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Hey guys,
Just wanted to let some of you know, it doesn't look like I'll be able to make this year's rally. And, yes... I'm really bummed out about it... but...
This past November, my GF Lonnette woke up in real pain, and discovered a huge knot on the side of her left breast. She called me, and I told her to get to the dr. immediately to get checked out. Turned out to be stage 2b invasive breast cancer.
She was given 2 treatment paths: 1- it just barely was small enough to qualify for a lumpectomy, followed by radiation... or 2- mastectomy, followed by 4 rounds chemo, once every 3 weeks, 12 weeks total.
She had past experience with cancer with other family, and saw first hand what radiation does. She talked around, picked the top breast surgeon in the state, and opted for option 2 route.
Feb. 6th, during her mastectomy, cancer was discovered in her sentinal lymph node... they then took 16 more nodes in a biopsy. This changed everything.
She had also opted for reconstructive surgery, and an expander was placed.
This was the most painful brutal part of the surgery. Each week, I take her to her plastic surgeon's office. They stick a needle in her, into the port for the expander, and pump 100 cc's of saline in. The reason this is so painful is because the expander was placed between her ribs and pec muscle that was pulled from her ribs during the surgery. She now has 700 cc's of saline placed. No one told her how awful the pain would be.
She then went in to have a port surgically placed on her right side, at the base of her throat.
Then, another setback occurred... she received her Onco score. There are 3 tiers. Low, Moderate, or High, scored on a point system. This shows possible risk of reoccurrence of the cancer within the next 5 years... she scored a 31- 1 point into the High scale. Suddenly, the entire treatment plan changed, and got a lot rougher. Now, she's enduring 16 rounds chemo, not 4. The first 4 rounds, two chemicals, not one, given every 2 weeks, not 3. A Neulasta OnPro device was attached to her stomach every two weeks. Chemo on Friday's, go home w/ Neulasta, then 27 hours later, (Sat about 5 pm) it injects a chemical in her that causes CBC counts to rise back up by creating white and red blood cells in the bone marrow to be created to replace what the chemo destroys. This lowers her risk of infection. But, it has rough side effects. Terrible nausea/vomiting, weakness, aching bones... made her flat of her back for 5 days or so.
The week following her first round, she lost all of her hair. She had beautiful blonde hair, and this was pretty traumatic for her.
She has completed the rough 4 rounds (8 weeks.) Next, a different chemical, given once per week. Thursdays are bloodwork and oncology visit, Fridays are chemo. So far, this has been easier, far less nausea. But neuropathy is a side effect, and the med for that makes you sleep...deeply.
We had to forego this past Friday's chemo visit due to a root on one of her wisdom teeth breaking and poking out her gum, so instead I took her to an oral surgeon for tooth extraction. She did fine with that.
This next Friday will be her halfway point. Then, a petscan to see if any more cancer shows up. Next, is where we don't know. She needs to have more surgery, have the expander removed, and the permanent implant placed. The problem now is the treatment plan requires radiation, too. This totaly screws up the plastic surgery. If they radiate w/ the expander, screws it up and her, can't place the implant. If they remove the expander, place the implant, then radiate, screws up the implant. If they remove the expander, give her time to recover from that, then radiate, no implant could then be placed, and all the torture over the past several months was for nothing and she'll be deformed.
Some choice, huh?
Oh...She also has 2 20 yr. old adopted autistic twins she has cared for since they were 2 days old... along with 2 special needs dogs to boot.
So, I've been quite busy since last November. All of her family lives in Colorado, so I've been helping her since this happened.
We thought for a while she would be through w/ chemo, and all would be fine in time for me to make the rally in July, but then all that changed when the Onco score came back. So, sadly, I have to ask for a raincheck this time guys?
She was quite worried about me riding anywhere... much less, going out of state to a rally. If I got hurt, not only could I not help her, but she couldn't help me, either! So, I promised her I would take this year off from riding and not to worry.
I haven't ridden at all since December. (About to go nuts!!
) I go out once per month, take the cover off the bike, start it, run it through the gears on the center stand, then kill it, and cover it back up. 
I sincerely hope each and every one who attends the Colorado Rally this year has a great and safe time. I know it'll be a blast, 'cause this group's blessed to have a guy like Bonz coordinating it again this year.
I'll sure miss getting to see you all again, but hope you guys will please excuse me on this one, and I'll catch up with you all down the road on the next one, ok?
Thanks in advance for understanding.
Bob
Just wanted to let some of you know, it doesn't look like I'll be able to make this year's rally. And, yes... I'm really bummed out about it... but...
This past November, my GF Lonnette woke up in real pain, and discovered a huge knot on the side of her left breast. She called me, and I told her to get to the dr. immediately to get checked out. Turned out to be stage 2b invasive breast cancer.
She was given 2 treatment paths: 1- it just barely was small enough to qualify for a lumpectomy, followed by radiation... or 2- mastectomy, followed by 4 rounds chemo, once every 3 weeks, 12 weeks total.
She had past experience with cancer with other family, and saw first hand what radiation does. She talked around, picked the top breast surgeon in the state, and opted for option 2 route.
Feb. 6th, during her mastectomy, cancer was discovered in her sentinal lymph node... they then took 16 more nodes in a biopsy. This changed everything.
She had also opted for reconstructive surgery, and an expander was placed.
This was the most painful brutal part of the surgery. Each week, I take her to her plastic surgeon's office. They stick a needle in her, into the port for the expander, and pump 100 cc's of saline in. The reason this is so painful is because the expander was placed between her ribs and pec muscle that was pulled from her ribs during the surgery. She now has 700 cc's of saline placed. No one told her how awful the pain would be.
She then went in to have a port surgically placed on her right side, at the base of her throat.
Then, another setback occurred... she received her Onco score. There are 3 tiers. Low, Moderate, or High, scored on a point system. This shows possible risk of reoccurrence of the cancer within the next 5 years... she scored a 31- 1 point into the High scale. Suddenly, the entire treatment plan changed, and got a lot rougher. Now, she's enduring 16 rounds chemo, not 4. The first 4 rounds, two chemicals, not one, given every 2 weeks, not 3. A Neulasta OnPro device was attached to her stomach every two weeks. Chemo on Friday's, go home w/ Neulasta, then 27 hours later, (Sat about 5 pm) it injects a chemical in her that causes CBC counts to rise back up by creating white and red blood cells in the bone marrow to be created to replace what the chemo destroys. This lowers her risk of infection. But, it has rough side effects. Terrible nausea/vomiting, weakness, aching bones... made her flat of her back for 5 days or so.
The week following her first round, she lost all of her hair. She had beautiful blonde hair, and this was pretty traumatic for her.
She has completed the rough 4 rounds (8 weeks.) Next, a different chemical, given once per week. Thursdays are bloodwork and oncology visit, Fridays are chemo. So far, this has been easier, far less nausea. But neuropathy is a side effect, and the med for that makes you sleep...deeply.
We had to forego this past Friday's chemo visit due to a root on one of her wisdom teeth breaking and poking out her gum, so instead I took her to an oral surgeon for tooth extraction. She did fine with that.
This next Friday will be her halfway point. Then, a petscan to see if any more cancer shows up. Next, is where we don't know. She needs to have more surgery, have the expander removed, and the permanent implant placed. The problem now is the treatment plan requires radiation, too. This totaly screws up the plastic surgery. If they radiate w/ the expander, screws it up and her, can't place the implant. If they remove the expander, place the implant, then radiate, screws up the implant. If they remove the expander, give her time to recover from that, then radiate, no implant could then be placed, and all the torture over the past several months was for nothing and she'll be deformed.
Some choice, huh?
Oh...She also has 2 20 yr. old adopted autistic twins she has cared for since they were 2 days old... along with 2 special needs dogs to boot.
So, I've been quite busy since last November. All of her family lives in Colorado, so I've been helping her since this happened.
We thought for a while she would be through w/ chemo, and all would be fine in time for me to make the rally in July, but then all that changed when the Onco score came back. So, sadly, I have to ask for a raincheck this time guys?
She was quite worried about me riding anywhere... much less, going out of state to a rally. If I got hurt, not only could I not help her, but she couldn't help me, either! So, I promised her I would take this year off from riding and not to worry.
I haven't ridden at all since December. (About to go nuts!!
) I go out once per month, take the cover off the bike, start it, run it through the gears on the center stand, then kill it, and cover it back up. I sincerely hope each and every one who attends the Colorado Rally this year has a great and safe time. I know it'll be a blast, 'cause this group's blessed to have a guy like Bonz coordinating it again this year.
I'll sure miss getting to see you all again, but hope you guys will please excuse me on this one, and I'll catch up with you all down the road on the next one, ok?
Thanks in advance for understanding.
Bob
(Sold back to Maximan)
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