Updates, updates, updates!

Lack of posts was due to feeling mostly back to normal this week and enjoying every minute of it!! Had the best time this weekend with some of my very favorite people in the world...my favorite part was seeing how annoyed my little sister can still get at me and my goofy friends...just like we were 15 years old again! On Sunday, after the last visitor of our many visitors hit the road, Jonathon looked at me and said, 'You have some pretty awesome friends.' And that my friends, is the truth. Thanks to each of you.

Pretty sure Aunt April high tailed it back to her neck of the woods shortly after Austin told her he needed to poop

Austin knows to line up first when Aunt Stinky's frying bacon

Chewing a chunk of Kerrigold buter...yummmm

                                                      Update #1
We received my genetic testing results. I had a full panel of tests run that included the 2 known breast cancer genes. All results came back negative. So, we don't know why this struck me, but we know that of all of the known genetic reasons out there (and mind you, there may be many out there that may not have not yet been discovered!), I'm not a carrier of those genes. I have my own theory that it was all of the Glade I used to spray around the house for fun (I was a weird 7 year old who loved to clean!) in combo with the cold Oscar Meyer hot dogs I inhaled during my first few years of life that got me here :) haha. These results not only have a huge positive impact on my family, but also have an impact on my options for surgery down the line, as most people who test positive for breast cancer genes often choose double mastectomies and possibly removal of ovaries to significantly decrease the risks of recurrence. Now that we know I'm not a carrier of the breast cancer genes, depending on how treatment continues, I may choose to have fewer less invasive surgeries still with good prognosis for no future recurrence. We will put a bookmark in this for now, because we are putting these results down in the books today as a big WIN.

Update #2
2nd chemo infusion in the books! All of my labs came back perfectly normal. Dr. told me that fatigue will advance as infusions continue, but as far as nausea and other icky side effects go, those will be the same each time. So, I'm feeling great about that as I had very little nausea or loss of appetite and a minor headache/hangover feeling for a while with the first infusion. The worst part for me were the sleep disturbances for the first week after chemo (thanks to the steroids I was up at 1:30 every morning eating fried egg and 'Line's chicken soup and whatever else I could get my hands on to eat). I was also really annoyed how fatigued and tired I still was at the end of the first week (that wasn't in my master plan. I think I need some reminders on that lesson in 'control'). haha. I was very thankful to a bunch of awesome friends who helped me out a ton with both food and entertaining Austin last week. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! The 2nd week after chemo I was back to normal, a little more tired than usual, but eating great and sleeping 8 hours a night (I know, I have a 2 year old, I really shouldn't put that out there in the universe, but I have cancer, the fact that my kid sleeps well in his own bed in my books is really only fair, right??)

Update #3
My surgeon told me that we would know almost immediately if the chemo is working just by feeling the tumor. Nerve wracking that I'm carrying the evidence with me on my chest. I've gotten the guts to feel my tumor a few times since treatment started, but honestly was just so darn scared of what I would feel, I've kind of been avoiding it. Just keep telling myself to have faith that God knows my path, that my treatments are working and that my body knows how to heal itself. I finally got brave last week and told a few people and I also made them feel to confirm that my lump is SIGNIFICANTLY smaller. Everyone's been shocked (maybe because I'm begging them to cop a feel haha) but really at how much smaller it feels!! So, today my oncologist copped a feel for himself and was happy to confirm that YES MY TUMOR HAS SHRUNK...MY TREATMENT IS WORKING!! Of course, he wasn't surprised. He told me this is what's supposed to happen, but I just couldn't stop thanking God (or crying!) . To me it's a miracle. To me it's a huge relief. It also makes pumping this 2nd infusion pretty darn motivating. Here are some things Dr. Jim helped me to understand to relieve some of my stress:

1. The type of cancer I have is responding to the treatment I am receiving. This treatment is not going to become ineffective as time goes

2. Since the largest chunk of cancer (the tumor in my breast) has been so greatly affected by the treatment, any free floating cancer cells in the rest of my body have almost certainly been 'blasted' too
3. The palpable lymph node that was biopsied has also shrunk

4. My lymph nodes have a secondary type of cancer (not the same characteristics as the tumor in my breast), but the characteristics of the cancer there are also shown to be effectively treated by the chemo I am taking too and the one that was swollen has shrunk, so we have evidence it's working!

5. Do more yoga and possibly go back for a visit with my therapist (although, there might not be much that can be done with my crazy mood swings...see #5! haha. poor jonathon!)

6. The zits that have appeared all over my face are a side effect of the treatment. Between the steroids and the scrambling of my ovaries with the chemo, it's inevitable (and actually feeling pretty darn blessed that one of the biggest annoyances I'm dealing with from chemotherapy is acne. Really, I'm not even going to talk about this one again!)

7. He wrote me a medical release for oncology massage and there's a lady in town who specializes in just that! Wow! Who knew?

8. My state of health (other than having cancer, haha!) has greatly impacted my tolerance of treatment and also my prognosis...take care of yourself people! Everything you put in your body is a choice and you can literally change your life by treating yourself how you deserve to be treated!

So...we are going to keep on keepin' on here in the Kinchen house! WIN THE DAY friends...you can do it...
Love, Jenn

Hey before you go.....take the time for a little vote.  Jenn went ahead and shaved her head a few weeks ago (it looks really awesome by the way) and I think we should have some fun since she won't be bald forever.  This is what I am thinking....just two simple lines.

Jonathon

Should Jenn get "parts" in her hair?
	Yes
	No
	Only if Austin and Jonathon do
pollcode.com free polls