What exactly is going on with Stephanie?

In late May 2010 Stephanie woke up and felt a large lump in her right breast. Knowing that it wasn't normal, and that she couldn't ignore it, she went into her doctor. Her doctor sent her to a breast cancer specialist. The specialist only works with breast cancer and is an amazing surgeon. She has been working closely with Stephanie and helping every step of the way.

In June 2010 Stephanie was diagnosed with stage III breast cancer. The lump is on the far right of her right breast, and as of June 28, 2010 is roughly 10 cm in size. This is considered a large tumor. Her surgeon and oncologist are working together to determine the best course of treatment. Since the diagnosis she has undergone a whole bevy of testing. They tested her heart to make sure she can undergo treatment - which came back great. They did a PET/CT scan to determine if there are any other tumor cells in her body. That also came back great. There are no tumor cells anywhere in her body! Yay!! They placed a port in her chest Friday June 25th so that when she goes into the doctor offices they do not have to poke and prod for new IV lines each time.

Monday June 28, 2010 was her first chemotherapy treatment. It was a very long day! She went in first thing in the morning and was there until roughly 4pm. They provided all the information and training to make both her and Bob feel comfortable with the treatment. She received three different medications, along with a pharmacy worth of medications to take home. She had to go back today, June 29, for a shot to boost her white blood cells. The doctor said that this shot can be administered at home by a family member or her primary care physician so she does not have to drive to his office for it every time. (Her oncologist is in Nashville, roughly 30 miles away) She has to go in for a chemotherapy treatment every three weeks, get her shot the following day, and do a follow-up appointment the next week.

In addition to chemotherapy she also has to be injected with Her2 medication. This is a medication to take care of a protein that is on her particular tumor. She has to go in for this treatment every week. The next treatment is Wednesday July 7, 2010.

At each chemotherapy appointment the doctor will measure her tumor to keep track of its progression. He said that it will start to dramatically shrink. After the third treatment (9 or 10 weeks) she will have an MRI, PET, and CT scan to check the cancer cells and see how everything is going. At the end of the 6 treatments she will then undergo surgery to remove any of the tumor that is remaining.

This is a ton of information for one post. If you would like more information please feel free to ask! Please do not google or share scary stories of people that you know that have undergone this process. Words of love and encouragement, along with prayers, would be greatly appreciated though!!