Sew Chaotically! - Sew Liberated's Matcha top!! (Post from - BCR2!!! Before cancer round 2!!!!) And a NON-update on my treatment plan!

Sew!!  Just before at least part of my life went straight in the crapper, I made this little top.  I had seen cute sleeveless versions of it on blogs and IG feeds over the summer and liked the breezy nature of it.  When MOOD had a sale on crepe, with this lovely blue at $3 a yard - Girl, it was a done deal!

Per various sewists and the advice on the pattern itself, I sewed the size indicated by my shoulder measurements.  I think I could go down just a bit on the next one, but I wanted it loose and swingy, so I'm happy with how it turned out.

Over a month ago, when I saw these pis, I was thinking, "Those jeans are WAY too big!!!"  Don't EVEN want to ponder how they'd fit now!  I liked the color combo, though they are too low riding for this 54 year old chic to be wearing them with this particular top!  Issues for another time!

The pattern came together pretty well.  It was a little tricky determining which collar notch to match with which.  That might be my bad with taking less care than I should have.  It worked out fine with a bit of head scratching.  Will take more care next time and let you know how it goes.

I think the back is pretty.

The shoulders have these caps which are nice.

Went to the trouble to hem the sleeves and waist by hand, which I always assumed was the "nicest" way to finish things.  It looked a mess.  So, I took it out and used a "baby hem".  Much better!!!

As you can see in this pic...the outdoor lighting project was in process!!!!

As for today....  Have a meeting with my local oncologist this afternoon.  Am not currently thrilled with Vandy as my slides were NOT reviewed by their pathologist on Friday as we were told they would be.  Nor was my case presented to the tumor board on Tuesday as we were told it would be.  In fact, I have a very strong suspicion that nobody remembered a damn thing about any of it until B started sending emails and leaving messages yesterday trying to get the RESULTS in preparation for our meeting today!!!  Just after those requests were sent out we got a phone call from a nurse stuck with the task of dealing with us, who let us know...  "Hmmm....  Yeah, well...  Actually, we don't have your slides.  But, I've requested them now...and we should get results in a week or two."  Are you kidding me?????  Not her fault.  Not sure if the slides not being there is the fault of Vandy's lack of requesting them or Memorial's lack of sending.  Either one is problematic.  But the bigger issue is why didn't someone notice that the pathology report did not happen on FRIDAY OF LAST WEEK??????  What is with people?  When I told parents I would get labs and call them ~ I got the labs and CALLED THEM!!!!!

At any rate.  Later B put in additional calls to try to get more info regarding the potential side effect of neuropathy with my proposed chemo.  It is something that does occur, per multiple sources, 90% of the time.  It comes in 2 phases.  The acute phase is due to the effect the chemo has on your sodium channels, which changes how your nerves reset and fire.  This phase can happen as soon as the drug starts infusing.  It involves pain, numbness, weird sensations to fingers, feet and various other parts.  It should resolve in a couple of days.  However, there is a later phase that can occur creating the risk of the condition becoming permanent.  It is due to the chemo's effect on the actual neurons, incidentally damaging and/or killing them as it (hopefully) simultaneously destroys your cancer cells.  Old school chemo is somewhat lacking in precision to say the least.  So, not only is the poor man distraught (we both are) at the thought of trying to deal with my likely nausea, vomiting, and subsequent decreased intake given the treatment and problems with meds for same.  The neuropathy issue is really worrying him as well, since as he tearfully put it (And Bentie doesn't do tears often y'all!!!) - "I don't know if a hypothetical chance for a 10% decrease in recurrence is worth it to you if you could no longer do the things you love....sew, crochet, play the piano, type, take care of your patients....." 

Again, nurse set to the task of placating the crazy people returned his call initially, but  Dr. Das did finally call back.  His take on my chance for neuropathy was that it is unlikely to become a permanent condition.
1.  Because - I will only be taking the meds for 3 months, therefore the overall quantity of the drug I will take will not reach the threshold of the amount where chronic neuropathy usually occurs.
2.  Because - if I do have signs of neuropathy after the med is infused, and they have not resolved by the time of the next infusion, a dose reduction should be done and that should prevent the development of a permanent condition.
Stating in the end that, "Most patients on this regimen deal with neuropathies very well."  B pointed out that he had worked in intensive care for 17 years, and that outcomes to traumatic brain injuries that neurologists may report as "good" or "manageable" were often not looked upon in the same way by the parents and caregivers of those children!!!  Das noted that that was an important and valid point, but still felt that permanent damage resulting in chronic neuropathy was unlikely in my situation.

So...whatever the hell that means.  Also, and somewhat strangely given what we had already been told regarding my slides, he reported that my specimens were now in hand and he had spoken with the pathologist at Vandy who would be reviewing them in the next "48 hours".  All of that sounds a bit strange to me.  Especially since at our visit we were definitively told they "had everything".  Oh, well.  As far as the path review, I'm not sure what it will provide.  I don't think my diagnosis will change.  I don't think my stage will get better.  It could only be categorized as worse.  Ox is a great pathologist.  He knows what he is doing.   He has proven his knowledge in the past.  Would we really take someone else's opinion over his?  We don't really have time to send things out to a third person for arbitration as we did when we started our trip into melanoma world.

We'll see what happens next.  Bout to hem some dresses and run all this by the onc this afternoon.  Whoo hooo!  Good times!

Love to all of you. - les