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Sarah, PA-C

@theadventurouspa

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+ lymphoma survivor🎗️
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REPOCH Chemo Cycle 6
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For cycles 2-6 I was able to complete part of my infusions from home, due to being a healthcare provider. I had a chemo backpack that infused 3 meds over 96 hours. So thankful to be done w/ chemo. I’m still managing the side effects of chemo (chemo fatigue, chemo brain, neuropathy, weakness, joint pain/back pain, myalgias, hot flashes, night sweats, insomnia, etc.) but am hopeful that they will improve over time. The trauma of everything I just put myself through, my body through, emotionally, physically and mentally - the numerous hospital admissions, hospital visits, side effects, multiple surgeries, being a human pushpin, etc. have finally caught up to me. It’s so overwhelming to think about but I try to keep myself busy
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I truly feel so blessed for the support of my family, friends and husband. I was so fortunate to have my mom come help take care of me and take me to my appointments. I could not have gone through everything that I went through, without their love and support. Thanks for all your prayers and well wishes! God has truly been looking out for me from the beginning, and continues to protect me. I trust that God will cure me because I know that through God, anything is possible. My end of treatment PET scan showed that I am in remission. I will get labs every few months and follow-up with my oncologist. I’ll get routine imaging to monitor for recurrence of the cancer
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Every morning when I woke up I prayed and continue to pray: “God will protect me, God will heal me. The Holy Spirit lives within me. In Jesus’ name, cast away the evil spirit from this household. In Jesus’ name, cast away the evil spirit from this neighborhood. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen”

I started going to the Livestrong program through the YMCA to help regain strength and muscle. Prednisone weight has proven to be quite difficult to lose. My hair, eyebrows and eyelashes are slowly growing back. I’m still immunocompromised and anemic but I’m so happy to be able to go outdoors again and eat at restaurants. I’m so thankful to be ALIVE 🙏🏼🥹🤍
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#nonhodgkinslymphoma #lymphoma #chemotherapy #chemojourney #cancersurviver by @theadventurouspa

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16

2 months ago

REPOCH Chemo Cycle 5
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I wake up and get ready by taking a shower, as I won’t be able to take one for the next few days. (I can only use the tub to bathe/sponge bath since I can’t get my port site wet over the next few days). I take my morning meds and eat my breakfast
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I head to over to hospital at 7am to get my port accessed and blood drawn. Then I see my oncology team. We review my labs, discuss how I’ve been doing, side effects and the plan for what dose level of chemo I will be on
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Since I was hospitalized twice on dose level 3 due to neutropenic fevers (which is a very serious condition and can be deadly), I was decreased to dose level 2 for my 5th chemo cycle
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I then receive one of my chemo meds called Rituximab in the outpatient infusion center, which takes a few hours. I will usually take a nap since I feel nauseous/unwell or I’ll read on my kindle. I make sure to stay hydrated and bring some snacks with me (mandarin oranges, string cheese, crackers, trail mix)
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Around 1pm I get hooked up to my chemo backpack and am able to go home. I have multiple chemo meds continuously infusing through me for 96 hours before I come back to the hospital in 4 days for my final chemo infusion of cytoxan
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#nonhodgkinslymphoma #cancer #mycancerjourney #cancersucks #chemotherapy by @theadventurouspa

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5

3 months ago

For cycle 1 of REPOCH chemotherapy, I was hospitalized for 4.5 days as my cancer is rare and aggressive, requiring continuous 96h infusions. In total I require 6 different chemotherapy agents to help fight my cancer
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The day before I was admitted, I went to the infusion center at the hospital to receive my first infusion called Rituximab. I received premeds to help prevent an infusion reaction and over several hours Rituximab was slowly titrated up. Thankfully I did not have an infusion reaction and was able to go home after 7 hours
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The following day, I was admitted for 4.5 days for my 96 hour infusions which consisted of Doxorubicin, Etoposide and Vincristine. Then I received the final chemo called Cytoxan and was discharged home. During this time I was also taking oral prednisone twice daily for 5 days, which is part of my chemo
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Thankful for my husband, friends and family who came to visit me in the hospital. It’s hard being tied to an infusion pole for several days in a row and not being able to leave the hospital. It gets pretty lonely and scary so it was nice to have someone around during the day to pass the time
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Was so glad to finally go home afterwards and was showered with the sweetest gifts from my friends 😭🤍

#nonhodgkinslymphoma #lymphomaawareness #chemo #cancer #fcancer by @theadventurouspa

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4 months ago

Prior to having Alex shave all my hair off, I decided to spend a few days outside to say goodbye to my hair. Surprisingly, this small act helped make losing my hair less drastic.

It was almost as if I was telling myself, this is not a true goodbye - it’s a see you later.

I think my decision to get a bob cut also helped a lot in easing me into having to finally shave off all my hair.

A lot of people say I’m brave, but I don’t feel brave. I feel like I’m just doing what I need to do in order to survive.

I try my best to stay positive because I have so many blessings in my life. I’m so thankful to have such amazing family and friends. I’m thankful that I have the ability to be able to continue my subsequent cycles from home, rather than in the hospital. Due to my healthcare background, my oncologist said I’d be a good candidate. In the event that any adverse events came up, I’d know what to look out for. One of my hospital infusion nurses told me that she’s only has seen 2 patients/year who were allowed to do cycles from home.

I started off with a port draw, had a clinic visit, then received pre-medications prior to my Rituximab infusion. Then I was hooked up to my chemo backpack which holds the chemo drugs that infuse through me for 96 hrs. I carry it with me at all times at home. Then in a few days, I will go back to the hospital to be unhooked and receive my cytoxan infusion and on-body Neulasta.

Prayer has helped me so much during this time, and being diagnosed with cancer has brought me closer to God and Jesus. Whenever I’m struggling through difficult days from the side effects of chemo, I find solace in prayer.

Just the other day, my mom and I were driving to the hospital to begin my 2nd chemo cycle, there was a torrential downpour. It was forecasted to rain all day. I prayed to God to please let the rain ease up so that we could safely walk from the outdoor parking lot to the hospital. Immediately after I prayed, the rain lightened up to a drizzle. Then 6 hrs later when we were leaving the hospital, the rain had completely stopped. God answers prayers, we just need to believe and trust in Him 🤍🙏🏼

#chemohairloss #chemo #lymphoma #cancerjourney by @theadventurouspa

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6 months ago

Just 10 days after completing my first cycle of R-EPOCH chemotherapy, I started to notice significant hair fallout. Clumps of hair came out in the shower and as I ran my fingers through my hair. By day 13, you could see bald spots on my scalp and severe hair thinning. Every day, hair would cover the floor throughout the house and was constantly shedding onto my clothes. Even my eyebrows and eyelashes started to fall out.

When I texted Alex that my hair was falling out, he cried on his drive home from work. I too cried silently at home.

It’s now a physical manifestation that I have cancer.

People tell me “don’t worry, it’ll grow back”. Some have even said to me “it’s just hair”, but to me it’s much more than that. It’s part of my identity. It’s part of who I am. It’s easy for someone to say that it’s just hair when they have the luxury of having hair themselves.

It’s much more different when you have to put your body through so much during chemotherapy. The body aches, bone pain, headaches, nausea, fatigue, constipation, diarrhea, abdominal pain/cramping/bloating, hot flashes, mood swings, cystic acne, jaw/dental pain, constant neuropathy, taste bud changes, chemo brain, weight loss/gain, persistent tachycardia, having to inject yourself monthly to try to preserve your ovaries which subsequently puts you into sudden menopause, and the list goes on.

Therefore, I wanted to have some control of my body. I got a bob cut the day I was discharged from the hospital after my first cycle, to prepare for the inevitable hair loss. Then yesterday, I asked Alex to cut all my hair off before cancer could take yet another thing from me…(continued in post)

#chemohairloss #chemo #chemosideffects #cancersucks #lymphomaawareness by @theadventurouspa

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7 months ago

Introducing Asian Dora - Ya girl decided to chop it off! 💇🏻‍♀️

Said bye to my crusty, dusty hair and hello to a new uncharted chapter that I didn’t anticipate venturing into

Completed my first cycle of R-EPOCH yesterday and decided to get a haircut while my neutrophil count is still normal. I’ve never cut my hair this short before in my life but I figured since I’m going to lose all my hair in a few weeks, I might as well be prepared

I know hair grows back, but I think for me, when all my hair fully falls out, that’s when it’ll really hit home that I have cancer. It’s the fact that you don’t recognize the person who’s staring back at you in the mirror anymore

#mycancerstory #bobcut #lymphomafighter #fuckcancer #chemo by @theadventurouspa

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7 months ago

𝑀𝓎 𝒞𝒶𝓃𝒸𝑒𝓇 𝒮𝓉𝑜𝓇𝓎 // Part 3

My pathology came back as lymphoma which is not treated surgically and requires chemotherapy. For each cycle I require one outpatient chemo infusion, followed by 24 hour/day continuous infusions for 4 days. Then I rest for a few weeks with twice weekly labs before I start my next cycle. I will have 6 cycles over the next several months. Since I’ll be immunocompromised, I will also receive Neulasta injections to stimulate neutrophil growth, to help with my immune system

#mycancerstory #nonhodgkinslymphoma #chemo #cancersucks #lymphomaawareness by @theadventurouspa

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7 months ago

𝑀𝓎 𝒞𝒶𝓃𝒸𝑒𝓇 𝒮𝓉𝑜𝓇𝓎 // Part 2

The differential diagnoses were thymoma vs lymphoma. However the CT surgeons thought it was likely a thymoma due to me having an isolated anterior mediastinal mass without any associated lymphadenopathy and lack of constitutional B symptoms. They also kept saying that if it’s a thymoma and you do a core biopsy, there’s the risk of seeding to the pleural cavity making it go from stage 1 to stage 4. Additionally one surgeon stated that you may not have sufficient tissue for diagnosis with a biopsy and may still need surgery to obtain more tissue. So we opted for the surgical route due to the risk of seeding

#mycancerstory #lymphoma #nonhodgkinslymphoma #cancersucks #chemo by @theadventurouspa

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7 months ago

𝑀𝓎 𝒞𝒶𝓃𝒸𝑒𝓇 𝒮𝓉𝑜𝓇𝓎 // Part 1

Nothing prepares you for a cancer diagnosis and honestly, you don’t ever expect it to happen to you. I certainly didn’t. This is different from what I normally post but I wanted to share my personal story of how I was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive, systemic blood cancer, which is a subcategory of Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma. My oncologist told me that it’s even more rare than DLBCL. Of course I’d get the rare and aggressive one. Guess if I’m gonna get cancer, gotta go big or go home 😂

Hopefully my experience will help others advocate for themselves as I had to, in order to come to this diagnosis. My OBGYN actually messaged me later on saying she was glad that I was proactive in my screening, which led to this incidental finding

YOU are your biggest advocate. If something doesn’t feel right, speak up. If no one listens, keep bringing it up or seek a different provider who will listen to your concerns. Your health comes first

I truly believe God allowed my lymphoma to be caught early, before I was symptomatic. God is good. All the time 🙏🏼

#mycancerstory #lymphoma #lymphomaawareness #chemo #chemowarrior by @theadventurouspa

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7 months ago

⛲️🍦🥐 by @theadventurouspa

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10

a year ago

chasing sunsets + adventures 🛥️☀️
most used phrase: 𝒸𝒽𝒾𝑒𝓃 𝓂𝒾𝑔𝓃𝑜𝓃 🐕

#france #cannes #europe #provence by @theadventurouspa

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1

a year ago

croissants, beurre + good company 🥐🤍 by @theadventurouspa

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14

a year ago