I know it's been a long time........

Wow. I haven't posted since June? I can't believe it. I'm sorry. I spent most of this summer suffering from the chemo drugs. I was too sick and exhausted most of the time to even think about getting on and typing. At one point I was so tired I could barely type for more than a few minutes, so I decided to stop answering my email for a while. I wish I had better news. I wish I could tell you that the clinical trial was a great success and that I have conquered it and whipped it into submission. I wish I could say that. It just kpet it at bay for about 5 months. It didn't grow, but it also didn't shrink. The only thing that saw great improvement was my skin. It almost completely cleared up the skin cancer portion, it looked great. But, within a week of stopping the drugs, it started to grow again, quickly. It's been about a month since I have been off the drugs and its gone wild and has completely covered the right side of my chest. It's back with a vengeance. I haven't started with a new drug yet because my blood levels haven't been normal enough yet. It turns out, if I had continued with the drugs my body would have broken down soon anyway. That same week my hemocrit levels dropped, I had to have a blood transfusion, then my platelets dropped dangerously low and I had to have a platelet transfusion too. Ever since then it's been a roller coaster ride. The blood levels went up and down. On the 12th I went in to have a Pleuridesis (have fluid taken out of my lung sac--permanently). It was more of a major surgery than I thought it would be and I ended up spending a week in the hospital. I'll type more about that sometime. It was quite an experience. So now here I am recovering from that. I am going home to NY on Friday and I feel like I am going to miss my sister so much. I feel bad because I have put her through so much stress and anxiety in the past month. She is glad I gave her a chance to help me, but I feel like she definitely needs a break from this. It's tough to live with every day. My husband misses me and I miss him too. I can't wait to meet the little kitten he has taken in. : ) I already have a plan in place, thanks to a visit while I was in the hospital from a breast cancer researcher who gave me some hope about a new drug, and I have to put everything in action this next week. I have to make appointments, pack clothes and take care of details. Most of all I have to get better so I can get back on a chemo drug. Everyday that I am not taking something to kick cancer's ass is making me more nervous.