Chemo....Round Two

Yesterday was my second chemo treatment. I had it at the Dr office instead of the hospital so that was a good start already!
I got to the oncologists office at 10 and they got started around 10:30. I sat in a room full of recliners with other cancer patients. It wasn't exactly how I pictured it but it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I think I was their the longest of anyone. I saw about 20 patients come and go while I had my treatment but at least I didn't have to be in the hospital.
I was really nervous for them to use my port because it was so tender but though it hurt it was not near as bad as the pick line and I know I'm going to be very grateful for that surgery!
My first medicine takes 4 hours total but luckily they gave me some Benadryl on a slow drip which helped me sleep most of the time. My next few drugs went pretty fast and I was able to leave around 4! I was exhausted but glad I made it through and that my vitals stayed good and steady the entire time. :)
I was able to chat with some other cancer patients during the infusion and it was a blessing to hear about their stories. I met this one man who has been in Stage four for 8 years! I couldn't believe that...hearing his story made me feel so blessed and made my long day of chemo seem much easier. I've been feeling so positive lately and really lucky in so many ways. Today I am resting, had a rough night last night. I know this week will be a hard one but I know that chemo is a blessing that will make me well and help me be healthy for my husband and my baby. That is definitly a miracle!

A Big Week...

Wow! What a week! I wanted to blog earlier in the week but it just didn't happen. I guess I'll go thru the big events one at a time... On Monday, I cut my hair off. I new I wouldn't last long because it was coming out so fast. It wasn't the greatest cut but it was cute enough for how long it lasted...haha!
Tuesday, I had my port put in. I'm sure this is going to be a huge blessing but Tuesday was a rough day. They went in thru my chest under my clavicle and put the port in through about a 2 inch long cut, and then inserted the tube into my jugular vein! YIKES! So Tuesday night was rough but the Dr said the surgery went perfect and after a few days I have started to feel a little better. BUT when I got out of surgery on Tuesday I noticed an inch part on my head that was compltely BALD! I kept wondering what they did to me in he hospital but realized that my hair was just falling out THAT fast! I couldn't believe it!
Wednesday I parted my hair on the other side and made it through the day. It was my mom's birthday so we all went to dinner which was fun then came back to my mom's house for a head shaving party!!!!! It was time....I was so tired of my hair falling out in clumps and getting everywhere!
Here is my before picture right as we got started.

I went first and my hubby did mine. He was VERY excited about it!

Check out the smile on Rafa's face!

Yikes, if you look close on the left you can see my big bald spot before we started shaving.

I reached up and felt my head....and started breaking down just a little...but I recovered fast.

Almost done!

Zac, me and my hubby

My 12 year old nephew Zac has always had a special place in my heart. We have been close since he was little and when he found out I have cancer he asked his mom if he could shave his head with me when I lost my hair. I think his mom was more nervous than he was about it. He is such a sweet boy and it meant so much to me that he wanted to be a part of this with me. My husband was already on a roll so we let him shave him too!

MOHAWK!

Look at the excitement on this boy's face!!

My hubby was next!

I shaved an R in his head just for fun!

Just about done!

The Three Little BALDIES!

I am SO grateful I shaved my head and grateful for my families support! It has been a miracle that I have actually been handling no hair really well. It feels so much better and my husband is so sweet and always tells me how pretty I am. I've gotten a couple little hats because I can't wear my wigs yet because my head is too sensitive but I love not having to pull my hair out anymore AND it takes me far less time to get ready!!! BONUS! haha. I guess some things that you think will be terrible, turn out to be miracles.

Losing My Hair

Today I find myself looking and searching for an everyday miracle....and I realize that some days may be like that....some days are better than others...and today has been one of the less better days.

A couple of days ago I started losing my hair....it happened slowly at first and I questioned if maybe I was just shedding more than usual....nope, it's coming out. Today as I showered it came out in handfuls and brushing it our was even worse. I've held back the tears so far...but know I will break down soon. I haven't felt very well today either which always seems to make me a little more emotional. I always used to blame being emotional on pregnancy, now I normally blame cancer...but it's probably a combination of the two.

I have always been funny about my hair....I remember when I first dyed it how nervous I was and how everytime I get it cut I get anxious because I want it to look just right. Any friends that have known me long know I love to do different things with my hair and that I have always loved my hair, not in a vain way, just in a "my hair is a favorite feature" way. I am thinking of going to cut it all off tomorrow....I just don't know if I can continue watching it fall out everyday....I knew it would be hard, but it's harder than I thought.

Today I believe my miracle is my family. I try so hard to have a positive attitude about everything that is happening to me but today I realize that the positive attitude of my family is my miracle that gets me through when my attitude doesn't reach where I want it to. My hubby is going to shave his head and says when I lose all mine we will be twins, two milk duds, one chocolate, and one vanilla. Haha! I keep saying how I will look like a hippo with a bald head and an everyday growing baby belly. But my hubby is not concerned at all that I will be bald which gives me a little relief. I bought two wigs this week...I hope I feel like wearing them because they are much more expensive than I ever would have thought! But my mom got one and I got the other which lessened the blow just a little bit.

I'm sure I'll get used to not having hair....I plan on being creative and using flowers, and hats any way I possibly can. ANYONE who knows me knows how I love to wear flowers in my hair...and I plan on continuing that trend any way I can. I'm so blessed to have a family who helps me stay positive and that reminds me to take one day at a time. Often times people are everyday miracles and today I realize more than ever that my family is mine.

My life is full of everyday miracles. I am just an average girl but for some reason I have been extremely blessed, particularly within this past year with so many blessings, and quite a few miracles.
This time last year I was running around crazy getting ready to get MARRIED! ! I married my cute little Rafael April 16th, 2011 and he truly is the greatest thing since sliced bread! ! He brings me everyday miracles in his sweetness, his strength, and his humor that helps me in my weakest moments.

Soon after we got married, we started looking for a home. This process was exhausting! After several offers on other homes, we finally offered on a short sale in Mesa....months went by but FINALLY, we got it. What a MIRACLE this was! With the help of my parents who have worked hours and hours and hours, we are getting ready to move in to our new little home in the next couple weeks! I am so excited as this will be my first home and I LOVE to craft and decorate and can't wait to start on all my little projects!

Shortly before we found out we got the house, we found out that we are expecting Baby Campos! I have wanted to be a mom pretty much since I was a little girl. Sadly, I was diagnosed with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome when I was 22 and knew that getting pregnant may not be easy. After several ovulation tests, I realized I was not ovulating at all and so I went to the Dr for some help. After one round of Clomid I found out I was pregnant December 23th, 2011. I wanted to wait to tell Rafa till Christmas but I didn't make it even 2 hours before I broke down and told him! What a miracle it was to get pregnant so quickly.....keep reading to find out what a huge miracle this truly is. (P/S: this pic below is my little baby at 15 and 1/2 weeks....unsure if it is a boy or a girl just yet)

So a busy year I've had so far! Newlyweds, buying a home, and expecting our first baby! But some of my biggest miracles have happened just in the last two weeks.....

On Wednesday, March 7th, I was at work at Banner Desert (in the financial department) and as I ate breakfast I had this weird cough. I felt totally fine but it worried me because I felt like I could feel something in my chest when I coughed. I shrugged it aside, but when I went to lunch, it was even worse. I kept thinking it was nothing but thought "What if it is a blood clot?" I had heard they are more common when you are pregnant...so I called my OBGYN and the RN didn't really know what to tell me. She said the Dr was not in that day but I could come in the next day to be checked out or if I was really worried about it I could go to the ER. I felt a little silly but I could tell that something just wasn't quite right so I went ahead and went to the ER. I called my mom and my hubby to tell them but assured them I was fine and just going to make sure everything was fine.

When I got to the ER and checked in the RN triaged me and when I told him my problem I could tell he thought that I was just fine. I told him my worry was that it was a blood clot and because I was pregnant I wanted to make sure everything was ok. He told me they would be working me up for a pulmonary embolism which would mean a CT scan but that they would put a shield on my belly to protect the baby.

My mom showed up shortly after the CT scan and sat with me while I waited a couple hours for the results of the CT. I was sure that I was just fine and they were going to come and tell me that it was bronchitis or something silly like that.

Soon, two Dr's came in. One sat down beside me and told me I did not have a blood clot, but that I had a large mass in the center of my chest...and that they thought it was one of 2 things, small cell lung cancer or lymphoma cancer. WOW! My mom and I cried for a while and they quickly admitted me to the hospital. After a couple days of lots of tests including MRI's, ECHO's, and a Bone Marrow Biopsy we got the results that I have Large B cell lymphoma cancer, which is a non-Hodgkins cancer. It is an aggressive cancer that must be treated immediately so I had my first chemotherapy treatment on March 10 in the hospital.

Crazy huh? Well here come the miracles.....When I found out about the cancer I was 14 weeks pregnant which meant I was already in my second trimester. Chemotherapy is safe on baby after the first trimester!!! So had I not gotten pregnant on that first round of Clomid, but say the second, then the baby probably would not have been able to make it through the treatment. As it is, I have had chemo and so far the baby is doing just PERFECT!

Another miracle is that I went to the ER when I did. In a way, this little baby already saved my life! The cancer is in stage 1 and often times this cancer is not found until Stage 3 or 4. Because the cancer is in stage 1 I am able to only have chemo now, and wait until the baby is born to have radiation! Also because it is in the 1st stage, I have a 90% curable rate!!! Heck Yes! What another miracle that is!

So life has changed dramatically! Me and my hubby have been staying with my mom and dad because for about 10 days after chemo I needed a lot of help and felt extremely exhausted and worn out. There are a lot of side affects to chemo including nausea, headaches, mouth sores, and very achy bones (oh...and hair loss...which is probably going to be the hardest for me to deal with ). BUT I'm feeling much better now and trying to get things done before my next treatment which is next Friday. I know that there will be hard days ahead but I know I can beat this and I have to stay positive not only for me, but for my little baby. I am so blessed to have a loving husband who has been my rock, to have a family who takes such great care of me, and to have a faith that assures me that I will be ok and gives me HOPE. They say blessings come after the trials...but I believe blessings come each and every day through the trials......and those are just a few of my Everyday Miracles.