11/3/13 - Ultrasound Results - Stubborn Tumors

Friday evening I got my ultrasound results from my surgeon. First the not so great news - she said one of the tumors is slightly smaller and the other tumor had not changed in size. I was really hoping for a better result after three chemo sessions. I check the tumors everyday and I was surprised at the ultrasound results. The lumps feel very mushy to me and definitely smaller - go figure. I'd be lying if I didn't admit to being disappointed - but I'm still optimistic there are changes the ultrasound can't see. I guess it's better than getting news that they have grown. On a brighter note, the lymph nodes under my left arm are benign which is good news. My surgeon still wants me to have the Sentinel Node Biopsy during surgery. It's doubtful that I will have that done but I haven't ruled it out completely. She didn't mention any results regarding the right breast, so I will assume no news is good news.

My next chemo is scheduled for tomorrow. I have an email in to my Medical Oncologist to have a discussion regarding the benefit of one more chemo. In my opinion it makes no sense to keep poisoning my body if it isn't doing any good. I guess we will see what my MO has to say.

Thanks for checking on me. I will let you all know how it goes tomorrow.

Beppy

10/30/13 - MUGA Scan - Ejection Fraction 63%

 

Yesterday I had a MUGA scan (Multi Gated Acquisition Scan). It was a fairly simple procedure. Like the bone scan, I received an injection into the vein where they typically draw your blood. All I felt was a slight pinch. I had to wait 20 minutes and then they gave me another injection in the same area. That injection hurt a bit more because the technician couldn't get into the vein so he ended up having to stick me twice - no big deal. I took a picture of the machine for anyone who is interested. I had to lie on my back while they positioned the machine over my chest. If you are claustrophobic this is an easy test - there are no tunnels to go into. I was able to listen to my iPod during the test. My playlist consisted of The Traveling Wilburys, Eric Clapton, Greg Tannen and The Weepies. Good music makes all the difference when they are sticking you with needles and taking pictures of your innards. I had to stay still but I was able to breathe normally. The whole test took about twenty minutes. The great news is my Ejection Fraction went from 51% to 63% which is excellent news. My chemo is back on for next Monday, November 4th. Once I found out my EF was low I decided to push myself to walk every day. I got so tired from the chemo I stopped exercising and I think that was a big mistake. I'm not sure if the walking contributed to the rise in number, but I would like to think that it made a difference. So from now on, no matter how badly I'm feeling, I will force myself to walk every day.

Today I'm scheduled for the ultrasound to see how my tumors are shrinking. This is the test I'm nervous about. I sure hope it's good news. I will keep you all posted.

Cheers,

Beppy

10/28/13 - 4th Chemo Day - CANCELED

Me and the best husband in the world, Budly

Here we were all set for my fourth and final chemo. I thought I would get daring for my last one, so I wore my short wig. Off we went, the three amigos - Bud, Robyn and Cancer Girl. We stopped at Chick-fil-a in Corona for our usual breakfast. We started on the transition road to the 91 freeway when we got the call. The nurse said, "Your chemo has been canceled due to your Cardiogram results - we will call you later to tell you why." I was soooo close to being done. Well not exactly done, I still have to go every three weeks to have the Herceptin infused, but at least I would be done with the yucky stuff - Carboplatin and Taxotere. When I got home the nurse called and said they want me to have a MUGA scan. Before I started chemo my EF (Ejection Fraction) was 60. When they did the test on Friday it was 51. I'm hoping I don't have any permanent damage to my heart from this chemo regimen. They re-scheduled my chemo for next Monday, November 4th. I have the MUGA test set up for tomorrow but they are trying to get me in today. The good news is I'll be able to see the kids for Halloween! I guess there's a silver lining to everything.

I'll keep you posted with the MUGA results.

Staying positive,

Beppy

10/24/13 - Surgeon Appointment

This week I had an appointment with my surgeon. She examined my tumors and she said she thought they were getting smaller. Now here's my question - is it really necessary for doctors to press so hard when they do their exam? I mean geesh - are they trying to feel lumps in your back? If my tumors did shrink, after that exam they probably swelled up from all the pressure. I guess I can forgive her though - after all, she did hold my hand through the core needle biopsy. She ordered an ultrasound of both breasts along with my lymph nodes. I'm really against having any kind of lymph node dissection, so I'm pushing to forgo that part of my surgery. We will see what the ultrasound shows before I make my final decision. My lumpectomy is scheduled for December 4th. I also saw my Oncologist this week. He said he had an extensive talk with the surgeon and she said she didn't think my tumors had changed in size. Ok, now I'm confused - did she tell me she thought they were getting smaller to make me feel better? I check them daily and I know there are definitely changes. They are not as hard as they were and I think they feel smaller. The Oncologist said he would be very surprised if there was no change. He also said what we are feeling may be scar tissue from the tumors shrinking. I sure hope so because I would hate to think I put my body through this whole chemo process for nothing. He ordered another Echocardiogram to see how my heart is doing on the Herceptin - I have that scheduled for tomorrow. The Oncologist said he understands why I wouldn't want to have the sentinel node dissection considering my history, and he will support me with whatever decision I make.

I developed a cold a few days ago and I'm hoping it just stays a cold. I really don't want to delay my fourth and final chemo. I can't wait to be done with this portion of my treatment. It looks like my hair may be growing back just a wee bit. I still have my eyebrows and my eyelashes, although the eyelashes are a little sparse. Other than the cold, I'm feeling much better so I'm guessing that my blood counts must be up. Still dealing with the slow-down of my digestive tract. If the Senna and Colace don't start doing the job, I may consider dynamite - or maybe a plunger!

That's all for now.

Beppy

Thank you to my niece Chris for the spaghetti and the cute hat you made for me. That was so thoughtful of you to think of me. Thank you also to my niece Melissa for the hats you made as well. They were adorable too - you have no idea how cold a bald head can be. I'm fortunate to have such a wonderful family.

10/15/13 - Counts are Down

Just a quick update to let you all know how I am doing after this last chemo. I had blood drawn on Monday and while my liver test was back to normal, my white blood counts were down - even after the dreaded Neulasta shot. I have the same digestion problems as last time and I think the cumulative fatigue is starting to hit me. I do much better early in the day, by afternoon I'm pretty wiped out. I'm optimistic that I will start to feel better soon. I'm still working on a side effect blog and I'll post it once it's complete. It's taking a bit longer than anticipated, mostly because all I want to do is rest. I'll get my act together in the next couple of days.

Thanks for checking on me.

Beppy

10/9/13 - 3rd Chemo Day

One More Chemo to Go!

Mikey, Me and Robyn - Hey, my eyes are going in different directions.

Monday I had my third chemo treatment. The traffic this time around was pretty good. No downed motorcycles along the way. We left at 7:30 am and got there at 9:10 am. Bud, Robyn and Mike came to this chemo day. It was nice having my whole family there. After the last fiasco, I requested the nurse I had on my first chemo - she was great. She got right into my vein with no problems and blood wasn't going everywhere this time around. She even had the cap screwed on correctly. What a treat to have someone that knows what they are doing! First up was an hour of Taxotere with no side effects. Next was an hour of Carboplatin with no side effects, and then came the Herceptin. For some reason the Herceptin makes me cold. She slowed down the dose to an hour this time and I didn't get the shakes like last time. It was all pretty uneventful. My liver enzymes were a little off on my blood test. My ALT test was elevated. The nurse said that can happen when you're going through chemo. I guess they will keep an eye on that to make sure it doesn't go up any further. A high ALT test could be a sign of liver damage so I'll be all over that one. I've been so careful through the years - taking as low a dose as possible of my arthritis meds to protect my organs and I'll be darned if I'm going to let chemo meds take them down!

BudBud & Beppy

After my treatment we stopped at El Torito for lunch. We all know how I love to eat. Robyn and I were good though and we had the chicken tortilla soup.

Monday night I got the usual red face side effect. It was gone by the next morning. Other than fatigue, I'm feeling pretty good at the moment. I have to take my Neulasta shot today and start my Cirpo and that's usually when I start to feel pretty bad. I'm hoping it's better this time. I'm not sure how I'm going to manage the pain from the shot because I'm a bit paranoid to take Tylenol or pain meds with my elevated ALT. My Oncologist is gone this week so I didn't get a chance to ask about my options. I guess I will have to see how it goes.

Here's to minimal side effects!

Cheers,

Beppy

Special thanks to my brother, George for driving out to visit me last week. He spent the day with me and Peg and he took us out to lunch. It was a great day and I really enjoyed spending time with my big brother and sister! You are both awesome :)

9/26/13 - Switch from Neupogen to Neulasta

Man, I Have Big Ears!

Hair is Pretty Much Gone

Sorry for not updating in awhile, but this second round was a bit tough for me. I think it had a lot to do with the Neulasta shot. The Neulasta gave me much more bone and muscle pain than the Neupogen. I've spent most of this past week sleeping which is very unusual for me. My limbs feel very heavy - it feels like I'm carrying around three times my weight. I thought I was being proactive with the constipation by starting Miralax the day before chemo. It seemed to be working the first couple of days, but that quickly changed. My digestive system has really taken a hit which I figured would happen, considering my past complications. I think so far, that has been my worst side effect. It feels like my digestive system is shutting down. You'd think for most people that would deter their appetite. NOT ME! For the exception of the first five days after chemo, I have the appetite of a small country. It doesn't matter how numb my taste buds get, I'm still hungry. Things continue to dry out - nose, scalp, and skin seem to get worse with each treatment. I'm hoping once I get done, I won't resemble a dried prune. I've been lucky not to experience much neuropathy thus far. I've been diligent with my mouth - flossing and brushing after each meal and I have not had any mouth sores. I had Bud shave my head this week. So much of my hair had fallen out that I started to resemble an ostrich. In some places it was longer, in others it was completely bald. We tried to even it all out. Now I look like a well-groomed ostrich. I never realized how big my ears are until I had no hair. I'm wondering if I can get free TV reception with those satellite dishes! I still have my eyebrows and eyelashes and unfortunately I still have to shave my legs. I think my leg stubble is starting to thin out, but that just may be wishful thinking on my part.

My Dear Friend, Jenny and Me (I'm Wearing my Wig)

I may be turning a corner on this second chemo, but on my next one, I may try not to be so ambitious. Two days after chemo I went to a Look Good, Feel Better class (http://lookgoodfeelbetter.org) put on by the American Cancer Society. We drove all the way out to Loma Linda for a two hour class. I guess that wasn't one of the better decisions I've made so soon after treatment. However,  it was an informative class, giving instruction on how to apply makeup without contamination. Cosmetic companies donate an unbelievable amount of free makeup to the cause. They also let you pick out a free wig. It really is a great program and I applaud all the companies that donate. The people that run the class are all volunteers. I would definitely recommend going to a class - I mean, who can turn down free makeup? I'm not talking cheap makeup either - I got a Chanel lipstick in my kit.

All in all, I am hanging in there. Once I've got more energy I will do a blog on the different side effects and what I'm doing to combat them. Hopefully that will help the next person that comes along with the same problems.

Thanks for checking on me!

Beppy