Month: March 2018

This week started out with a trip to my primary care physician to start the process for all the tests I need completed prior to surgery. She completed some of the paperwork and was able to get the required EKG done in her office. I was sent with the orders for the chest x-ray and the lab work needed to complete the rest of the required pre-op prerequisites.

I was scheduled for the chest x-rays on Tuesday. Those were completed at the same imaging office where I had my MRI last September. It’s been 6 months since this whole nightmare started. It seems like yesterday and yet a lifetime ago.

Tuesday was also Support Group. We didn’t go the previous week due to both of us having the cold Hubby so graciously passed to me. Thankfully I didn’t have it as bad as he did. I told him it was because I had a flu shot and he didn’t. I get a flu shot every year, he avoids them like the plague. My cold was not as severe as his and lasted about half the time as his lasted. My Breast Cancer Support Group mostly discussed surgery and hair loss. There are three of us having surgery within the next four weeks. One of them is a gal who just joined our group. It was her first night and when she introduced herself she advised us this is her second battle with breast cancer. Her first battle was 16 years ago. She had a lumpectomy, chemo and then radiation. This time they again caught it early, Stage 1, but very aggressive. They did genetic testing this time and found she is positive for the BRCA1 gene. She is not eligible for another lumpectomy due to already having had radiation. She cannot have radiation therapy a second time. Even if she didn’t have the BRCA1 gene, she would have to have a mastectomy. Because of the BRCA1 gene mutation, she is having a bilateral mastectomy. The room became very silent while we listened to her story and what she is facing this time. She worked the first time she had breast cancer, but because she knows what she is facing this time, she is taking medical leave this time. She doesn’t even know how she managed to work through radiation therapy as she was so tired.

We were talking about hair loss and the fact that I have no nose hairs and how the side effect of this is a runny nose. The new girl agreed, and we talked about how long it took to grow back. Hers grew back before the hair on her head, but Tuesday morning I swore I saw some “long” fuzzies on my head. I couldn’t find them again so figured I was seeing things. We talked about how my research on the website “Beyond the Shock”, showed that for those of us who lost their eyebrows and eyelashes later in chemo, and even after chemo ended, didn’t grow back until much later 6 to 8 months later. There are now two of us who had thyroid cancer before we had breast cancer. Linda who is the other one to have had thyroid cancer said her Endocrinologist says yes there is a link between the two, but her oncologist says no there is not. Linda was glad we discussed our surgeries so extensively as she is working on deciding what she will do come May when she faces her surgery. She just had her 3rd of 6 chemo treatments.

Speaking of fuzzies, after I took my shower this morning I definitely found fuzzies that have grown in since we had my head shaving when my hair started falling out. I’ve always had a little stubble that never fell out. I didn’t grow either. It still has not grown, but I do have some fine little fuzzies that are longer than the left over stubble. It’s so fine and white it’s hard to get a picture of it, but here is an example:

I also noticed this morning that I’m not quite as puffy as I have been.  I still have quite a bit of face puffiness, but it’s a little less today.  I can also taste avocado again!  And bacon almost tastes normal!  Yea, taste buds and fuzzies!  No new nose hair that I can tell, my nose still runs as much as it did before.  No eyebrows either, not even one little hair growing in, and same with my eyelashes, nothing growing in there either.  I’m down to just a few little stubborn eyelashes clinging on.  So yes, my eyes water a lot too.  I walk around with a tissue going from eye to nose to eye and back again.  Nancy in our group said her eyes stopped watering about two months after chemo ended, so maybe next month.

We decided to go see The Shape of Water, which we loved, and then Black Panther today.  First time in forever going out to do something other than, doctor appointment, lab work, grocery shopping and Support Group.  I was so drawn into Black Panther that I was crying at the end when I came back to reality and realized Wakanda is not real so there will be no center in Oakland and no Shuri to be in charge and teach those in Oakland all about the technology.  To pass on that love of science.  There is no T’Challa to announce to the United Nations that Wakanda will now share their discoveries with the world.  Hubby didn’t understand my heartbreak.  To him, this was no different than any of the other Marvel Comic movies.  He liked it, but it’s still just a Marvel Comic.

My neuropathy is not any better, but I know someday it will be.  I did lament to the group that by the end of the day I am ready to just cut my hands off they are so irritated from being used.  It’s not painful, just irritating!  So ready to be done with this.  Same with my feet.  There are times when even just having socks on is irritating.  My acupuncturist is getting more aggressive in her treatment, she’s added additional needles between my fingers and toes now that I am no longer on chemo.  While I was on chemo it was like fighting an uphill battle, but she is hoping that a few treatments with the extra needles may afford me some relief.

I think I’m ready surgery next week.  Still a little nervous about what happens prior to surgery at the Breast Diagnostic Center.  The placement of the wire and the injection of the radioactive dye under my nipple to map the sentinel nodes.  I am also a little nervous of the outcome, but ready to do this.  Next week I have my pre-surgical appointment with the plastic surgeon, Dr. Goldberg.  She wants to go over one last time what will happen on the 23rd as long as the pathology report comes back clean.  This is also where I discuss with her what will happen if they end up having to do a mastectomy after the lumpectomy.

The Toothless Wonder Cat is still coming in every night to sleep.  He’s even learned how to meow at the front door to be let in for the night.  It’s at this time that I know my lap is taken for the rest of the night.

He waits patiently for me to get ready, with a blanket draped over my legs so he can come up.   He usually eats a jar of baby food (spoon fed of course), before he settles in and takes over my lap for the night.  When it’s time for me to head to bed he moves over to the chaise and sleeps there for the night.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Life is kitty purrs to build my bone density

Today started off the same old boring, but by noon it got a little exciting, vomiting was back. Go figure, 3 weeks out from last chemo and I still get to vomit. Oh the joys. While I was praying to the porcelain god, I was thinking about the last time I had vomiting and realized I had eaten the same thing for breakfast: Trader Joe’s Oatmeal with Ancient Grains. This morning I had it with a little bit of Truvia and a dash of 1/2 and 1/2. Almost three weeks ago when I had my “thought I would die on the bathroom floor” episode, I also had the oatmeal for breakfast, only I had put Black Strap Molasses on it. And while I continued to bring up my breakfast, I continued to think on this and the time before that when I threw up, I also had the oatmeal for breakfast, with some honey and freeze dried blueberries. We thought it was the Chinese food from our favorite restaurant, at the least their Hot & Sour soup, but now I’m thinking it’s the TJ’s Ancient Grains oatmeal. Not eating that again for a LONG time.

Tonight a local Hematologist/Oncologist presented some study findings from the Beast Cancer Symposium held annually in San Antonio, TX every December, at the Cancer Support Community. This is not to be confused with the Cancer Symposium held every June. Hubby was nice enough to drive me over so I could attend the presentation.

One of the studies confirmed the current neoadjuvant (pre-surgical) and adjuvant (post-surgical) chemo plan that I was on is the most effective. Good to know that has been proven; four infusions of Adriamycin and Cyclophosphamide every other week, followed by weekly infusions of Taxol for twelve weeks. I only made it to 10 weeks, but I am going to assume that it was good enough.

Another study was to see if those with lower HER2 scores would benefit from Herceptin therapy. I am triple negative, so I am considered HER2 Negative. When they are testing for HER2 cells (cells that multiply faster than others), they grade the findings as HER2 1+; HER2 2+ or HER2 3+. Only those with HER2 3+ are considered HER2 positive. The study confirmed the current process is correct, there were no added benefits by placing those with lower HER2 cell counts on Herceptin.

For those with Estrogen receptive cancers there was a study done on giving an Aromatase Inhibitor (hormone suppressant) prior to surgery then doing a biopsy two weeks later to see if their Ki67 markers came down. This would indicate that the suppression of estrogen prior to surgery and/or chemo could reduce tumor size and slow down the growth of the tumor. More studies need to done.

Another study was on Biophosphanate Therapy and whether this needed to continue for 5 years or not. This is for those with high risk for cancer spread to bone or osteoporosis. Chemo contributes to osteoporosis. They discovered 2 years of biophosphanate therapy was just as good as 5 years of therapy, therefore there was no reason to continue after 2 years. I do not know yet if I will need biophosphanate therapy. That could be years down the road at this point.
Another study found that Axillary Dissection of Lymph nodes is not necessary if 2mm or less of cancer is found in the Sentinel Lymph nodes; there was no change in life expectancy. This is good news as Axillary Dissection of all the lymph nodes can lead to a lifetime of other issues. If it’s not necessary this will save many women from years of unnecessary pain.

Another study found that a 5% or greater decrease in weight decreases your chances of every having breast cancer.

Based on some questions that were asked of the doctor after her presentation I discovered I probably will have to go through whole breast radiation, which is the standard. I was hoping I could be a candidate for partial breast radiation or reduced RADS, but based on the questions asked and the answers given I am not a good candidate for any reduction in the radiation therapy portion of my treatment.

I did meet a woman who is a 4 year survivor who never got her eyebrows or nose hair back. I really didn’t want to hear that at this point where I am really missing both of those items. At least with eyebrows, if they don’t grow back I can have them tattooed back in, not much I can do for nose hair not growing back. I would have to live with a runny nose for the rest of my life.

Life is praying for new nose hair!