How am I feeling? Really irritated that we have to cancel our big semi-centennial vacation this July. Booooo.

Moved over to Caring Bridge

I decided to move this over to Caring Bridge because of the opportunity for other people in my situation to find me and for people to subscribe to updates if they'd like.

https://www.caringbridge.org/visit/lesleylassiter

Featured Post: Answers to questions (click to read more)

I started sharing the news of my diagnosis just a few days ago, once I knew for certain how things were going to proceed. It's exhausting to re-hash this over and over. I wish I could tell everyone in person, but I cannot. It's...a lot.

WHAT IS IT? I have invasive ductal carcinoma breast cancer, grade 9, HR negative, HER2 positive. I am not sure of the "stage" yet, but it is not stage IV, meaning it has not spread beyond my breast and lymph nodes. So it is stage II or possibly stage IIIA because I believe it has spread to a fourth lymph node (and a second tumor formed in the same breast). Learn more (a lot more) about how it all came about here.

ARE YOU GOING TO BE OKAY? I am about to go through six months of intense chemotherapy and a year HER2-targeted therapies. During that time, I will not be okay; I will be very sick as they try to kill all the cancer. But the hope is that they will and that I will be okay. Google this at your own risk. Outcomes for this have improved over the last few years, so there's not a lot of data. And this is the most aggressive cancer there is. 

DO YOU NEED ANYTHING? I might! I just don't know. But here's what I do know: I'll feel nauseated and ill most of the time, particularly on and just after treatment days (Wednesdays). That said:

Here's what I DON'T need:

• socks and slippers (I have a ton)
• anything with a strong smell, including foods and bath & body products
• knit hats and bonnets
• lip balm (I have a lot already)

Here's what I DO need:

• Lots of unscented lotions and creams for the sun-sensitive lizard skin and bald head as well as other comfort items. I have an Amazon wish list set up with some items if you're the kind of person (like me) who would like send a gift. It's not fun stuff, but it's necessary stuff. I have dry eye disease already, so I have to be careful about face creams and sunscreens irritating my eyes.
  
  Amazon wish list

• I also really like a few items I found on Etsy. Just let me know if you need my address (also, let me know if you plan to buy one of these and I will remove them from the list):
  --Pretty comfort cap
  --This bucket hat in blue/pink
  --LUSH Dream Cream

• As for food, I don't know yet. Apparently, I'm only going to want to eat smoothies and applesauce. As for the other people in my house, they do need to eat the kind of food I'd normally fix. I'm hopeful that I will feel up to cooking some. But if anything changes, I will update.

• Prayers/good vibes/tots and pears...I need all of them.