Generated by All in One SEO v5.0.0.1, this is an llms.txt file, used by LLMs to index the site. # Boob is a Weekend Word Athens, GA Breast Cancer Survivor - Diagnosed at 39, still alive at 55 ## Sitemaps - [XML Sitemap](https://boobisaweekendword.com/sitemap.xml): Contains all public & indexable URLs for this website. ## Posts - [2026 Update (14 years)](https://boobisaweekendword.com/life-updates/2026-update-14-years/) - I have been cancer free for 14 years now. Even I don't believe it sometimes. When I was diagnosed, one of my mentors and confidants was Jennifer Gonyea. She saw me through the highs and lows of treatments and would keep me grounded. I hope I conveyed that to her and her loved ones because - [Lived to become an Italian Citizen](https://boobisaweekendword.com/life-updates/lived-to-become-an-italian-citizen/) - After living through cancer, you want to take advantage of every opportunity you can so.... Inspired by family lore shared in my childhood about my ancestors coming by boat to New Orleans from Sicily, I’ve spent more than 25 years on a journey to understand my family background. As a kid, these stories meant relatively - [2020 Update (9 years)](https://boobisaweekendword.com/life-updates/hello-world/) - One of my best friends had a small scare with breast cancer and it reminded me that I needed to post an update to my site. So much has happened since my last post in 2017 but nothing bad…if you don’t consider the year 2020 bad. Some updates – Still married to my husband of - [5 Years and Counting](https://boobisaweekendword.com/life-updates/5-years-and-counting/) - I wanted to update any visitors to this site to let them know that I’m still “cured”! I had my five year checkup (well its been 6 years since diagnosis but five years since ending treatment) last week and everything looks normal. My CA 27-29 levels were well within normal range at 18.7. The other - [To my Daughters](https://boobisaweekendword.com/life-updates/to-my-daughters/) - Then there is always an acknowledgement of how great it is that I am putting myself out there for all the other women who are going through or may go through this in their life. And that is one benefit of this blog, but if I’m being honest, the real reason I have been so - [Chemo Round 1](https://boobisaweekendword.com/chemo-journal/chemo-journal-round-1/) - I had to chuckle when I started researching these drugs i’m being injected with. This one bag they hung on the IV pole caught my eye with it’s beautiful ruby red color. Wikipedia to the rescue. The drug is Doxorubicin, AKA, Adriamycin.Adriamycin – AKA, The Red Devil Back in the 50’s, some Italians were playing - [Chemo Round 2](https://boobisaweekendword.com/chemo-journal/chemo-round-2/) - Day One So I do look quite a bit different. Very little hair – and i’m betting by the next chemo on June 29 it will be COMPLETELY gone. I actually like not having hair to deal with. It’s one less thing I have to worry with when I have to go out in public. - [Chemo Round 3](https://boobisaweekendword.com/chemo-journal/chemo-round-3/) - Day OneRound 2 was actually pretty easy in hindsight so I had high hopes for this round. I have continued to work out regularly at the Y and taking long walks with Sunny, my little lap dog, so the word “long” has a different meaning for me and sunny than it does in real life! - [Chemo Round 4](https://boobisaweekendword.com/chemo-journal/chemo-round-4/) - I think the fact that I am on Day 7 and just now writing this blog post indicates this round was a killer. The good news is that it was my last round of A-C. Taxol begins on August 8. I’ll be honest…I have tried to devise ways to get out of going through that - [Chemo Round 5](https://boobisaweekendword.com/chemo-journal/chemo-round-5/) - I finally finished the Adromyacin-Cytoxin regimen and started the Taxol regimen. As you can imagine I have read dozens of accounts of what Taxol side effects are going to encompass. Let’s see….more hair loss, low blood count, joint and muscle pain, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, mouth sores, neuropathy, darkening of the skin, discoloration of nails, - [Chemo Round 6](https://boobisaweekendword.com/chemo-journal/chemo-round-6/) - Ladies, Taxol is now declared MUCH easier than Adromyacin Cytoxin (AC). No comparison. No side effect I have experienced even comes close to the severity or impact that any of the side effects I had with AC. Day 1 – Day 5 (Monday-Friday) I’ll just throw all of these days together because it was so easy - [Chemo Round 7](https://boobisaweekendword.com/chemo-journal/chemo-round-7/) - My 7th round of chemo was on September 19. It was the next to the last one. Dr. Splichal assures me there will be a parade with balloons and confetti and cake at the next session on the 10th. Of course he promised me he would get wi-fi there are the clinic on round #1 - [Chemo Round 8](https://boobisaweekendword.com/chemo-journal/chemo-round-8/) - It’s finally here – the last one! And looking back I can’t say it was a cake walk. I can say that the Taxol part of A-C-T was really nothing difficult. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – I think the A-C part probably wouldn’t have been so bad without the Neulasta - [2024 Update (12 years)](https://boobisaweekendword.com/life-updates/2024-update-12-years/) - I've been cancer free for 12 years now. Lots has happened since diagnosis in April of 2011 and completion of treatment in January of 2012. My daughters are both now in College. Emma is at GA College in Milledgeville in the Art Program. Erin went to Ga State for 2 years and has transferred to ## Pages - [BRCA Testing Results](https://boobisaweekendword.com/brca-testing-results/) - When you go in for genetic counseling you are interviewed about your family history of cancer. You provide a list of all of your siblings, parents, parents siblings, and grandparents including ages, and cancer occurrences and age of death of any that have passed. Based on this information, you are given probabilities for your chance - [Chemo Side Effects Matrix](https://boobisaweekendword.com/chemo-side-effects-matrix/) - Severity ranging from 1-10 during post chemo recovery, 1 being less severe and 10 being most severe. Just an aside….A-C was MUCH WORSE than Taxol. That is how it was in my case. - [Vitals, CBC, Chemistry during Chemo](https://boobisaweekendword.com/vitals-cbc-chemistry-during-chemo/) - [FAQ](https://boobisaweekendword.com/faq/) - What is proliferative index? Breast tumors are analyzed to determine what percentage of cells are dividing (making new tumor cells). A proliferative index is reported to describe the number of cells that are actively growing. A low proliferative index means a slower growth rate and is considered more favorable than a high proliferative index as - [Photo Galleries](https://boobisaweekendword.com/photo-galleries/) - These are photos that represent my life and treatments during breast cancer in the 2011-2012 time period. - [Surgeries and Procedures](https://boobisaweekendword.com/surgeries-and-procedures/) - Surgeries Procedures Chemotherapy & Radiation - [Radiation](https://boobisaweekendword.com/radiation/) - Radiation begins…and so does a new phase of my treatment. I just finished chemo this past Monday, October 10, 2012 but I just couldn’t wait to get started with the next part. So here we go. My new second home will be at the Northeast Georgia Cancer Care Radiation Oncology Clinic. I will go there - [Chemo Treatments](https://boobisaweekendword.com/chemo-treatments/) - [Port Placement](https://boobisaweekendword.com/port-placement/) - Port Placement I wasn’t too concerned with my Port Placement procedure today. The way all the medical professionals speak about it, its no big deal at all. Well I showed up at the hospital at 8:45a and didn’t leave until 2:00p – I don’t call that no big deal. I spent the first three hours - [Mastectomy](https://boobisaweekendword.com/mastectomy/) - Pain Scale (1 to 10 – 1 being a stubbed toe, 10 being having your head cut off) Surgical Report After you get back to your room they immediately hook you up to IV drip for antibiotics, electrolytes, and pain meds. They statred me out on Morphine drip. You get a little button that you - [Breast Biopsy Pathology Report](https://boobisaweekendword.com/breast-biopsy-pathology-report/) - Final Diagnosis A. Right breast, 12 O’ Clock – Infiltrating CarcinomaB. Right breast, 10 O’ Clock, Medial – Infiltrating CarcinomaC. Right breast, 10 O’ Clock, Lateral – Infiltrating Carcinoma Ancillary Studies ER Positive Nuclei: 90% moderateER Prognostic Category: Positive – Favorable PR Positive Nuclei: 10% moderatePR Prognostic Category: Positive – Favorable HER2 Immunohistochemistry – Negative – Favorable Ki-67 - [Sample Page](https://boobisaweekendword.com/sample-page/) - This is an example page. It's different from a blog post because it will stay in one place and will show up in your site navigation (in most themes). Most people start with an About page that introduces them to potential site visitors. It might say something like this: Hi there! I'm a bike messenger ## Categories - [Life Updates](https://boobisaweekendword.com/category/life-updates/) - [Chemo Journal](https://boobisaweekendword.com/category/chemo-journal/)