Countdown to Chemo...

by Becky Jackson on Tuesday, February 8, 2011 at 1:10pm

Well, it's been a while since my last update so I have to play a little catch up.  I think i left off with my heart test and port installation.  In between those was a fertility appointment.  There are some things you just don't think of.  I would have never thought, even with all of this, that I would be 28  years old, never have even tried to have children, and sitting in a fertility clinic talking in vitro.  You know, it's really cool what they can do with medicine.  It is unbelievable to me that they can 'create' (for lack of a better word) little embryos and save them for later use.  It is unbelievable to me that they can throw me into a medical menopause, to hopefully save my ability to have children, just for the time I am on treatment.  However, as brought to light to me by Bro. Wesley, just because they can do all these awesome things, doesn't mean they are all the right choices for me.  After reflecting on things overnight (because right now all of our decisions have to be made at the speed of light), we decided against in vitro and for a shot called Lupron.  The idea of this medicine is that while it 'shuts down' my reproductive system, the chemo can attack the active cells in  my body, the lymphoma, and hopefully skip over the reproductive system.  Now this is not a for sure thing, but it should improve my chances of having children when this is all said and done.  At this point I would like to ask for prayers for Zach.  He will be having to deal with me...going through menopause.  Study wise, there isn't a lot out there because of all the different factors.  My age, my type of chemo, how long I have the chemo, what disease I have, etc. But we pray, and we hope, and we stay positive and if the Lord wants some more little Jackson's out there, he will make it happen.  So, that was my Wednesday of last week.  Thursday they inserted my port.  This is kind of a cool thing too.  It is just a small round 'thing' that goes under my skin, so they don't have to stab me for a vein every time I go in for treatment and blood work.  It is up by my collarbone and has a catheter that goes straight into my artery.  Since I am meaty, hopefully it won't be that noticable!  Oh, did I mention my brother's friend put in the port.  Weird huh?  I knew I recognized the name Peter Kim! So all that was left (for the week) was my PFT.  That's Pulmonary Function Test.  Pretty much consisted of me breathing in this computer tube thing and her telling me I was normal.  Nothing exciting there.  However it did snow on Friday!  That was exciting!  The weekend was pretty uneventful.  Slept in, went to church, superbowl.  Monday was the PET Scan.  This will determine what stage I'm in.  When I went in, I was escorted to a small room with a big comfy plush leather chair (which did recline).  I was injected with radioactive solution what sticks to my active cells and tells where the lymphoma is.  For a whole 70 minutes I didn't, well couldn't, do ANYTHING.  No playing with phone, no reading, just a big nap in a huge chair with a warm blanket.  Doesn't sound too bad does it?!  Then they put me in a machine, like a CT scan machine -or maybe a MRI machine (I'm still not clear on what machine does what) and it takes pictures.  Stay tuned for results which should be back in a few days.  Now, Friday will be my last test, Lord willin and the creek don't rise. Which evidently is entirely possible 4-8", 6-10", 8-14" (depending on which news you listen to) of snow melting.  Gotta Love this good ol Arkansas weather!  Friday's test is a bone marrow test, which I will be put down for.  I mean put out for, lol! When it's all said and done, I may wish they would have put me down!  Evidently it will feel like a big deep bruise on my hip.  Joy.  I feel like a pin cushion all ready.  Now, this may make some of you think 'it could be in her bones!' The answer is yes.  Isn't that bad? Well yeah, but not too bad.  No matter what stage I'm in (bones are stage 4) I'm still treatable/curable.  Just may be a little longer treatment.  Ehh, what's a couple more months?  So for now, we will just keep on keepin on.  Again, I'd like to thank all of you for your thoughts and prayers!  I am so blessed to have you all!