In the beginning of July, I woke up one morning very dizzy and nauseous. As the day went on it seemed worse to lay on my left side, but the nausea cleared up. A few days went by with little relief and finally decided I should go to Loyola's ER on the 4th and get it checked out. I was due for my 3 month scans that week so they did the brain MRI in the ER to see what was going on. Unfortunately, the doc came back with bad news; I have 5 new small tumors on my brain. They sent me home to follow through with my oncologist. The dizziness subsided, however my vision has been affected because of a tumor pressing on my nerve. My eyes cannot focus together at the moment unless I cover one eye or the other. So if you see a pirate with an eye patch walking around, say "hi", cuz it's probably me! It's been a real pain in the ass because my depth perception is way off and it's hard to walk with out running into walls or losing my balance. So now, enter THE CANE...ugh! Bald, pirate with purple cane coming to your town. ;)
As of right now, the treatment plan is starting Xeloda, a chemo pill, that is able to pass through the blood/brain barrier. I just finished my first cycle today which is 14 days. Now I will have 7 days off and see my oncologist for bloodwork. She has already decided to up my dose for my 2nd cycle. Besides the blurry vision and weakened legs, I think this first cycle went pretty well.
I really wanted to send a huge THANK YOU to my friends and family for this past month. I've needed to rely on them so much, especially with errands, walking, appts, rides, etc. I am so grateful to have such a loving support group. Love you all!!!
Emily💪🏼