Nothing New Really

Well, I didn't have my radiation simulation this week. Seems they messed up the scheduling and didn't realize that I was going to be out for 2 weeks. they said that they had to do the simulation only when I could start radiation soon after... so I am getting it on June 15. Looks like it entails getting a CT scan right there and then they map you out and mark you for where you will get th radiation. Now it seems like I will be tattooed and not have sharpy marks on me but I guess I won't really know until it happens.

Seems swimming will still be out though, because pool water is too hard on your skin.

Had my echocardiogram on Thursday then went for my IV that had a dose for three weeks of Herceptin. My veins will have three weeks off! Yahoo! Getting IVs just does not get less painful each time...

Started my Tamoxifen and haven't noticed any side effects yet. I mean, I might be getting hot flashes, but I was getting them before on and off anyway.

I guess I'll have more news in 2 weeks. Looking forward to my visit to Toronto where I'll be working for the next 1.5 weeks starting Tuesday.
I hope you are all well!
Later,
Mo

next up... radiation

So, I had an appointment with my plastic surgeon this week... haven't seen him since about January. He did one more fill on my right side, because that area has to be expanded larger than the left because the radiation will cause it to shrink. Pretty gross. At any rate, I was happy to find that he didn't give me a hard time about the size I wanted to be, given that he had mentioned in the past about needing to be a certain size for proportional reasons. I will see him again in about 6 weeks when I am nearing the end of the radiation, when he wants to take a look at my skin.

I met with the radiation oncologist on Friday and learned about what to expect for the radiation. I am going in next week for a simulation where they will take measurements and mark my chest and other areas to identify where I will get the radiation. I will receive it to my armpit, chest and clavicle area. The icky news is that because during the surgery, they removed a tumor in my breast, they want to make sure that I am cancer free so they are going to enhance the radiation at or just below the skin level. This means that I am going to be very red. I am not looking forward to this. The burn-like redness can get as bad as a second degree burn... Of course, some people have no burn effect but considering my arm is still showing redness from some medical tape put there two weeks ago, I don't think I fall in that group.... I am also severly bummed that during radiation, I am not allowed to go swimming because it might make the marks wear off (so much for the Masters Swim class... another attempt at getting back into shape foiled again!). Geez, this is as advanced as marking technology is these days?! I know that sometimes they give people permanent tatoos to mark the areas but the doc didn't mention anything about this. maybe that's too extreme...

So, next week I have the simulation (when they mark up my body) and then when I get back from Toronto, I'll start with the radiation (week of June 14 or so). I really hope that whatever marks they are putting on, are going to last the two weeks I am away and are not going to be really obvious in whatever I wear to the wedding I am going to attend.

That's all my news for now.
Mo

New Updates

Gosh, I feel like it's been forever since I posted and I have lots of news...





Well, chemotherapy is done and while I have to continue my Herceptin IVs, the schedule has now changed to once every 3 weeks instead of once a week 'til the end of July. Yahoo! Looks like the veins in my left arm are getting a bit of a holiday. Thank goodness. My right arm is out after the surgery because IVs, blood pressure cuffs, etc. can increase my chance of developing lymphedema.





I have an appointment setup with a radiation oncologist for this Friday am for a radiation consultation. I'll probably start radiation in early to mid-June after I return from my trip to Toronto. More news after Friday...





Unfortunately, or fortunately, depending on how you see it, I have been provided with a prescription for Tamoxifen which I am to start immediately. I have to take it twice a day, every day, for the next... 5 years :-( Sorry to make the men blush, but I just got my period back last month since losing it last July and I was finally starting to feel like a young woman again. I hope I don't lose it again. Side effects include hot flashes, although I should be far more concerned about the blood clots and strokes.





I also need to schedule another echocardiogram to check that my heart is not being damaged from the Herceptin and a CT scan to confirm that I am clear of cancer. That thought is really creepy because I really don't think of any other alternatives other than being cancer-free but I guess it's just standard protocol.





What else is new? I'm hoping to have my last fill this Wednesday. I am so done with these expanders.





Also, I have started a masters swim class in the mornings and it's been great. Have been back on my bike and managed a 33 mile club ride (ok, well, I rode the first few miles and the last 10 miles with the club but they dropped me in the hills) a week ago.





Oh, and by the way, just came back from a great 5 days in Arizona. We visited ruins from 1200 AD, Petrified Forest NP, a rodeo, a meteor crator and Sedona. Was a ton of fun.

I'll send an update on the weekend.

Maureen

Getting back into shape

Sorry I haven't posted in a while but I don't have much to post. I am thrilled to say that my LAST chemo is this Thursday! Yahoo!!! My oncologist wouldn't talk about radiation at my last appointment (last week), so I can't update you on what's next. All I can say is that I think I will have radiation start sometime in early June. I told the oncologist that I want to go to Toronto for a family wedding and he said that they would work around my schedule. Sounds good to me.

I'm looking forward to being able to move ahead with my life although, I feel like I am right now. I have been back mountain biking and road riding for the past month or two. I have been doing alot of pushing my bike up hills or resting to catch my breath but I managed a 50 mile ride in Creston this weekend while my hubby did the century for the Wildflower ride. It was a great ride, fairly flat, so not too difficult. This picture above, is of me and Linh at the first rest stop (as Linh referred to as the breakfast stop because they had so many goodies there).

I still have 4 to 6 weeks of radiation and then another surgery to remove the expanders and put in implants. Ugh! I just want this crap over with! I hate the expanders and soreness in my chest and right side when I exercise. I hate the fact that I can't sleep on my stomach without being very uncomfortable.

Back to being positive... my sciatica continues to not be too bad. I still don't think I can jog but I am in so much less pain now. I am going to start swimming soon and hope to lose some of this weight I gained since Doug came home. He is a really bad influence on me. Way too many desserts!

That's all the news for now. Just one other note. Many thanks for Tricare, the military health insurance. Since Doug is considered active duty, I am covered with them as my secondary insurance. They have picked up pretty much everything so far this year and I haven't had to really put out anything. I am so grateful because without them, I would have been out $5,000 by about March.

Mo

Happy birthday to me

Somehow, my birthday has taken on a little more meaning this year. It was extra special to have my sister and niece here and my friend Chi organized a party on my actual birthday, which was great!

I have been reading some inspirational books lately and feel like I need to really take charge of my life and make some changes. I'm not sure exactly what yet, but I want to make more of a difference on this earth and I want to be happier. Well, now that I have blogged about it, I better make it happen!

Things are going pretty well health-wise for me. Today was my second to last chemo treatment. I am finding that the only thing that this chemo seems to do is affect my brain (oh and lower my white and red blood cell counts). I don't get the very noticeable brain fog that I got on my first chemotherapy... but I do feel like I don't remember things well and am slow to comprehend and make decisions. This is hard when you work for a fast-paced, high tech company. So I asked my oncologist if it was possible that my brain was affected by the chemo and he said yes. I was pretty sure he was going to say no since he usually downplays the side effects but he confirmed it. Luckily, the side-effect is reversed when this is over with!

Sciatica-wise, the pain has actually been lessening. I have absolutely no idea why but... I'll take it! I still have pain standing and walking but nothing like before where I would want to cry, it was so bad. I won't be starting up running anytime soon (a definite sciatica pain awakener) but riding my bikes seems to work out ok.

I pretty much feel normal although my arms still have some stiffness around the shoulders and my chest hurts when it's pressed on (like when baby Chloe sits on my chest or pushes on it). hopefully that will go away when the expanders are taken out and real implants are put in. I haven't had a fill to my expanders in a while and plan to go in about another week or so. I don't want to get much larger, but I think they need to expand my right side bigger because the radiation tightens the skin and the muscle underneath, reducing the expanded area.

That's all for now. Happy April!

Mo

Life back to ..er ... normal

I've been lazy lately and haven't posted to my blog in a bit. I was thrilled to be able to make it out to my company's annual conference in Colorado last week. I had a great time with clients and colleagues. I'm amazed that I didn't catch anything on the flight home but also hugely relieved. In addition to my white blood cell count being low, my red blood cell count was also low (later found out from the oncology nurse) so that probably explains why I was sucking wind climbing stairs. I even felt elevation sickness (nausea) when I first flew in. I have never felt that before in Colorado.

Things are going about as well as they can be considering my situation. I am continuing with chemo and I have lost track of how many more I need and when it will finish. Last time I calculated, it was going to be around mid-May but I will check with the oncologist tomorrow. I feel fine and am trying to be back on the bike as much as I can. I rode my bike on a short hilly ride on Saturday and then did an easy mountain bike ride on Sunday. I feel like I'm about 100 years old fitness-wise, but if I keep at it, I figure I'll improve slowly.

My 8 month old niece and sister are visiting from Michigan for two weeks so that's keeping me busy right now. I absolutely love having Chloe here and being the evening nanny, as I call myself to Monica. Mon absolutely loved the fact that I changed Chloe's poopy diaper tonight.

My sciatica is still here but I think it may have lessened. Either that or I have just gotten used to it and am learning ways to walk, stand, etc. without irritating it. I continue to feel impatient with getting this cancer treatment over with.... people who are out of the loop always think I am done, but I have many more months to go. But mostly, I don't think about it. Mostly what I think about now is how I need to lose about 10-15 lbs that I managed to pack on due to my slug-like life.

That's all for now. Hope everyone is well.

Happy Spring!

Maureen

I feel alive!

This picture is from a Susan G Komen Mascureade party that Doug and I went to a week ago. It was a good time, a bit too girly but Doug survived :-)

This past weekend, we had a great time in Solvang. While Doug rode 100 miles on the supported century ride, I rode a wonderful 32 miles through the beautiful countryside. I found a route on Mapmyride.com and rode by farms, rolling hills and wildflowers; it was a gorgeous day. As I rode back, I ended up following part of the century course and felt really alive as I kicked it up a notch and rode with the rest of the gang to the finish. The next day we rode a short 15 mile jaunt. Wow, two days of riding in a row for me! I feel almost normal and I definitely feel alive!

I have my next chemo this Thursday and unfortunately, while I was supposed to be done by now, I don't think I will be done until sometime in May. The oncologist says that because my white counts are so impacted, that we will continue with three week cycles. Sigh.

The good news?... no, not my back... I still have my same sciatica. I am considering another epidural shot though. Maybe the second will work? The good news is that my niece Chloe and sister Monica are coming to visit in a little over a week. I can't wait! And it will be so much fun to have Mon here for Passover. And lastly, I am excited about going to my company's annual conference in Colorado and seeing my work friends and clients. My oncologist cleared me for the trip but insisted I be back on Friday to check my blood counts and for my weekly Herceptin.

Thank you all for your continued support. It's hard to be up all the time and I still get down at times. I appreciate all of the kind words and supportive comments.

Mo