I want to share my adventure in Breast Cancer with you all. Some of you know me well and many I am just meeting. With all the support you have shown I thought I would like to write down my journey thus far to give you all a good picture of who Cally Shanahan is......
- ~past few years~ I had not been feeling well over all but chalked everything wrong with me to stress. You see I recently been divorced 11/07 (which was very hard on me) and then just as I was begining to bounce back my youngest daugther was in a freak fire accident 7/7/09 (which devastated me). Our family spent 6 weeks in the Oregon Burn Center and of course I kept thinking I was just stressed out due to all that was going on in my life.
- ~August 18, 2010~ I went in for a routine mammogram and check up. It had been two years since my last one. Within a week the doctors office was calling me saying they needed to do another mammogram. Nervous I went in with my friend and they did a biopsy and took more pictures. The next few weeks were seemed like an eternity.
- ~September 24, 2010~ I got the call. "Ms. Shanahan, you have breast cancer". I was at work and just totally lost it. All my friends came to my classroom and there were many tears and hugs. "What do I do now?" I called my Mom!!!!! I recall being so numb, scared, angry, and sick to my stomach. The doctor set me up with a cancer surgeon right away. I meet Dr. Sarah Cowgill and was instantly put to ease. She talked me through everything and told me a lumpectomy and test of my lymph nod's would be the first surgery and hopefully the last.
- ~October 7, 2010~ I went in for surgery as scheduled. When I woke up I had had my lumpectomy but bad news was that they had to remove 27 of my lymph nod's because the cancer had spread to them. I was in so much pain and worry now. "If it spread there, is it in other parts of my body?" During my two weeks recovery I got more bad news. The pathology report showed that not all the visible cancer was removed during the lumpectomy. The tumor was bigger than first seen. My parents came to see me for about a week during this time.... I am so grateful that they were here!!!!!!!
- ~October 26,2010~ Second lumpectomy surgery. The surgery went well. Spent the next few weeks trying not to worry and recover. Need to get ready for what chemo will bring to my life.
- ~November 7, 2010~ "This can't be happening" is all I could think when I went in for my two week check up. Dr. Cowgill tells me there is still visible cancer in my left breast and she can't "swiss cheese" it to get it all. Time to have a mastectomy. "???? Now I have to cut them off???" I decided to do the double mastectomy (doctor said it was best and I agreed). I don't want to go through this again, please!!! Over the next few weeks I meet with my plastic surgeon, oncologist, and radiologist. Time to make a game plan as to how this will all fall into place now.
- ~December 2, 2010~ Surgery will last 2 1/2 to 3 hours... I am angry, scared, worried, in a state of panic, sad, overwhelmed to say the least. Surgery went good, plus the plastic surgeon doctor was able to put in my permanent implants and I don't have to deal with temporary implants. Mom, sister Cathleen were here and I am so glad they were. Looking at ones body when nothing seems real on it anymore is easier to deal with when Mom and Cathleen were here to help me see myself for the first time after surgery. It was a 3 week recovery time to I went to NM to spent Christmas with my family. I am happy I got that time with them. I had not spent Christmas with my parents/family for over 5 years. I was a good place to recover. My recovery time ended up being more like 7 weeks. Anxious to get chemo started and get on with my life.
- ~February 4, 2011~ Chemo treatments start. All in all the first 4 treatments went well. I was having treatments every other Friday. This first round of chemo lasted 16 weeks. I had some stomach issues and did not feel much like eating however in the larger scheme if things I could have been very sick and down. I was on 5 anti nausea meds and had to give myself shots in between chemo treatments (this was my daughter Erika's joy to do for me). Check ups in between treatments to watch my blood levels and I continued to try to work too. Towards the end of this 16 week time I could feel my body saying slow down. I decided to take an extended leave of absences from work. This leave would not be possible if it were not for my co-workers. So many of them donated there sick time to me so that I could stay home and rest and not loose my benefits or pay! I love my job!!!! and my Cascade Middle School family. I don't know how I will every show them what they have done for me.
- ~April 1, 2011~ Started new drug on chemo treatments. I should have know this was going to be a day that would turn things upside down..... Mom arrived a few days before to see me for about 3 weeks. I did okay the day of chemo and the day after. By Sunday 4/3 I was not feeling like a human anymore. My entire body ached and I was so nausea's. By Thursday 4/6 I was calling doc, nurse, pharmacists... "Was I supposed to feel this bad?" On Friday morning I could not take it anymore. Called in again and they said get to ER right away!!! Spent the next 5 days in the hospital. I felt like I was in a episode of HOUSE. So many specialty doctors coming in and assessing me and no one knew for sure what the problem was. I was finally diagnosed with an allergic reaction to the new chemo drug and it gave me a lung infection. I have to use oxygen now when I am up and around and I have a nice pharmacy on my bathroom counter to help clear this all up. Needless to say chemo is on hold until this lung infection is cleared up and I hope to be off the oxygen soon also.
- ~Today~ I still don't feel human and I want desperately to have my life back. I am grateful for all the doctors, family and friends in my life. I don't know what tomorrow will bring but I do know that this girl will SURVIVE! I am head strong and strong willed. I am blessed to have so many people on my side. Tracy Elbert..... you are amazing, wonderful and a great friend. All my besties at Cascade - Tricia, Lori, Kathy, MaryKay, and Cheryl.... thank you for always being there. And to my besties Rosa, Coll, Sheri, and Andrea....I look forward to the next concert and road trip! With out Erika and Alex (my daughters), Mom/Dad, Cathleen, Steve, Greg, Martha, and Charleen I would be lost.
<3 Cally
