Round 2 I'm Tyson at his prime and this cancer is on the ropes

So after the success of round 1 Dr. Marks said to expect some reduction but not the reduction we had in round one. Little did he know, my immune system is apparently Tyson in his prime.  We shrunk it another 50% from round 1 for a total of drum roll please ... 80%.  More numbers to toss at you.. when I started this journey, the tumor measured 8 by 10 or a mass of 80 it covered pretty much the whole breast. I had a lymph node the size of a  ping pong ball and a scar on the side that measured 16cm. Yeah it was that bad. 

Now my tumor measures 3.5 by 4 or a mass of 14. The lymph is no longer detectable and the scar is no longer measurable. While I still need 6 total rounds, Dr. Marks now expects the tumor to be shrunk into nothing by the 4th treatment. 
Also, Christine has been fighting a cold for 3 weeks that I haven't gotten, why? Well apparently my blood counts are still in the range of a normal non chemo taking person.  Still can't eat a salad though...lol oh well.

Cancer touches everyone.

As we were waiting for dinner last night an older man stepped up next to us and asked Eyleen how much longer she had of her treatments. At first I wondered if she knew him but then realized she was rocking the beaubeau and had a shirt on that showed her port scar. He spoke to her about his wife who’d passed away from breast cancer that’d gone into her esophagus and told her in length that the key to beating cancer was your mind set. He told her a story about a friend that was told he had terminal cancer and they couldn’t operate. Everyday this man would have his wife drive him to Krispy Kreme for a dozen donuts then to the running track. Everyday he’d go a little bit further running and he’d say he was getting better. That was 18 years ago and the man said he still sees his friend all the time looking as good as he ever has.
He told me that I needed to take care of her and then excused himself only to come back a minute later and ask Eyleen her name and tell her that he was going to put her name on his church’s prayer list.
He also spoke about how Dr. Marks was an excellent doctor and he’s the best in Jacksonville, and if he thinks Eyleen is doing good then she really is because he doesn’t fool around.
I think I’m getting sick so Eyleen slept in the guest bedroom last night away from my cooties. I also got away from her crazy snoring. She’s not only lost the hair on her head but also the hair in her nose so she’s been having CRAZY snoring. It was so bad the other night I was having a nightmare and this horrible sound was in the dream. I woke up and the sound was still going on and for a minute I panicked before I realized the noise was Eyleen. They don’t tell you about the nose hair going. I think they need to start telling people about that.

Looking like Mr. Clean

Friday was the PET scan results appointment with Dr. Marks. There's been a 48% reduction in the tumor after only one treatment. Dr. Marks was very pleased and impressed. We had an amazing weekend with family and friends at Universal and hanging out at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. :) I can't wait to go back.
Yesterday was Eyleen's second treatment and with it came more sick and tiredness than the first treatment but we're getting it until control. Not to mention there's pain in the tumor site again which is a VERY good thing even if it means pain pills. :) Dr. Marks said it won't be a reduction like last time but we're shooting for 10% this time around.

All weekend Eyleen's hair starting coming out more and in her words looked mangy so tonight I came downstairs and found her in the bathroom with her head all lathered up and with a razor in her hand.
I was terrified when she asked me to shave the back of her head but did a pretty good job before cocoa buttering it up. :)
Eyleen has an appointment with the therapist on Friday but it'll be another 3 weeks before we find out how things are going. After the whirlwind of this last month all this waiting is gonna drive me crazy if I don't get a handle on it.

What to do when your hairballs scare the cat?

Cut it off of course! Monday was NOT a good day around the house. I think it's the first day I've seen any of this take it's toll on Eyleen. And why? Because her hair started coming out. They weren't lying when they told her to expect her hair to start coming out 10 days after chemo because that's exactly what it started doing. I came home on Monday and the cat was staring really hard at something by her food bowl. When I went to investigate there was a clump of hair. By Tuesday when I came home Eyleen looked like this:

She'd taken the scissors to her hair and I finished it up with clippers. I think it looks really cute and I'm so dang tempted to buzz mine as well.

I called the store on Tuesday and the wig is in. We will pick it up after the appointment with Dr. Marks on Friday, which we'll learn the results of the PET. Then we're off to Orlando with friends and family for a LONG weekend before Eyleen starts her second treatment on the Tuesday we get back.
Good news is we're already seeing really good results from the chemo so her body is reaction really well in kicking the cancer's ass.