TREATMENT UPDATE

Hello! It's LYNN again with my medical update. I have been steadily recovering since my 2 week check up and yesterday's appointment was on the 3 week post surgery date. Seems likes months already, not weeks. Yes, all agree I have been very impatient with my recovery progress even though I guess I do know I am ahead of schedule at this point. We met with Dr. Choong, the medical oncologist, yesterday and in addition to discussing what the chemotherapy schedule would be, they also added a new update to the previous pathology report we had received during our last post surgery appointment. They let us know there are a number of additional lymph nodes involved/cancerous that are in locations near my heart and other vital organs which made it impossible to remove them during the surgery in which they removed my lung. This means that I will also need to have radiation therapy for six weeks following my recovery from chemotherapy.

My chemotherapy schedule will start on Friday, February 13th and will be ONE day of chemo every 3 weeks, and I will have 4 total treatments. That will take me out to Friday, April 17th which will be my final treatment. I will then be off a few weeks at the perfect time to attend Danny's graduation from Regis University in Denver on Sunday, May 3rd. After that, we will start the six weeks of radiation which would continue daily until just about the middle of June...and we now know that these things can always change. So our current saying, "Is it what it is". And that is how we are handling each new challenge we are given, "We'll deal with it".

There were 2 unexpected bright pieces of information we received during our appointment, there is a very good chance that I will NOT loose my hair during my specialized type of chemotherapy and I will continue to be able to have my NIGHTLY glass of RED WINE!!! LIFE IS GOOD!

I think I will be returning to work, on a part-time basis starting next week. I am still not allowed to drive so my work will be limited to what I can accomplish in the office. And I am exhausted by mid-day and need my naps right now. But I know I need to get out of this house on a regular basis. A couple of other things I have learned, my one lung will expand and do some of the work of the one I lost, but this process takes about two years to complete so I have to remain SOMEWHAT calm during all these very exciting MU basketball games because I run out of breath quite quickly right now. And this BELOW 0 weather has also been very difficult when I try to catch my breath or even take ONE breath outside. As the weather and I improve, I hope to get back to a little bit of social life outside my house in the future. I do need to stay healthy but haven't moved to the 'blue mask' idea yet.

I am thankful for all the people at Froedtert who are taking very good care of me. I am also thankful for all of you sending me card after card, and note after note, email after email, helping me to keep my positve attitude of gratitude. I thank God everyday for all that I have been given and ask for your continued prayers that I can accept and cope with all that I need to in the upcoming months and years.

I will probably not add another posting until after the start of my chemo on February 13th. A number of friends have responded that they were unable to post comments on this blogspot. I have changed the settings so see if it is easier now. For those of you who don't have it, my personal email address is lynnsteinle@aol.com PLEASE understand that I cannot respond to each and every email I receive, I am having a hard enough time trying to keep up with THANK-YOU cards and don't know if I will ever finish the ones on which I am behind!! BUT each and every piece of correspondence lifts me and my spirits so please keep up the communication on your end if that's not too much to ask!! I have not needed meals at this time but thank you for all the offers. Your words, thought and prayers have kept me feeling fantastic and they are what I need right now, and it's easier than cooking, right?? As I have needs arise in the future, I will let you know. I love you all!!

Lynn