Week 2 and 3 Post Op Update

Hello friends and family! I just wanted to let everyone know that I'm recovering well. My range of motion has significantly increased in the last two weeks so it's a lot easier for me to move around. Last week, I spent a few days at Rosemary Beach in Florida. Thanks to my friends Amy and Victoria for taking me on the trip and taking good care of me while I was there! I really feel like the sun and salt water helped to speed up my recovery. This week, I had my radiation oncology consultation and my chemotherapy class. Below is a summary of both. Radiation: Once my oncologist clears me for radiation after my 2nd post op appointment on November 22nd, I will begin radiation treatment. The protocol will be 5 rounds of radiation, once a week (or, in other words, once a week for 5 weeks). As my radiation oncologist explains it, this will be the easiest of all my cancer treatments. No IV, anesthesia, or change in lifestyle involved. The radiation will target a very specific area and will have minimal side effects. The total appointment time will be about an hour for each treatment. Yay, easy! Chemotherapy: The class I went to was very informative. My chemo navigator, Peggy, was incredibly helpful and explained to me all the things I should be aware of while receiving chemo treatment and what to expect. I will have a total of 6 rounds of chemotherapy, 1 round every 3 weeks. The first round of chemo will start on November 9th. Chemo, unlike radiation, comes with a lot more side effects, including hair loss, nausea, vomiting, lost of appetite, fatigue. Hair loss it the only guarantee, but the other side effects will vary from person to person. My immune system won't be wiped so I can still enjoy the company of others and travel (so yay for that!). Prayers, please, for strength during this time! Thank you everyone for all your support. I'll post more updates as I journey through my cancer treatment. How can you help? I'm recovering pretty well right now and just waiting for my chemo treatment to start. If you would like to come visit and keep me company, please contact me directly! 678-622-7176. I have tons of puzzles we can work on ;-) With Love, Teri

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