FAQ (Updated August 4, 2024)

A place to come for common questions we are fielding (aka FAQ):

I’m new here: What’s going on?

I (Carmin) have Stage 2 breast cancer. I was diagnosed shortly before turning 51. For more details on the type, it is ++- (ER positive, PR positive, HER negative). My Mammoprint score was a High 1, so chemotherapy was recommended to help lower my risk of recurrence. Because I was going to need chemo anyway, I’m having the chemo before surgery. The idea is that it will shrink the tumor and make surgery less invasive.

How many chemo treatments? And how often?

I have 4 cycles of chemo, three weeks apart. The chemo is commonly referred to as TC, but the formal names are Docetaxel (pictured) + Cyclophosphamide. As of this writing, cycle one is complete. The next is scheduled for August 16th. Following that cycle, the others should be September 6th and 27th if all continues on cycle.

Are you working? On leave?

I am working remotely at this time. Work has been very supportive, but according to the doctors, they recommend trying to maintain a normal life. Because I can work remotely and stay protected when immunocompromised, they want me to do so. I take off the treatment day and days where I am feeling ill from treatment, but still continuing to work.

How can we help practically?

Many of you have already said “yes” when I’ve asked for a favor or two, so thank you for that! And we have appreciated lots of other small kindness in our lives.

That said, many of you have asked to cook, and well, I do like new food. So there is a Meal Train. It has our home address on it, so I’m not going to link here, but it can be found on Facebook or by texting John or me. There is absolutely no obligation, but if that is something you like to do, the Meal Train helps keep things organized, so feel free to help out that way.

Anything else?

For emotional support, the occasional text, IM, wave is always welcome. I may not get an extended reply in, but I appreciate the thoughts. I have also appreciated other breast cancer journeyers who have shared their tips and tricks for getting through chemo and the whole process. Many of you have also reached out to John and supported him as he has embraced the “comfort in, dump out” mentality of the Ring Theory. (The original article seems stuck behind a paywall, but it is a great read if you can get to it.)

Overall, we definitely feel the love and support from all of you on a regular basis.

But I do like a good playlist. So here’s one for you to contribute to (link now updated, but has to be changed every 5 days, so we will see how often I get it fixed!). Sort of like Inside Out 2, I run through the gamut of emotions on a regular basis, so feel free to add music that meets any mood! I’ve got it all: anger, happiness, sadness, fear, anxiety, etc. But energetic songs are great for getting me moving on a walk and chill music for falling asleep. Any style, genre or mood is welcome. I look forward to your creativity! If you can’t add via Apple Music, list a song suggestion in the comments and someone can add it for you.

How about the boys?

I generally want to respect their ability to define their own social media story, so I won’t say much to respect their privacy. But overall, we have kept them informed of each step of the journey and they have been very sweet and supportive of me.