it's just a cyst. Made an appointment. 

March 24, 2014 - Examination by nurse practitioner. Referred to a radiologist. Waited for MediCal to approve referral. Referral approved. The medical professional was notified. Waited for medical professional to call me to make appointment. Appointment made. Waiting.

April 4, 2014 - Mammogram and ultrasound findings: 2 x 2.5 mass "highly suggestive of malignancy" LOOKS LIKE CANCEROUS TUMOR. Referred to pathologist. Waited for MediCal to approve referral. Referral approved. The medical professional was notified. Waited for medical professional to call me to make appointment. Appointment made. Waiting.

April 18, 2014 - Biopsy of mass. Waiting for results.

April 24, 2014 - Appointment with nurse practitioner - Biopsy results revealed "High-grade comedo ductal in situ (high-grade DCIS)," STAGE 0, grade 3 cancerous tumor. It's non-invasive, but aggressive and fast growing. Referred to surgical oncologist. Waited for MediCal to approve referral. Referral approved. The medical professional was notified. Waited for medical professional to call me to make appointment. Appointment made. Waiting. 

May 5, 2014 - Consultation with surgical oncologist. I'm expecting to get information about a lumpectomy, lymph node biopsy, and possible radiation therapy. WRONG. The tumor is non-invasive, but according to the mammography report one month earlier, the rest of the breast tissue show signs of extensive DCIS, therefore a unilateral mastectomy is in order. I'm also a candidate for immediate breast reconstruction. Once the mastectomy and lymph nodes are biopsied, the pathologist can determine if the cancer has metastasized. That outcome will determine my treatment options. I asked for a second opinion. My concerns are presented to the "Tumor Board" or multidisciplinary opinion.

May 12, 2014 - Tumor Board meets. 

May 14, 2014 - Appointment to review second opinion. Surgical oncologist in surgeries all day. Appointment canceled. Also told that the UCSD plastic surgeons are the only surgeons accepting my medical insurance. My surgical oncologist is from Scripps so, my reconstructive surgery would NOT be immediate. I would have to wait until I healed from the mastectomy before being cut open again for the next surgery. I CRIED. Called my insurance rep to request a surgical oncologist and plastic surgeon from UCSD. Called UCSD medical center to request a medical number as a new patient. Called my insurance rep back with info. Insurance rep found a surgical oncologist who accepts my insurance. If... no... WHEN my medical case is picked up by UCSD, I will have to start the process all over again starting with the surgical oncologist consultation. Waiting for MediCal to approve referral. Waiting for the medical professional to be notified. Waiting for medical professional to call me to make appointment. Waiting.  

May 15, 2014 _ Get a call about the Tumor Board opinion. YES, to a unilateral mastectomy. Strongly encouraged to be tested for BRCA 1 and BRCA 2 genes. The outcome may determine if a bilateral mastectomy would be best. I need a referral for that. Then the referral will need to be approved. Then a medical professional will need to call me to make an appointment. Then I'll need to wait for days or weeks for the results, which I will probably have to make an appointment just to hear the results.  

Okay, well there you have it!

Please come back tomorrow for

Your Daily Dose of Deidre!

(don't forget it is time for you to pray for Deidre now)

Thank you! :)