Failed. Failed big time. Was at the ER from 3am to 9am getting straighten out. Ok so my doc wanted me to try to avoid constipation all together. Bless him for that but, I just don't think that's they way its going to work.
So here's what went down. Senokot like he told me to. Did nothing but give me a progressive gut ache through out the day. Did get some poo to pass but only with the help of glyceryn suppositories. And it was rabbit pellets at best. So by 9pm I go to the Miralax. That just put me over the edge into unbearable gut ache and it made me sick. So now I'm throwing up Miralax, can't poo and have the gut ache from hell. My mom is trying to get me to walk around to get things to move. Which I do but, doesn't produce much movement at all. And I'm throwing up and getting more and more dehydrated. I'm in trouble. Mom says do you think you should go to the ER? Yes but, I can't with the gut ache from hell. Time for the fleets enema. So off dad goes to get one. Now this time I used less that 1/4 of the enema. I don't even know if it was that much. This was smart. It was just enough to move it out, but didn't give me turbo charged diarreah. But, I'm in trouble because I'm dehydrated and still throwing up. So off to the ER we go at 3am. IV. Two liters of saline solution and reglan for the nausea and I'm straightened out. Got some diarreah but, infrequent so right now I'm not doing anything about it. Came home took my emend for nausea, my atvian for nausea and anti anxiety and then crashed. We all crashed.
Chris and my dad went to the ER with me. My mom is my primary care giver at home and I like her staying away from the ER as there are nasty things to be picked up there. Plus she was already up most of the night with me. But, I could tell she felt bad about not going.
Chris did great. I have a great kid. Told him he could leave the room when they set up the IV but he didn't. I don't think he watched, I don't watch. But, he hung in there. Fussed with my blankets and pillow. And read his book. Kept his cool but nothing too exciting was going on.
A part of me hates just hates that he is having to experience this but, he is learning so much. Things that can only be learned by experience. How a hospital works. He knows now the first thing they want is ID and health insurance card. He got it out of my wallet for me and took care of it. Put it all back and became the watcher of my purse for the evening.
When we got home after we all woke up, I asked him if he was scared tonight. He said no, then well a little. I told him its ok to be scared when someone you love is sick. I've seen my mom sick and have been scared its ok. You can be scared and still get what you need to get done done.
With the constipation done, I'm usually over the worst part. Fatigue and no appetite to come but, I know now that by Friday that will pass.
And it came to pass. Favorite Bible verse.
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Pills
Today I took:
1 Emend-anti nausea
2 4 mg steroids-for chemo side effects
1 Xanax .5 mg- anti anxiety-not doing chemo sober and counter acts the hyper from steroids
2 Tylenol-combat cytoxan headache
2 more 4 mg steroids
1-Zofran- anti nausea
1 Prilosec-anti acid keeps stomach acid down
2-Senokot-hopefully will keep constipation at bay
1 .5mg Ativan-anti nausea and anti anxiety
1 .5mg Xanax because I'm still too hyper to go to sleep and I'm tired
Total: 14 pills.
Dang I feel like a junkie.
1 Emend-anti nausea
2 4 mg steroids-for chemo side effects
1 Xanax .5 mg- anti anxiety-not doing chemo sober and counter acts the hyper from steroids
2 Tylenol-combat cytoxan headache
2 more 4 mg steroids
1-Zofran- anti nausea
1 Prilosec-anti acid keeps stomach acid down
2-Senokot-hopefully will keep constipation at bay
1 .5mg Ativan-anti nausea and anti anxiety
1 .5mg Xanax because I'm still too hyper to go to sleep and I'm tired
Total: 14 pills.
Dang I feel like a junkie.
Chemo round 3
Had a different nurse today. No Rachel. Although she did come by and talk to me for a while to see how things were going. Now the new nurse today Angela? I think was her name I liked her. My dad likes Rachel better. Difference Rachel is the head honcho there. You will see all the other nurses deffer to her and ask her questions. She is a take charge and here is what we are doing. She is great for a first or second time chemo patient which I think I figured out today is her primary job. Now I've had 2 rounds I know what the score is so I got Angela. She did a great job in setting up my IV. Didn't hurt much. She got good blood return which is first thing I asked her. She took my vitals and we talked about Femara which I found out is not what I'm having. I think I read about it. I'm getting Feraheme. Which is the IV delivered iron. She didn't know Dr. Barth wanted me to have this. She said well we don't have approval from your insurance. We can get that in a couple of days and then administer it. Well, no way in my book. That's another poke. I'm set up and ready to go. I'm going through an extra poke for the insurance? No way. So I tell her look Dr. Barth wants me to have this no matter what. If the insurance won't pay for it, then I will because this isn't an optional thing. But, I'm having the dose today. So she went to talk to Rachel and I hear her say she wants it today no matter what and is willing to pay cash. Rachel says oh her insurance will cover it no problem don't worry about it. She comes back and says we are going to call and try to get an approval over the phone if we can't then we will have someone from billing come up to have you sign something saying you will be responsible for paying for it. I said that's fine as long as I get it today.
So what went on. She gave me the taxotere first as that's the chemo I'm not allergic to. It ran threw in about an hour. No problems. But she only set up the chemo. The last two times I've had chemo, Rachel set up and piggy backed a saline solution to the IV. So I had chemo and hydration going into me at the same time. I wanted that. Dad wasn't happy that she didn't do this. I said look she's coming back in a minute (I had asked her for a copy of my blood work and my oncotype dx test and she was off getting these for me) and I'll talk to her about it. When she got back I told her in the past I get an piggy back hydration IV. She asked me do you want that this time? I said yes. She asked me what size bag the small one or large one. I pointed to one I saw someone else had and said that size. She said no problem I'll get that for you. And she did. So I was fine with it. She asked me if I needed the tylenol for the cytoxan rather than just giving it to me like Rachel did. I was fine with this. She was just more along the lines of letting the patient call more of the shots. Then the cytoxan came next. Now this time I'm paying attention and about 30 minutes into it I can feel the start of the smog breathing deal. I raise my hand and she and Rachel come running over. I said yea the smog breathing thing is just starting. Rachel asks me do you have tightening of the chest. I say yes. Here's the deal with that, it really doesn't feel like tightening of the chest but breathing in deep and feeling like a smoggy day. I don't know if that is exactly tightening of the chest but, when I say yes they turn off the chemo which is what I need them to do. So I say yes. They turned it off for about 10 minutes and it went away. They started up again and it didn't come back. It took 3 hours for this one to run through so a total of four hours for chemo today. Much shorter than the 7 hours it took last time. Then it was time for Feraheme, iron infusion. Now out comes a huge syringe of the stuff. Takes one minute for her to inject this into the IV as this has to be administered through the IV. Thank goodness I really wouldn't want that much stuff injected straight into my arm or butt. Now she tells me you need to sit her for about 15 minutes as you may have a reaction. Sweet Mother of God is there anything you can not be allergic to? Apparently not. I ask what reaction am I looking for here? She says oh you'll know. If you feel any different just let me know and it will happen in the first 15 minutes after that you will be fine. Well, that was a fun 15 minutes feeling like a time bomb about to go off. Nothing happened.
Now for more fun stuff. Tomorrow I go for my neulestra shot at 3pm. Really this shot is no big deal but boost my white blood cells. Next Friday I get to go back for my second infusion of the Feraheme. Dr. Barth told me I would be getting two doses but for some reason I figured they would be both today. Wrong. Today and then 3 to 8 days later for the second. I chose the 8th day because that's the day I start to feel human again after chemo. So I'll go back on the 11th. IV will be setup, blood drawn and then iron infusion. Now my iron is just a little below what it should be so they feel this first infusion will put me into the right range but this treatment is done in two doses. But if this first fusion does put me in the good range then I won't have to go back a week later for a blood drawn to see if the second one put me there because they will know the first one did. This will mean one less poke. I'm all for less pokes at this point.
So overall I would say this day went well. 7 hours down to 4 is much less tiring. And the reaction stopped faster. Yes I would say the chemo infusion was a big improvement and went well today.
Now to see if the bowels go better.
I might not be blogging for the next few days, but if the bowels go better you might see something here then. Don't worry if you don't see anything for a few days, but feel free to email mail me with any concerns. I'll try to check those.
Love to all.
So what went on. She gave me the taxotere first as that's the chemo I'm not allergic to. It ran threw in about an hour. No problems. But she only set up the chemo. The last two times I've had chemo, Rachel set up and piggy backed a saline solution to the IV. So I had chemo and hydration going into me at the same time. I wanted that. Dad wasn't happy that she didn't do this. I said look she's coming back in a minute (I had asked her for a copy of my blood work and my oncotype dx test and she was off getting these for me) and I'll talk to her about it. When she got back I told her in the past I get an piggy back hydration IV. She asked me do you want that this time? I said yes. She asked me what size bag the small one or large one. I pointed to one I saw someone else had and said that size. She said no problem I'll get that for you. And she did. So I was fine with it. She asked me if I needed the tylenol for the cytoxan rather than just giving it to me like Rachel did. I was fine with this. She was just more along the lines of letting the patient call more of the shots. Then the cytoxan came next. Now this time I'm paying attention and about 30 minutes into it I can feel the start of the smog breathing deal. I raise my hand and she and Rachel come running over. I said yea the smog breathing thing is just starting. Rachel asks me do you have tightening of the chest. I say yes. Here's the deal with that, it really doesn't feel like tightening of the chest but breathing in deep and feeling like a smoggy day. I don't know if that is exactly tightening of the chest but, when I say yes they turn off the chemo which is what I need them to do. So I say yes. They turned it off for about 10 minutes and it went away. They started up again and it didn't come back. It took 3 hours for this one to run through so a total of four hours for chemo today. Much shorter than the 7 hours it took last time. Then it was time for Feraheme, iron infusion. Now out comes a huge syringe of the stuff. Takes one minute for her to inject this into the IV as this has to be administered through the IV. Thank goodness I really wouldn't want that much stuff injected straight into my arm or butt. Now she tells me you need to sit her for about 15 minutes as you may have a reaction. Sweet Mother of God is there anything you can not be allergic to? Apparently not. I ask what reaction am I looking for here? She says oh you'll know. If you feel any different just let me know and it will happen in the first 15 minutes after that you will be fine. Well, that was a fun 15 minutes feeling like a time bomb about to go off. Nothing happened.
Now for more fun stuff. Tomorrow I go for my neulestra shot at 3pm. Really this shot is no big deal but boost my white blood cells. Next Friday I get to go back for my second infusion of the Feraheme. Dr. Barth told me I would be getting two doses but for some reason I figured they would be both today. Wrong. Today and then 3 to 8 days later for the second. I chose the 8th day because that's the day I start to feel human again after chemo. So I'll go back on the 11th. IV will be setup, blood drawn and then iron infusion. Now my iron is just a little below what it should be so they feel this first infusion will put me into the right range but this treatment is done in two doses. But if this first fusion does put me in the good range then I won't have to go back a week later for a blood drawn to see if the second one put me there because they will know the first one did. This will mean one less poke. I'm all for less pokes at this point.
So overall I would say this day went well. 7 hours down to 4 is much less tiring. And the reaction stopped faster. Yes I would say the chemo infusion was a big improvement and went well today.
Now to see if the bowels go better.
I might not be blogging for the next few days, but if the bowels go better you might see something here then. Don't worry if you don't see anything for a few days, but feel free to email mail me with any concerns. I'll try to check those.
Love to all.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Chemo brain
I just wanted to acknowledge that I just re-read my last post and man are there some spelling errors and other grammar issues. Spell check did not completely do its job. I'm not correcting anything as I know all of you are smart enough and don't have chemo brain and can figure out pretty easily what I'm saying.
Chemo brain is an actual phenomenon. You can look it up on the Mayo clinic. My first real experience of it was a couple of days ago when for the life of me I couldn't remember my house address. The numbers. Nope. Had to ask my dad.
It will go away.
Chemo brain is an actual phenomenon. You can look it up on the Mayo clinic. My first real experience of it was a couple of days ago when for the life of me I couldn't remember my house address. The numbers. Nope. Had to ask my dad.
It will go away.
The good and The bad
Got back from my oncologist. Ok here is a lesson in what a oncotype dx test is and how it is used. An oncotype dx test is a test for the risk of recurrence of cancer and the benefits of chemo. They test 21 breast cancer genes that they know if over expressed are a valid indicator of recurrence. Then they mathematically put this into a score. So here's the deal, the scores run from 0 to a 100. A score of less than 18 is a low risk of recurrence around 5% and you gain very little from having chemo. A score of 18 to 31 is medium risk and this is the big gray area as to if chemo would benefit you or not. Reason is that they don't want to error on the bad side so people in this category usually get chemo and are left out of clinical trials of not having chemo to see what the difference is because well, who is going to be willing to do fore go chemo if its not sure if you are going to benefit or not. Anything over 31 is considered high risk of reoccurance and the benefits are huge with chemo.
So drum roll here, my score a whopping 73. Shit. Without chemo my chances for reoccurance is 40%. Breath. Good news is that with the chemo my chances of reccurence is reduced down to less than 10%, closer to about 8%. Yea we'd all like to see a chance of 0% but you just don't get that with cancer. So I like to look at it as a 92% chance of not having a recurrance. And I should say this is the reccurence rate at 10 years. Years 1 to 9 is less than that. Strange I know but, something else I have found out is that with breast cancer unlike other cancer the longer out you go without a reoccurance, they higher your chances are for a reoccurance. Go figure.
So what does all this mean to me? I don't care if I had a score of 5 there was no way I was fore going the chemo because its agressive. Grade 3. I already knew my score was going to be above 31 because its so darn agressive. Typically its the low grade cancers that score low. Not always but, usually.
So let me throw some good news in here. The news I had to explain to my dad in the car because he was down in the dumps after hearing the 73 score. Not sure what he heard after that because we stood in the examination room for a long time after the doctor left looking at my results on the very large computer screen that hangs on the examination wall. Since I had read about this test up the ying yang I knew exactly what it said and went over it again with my dad. In the car I broke the good news to him which is that its the high scoring, agressive cancers that respond to chemo the most. Slow growing ones. Not so much. Its the high grade agressive cancers that get the shot at the 27% chance that this thing will pathologically go away.
More good news. Yea we all like good news. My tumor has responded in Dr. Barth's very words "remarkable well, after two rounds it has responded the most it possibly can". And he took his time feeling around. Yea I can tell its smaller but it didn't mean much to me because I couldn't really tell how much. After two needle biopsies everything was so swollen for so long I couldn't tell if it was shrinking or if just the swelling was going down. And I couldn't really remember exactly what it felt like before because it was so long ago. So its responding and its responding the best it possibly can. It confirms my decision to have the chemo first.
So what now. Yes we have more of a game plan in place now. I will have round 2 tomorrow. Round 3 on the 24th. I will have a MRI sometime during the week of 4th of July either on the 5th, 6th or 7th.
If nothing shows up on the MRI, off to surgery I go. Now I know that the MRI can only detect something 5mm or larger so there still could be something small in there. Whatever is removed will be sent to be biopsy. If there is cancer left, Dr. Barth will be running test on it. It will mean this is the cancer cells that were resistant to the chemo I had. He will run test to see if the remaining cancer is responsive to other types of chemo and I will have two more rounds of chemo after surgery. Because my oncotype dx score is so high, I would benefit from this and give me the best chances at a lower reoccurance.
If they can see something on the MRI, Dr. Barth said he would want to do two more rounds of chemo before surgery. He didn't mention another needle biopsy but, I'm no dummy and I know if they can see it on the MRI, its big enough to be needle biopsy. And how else is he going to tell what chemo it would respond to but to do a needle biopsy and test it. Then we could tell how much the remaining cancer responds.
So what to hope for here? Hoping its completely gone. If they can't see anything on the MRI, I go to surgery, if the biopsy comes back with no cancer (that's my 27% shot here) then no additional chemo needed. And I get to put that dragon to bed. Ok so that's what I'm praying for but, if the damned thing doesn't completely respond and doesn't completely die, then crazy me is hoping that it is big enough to show up on the MRI so that we have something to see if the additional two rounds do the trick. In other words if all the cancer doesn't respond to this chemo then I want another chance at seeing if it will completely go away with the additional two rounds. I didn't tell Dr. Barth this because I think he is already wondering about how I think. And here is why:
I talked to him about the lymph node removal. I said I'm assuming that regardless of response that a senital node biopsy will be performed. He said yes because metal tumor markers are in place Dr. Guerra (my surgeon) will be able to inject the blue dye and detect the sentinal node. It will be removed and sent off for biopsy. It won't be biopsied during surgery because we already know I don't have any gross lymph node involvement because nothing showed up on the three scans I had done of my lymph nodes. What would be there would be microscopic. He also said he would be extremely surprised if anything showed up in the sentinal node because my tumor has responded so well that micorscopic cancer is going to be killed off. He seems pretty darn sure of this. So I said ok so I get to keep my lymph nodes. That is very important to me. I really want to keep those because you need them. He was thrown for a loop with that announcement. He actually sat there quiet for a minute. Then he says that is an unusual perspective. (I wanted to say that's because I don't think like normal people but I didn't want to scare him that much) He went on to say I think you also might have some miss information. (I didn't) He says we don't take out all the lymph nodes anymore. We haven't been doing that for about 55 years. You have three tiers on lymph nodes and if there was gross cancer involvement in the sentinal node then the first tier of lymph nodes would be removed which would involve about 20 nodes but, we have at least a 100 nodes and we know that removing 20 doesn't effect your immune system. We know that for sure. Ok. That's nice and I knew that. I didn't say anything because he had confirmed for me that the whole lymph node is a non issue for me because mine won't be remove. But what my issue is, is not compromised immune system. I all ready knew it doesn't compromise that but what does happen or could is edema (swelling and water retention, not good) of your arm. You have to really be careful of your arm forever and its my right arm here people. The one I use the most because I'm right handed. I didn't say this to the doctor. What I did ask was so I'm keeping my lymph nodes? And he said yes. Good enough for me.
Oh what will happen if they find mircoscopic cancer cells in my sentinal node? They will widened the range of what is radiated to include my lymph nodes and that will kill any possible microscopic cancer cells that got past the sentinal node but, they will not go in and do any removal because there isn't any gross involvement, we all ready know that from the scans so the radiation (which I'm going to be having anyway because I'm having breast conservation surgery) would take care of it if they find any microscopic stuff.
I also pinned him a down a bit. I test my doctors. And what I found out is this doctor doesn't guess. If he says something its something he is pretty damned sure about. So what I said was given everything we know, from the previous tests and the high oncotype dx test are we leaning towards a high possibility that I will be having two additional rounds of chemo. He didn't say yes and he didn't say no. He just went over the plan again. You are going to have chemo tomorrow and on the 24th. Then you have a MRI. So he wouldn't guess. He wouldn't say probably. I like that. I rather have a doctor that is sure. Or as sure as he can be. Makes me trust him.
So no surgery date as that won't be determined until I have the MRI.
Other news. My iron is low. So tomorrow I'm getting two infusions of Femara (Sp?) which is iron. Nice thing is that it will be given through my IV. Each infusion will take 30 seconds and because I'm going into forced menopause, this will do it for me with iron for the rest of my life. I will not have to take iron supplements for the rest of my life. Hey something good. My low iron problem will be solved as its something I've been taking supplements for.
You just got to count your blessings:
No more iron problems
Tumor responding at the very best it could from 2 rounds
Get to keep my lymph nodes (this is going to make a big difference for surgery too. Less invasive).
Gained more trust in my doctor
Needing chemo was confirmed and is giving me a major benefit (reduces my chances of reoccurance by over 30%)
Overall, not a bad day at the doctors.
Oh and I just remembered Dr. Barth wants me to try a different regime for managing the bowels this time. Senokot which is natural. Ok. And if I don't move the bowels Friday I'm to go to Miralax. Dang it I think that's the stuff that Mac and I talked about that is plastic. I have to look it up. If I don't go on Saturday then I go to Milk of Mag. But, truth is no I won't because that stuff gave me the gut ache from hell. So I'll give it a shot up til the Milk of Mag then its Metamucil and cherios. Which worked, just not real well. Well, I guess well enough to keep me out of the ER but, its was still unpleasant to move the constipated bowels. Dr. Barth wants me to attempt to avoid that all together. So I will give it a shot.
Wow and I spent 45 minutes with my doctor. That was a lot of information.
Chemo tomorrow. I'll get on here tomorrow to up date on any allergy reaction although they will be giving it to me slowly tomorrow taking up the day so I should be fine. Packing a lunch and plenty of snacks.
I think that's all.
I know I will have lots of love, prayers and positive thoughts and energy with me tomorrow and for that I thank each and everyone of you.
Hugs to all.
So drum roll here, my score a whopping 73. Shit. Without chemo my chances for reoccurance is 40%. Breath. Good news is that with the chemo my chances of reccurence is reduced down to less than 10%, closer to about 8%. Yea we'd all like to see a chance of 0% but you just don't get that with cancer. So I like to look at it as a 92% chance of not having a recurrance. And I should say this is the reccurence rate at 10 years. Years 1 to 9 is less than that. Strange I know but, something else I have found out is that with breast cancer unlike other cancer the longer out you go without a reoccurance, they higher your chances are for a reoccurance. Go figure.
So what does all this mean to me? I don't care if I had a score of 5 there was no way I was fore going the chemo because its agressive. Grade 3. I already knew my score was going to be above 31 because its so darn agressive. Typically its the low grade cancers that score low. Not always but, usually.
So let me throw some good news in here. The news I had to explain to my dad in the car because he was down in the dumps after hearing the 73 score. Not sure what he heard after that because we stood in the examination room for a long time after the doctor left looking at my results on the very large computer screen that hangs on the examination wall. Since I had read about this test up the ying yang I knew exactly what it said and went over it again with my dad. In the car I broke the good news to him which is that its the high scoring, agressive cancers that respond to chemo the most. Slow growing ones. Not so much. Its the high grade agressive cancers that get the shot at the 27% chance that this thing will pathologically go away.
More good news. Yea we all like good news. My tumor has responded in Dr. Barth's very words "remarkable well, after two rounds it has responded the most it possibly can". And he took his time feeling around. Yea I can tell its smaller but it didn't mean much to me because I couldn't really tell how much. After two needle biopsies everything was so swollen for so long I couldn't tell if it was shrinking or if just the swelling was going down. And I couldn't really remember exactly what it felt like before because it was so long ago. So its responding and its responding the best it possibly can. It confirms my decision to have the chemo first.
So what now. Yes we have more of a game plan in place now. I will have round 2 tomorrow. Round 3 on the 24th. I will have a MRI sometime during the week of 4th of July either on the 5th, 6th or 7th.
If nothing shows up on the MRI, off to surgery I go. Now I know that the MRI can only detect something 5mm or larger so there still could be something small in there. Whatever is removed will be sent to be biopsy. If there is cancer left, Dr. Barth will be running test on it. It will mean this is the cancer cells that were resistant to the chemo I had. He will run test to see if the remaining cancer is responsive to other types of chemo and I will have two more rounds of chemo after surgery. Because my oncotype dx score is so high, I would benefit from this and give me the best chances at a lower reoccurance.
If they can see something on the MRI, Dr. Barth said he would want to do two more rounds of chemo before surgery. He didn't mention another needle biopsy but, I'm no dummy and I know if they can see it on the MRI, its big enough to be needle biopsy. And how else is he going to tell what chemo it would respond to but to do a needle biopsy and test it. Then we could tell how much the remaining cancer responds.
So what to hope for here? Hoping its completely gone. If they can't see anything on the MRI, I go to surgery, if the biopsy comes back with no cancer (that's my 27% shot here) then no additional chemo needed. And I get to put that dragon to bed. Ok so that's what I'm praying for but, if the damned thing doesn't completely respond and doesn't completely die, then crazy me is hoping that it is big enough to show up on the MRI so that we have something to see if the additional two rounds do the trick. In other words if all the cancer doesn't respond to this chemo then I want another chance at seeing if it will completely go away with the additional two rounds. I didn't tell Dr. Barth this because I think he is already wondering about how I think. And here is why:
I talked to him about the lymph node removal. I said I'm assuming that regardless of response that a senital node biopsy will be performed. He said yes because metal tumor markers are in place Dr. Guerra (my surgeon) will be able to inject the blue dye and detect the sentinal node. It will be removed and sent off for biopsy. It won't be biopsied during surgery because we already know I don't have any gross lymph node involvement because nothing showed up on the three scans I had done of my lymph nodes. What would be there would be microscopic. He also said he would be extremely surprised if anything showed up in the sentinal node because my tumor has responded so well that micorscopic cancer is going to be killed off. He seems pretty darn sure of this. So I said ok so I get to keep my lymph nodes. That is very important to me. I really want to keep those because you need them. He was thrown for a loop with that announcement. He actually sat there quiet for a minute. Then he says that is an unusual perspective. (I wanted to say that's because I don't think like normal people but I didn't want to scare him that much) He went on to say I think you also might have some miss information. (I didn't) He says we don't take out all the lymph nodes anymore. We haven't been doing that for about 55 years. You have three tiers on lymph nodes and if there was gross cancer involvement in the sentinal node then the first tier of lymph nodes would be removed which would involve about 20 nodes but, we have at least a 100 nodes and we know that removing 20 doesn't effect your immune system. We know that for sure. Ok. That's nice and I knew that. I didn't say anything because he had confirmed for me that the whole lymph node is a non issue for me because mine won't be remove. But what my issue is, is not compromised immune system. I all ready knew it doesn't compromise that but what does happen or could is edema (swelling and water retention, not good) of your arm. You have to really be careful of your arm forever and its my right arm here people. The one I use the most because I'm right handed. I didn't say this to the doctor. What I did ask was so I'm keeping my lymph nodes? And he said yes. Good enough for me.
Oh what will happen if they find mircoscopic cancer cells in my sentinal node? They will widened the range of what is radiated to include my lymph nodes and that will kill any possible microscopic cancer cells that got past the sentinal node but, they will not go in and do any removal because there isn't any gross involvement, we all ready know that from the scans so the radiation (which I'm going to be having anyway because I'm having breast conservation surgery) would take care of it if they find any microscopic stuff.
I also pinned him a down a bit. I test my doctors. And what I found out is this doctor doesn't guess. If he says something its something he is pretty damned sure about. So what I said was given everything we know, from the previous tests and the high oncotype dx test are we leaning towards a high possibility that I will be having two additional rounds of chemo. He didn't say yes and he didn't say no. He just went over the plan again. You are going to have chemo tomorrow and on the 24th. Then you have a MRI. So he wouldn't guess. He wouldn't say probably. I like that. I rather have a doctor that is sure. Or as sure as he can be. Makes me trust him.
So no surgery date as that won't be determined until I have the MRI.
Other news. My iron is low. So tomorrow I'm getting two infusions of Femara (Sp?) which is iron. Nice thing is that it will be given through my IV. Each infusion will take 30 seconds and because I'm going into forced menopause, this will do it for me with iron for the rest of my life. I will not have to take iron supplements for the rest of my life. Hey something good. My low iron problem will be solved as its something I've been taking supplements for.
You just got to count your blessings:
No more iron problems
Tumor responding at the very best it could from 2 rounds
Get to keep my lymph nodes (this is going to make a big difference for surgery too. Less invasive).
Gained more trust in my doctor
Needing chemo was confirmed and is giving me a major benefit (reduces my chances of reoccurance by over 30%)
Overall, not a bad day at the doctors.
Oh and I just remembered Dr. Barth wants me to try a different regime for managing the bowels this time. Senokot which is natural. Ok. And if I don't move the bowels Friday I'm to go to Miralax. Dang it I think that's the stuff that Mac and I talked about that is plastic. I have to look it up. If I don't go on Saturday then I go to Milk of Mag. But, truth is no I won't because that stuff gave me the gut ache from hell. So I'll give it a shot up til the Milk of Mag then its Metamucil and cherios. Which worked, just not real well. Well, I guess well enough to keep me out of the ER but, its was still unpleasant to move the constipated bowels. Dr. Barth wants me to attempt to avoid that all together. So I will give it a shot.
Wow and I spent 45 minutes with my doctor. That was a lot of information.
Chemo tomorrow. I'll get on here tomorrow to up date on any allergy reaction although they will be giving it to me slowly tomorrow taking up the day so I should be fine. Packing a lunch and plenty of snacks.
I think that's all.
I know I will have lots of love, prayers and positive thoughts and energy with me tomorrow and for that I thank each and everyone of you.
Hugs to all.
Steroids
Started the steroids today. Will take them today, tomorrow and Friday to counteract side effects from chemo. I hate these things. Hate the way they make me feel. Like I can build a small village. Hyper city. And crabby and irritable. And I get to take them twice a day!
Going to see my oncologist today at 3pm for more test results. Will post those results later.
Chemo is tomorrow so don't worry if I don't post for a few days. Feel free to email me to check in. I'll try to check email but I know I won't be up to blogging most likely.
Oh man I just realized my ears are majorly exposed now with no hair. I think I better get out a Q-tip and clean them.
Going to see my oncologist today at 3pm for more test results. Will post those results later.
Chemo is tomorrow so don't worry if I don't post for a few days. Feel free to email me to check in. I'll try to check email but I know I won't be up to blogging most likely.
Oh man I just realized my ears are majorly exposed now with no hair. I think I better get out a Q-tip and clean them.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Two Months
My how time flies when you're having fun.
Its been two months since my diagnosis on April 1st.
Tomorrow I have to take my steroids. I hate those things. Can't imagine anyone taking them to enhance sport performance or muscle mass. Thank God I only have to take them for three days. Go tomorrow to see my oncologist for test results. And then chemo 3 on Thursday. Friday nuelstra shot. Hopefully then I'll be set until the 24th. Oh wait no I won't oncologist wants to see me before each chemo. Going to find out when I can get a surgery date tomorrow. My oncologist said he would coordinate that with my surgeon.
In other breast cancer news, they think they might have discovered/created a vaccine for breast cancer. So far seems to work in mice.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life/health-fitness/health/DNA-cancer-vaccine-starves-tumours/articleshow/5972144.cms
Its been two months since my diagnosis on April 1st.
Tomorrow I have to take my steroids. I hate those things. Can't imagine anyone taking them to enhance sport performance or muscle mass. Thank God I only have to take them for three days. Go tomorrow to see my oncologist for test results. And then chemo 3 on Thursday. Friday nuelstra shot. Hopefully then I'll be set until the 24th. Oh wait no I won't oncologist wants to see me before each chemo. Going to find out when I can get a surgery date tomorrow. My oncologist said he would coordinate that with my surgeon.
In other breast cancer news, they think they might have discovered/created a vaccine for breast cancer. So far seems to work in mice.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life/health-fitness/health/DNA-cancer-vaccine-starves-tumours/articleshow/5972144.cms
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