I'm looking forward to 2009! This year has been such a roller coaster ride that I have spent most of it trying to catch my breath! There have been such moments of excitement and happiness mixed with moments of shock and deep sadness that it cannot be known as an all around good or bad year. Just crazy!
It looks like my right eyebrow is starting to go on the outer edge. I signed up for the Look Good, Feel Better program by the American Cancer Society. It's lead by a cosmetologist that will help put on makeup and wigs. I heard that sometimes since the women are usually older, the young ones will get extra attention from the older ladies. So I'm bracing myself for that, but the good news is that you get a lot of free makeup from some nice companies that donate.
Mom is finally feeling better from the stomach virus and the back pain that followed. She was able to eat the jap chae she made for Christmas. I made some spinach dip with chestnuts for the countdown tonight. We're having Paula Dean's spiral cut ham with a crunchy honey crust tomorrow. One of my co-workers mentioned that pork and saurkraut were good luck for the new year. I don't know about the good luck, but pork and saurkraut sounded good to me so Mom made some yesterday. I may as well eat while I have the appetite! Next Wed. is chemo round #5.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Nose hair
The weather was warm enough yesterday that Sam and I were able to walk around the lake. We also met up with Dennis for lunch. He was heading back down to NC after spending Christmas was his mom in Harrisburg. Have fun in Miami, Dennis!
It turns out that Mom got whatever William had. Sam and I are OK though, no sharing food, towels, etc. I had some sniffles and slight headache last night, but I'm definitely a lot better off than Mom and William have been.
I think that I now have more hair on top of my nose than inside. The chemo made my internal nose hairs fall out, making my nose drip unexpectedly sometimes. The other day when there was a warm breeze, I was able to feel the wind with my nose! It seems that skipping taxotere that one time allowed my facial hair to grow back. The unfortunate part is that most likely my ovaries are not making estrogen now so some of the hair that grew back is let's say a bit darker than before. Good news--the hair should fall out again; Bad news--I'll probably need to remove them again after chemo.
It turns out that Mom got whatever William had. Sam and I are OK though, no sharing food, towels, etc. I had some sniffles and slight headache last night, but I'm definitely a lot better off than Mom and William have been.
I think that I now have more hair on top of my nose than inside. The chemo made my internal nose hairs fall out, making my nose drip unexpectedly sometimes. The other day when there was a warm breeze, I was able to feel the wind with my nose! It seems that skipping taxotere that one time allowed my facial hair to grow back. The unfortunate part is that most likely my ovaries are not making estrogen now so some of the hair that grew back is let's say a bit darker than before. Good news--the hair should fall out again; Bad news--I'll probably need to remove them again after chemo.
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Merry Christmas!
I know I'm a bit behind. I did celebrate Christmas with my family. My appetite returned so that I could enjoy Christmas dinner, which was jap chae and galbee. Mom did the cooking this year. I just helped with the veggie cutting. Sam ate a pile of galbee, but poor William was sick with the stomach virus this year. He practically didn't eat for 2 days! He started to eat solid food yesterday so he's starting to recover. I think that William had a tougher time with his bug (he had a fever, too) than I did with my chemo.
Last Sat, which is usually my worst chemo day, I was able to mail out Christmas cards and wander around the mall. Monday I actually went into work and worked on my review. I took an inbuprofen though from the back ache caused by the Neulasta. There was some heart burn, but no new symptoms occurred.
Yesterday, I decided that if I get a $500-$600 scholarship to go to a young breast cancer survivors conference in Dallas that I'll go. It's at the end of Feb, by which time I would have just completed all my chemo. Anyone know someone in Dallas?
Last Sat, which is usually my worst chemo day, I was able to mail out Christmas cards and wander around the mall. Monday I actually went into work and worked on my review. I took an inbuprofen though from the back ache caused by the Neulasta. There was some heart burn, but no new symptoms occurred.
Yesterday, I decided that if I get a $500-$600 scholarship to go to a young breast cancer survivors conference in Dallas that I'll go. It's at the end of Feb, by which time I would have just completed all my chemo. Anyone know someone in Dallas?
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
SCAR project
This project uses photography to tell the story of breast cancer survivors. Many have gone through mastectomies and some have decided on recontruction. You can see their scars, but, of course, each are much more than that. I know 2 people who have participated, and the photos of them turned out gorgeous. You can see Steph, who also started chemo in Oct with me. http://picasaweb.google.com/bionerdsteph/SCARProject#
A more general site for the project:
http://www.davidjayphotography.com/TheSCARProject20/
Overall, I think the photos look great! I would have thought about participating, but they are looking more for those under 30 since the spots over 30 were already filled. I say you get more rambuctious as you get older!! I also don't have much of a scar since I had 2 lumpectomies, and my great breast surgeon used the same incision for the second one. The scars are healing so nicely that they are already past the shiny stage, just kinda red.
A more general site for the project:
http://www.davidjayphotography.com/TheSCARProject20/
Overall, I think the photos look great! I would have thought about participating, but they are looking more for those under 30 since the spots over 30 were already filled. I say you get more rambuctious as you get older!! I also don't have much of a scar since I had 2 lumpectomies, and my great breast surgeon used the same incision for the second one. The scars are healing so nicely that they are already past the shiny stage, just kinda red.
Chemo #4--lowered carbo dose
This is an excerpt from my communications with my chemo buddies. It gives an idea where they are at.
Hi Ladies,
I'm being infused with carboplatin as I type. The dose was lowered this time around. It was more than 800 mg before, but now I'm getting 711 mg. Liver enzymes still OK. I'll get my Neulasta tomorrow. (The main concern is to keep my chemo on schedule much more so than the amount I get so hopefully the next few times I'll have my chemo on time.)
Isa--I guess your suspicions were correct. I hope the antibiotics work quickly! Good luck downing the mega pills! (She got strep from her son!)
Kat-- Are you paying for the neulasta mostly out-of-pocket? I hope not! I think I was quoted that it's a $3,400 shot!Glad to hear that your body body is now accepting the morphine. Looks like the autohypnosis worked. :P Were you suppose to have the exchange on Fri in the middle of chemo? I wasn't sure.About the pic, Bob looked like she passed out while reading a book. It could have been something boring, like on dogs. :D (Bob's her cat)
Karen--what's phlebitis? It is funny that the docs want our platelets to do different things. (Karen is pregnant, and her docs want her to not to clot, whereas mine are worrying I won't clot.)
Heather--It's good that you have your plan laid out. You know that you've made the best decisions that you could. Good luck on your taxotere. Are you taking oral steroids today? (Heather recently found out that she is BRCA2 positive. She will be having an oophrectomy, removal of her ovaries, so that the estrogen produced from them will not feed her breast cancer.)
Kyung
Hi Ladies,
I'm being infused with carboplatin as I type. The dose was lowered this time around. It was more than 800 mg before, but now I'm getting 711 mg. Liver enzymes still OK. I'll get my Neulasta tomorrow. (The main concern is to keep my chemo on schedule much more so than the amount I get so hopefully the next few times I'll have my chemo on time.)
Isa--I guess your suspicions were correct. I hope the antibiotics work quickly! Good luck downing the mega pills! (She got strep from her son!)
Kat-- Are you paying for the neulasta mostly out-of-pocket? I hope not! I think I was quoted that it's a $3,400 shot!Glad to hear that your body body is now accepting the morphine. Looks like the autohypnosis worked. :P Were you suppose to have the exchange on Fri in the middle of chemo? I wasn't sure.About the pic, Bob looked like she passed out while reading a book. It could have been something boring, like on dogs. :D (Bob's her cat)
Karen--what's phlebitis? It is funny that the docs want our platelets to do different things. (Karen is pregnant, and her docs want her to not to clot, whereas mine are worrying I won't clot.)
Heather--It's good that you have your plan laid out. You know that you've made the best decisions that you could. Good luck on your taxotere. Are you taking oral steroids today? (Heather recently found out that she is BRCA2 positive. She will be having an oophrectomy, removal of her ovaries, so that the estrogen produced from them will not feed her breast cancer.)
Kyung
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Go platelets! and Ting
I just got back that my platelets are at 185,000. That means I'm all ready to go for chemo! Who knew I would be happy about getting chemo.
Today I met up with one of my Wellesley friends who works at Hopkins. Some of you may know her, Ting Bao. She and I were biochem majors and were a part of the Glee Club (singing). It turns out that she works in breast cancer in the medical oncology dept. What a small world! In fact, my med onc's office is right across her desk. She can see him come and go all the time.
Ting graduated a year later than I did. It seems that during their reunions they get to see Hillary Clinton. One of these years I may just end up crashing their reunion! She told me other people do. =>
It was good to hear about Hui Men and Qian Zhou, who both happen to be in MD. I had completely lost contact with Hui, and last time I heard Qian was in TX. Ting is looking for a faculty position, and her husband is already a faculty member at Hopkins. She got married in 2003. It turns out that most of our close Wellesley friends don't have children. We have to wonder if there was something about Wellesley that had us decide to have children later.
Anyway, it turned out to be a great 2-hour lunch. I actually found her through the Linked In website. It's been 10 years since I last saw her.
Today I met up with one of my Wellesley friends who works at Hopkins. Some of you may know her, Ting Bao. She and I were biochem majors and were a part of the Glee Club (singing). It turns out that she works in breast cancer in the medical oncology dept. What a small world! In fact, my med onc's office is right across her desk. She can see him come and go all the time.
Ting graduated a year later than I did. It seems that during their reunions they get to see Hillary Clinton. One of these years I may just end up crashing their reunion! She told me other people do. =>
It was good to hear about Hui Men and Qian Zhou, who both happen to be in MD. I had completely lost contact with Hui, and last time I heard Qian was in TX. Ting is looking for a faculty position, and her husband is already a faculty member at Hopkins. She got married in 2003. It turns out that most of our close Wellesley friends don't have children. We have to wonder if there was something about Wellesley that had us decide to have children later.
Anyway, it turned out to be a great 2-hour lunch. I actually found her through the Linked In website. It's been 10 years since I last saw her.
Monday, December 15, 2008
Tumor markers
Although my medical oncologist hasn't mentioned looking at tumor markers, some of my chemo buddies are having theirs monitored, in particular CA15-3. The interpretation of the numbers hasn't been completely decided upon it seems, but it wasn't even mentioned to me by my doc. I'll have to remember to ask.
Second echo
I had my second echo today to monitor my heart function as I'm going through Herceptin and chemo. It was a lot shorter than the first time around. The tech said he didn't see anything off, but I should receive the official report later. It's always entertaining to hear the sounds your heart makes as it's pumping blood, just like a washing machine.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Info on low platelet counts
Thrombocytopenia (Low platelet counts)
Signs and symptoms:
Easy or excessive bruising
Superficial bleeding into the skin that appears as a rash of pinpoint-sized reddish-purple spots (petechiae), usually on the lower legs
Prolonged bleeding from cuts
Spontaneous bleeding from your gums or nose
Blood in urine or stools
Unusually heavy menstrual flows
Profuse bleeding during surgery
FYI: My counts weren't low enough for me to have these symptoms.
Normally, you have anywhere from 150,000 to 450,000 platelets per microliter of circulating blood. Because each platelet lives only about 10 days, your platelet supply is continually renewed by production of new platelets from your bone marrow.
Mild thrombocytopenia typically has no long-lasting effects. The biggest risk of severe thrombocytopenia is bleeding into the brain or digestive tract, which although rare, can be life-threatening.
If chemotherapy is found to be the cause of your low platelet counts, you may have to stop treatment temporarily while you recover. Thrombocytopenia can be treated with a transfusion of platelets, usually done in a hospital. Your doctor may also use injections of thrombopoietic growth factors, such as Neumega (oprelvekin) to stimulate platelet production.
http://breastcancer.about.com/od/lifeduringtreatment/p/thrombocyto.htm
When the count is below 20,000, bleeding in the digestive tract or brain may occur even when there is no injury.
http://www.merck.com/pubs/mmanual_ha/sec3/ch49/ch49c.html
Aspirin, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and antihistamines may interfere with how platelets function, although the platelet count remains normal.
Good list of drugs that cause thrombocytopenia, but not chemo drugs. I already know mine's due to carboplatin.
If the platelet count is below 20,000, people are usually treated in a hospital or advised to stay in bed to avoid injury. They are usually given a transfusion of platelets. If the platelet count is 20,000 to 30,000 and excessive bleeding occurs, platelets are usually transfused.
http://askville.amazon.com/low-platelet-count/AnswerViewer.do?requestId=4071914
Neumega® (oprevelkin) is the blood cell growth factor that is approved for the prevention of chemotherapy-induced thrombocytopenia. Oprevelkin is generally well tolerated by patients, with minimal side effects. The most common side effect observed with oprevelkin is fluid retention or edema. This symptom persists while oprevelkin is being used and is reversible within a few days of discontinuation of oprevelkin. Sometimes diuretics (or water reducing pills) are used to reduce fluid retention.
http://www.caring4cancer.com/go/cancer/effects/common/low-platelet-count-thrombocytopenia.htm
Vancomycin, the antibiotic that I was taking the hospital, not only can cause Red Man Syndrome, but also in some cases thrombocytopenia by augmenting antibody production.
"We found a close correlation between exposure to vancomycin, development of a vancomycin-dependent antibody, and the onset of severe thrombocytopenia accompanied by serious bleeding in most cases," Says Dr. Aster. http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/64435.php
Signs and symptoms:
Easy or excessive bruising
Superficial bleeding into the skin that appears as a rash of pinpoint-sized reddish-purple spots (petechiae), usually on the lower legs
Prolonged bleeding from cuts
Spontaneous bleeding from your gums or nose
Blood in urine or stools
Unusually heavy menstrual flows
Profuse bleeding during surgery
FYI: My counts weren't low enough for me to have these symptoms.
Normally, you have anywhere from 150,000 to 450,000 platelets per microliter of circulating blood. Because each platelet lives only about 10 days, your platelet supply is continually renewed by production of new platelets from your bone marrow.
Mild thrombocytopenia typically has no long-lasting effects. The biggest risk of severe thrombocytopenia is bleeding into the brain or digestive tract, which although rare, can be life-threatening.
If chemotherapy is found to be the cause of your low platelet counts, you may have to stop treatment temporarily while you recover. Thrombocytopenia can be treated with a transfusion of platelets, usually done in a hospital. Your doctor may also use injections of thrombopoietic growth factors, such as Neumega (oprelvekin) to stimulate platelet production.
http://breastcancer.about.com/od/lifeduringtreatment/p/thrombocyto.htm
When the count is below 20,000, bleeding in the digestive tract or brain may occur even when there is no injury.
http://www.merck.com/pubs/mmanual_ha/sec3/ch49/ch49c.html
Aspirin, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and antihistamines may interfere with how platelets function, although the platelet count remains normal.
Good list of drugs that cause thrombocytopenia, but not chemo drugs. I already know mine's due to carboplatin.
If the platelet count is below 20,000, people are usually treated in a hospital or advised to stay in bed to avoid injury. They are usually given a transfusion of platelets. If the platelet count is 20,000 to 30,000 and excessive bleeding occurs, platelets are usually transfused.
http://askville.amazon.com/low-platelet-count/AnswerViewer.do?requestId=4071914
Neumega® (oprevelkin) is the blood cell growth factor that is approved for the prevention of chemotherapy-induced thrombocytopenia. Oprevelkin is generally well tolerated by patients, with minimal side effects. The most common side effect observed with oprevelkin is fluid retention or edema. This symptom persists while oprevelkin is being used and is reversible within a few days of discontinuation of oprevelkin. Sometimes diuretics (or water reducing pills) are used to reduce fluid retention.
http://www.caring4cancer.com/go/cancer/effects/common/low-platelet-count-thrombocytopenia.htm
Vancomycin, the antibiotic that I was taking the hospital, not only can cause Red Man Syndrome, but also in some cases thrombocytopenia by augmenting antibody production.
"We found a close correlation between exposure to vancomycin, development of a vancomycin-dependent antibody, and the onset of severe thrombocytopenia accompanied by serious bleeding in most cases," Says Dr. Aster. http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/64435.php
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Steroid frenzy
I forgot to add that I took my dexamethasone yesterday, and I was only able to sleep for three hours, from 12:30 am to 3:30. I couldn't sleep. The steroid really keeps me awake. It may have been helpful in college. Just kidding! I think that it can make you constipated anyway, although I've been OK. I'm sure you wanted to know. :)
Well, No Chemo, after all the traffic
I met with Carol Riley the nurse practitioner today, after being in the car for about 2 hours to get to Hopkins. A little rain causes much havoc in Baltimore. It turns out that my platelets are low (62,000 vs 100,000 for normal) so I can't receive carboplatin. I've been receiving the full dose of carbo, which can knock down the platelets, so I may end up receving a lower dose next time. The good news is that my liver enzymes are normal again. Instead of receiving chemo one at a time, Carol thought it best to try to move everything for next week. It's less poking for me so I'm fine with that. I'll definitely have to get the herceptin next week though since it lasts in the body for 3 weeks usually, and it is really the reason that I want to go through all this. Mom, Sam, and I will be hanging out at the mall it seems, getting our Christmas shopping done!
Monday, December 8, 2008
A gift from Sam
Sam and I have been battling colds this past weekend. I've been holed up in the apt so I figure Sam's the one who brought the cold home. We both have sniffling/stuffy noses and coughing, but his eyes are watering and mine are dry as a bone. I also had a headache come and go over the weekend, but Sam's voice sounds worse than mine. The nice thing about the weekend was that it snowed on Sat., nice little flakes as we went to Costco.
Chemo #4 is coming up on Wed. Hopefully, the cold won't change when I get the chemo.
Chemo #4 is coming up on Wed. Hopefully, the cold won't change when I get the chemo.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Happy Birthday or Whatever
I'm currently reading Happy Birthday or Whatever by Annie Choi. I ran across it in the library yesterday as I was talking to Sam on the phone. Interestingly, Annie is my age (32), born about a month later than I was, and a Korean-American. I think it's great that she has a book out, actually a memoir. As I met with my high school friends last Sat., I realized that I don't remember much of high school. Big chunks of my life are already forgotten. If I were to write a memoir, I don't think that I could go into such detail or write it up so amusingly.
It turns out that her mother had breast cancer while she was in college. Her mother was diagnosed when she felt very tired, and the doctors found a tennis ball-size lump. She had a mastectomy and was undergoing chemo before her daughter even found out that she had breast cancer. I would feel abandoned if that happened to me, but, of course, her parents didn't want to distract her from her studies, a very typical Korean response. It was the same when my mom had to have surgery while I was in college. She told me to stay where I was.
It seems Annie's mother is still in remission, but I haven't gotten to the end of the book yet. Also, I think that she stopped writing when she was 28 or something, but in any case, she would have survived the 5-year mark for being cancer-free. Although cancer can come back after 5 years, most cancer, if they were to reoccur would happen in the first 2-3 years.
My head's overheating from my wig. Happy 32 to Janet! (yesterday, actually the day before then because of the time difference)
It turns out that her mother had breast cancer while she was in college. Her mother was diagnosed when she felt very tired, and the doctors found a tennis ball-size lump. She had a mastectomy and was undergoing chemo before her daughter even found out that she had breast cancer. I would feel abandoned if that happened to me, but, of course, her parents didn't want to distract her from her studies, a very typical Korean response. It was the same when my mom had to have surgery while I was in college. She told me to stay where I was.
It seems Annie's mother is still in remission, but I haven't gotten to the end of the book yet. Also, I think that she stopped writing when she was 28 or something, but in any case, she would have survived the 5-year mark for being cancer-free. Although cancer can come back after 5 years, most cancer, if they were to reoccur would happen in the first 2-3 years.
My head's overheating from my wig. Happy 32 to Janet! (yesterday, actually the day before then because of the time difference)
Monday, December 1, 2008
Heavenly Hats and Nails
I received 5 hats from Heavenly Hats. My head is rather large so only 3 fit, but that's 3 more hats than I had before! Nice!
I've noticed that there's a brown ring around the white moons of my nails. My nails are strong as ever, but some people do have their nails "fall off" durin chemo. I'm actually not sure what that would look like because they say that a new nail comes in before the falling off. I guess I'll have to take a pic to show you if that's the case.
I was on antibiotics last week for a mild infection. I'm feeling super now.
I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I'm liking my turkey sandwiches!
Who else watched the House marathon during Thanksgiving?
I've noticed that there's a brown ring around the white moons of my nails. My nails are strong as ever, but some people do have their nails "fall off" durin chemo. I'm actually not sure what that would look like because they say that a new nail comes in before the falling off. I guess I'll have to take a pic to show you if that's the case.
I was on antibiotics last week for a mild infection. I'm feeling super now.
I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I'm liking my turkey sandwiches!
Who else watched the House marathon during Thanksgiving?
More pics
Far Left: Me wearing the newsboy hat that I got with Jeannie. Sam and I had walked around the lake earlier.
Chemo #3 pic. Since I only had carboplatin and herceptin, it was pretty quick.
I have the portable DVD player that William got us. Who wants to see Mozart and the Whaaaale? =>
Wig #3
On Sat, I met with my high school friends at Carrabas. From the left is Jean, Katie, Beth, and Jean's hubby, Rick. Dennis was passing through from visiting his family in Pittsburgh and joined us! I'm wearing the new wig that Linda got me on Friday.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Updates
I've been taking it easy since last Friday. Even though I didn't have the taxotere this time, I felt like the nausea was present until Sunday. I took the anti-nausea meds, but probably not as often as I could have. I saw that the compazine can make you have blurry vision so I felt less inclined to take it this time. So it was more nausea than heartburn.
On Sat morning (11/22/08), my cousin Michelle had her baby daughter, Morgan Leigh Park!! She's a healthy 7 lbs. 6oz. Congrats to Michelle, Willy, and little Lincoln!! I'll be sure to see you guys soon.
I received the tote from the Lydia Project requested by Linda for me. It had LOVE embroidered on it with a notebook of encouraging quotes from past cancer patients, lotion, tissues. Also, there was a prayer request card that I could send to them and a note letting me know that these women in GA are praying for me. How sweet is that!
On Sunday, after doing practically nothing for a few days, I made 6 lbs of mashed potatoes for a Thanksgiving dinner at church. Hey, that's almost as heavy as Morgan! I was really exhausted after all the scrubbing, cutting, boiling, and mashing (especially since I couldn't locate our potato masher that Sam likes so much and had to use a wooden spoon and fork). The dinner was so nice though that I'm glad that Sam and I went and met this couple, Enoch and Gloria. Sam learned how to deep fry turkeys in peanut oil and had a turkey aroma about him for the rest of the evening. =)
Linda's here for Thanksgiving! I showed her the apt and my practically bald head. She thinks our heads are shaped similarly with a prominent bump in the back that slopes down to the neck. Thanks, Bonnie, for the Dead Sea lotion and socks! We were giving each other hand massages with it yesterday.
On Sat morning (11/22/08), my cousin Michelle had her baby daughter, Morgan Leigh Park!! She's a healthy 7 lbs. 6oz. Congrats to Michelle, Willy, and little Lincoln!! I'll be sure to see you guys soon.
I received the tote from the Lydia Project requested by Linda for me. It had LOVE embroidered on it with a notebook of encouraging quotes from past cancer patients, lotion, tissues. Also, there was a prayer request card that I could send to them and a note letting me know that these women in GA are praying for me. How sweet is that!
On Sunday, after doing practically nothing for a few days, I made 6 lbs of mashed potatoes for a Thanksgiving dinner at church. Hey, that's almost as heavy as Morgan! I was really exhausted after all the scrubbing, cutting, boiling, and mashing (especially since I couldn't locate our potato masher that Sam likes so much and had to use a wooden spoon and fork). The dinner was so nice though that I'm glad that Sam and I went and met this couple, Enoch and Gloria. Sam learned how to deep fry turkeys in peanut oil and had a turkey aroma about him for the rest of the evening. =)
Linda's here for Thanksgiving! I showed her the apt and my practically bald head. She thinks our heads are shaped similarly with a prominent bump in the back that slopes down to the neck. Thanks, Bonnie, for the Dead Sea lotion and socks! We were giving each other hand massages with it yesterday.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Chemo Round #3
I had my third chemo today, but I didn't have all 3 of my infusions. Instead of TCH, it was only CH. The taxotere wasn't given because my liver functions were off: the alanine amino trans (don't know right now what it's short for) and aspartate amino trans were elevated. At this point I don't know if I just skip the taxotere or leave it to the end. The nurse also said that she's seen those given taxotere get the brown freckles on their fingers.
My neutrophil counts looked great so I'm having Neulasta again tomorrow. It looks like my lymphocyte and platelets counts are getting a wee bit lower than normal though.
I was able to talk to my med onc today. I asked him about the bisphosphonate trial, and he said the study results so far do not apply to me since they were for ER+ women. He agreed that I should try taking calcium (1200mg) and small amounts of Vit D to offset any possible osteopenia/osteoporosis. I explained to him that my bones were cracking in my neck.
He also said that daily vitamins were OK, but taking high amounts of any vitamins, including Vitamin C and E, were not recommended. I asked him about the scalp lotion, and he said that he would be more concerned with actual ingestion of the vitamins.
Well, not having taxotere meant that I got out really early today. I had to fill some more prescriptions through.
I'm feeling OK so far. I didn't much sleep though last night, probably due to the steroid. It makes you jumpy.
My neutrophil counts looked great so I'm having Neulasta again tomorrow. It looks like my lymphocyte and platelets counts are getting a wee bit lower than normal though.
I was able to talk to my med onc today. I asked him about the bisphosphonate trial, and he said the study results so far do not apply to me since they were for ER+ women. He agreed that I should try taking calcium (1200mg) and small amounts of Vit D to offset any possible osteopenia/osteoporosis. I explained to him that my bones were cracking in my neck.
He also said that daily vitamins were OK, but taking high amounts of any vitamins, including Vitamin C and E, were not recommended. I asked him about the scalp lotion, and he said that he would be more concerned with actual ingestion of the vitamins.
Well, not having taxotere meant that I got out really early today. I had to fill some more prescriptions through.
I'm feeling OK so far. I didn't much sleep though last night, probably due to the steroid. It makes you jumpy.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Skin Issues
I feel like this whole past week I've been reading and lounging around, probably because that's exactly what I've been doing. I know that I should be walking and working and just moving around, but sadly, I haven't. It takes longer to get ready even if I have to just put on a wig because I still have to shampoo and condition my head and apply 5 different types of lotion to 4 body parts (my scalp, my face, my surgery scars, my legs). I've got some major bumps on my shins from scatching them when they were itchy a few days ago.
Scalp-Jason Natural Vitamin E Age Renewal Moisturizing Creme
Face-usual Oil of Olay lotion with sunscreen
Scars-Mederma and Palmer's cream with Vitamin E (given to me by surgery nurses)
Legs-Used to be Coconut body lotion, but after the scratching, I use the lotion given to me at the hospital and will change to Vaseline when I find some
I've also noticed brown marks on my fingertips. They are like light freckles. I have 3 or 4 on each of my thumbs and my right ring finger. I'll ask about them to my med onc when I see him tomorrow.
I got my bloodwork done today and have taken my steroid to prepare for tomorrow's chemo. It's already Round 3. I'll be half-way done afterwards!
Scalp-Jason Natural Vitamin E Age Renewal Moisturizing Creme
Face-usual Oil of Olay lotion with sunscreen
Scars-Mederma and Palmer's cream with Vitamin E (given to me by surgery nurses)
Legs-Used to be Coconut body lotion, but after the scratching, I use the lotion given to me at the hospital and will change to Vaseline when I find some
I've also noticed brown marks on my fingertips. They are like light freckles. I have 3 or 4 on each of my thumbs and my right ring finger. I'll ask about them to my med onc when I see him tomorrow.
I got my bloodwork done today and have taken my steroid to prepare for tomorrow's chemo. It's already Round 3. I'll be half-way done afterwards!
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Happy Birthday, Sam!
Sam and I went to church today. I think some people didn't recognize me in my wig. We got to meet Christine, who was dignosed with breast cancer at the end of August. She has 2 children, Sarah and Matthew, and is in her early 40's. We spent a good 1.5 hrs talking about our diagnoses. She happens to be trying to get a second opinion from my medical oncologist, Dr. Antonio Wolff. We both agree that we need to get the word out that young women should do regular self-breast exams. We both feel lucky that we caught the cancer early. Hers was found by a gynecologist that was recommended to her, not her regular one. It wasn't even a lump, just a tightening of the area, so she thought it was a fibroid.
I'll probably be more vocal about self exams after chemo. I guess that chemo is a vulnerable enough time that I want some privacy in the meanwhile. Isn't it more helpful to others who are worried or just diagnosed to talk to someone who has already overcome chemo?
After church, Sam and I went to Wong Gal Bi, a Korean restaurant in Ellicott City, for lunch. He's 34 today!
I'll probably be more vocal about self exams after chemo. I guess that chemo is a vulnerable enough time that I want some privacy in the meanwhile. Isn't it more helpful to others who are worried or just diagnosed to talk to someone who has already overcome chemo?
After church, Sam and I went to Wong Gal Bi, a Korean restaurant in Ellicott City, for lunch. He's 34 today!
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Janet's Triathlon
The last few days have been very mellow, as Sam can attest to. I've pretty much been laying down reading in bed. This is in stark contrast to what Janet is doing at this very moment. She's giving it her all in the Rota Blue Triathlon in dedication to her father. Go, Janet! No. 182!
I received the It's a Wrap from Laurie today. The silk is really soft, and I like the colors. I'm not sure how to wear the wrap to have it be a fashion statement though instead of just covering a bald head. I tried it under a hat, but it's probably not the right type of hat. More experimenting, I guess.
Yesterday, my eyes kept on tearing up. They felt a bit dry so I didn't wear my contacts. Today, they are much better though. yay!
I received the It's a Wrap from Laurie today. The silk is really soft, and I like the colors. I'm not sure how to wear the wrap to have it be a fashion statement though instead of just covering a bald head. I tried it under a hat, but it's probably not the right type of hat. More experimenting, I guess.
Yesterday, my eyes kept on tearing up. They felt a bit dry so I didn't wear my contacts. Today, they are much better though. yay!
Thursday, November 13, 2008
FREE stuff for Cancer patients
If you know anyone else besides yours truly that has cancer, these organizations help to put a smile on patients' faces. I found these organizations through my Young Survival Coalition sisters.
http://www.heavenlyhats.com/ Already requested a nice sleeping hat.
http://www.thelydiaproject.org/common/feedback.asp?PAGE=384 Linda got me a special tote!
http://www.franceluxe.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=FL&Product_Code=L3083&Category_Code= I got the cozumel floral It's a Wrap. Laurie, the Prez of the company, sent me one today for free to support my hair loss. Just e-mail Laurie@franceluxe.com.
Chemo Angels: http://www.chemoangels.net/ More for support. Weekly letters and gifts.
There's also: www.cleaningforareason.org But since I'm not totally incapacitated, I didn't sign up to get my apt cleaned.
http://www.heavenlyhats.com/ Already requested a nice sleeping hat.
http://www.thelydiaproject.org/common/feedback.asp?PAGE=384 Linda got me a special tote!
http://www.franceluxe.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=FL&Product_Code=L3083&Category_Code= I got the cozumel floral It's a Wrap. Laurie, the Prez of the company, sent me one today for free to support my hair loss. Just e-mail Laurie@franceluxe.com.
Chemo Angels: http://www.chemoangels.net/ More for support. Weekly letters and gifts.
There's also: www.cleaningforareason.org But since I'm not totally incapacitated, I didn't sign up to get my apt cleaned.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
The Calm before the Next Round
It's been pretty good lately. I've just been sniffling and sneezing a little. I don't think that it's a real cold, maybe a side effect of the Herceptin? I think that my bones are cracking a little more, but maybe I just need to do more stretches. Other than that the only thing I'm asking is, "Where has my period gone?" OK, This may be TMI for some readers. I was warned that I will probably go into chemopause (vs. menopause) during chemo, but it's happened so fast. Women usually get it back 3 months post chemo. So now my usually regular self is in a limbo state wondering if my period is just delayed or completely stopped for the next few months. I have to be a in a perpetual state of "being prepared".
Monday, November 10, 2008
Sam saw my head
Well, I couldn't hide it from him forever. When he finally saw it, he just said with that funny smile that I look like a baby. That must be scary, a 5'5" baby. Actually, I intentionally let him see my head because sometimes it seems that Sam doesn't realize that I'm really going through chemo. I've done too good of a job covering up the side effects. Since I have less than 10% of my original hair, I've been shedding less around the apt. That's a good thing. =>
I've got the sniffles and have been sneezing, but I don't think that it's a real cold. There was a pretty bad headache on Sat night that may indicate I have a cold, but the headache hasn't returned. I was told that I may end up with a sinus headache during chemo, but since my headache was on the sides of my head, it wasn't that.
I can't wait to burn something in the fireplace! Sabrina, when you come over, we are burning that log that I got!
I've got the sniffles and have been sneezing, but I don't think that it's a real cold. There was a pretty bad headache on Sat night that may indicate I have a cold, but the headache hasn't returned. I was told that I may end up with a sinus headache during chemo, but since my headache was on the sides of my head, it wasn't that.
I can't wait to burn something in the fireplace! Sabrina, when you come over, we are burning that log that I got!
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Out and about with my Newsboy hat
Sam and I went for a walk yesterday and today around the lake by the apt. Good exercise!
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Yoda I Am
I looked at my head today and laughed. I was trying to see which hairs were still left. It turns out that I have a big clump of hair still left at the crown of my head, where men usually start balding. It kinda looked like I have a ponytail. I also have some hair on the sides, a bit above my ears. The hair on the whole top of my head is gone except some stragglers spread throughout. I was thinking I look a bit Yoda-ish minus green hue and pointy ears.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
President Obama it is!
Guess who I voted for? => I think that it's awesome that other countries are celebrating with us. Kenya had a holiday today, and I heard at work that there's a place in Japan called Obama so they are happy over there, too. In terms of yesterday's speeches, I found Senator McCain's more moving. He's served this country a long time and called Obama "my President", a big step up from "that one". =>
I took 1 ibuprofen for the achiness yesterday, and it seems like it hasn't returned. So far, so good.
I took 1 ibuprofen for the achiness yesterday, and it seems like it hasn't returned. So far, so good.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
I voted today, some back pain
It was really easy to vote today. I went at 3 pm, no lines, no waiting. I even got my "I voted" sticker. Total time after parking: 5 min
I don't think that I'll be able to sit much longer. I'm getting some achiness in my back and hips. Here comes the Neulasta!
I don't think that I'll be able to sit much longer. I'm getting some achiness in my back and hips. Here comes the Neulasta!
Monday, November 3, 2008
Couldn't avoid being called Sir
The man behind the JC Penny counter wanted to make polite conversation. I believe that he knew I was a woman since I was buying a woman's sweater and was wearing long earrings, but it slipped out, "How are you doing, sir..er ma'am?" I didn't wear my wig, just my hat, since some of my hair is still hanging on. I even put a flower pin in my hat. Later, he said in Korean that I had a pretty name and that he was Korean. Just polite conversation, but why did he have to make that mistake? Note to self: Buy bigger jewelry?
Thursday, October 30, 2008
First Neulasta Injection to prevent hospitalization
I got the Neulasta shot today after talking with my med onc. I heard that perhaps Neulasta can lead to leukemia down the road so I wanted to talk to my med onc to see what the current literature was. He said there's no sound evidence of a white blood cell stimulator leading to leukemia, although studies with red blood cell stimulators, like Procrit, eopotein, showed a link. Also, he highly recommended that I take the Neulasta since my neutrophil count reached zero, and it could lead to life-threatening infections. There may be bone pain for a few days, but I can take Advil, Tylenol, or oxycodone, if it gets that bad.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
End of Oct pics and Second round of chemo
10-26-08 With my new earrings. 
10-28-08Last Day of Radiation!
With my rad techs, Nellie and Bo
I rang the bell to signify I'm done!
Sam has the foam board that I used for radiation. I placed my head at the bottom with my arms up.
My wig just styled.
My neutrophils were at around 2700 so my chemo was a go for today. Last time I was given anzemet as my anti-nausea drug, but today it was changed to zofran. Marybeth, my nurse, said that it's usually alternated. So the order for administration was the same: taxotere, carboplatin, and herceptin. The dose/kg was the same, too, except for herceptin since the last time it was the loading dose of 80 mg/kg (?) and today it was 60mg/kg. I had one hive on my left arm with the taxotere, but then it went away on its own. Weird. It's strange, but that makes Mom, Sam, and me having hive(s) all within one week, but on different days, probably from different sources. My vein was found very easily! Thank God and those praying for me! One less thing to worry about.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Last Day of Radiation and Wig Fitting
Today I got to ring the bell that signified that I was done with radiation. Sam came with me today and took a picture of me with my radiation techs. I will try to post the pics tomorrow during my second round of chemo. I brought brownies to the techs as a thank you, and people waiting their turn for chemo clapped to celebrate with me. It's great to feel that another part of the cancer treatment is over. I took with me the foam board that I laid down on each time I was irradiated to keep me aligned properly. It'll be one of my show-and-tell pieces.
I was hesitant to go to my image recovery center appointment. I thought that Sandy would want me to shave my hair today, especially with that bald spot in the front, and I have to admit that I'm not ready for that. There's still quite a bit of hair behind my ears with the hat on. You'll see in the pic, although much less than last Friday. It was a relief to receive no pressure from Sandy, and she was able to style the wig with the hair that's left. It was particularly windy today, but I didn't feel like it would blow away. I have 2 bobby pins in the back. I think that I still have to get used to the color myself. I have on the black one that I got recently now at the library.
So the second round of chemo is tomorrow. Although there hasn't been a problem in the past, I hope they find a good vein easily. Today, when the woman drew my blood, she admitted that she used the large holed needle on me because she saw all the previous punctures. I don't think that she needed to use such a big one though. I need people with more experience! I've got excellent veins!! Don't ruin them because I need them for more chemo treatments.
I was hesitant to go to my image recovery center appointment. I thought that Sandy would want me to shave my hair today, especially with that bald spot in the front, and I have to admit that I'm not ready for that. There's still quite a bit of hair behind my ears with the hat on. You'll see in the pic, although much less than last Friday. It was a relief to receive no pressure from Sandy, and she was able to style the wig with the hair that's left. It was particularly windy today, but I didn't feel like it would blow away. I have 2 bobby pins in the back. I think that I still have to get used to the color myself. I have on the black one that I got recently now at the library.
So the second round of chemo is tomorrow. Although there hasn't been a problem in the past, I hope they find a good vein easily. Today, when the woman drew my blood, she admitted that she used the large holed needle on me because she saw all the previous punctures. I don't think that she needed to use such a big one though. I need people with more experience! I've got excellent veins!! Don't ruin them because I need them for more chemo treatments.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Got some hair hanging on and new wig
On Friday, I went to Party City to check out some of their wigs. I saw a long black one with curls and purple highlights, but I decided to wait. When driving into the strip mall parking lot, I noticed a Beauty 4U store a few stores down. I headed over there, not knowing if they would have wigs or ones that would look OK on me. I was surprised to find that they had a whole wall of wigs displayed on styrofaom heads in the back, and it looked like it was owned by Koreans. I heard the staff speaking Korean on my way to the back.
There were 2 women behind the counter, one at 50 (she told me later) and one in her early to mid-twenties. I told them that I was undergoing chemotherapy, and that my hair is coming out so I needed to find a wig. The older woman didn't know what chemo was so I explained that I had breast cancer and was taking drugs for it. The older woman helped me find 3 wigs that were different than the one that I already bought. I had the pic of the other one in my camera. As we were trying on the wigs in front a large lighted mirror, she told me that she had just had surgery for calcifications found in both breasts, but the doctors said they were benign. She was suppose to have a 6 month follow-up recently, but she's been too scared to go back. Also, I think that she's the store owner and doesn't have health insurance. The outpatient procedure was probably pretty expensive. My insurance covered all my surgeries, but it was definitely over $10,000. I told her that it's imporant to do the follow-up, but also to try to get a second opinion in reading her pathology slides.
By the time I tried on the second wig, I could tell that my hairline was starting to recede, and there was a pile of hair on the table. Before you wear a wig, you have to put a stocking cap on your head. Since my head is so big and still has hair, the cap was sliding off, and every time it did, it took out more hair. I told the nice Korean lady that I was going buy a wig that night and wear it out of the store. I wasn't expecting my hair to be noticeably coming out until the end of the weekend, but now it looked like it wasn't going to last until the next morning. The last wig I chose because even though it was synthetic, the hair moved like my hair. As I swung the styrofoam head back and forth, the hair in the back swung with it. It looked great on me, and I walked out of the store with it on my head.
I felt like it wasn't really just chance that brought me to the store that night. The woman actually ended up saying the exact same thing as my mom to comfort me when I realized my hair was really going, which was, "Don't be sad." I hope she ended up going to the doctor. I intend to bring my mom there and choose another wig. The lady gave me a 10% discount, and the wig was only $40! The other one from Rene of Paris was $400!! She also let me pick some earrings.
On Sat, I had a really long shower. So much hair came out that I was afraid to look in the mirror afterwards. Running my fingers through my hair and seeing hair come out is quite normal for me, but just not that much hair. It didn't cause me to panic because I was prepared to see hair in my fingers. I only yelped when there was a bunch of hair sliding down my chest. I thought it might have been a bug. That only happened once. When I finally looked in the mirror, I realized that I still had a lot of hair left so I just put on one of my comfy hats and went to Target. Sam can tell you that I took a long while, but I found some earrings to accessorize my hat.
On Sunday, I think not as much came out, but there's a noticeable bare spot in the front middle part of my head, probably where the stocking cap pulled the most. Since I see scalp, I'm applying the Vitamin E cream there. There's quite of bit of hair behind both of my ears with the hat on, so not so bad.
It's kinda cold outside today so wearing the hat doesn't seem obvious, especially with my coat on. After radiation treatment today, I went to reschedule my blood work for tomorrow. The woman asked me, "Who is the patient?" instead of saying, " Give me your card." I must look pretty healthy. => Of course, more pics to come.
There were 2 women behind the counter, one at 50 (she told me later) and one in her early to mid-twenties. I told them that I was undergoing chemotherapy, and that my hair is coming out so I needed to find a wig. The older woman didn't know what chemo was so I explained that I had breast cancer and was taking drugs for it. The older woman helped me find 3 wigs that were different than the one that I already bought. I had the pic of the other one in my camera. As we were trying on the wigs in front a large lighted mirror, she told me that she had just had surgery for calcifications found in both breasts, but the doctors said they were benign. She was suppose to have a 6 month follow-up recently, but she's been too scared to go back. Also, I think that she's the store owner and doesn't have health insurance. The outpatient procedure was probably pretty expensive. My insurance covered all my surgeries, but it was definitely over $10,000. I told her that it's imporant to do the follow-up, but also to try to get a second opinion in reading her pathology slides.
By the time I tried on the second wig, I could tell that my hairline was starting to recede, and there was a pile of hair on the table. Before you wear a wig, you have to put a stocking cap on your head. Since my head is so big and still has hair, the cap was sliding off, and every time it did, it took out more hair. I told the nice Korean lady that I was going buy a wig that night and wear it out of the store. I wasn't expecting my hair to be noticeably coming out until the end of the weekend, but now it looked like it wasn't going to last until the next morning. The last wig I chose because even though it was synthetic, the hair moved like my hair. As I swung the styrofoam head back and forth, the hair in the back swung with it. It looked great on me, and I walked out of the store with it on my head.
I felt like it wasn't really just chance that brought me to the store that night. The woman actually ended up saying the exact same thing as my mom to comfort me when I realized my hair was really going, which was, "Don't be sad." I hope she ended up going to the doctor. I intend to bring my mom there and choose another wig. The lady gave me a 10% discount, and the wig was only $40! The other one from Rene of Paris was $400!! She also let me pick some earrings.
On Sat, I had a really long shower. So much hair came out that I was afraid to look in the mirror afterwards. Running my fingers through my hair and seeing hair come out is quite normal for me, but just not that much hair. It didn't cause me to panic because I was prepared to see hair in my fingers. I only yelped when there was a bunch of hair sliding down my chest. I thought it might have been a bug. That only happened once. When I finally looked in the mirror, I realized that I still had a lot of hair left so I just put on one of my comfy hats and went to Target. Sam can tell you that I took a long while, but I found some earrings to accessorize my hat.
On Sunday, I think not as much came out, but there's a noticeable bare spot in the front middle part of my head, probably where the stocking cap pulled the most. Since I see scalp, I'm applying the Vitamin E cream there. There's quite of bit of hair behind both of my ears with the hat on, so not so bad.
It's kinda cold outside today so wearing the hat doesn't seem obvious, especially with my coat on. After radiation treatment today, I went to reschedule my blood work for tomorrow. The woman asked me, "Who is the patient?" instead of saying, " Give me your card." I must look pretty healthy. => Of course, more pics to come.
Friday, October 24, 2008
Lint Roller is My Friend
Well, I'm really shedding now. It's all over my scarf, and my friend is trying to clean it up, although not with much success. I made an appointment with the image recovery store for Tues at 11:30 am for hair cutting, maybe shaving, and wig fitting. I don't know if I'll have any hair left by Tues, but I guess I can wear a hat until then.
I met up with Katie, another breast cancer survivor who is here at Hopkins, and had lunch at the Greene Turtle at Fells Point. She was telling me about how she shaved her head, but her scalp hurt a lot so she used a lint roller on her head. The final hair stubs came out on the roller and left a bald strip on her head. She was a bit traumatized. I'm not sure how to make the experience less traumatic, but it's a bit freaky to see so much hair coming out. I just don't want to see a bald patch on my head. That reminds me. Janet, what happened to your puppy with mange?
I met up with Katie, another breast cancer survivor who is here at Hopkins, and had lunch at the Greene Turtle at Fells Point. She was telling me about how she shaved her head, but her scalp hurt a lot so she used a lint roller on her head. The final hair stubs came out on the roller and left a bald strip on her head. She was a bit traumatized. I'm not sure how to make the experience less traumatic, but it's a bit freaky to see so much hair coming out. I just don't want to see a bald patch on my head. That reminds me. Janet, what happened to your puppy with mange?
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Mega bladder
Blog issues again.
anyway, my bladder contained 800 cc of urine. How do I know this? Because since I've been in the hospital, I've been measuring with a container in the toilet. I'm very proud of my generous bladder, and it explains why I go to the bathroom less than most of my friends.
Mom, William, Sam, and I are going to Szechuan House again tonight to celebrate my release (from the hospital, not the one from this morning =>).
anyway, my bladder contained 800 cc of urine. How do I know this? Because since I've been in the hospital, I've been measuring with a container in the toilet. I'm very proud of my generous bladder, and it explains why I go to the bathroom less than most of my friends.
Mom, William, Sam, and I are going to Szechuan House again tonight to celebrate my release (from the hospital, not the one from this morning =>).
I'm Free!
My neutrophil counts last night were 430 so they let me out today with some oral antibiotics. It took a while to pack since so many things accumulated over that past 5 days. I'm free from the iv pole. The first half hour I would look at the iv pole every time I moved. I had my radiation today with the iv in, although the discharge papers were being filed. Then, I waited half an hour in a wheelchair with a mask on for them to take me to my room, even though I was perfectly capable of walking up on my own.
I woke up at 5:30 am and
I woke up at 5:30 am and
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Pics in Hospital
Sam's watching CNN, our only TV channel. I use the computer in the back to e-mail.
Here's my bed. It's pretty comfortable with 4 pillows and tempurpedic mat!
During the day, I have a nice view of downtown Baltimore. You can see my IV pole next to me.
My IV that's been in since Sat. Chawann did a great job tracking that vein. My right arm gets poked at for blood draws and squeezed with the blood pressure cuff since my left arm is babied after the sentinel node biopsy.Good news! My neutrophil count is 150! So the zero from yesterday was probably the fluke. Yay! I was switched to oral antibiotics today. The iv is just dripping saline, just in case the oral antibiotics don't work to prevent fever.
I got the postcards from Linda (all 5!) and the package from Bonnie today. Those aloe socks are so soft, I'm wearing them now! Thanks!
I met up with both my medical oncologist and radiation oncologist today. Dr. MedOnc came at 8:30 in the morning, after I e-mailed him at 8:30 last night. He was dressed all in black with something around this neck. He reminded me of a photographer, but he answered all my ques. Dr. MedOnc explained that I'm what's called "hot and low", fever with neutropenia. Studies have shown that Neulasta (G-CSF) will not be much help in getting my neutrophil counts up at this stage so we wait. He assured me that mostly likely I'll be OK for chemo next Wed. Neulasta when used next time will shorten the period of time my neutrophils will be low and also prevent the counts from reaching zero. I explained to him that I didn't know about my wisdom tooth being prone to infection.
My radiation treatment today was delayed from 9:30 am to 1:00 pm because there were some problems with the machine. It being Wed., I had my photos taken and x-rays, too. Only 4 more to go! Dr.RadOnc met me afterwards. I asked him about the effects of radiation on my neutrophils. He told me that white blood cells are mainly made in the hips and spine so the neutrophil production should not be affected by the small area that I'm being irradiated.
After my shower today, Mom was combing my hair, but I was hesitant because I've been seeing more hair around my bed, although not really more than usual. After combing, she seemed a bit sad, and I could hear her picking up my hair while combing. More hair came out in my hands later. Don't get me wrong! There's a lot more left and no spots, but it's the beginning of the temporary end. Not worried though, just deciding when to go to the image recovery store.
Here's the link to the place where I bought my wig:
http://www.imagerecovery.com/store/catalog_full.cfm?section=store&catID=16
http://www.imagerecovery.com/store/catalog_full.cfm?section=store&catID=16
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Hanging out at Hopkins
My neutrophil count is zero again. What can I say? The doc said that there's a margin of error in counting, and when the norm is 1500-7000, 70 doesn't seem like a lot. I e-mailed my medical oncologist tonight, and he'll be coming by tomorrow morning to answer my questions. He said I should still be able to have chemo next Wed. as scheduled. I was suspecting that the radiation may be affecting the counts, but I know that in reality the radiation is to a small area. I just wonder about the breast bone...
So I spent my day on the internet. I also went down to the first floor where there was more traffic to get the parking tickets. I was moving fairly quickly with my iv pole into the elevator when the pole rammed into the back of the elevator. whoops! Didn't take in the swing factor. It's like having the largest bracelet ever!
As I was going around the hospital, people kept on telling me how healthy I looked even with the mask on. Seriously, I believe I am the healthiest person checked in on this floor. It's just that I need to have the zosyn antibiotic given to me every 4 hours. The swelling around my wisdom tooth is down.
Jeannie and her mom came to visit me and Sam tonight. They drove all the way up from DC after work to take a look around and drop off some Korean dramas--the new agenda for tomorrow =>. Also, Megan from lab stopped by and gave me a Case Studies in Immunology book to read. I found the section on someone with non-functional neutrophils, a condition called chronic granulomatous disease (CGD). Basically, he had severe fungal and bacterial infection in his lungs and was given interferon-gamma, although the mechanism by which interferon-gamma works is not known. Jeannie, Ms. Smartypants, Ok Dr. Smartypants, named the condition before I finished saying non-functional neutrophils. I'm just too impressed. =>
I talked with Jenny An, and we were talking about heart arrythmias. She's been having them and was recommended to go see a doc right away. I actually started having them this year, but maybe once every few weeks. They are short and slightly take your breath away. I was told by my docs not to worry about it--that as you get older, it's more common. There was one nurse though who told me that I wasn't the first breast cancer patient to mention having heart arrythmia before being diagnosed. I just keep it in mind.
So I spent my day on the internet. I also went down to the first floor where there was more traffic to get the parking tickets. I was moving fairly quickly with my iv pole into the elevator when the pole rammed into the back of the elevator. whoops! Didn't take in the swing factor. It's like having the largest bracelet ever!
As I was going around the hospital, people kept on telling me how healthy I looked even with the mask on. Seriously, I believe I am the healthiest person checked in on this floor. It's just that I need to have the zosyn antibiotic given to me every 4 hours. The swelling around my wisdom tooth is down.
Jeannie and her mom came to visit me and Sam tonight. They drove all the way up from DC after work to take a look around and drop off some Korean dramas--the new agenda for tomorrow =>. Also, Megan from lab stopped by and gave me a Case Studies in Immunology book to read. I found the section on someone with non-functional neutrophils, a condition called chronic granulomatous disease (CGD). Basically, he had severe fungal and bacterial infection in his lungs and was given interferon-gamma, although the mechanism by which interferon-gamma works is not known. Jeannie, Ms. Smartypants, Ok Dr. Smartypants, named the condition before I finished saying non-functional neutrophils. I'm just too impressed. =>
I talked with Jenny An, and we were talking about heart arrythmias. She's been having them and was recommended to go see a doc right away. I actually started having them this year, but maybe once every few weeks. They are short and slightly take your breath away. I was told by my docs not to worry about it--that as you get older, it's more common. There was one nurse though who told me that I wasn't the first breast cancer patient to mention having heart arrythmia before being diagnosed. I just keep it in mind.
Good News about Neutrophil Count
My blood was taken last night, and my absolute neutrophil count is at 76! So much better than zero the day before. I do have to wait until it reaches 500 before I leave the hospital though. So I'm thinking around Wed? No way to know. I had my blood drawn tonight too so we'll see.
I surprised my radiation techs by coming in with an i.v. pole today. It was getting too easy for them to maneuver just the wires for the ABS breathing apparatus and push button hand-held controller while they irradiate me in 5 different positions. Well, I wasn't late for my appointment today! I just got out bed, in the middle of breaskfast (oatmeal), and headed down to the lower level.
I was a bit grouchy this morning because when I got back, the rest of my breakfast was gone. I thought that the nurse or Sam would be keeping an eye on it, but it was whisked away. I'm putting a sign on it tomorrow! Nobody takes my food!! =>
On Friday night, I read Bald in the Land of Big Hair by Joni Rodgers. The author lived in...Texas!! I hope staying up all night reading the book didn't cause my fever. :O The first 4 or so chapters had me cracking up! Joni had a very serious lymphoma, but was able to defy stats through chemo. She wrote that when she would go shopping bald, the cashiers would call her sir. I think that I'm going to be increasing the amount of jewelry that I wear.
Then this one chapter had me bawling because she was writing about the worst time of her chemo and its affect on her children. Fortunately, I'm not taking what she was. I was going to recommend the book to the YSC members, but I think that some members are actually taking the same drug so scratch that.
Sam stayed with me the whole day. We were laughing every time the SNL rap skit of Sarah Palin came on CNN, the only TV channel I have. I'm an innocent moose...BAM, BAM, BAM!! Mom and William came by with Korean seaweed soup.
Happy birthday, Sabrina!! Celebrate it well! Yes, it's possible even without me there. => I'm remembering one of the breast cancer awareness commercials with the song "I wanna be an old woman". How true, eventually!! I always thought that it was interesting that even in college, Janet said that she would love to get those laugh lines around her eyes. She thinks little old women are adorable. hee hee
I surprised my radiation techs by coming in with an i.v. pole today. It was getting too easy for them to maneuver just the wires for the ABS breathing apparatus and push button hand-held controller while they irradiate me in 5 different positions. Well, I wasn't late for my appointment today! I just got out bed, in the middle of breaskfast (oatmeal), and headed down to the lower level.
I was a bit grouchy this morning because when I got back, the rest of my breakfast was gone. I thought that the nurse or Sam would be keeping an eye on it, but it was whisked away. I'm putting a sign on it tomorrow! Nobody takes my food!! =>
On Friday night, I read Bald in the Land of Big Hair by Joni Rodgers. The author lived in...Texas!! I hope staying up all night reading the book didn't cause my fever. :O The first 4 or so chapters had me cracking up! Joni had a very serious lymphoma, but was able to defy stats through chemo. She wrote that when she would go shopping bald, the cashiers would call her sir. I think that I'm going to be increasing the amount of jewelry that I wear.
Then this one chapter had me bawling because she was writing about the worst time of her chemo and its affect on her children. Fortunately, I'm not taking what she was. I was going to recommend the book to the YSC members, but I think that some members are actually taking the same drug so scratch that.
Sam stayed with me the whole day. We were laughing every time the SNL rap skit of Sarah Palin came on CNN, the only TV channel I have. I'm an innocent moose...BAM, BAM, BAM!! Mom and William came by with Korean seaweed soup.
Happy birthday, Sabrina!! Celebrate it well! Yes, it's possible even without me there. => I'm remembering one of the breast cancer awareness commercials with the song "I wanna be an old woman". How true, eventually!! I always thought that it was interesting that even in college, Janet said that she would love to get those laugh lines around her eyes. She thinks little old women are adorable. hee hee
Sunday, October 19, 2008
No Walk For Me, but I'm Keeping Everyone Else Running Around
Due to the admittance to the Weinberg Cancer Center, I was not able to participate in the Komen Race. William had picked up the T-shirts from the registration though since the walk was near his work place. We'll have to take a pic with the shirts even though we didn't go.
Looking at the bulletins boards, I read that chemo can affect your eyesight--blurry vision, dry eyes, even cataracts. Although it may get better after chemo, it's possible it may never be the same. Now, that's one thing the docs did not tell me, and I had to find out on my own.
I'm told to leave "surprises" for my nurses. I left one in the toilet (You can guess what it is) this morning as instructed yesterday, but now that I've had a change in the appearance of said surprise, I must leave more for inspection. Man, it's hard to keep your dignity as a patient! It got me to thinking about how in ancient China, the imperial physicians would check the excretions of the King. Still feels weird.
Looking at the bulletins boards, I read that chemo can affect your eyesight--blurry vision, dry eyes, even cataracts. Although it may get better after chemo, it's possible it may never be the same. Now, that's one thing the docs did not tell me, and I had to find out on my own.
I'm told to leave "surprises" for my nurses. I left one in the toilet (You can guess what it is) this morning as instructed yesterday, but now that I've had a change in the appearance of said surprise, I must leave more for inspection. Man, it's hard to keep your dignity as a patient! It got me to thinking about how in ancient China, the imperial physicians would check the excretions of the King. Still feels weird.
In the hospital--not too serious
I was admitted into the cancer center yesterday due to neutropenic fever. I actually feel fine now (no fever), but they have me on two antibiotics (Zosyn and vancomycin) and will keep me here until my neutrophil count reaches 500. It was at absolute ZERO yesterday. My fever was at 100.5 to 101.2. I think that there are 2 possible sites of infection. It looks like one of my wisdom teeth wants to make an entrance NOW and is causing major inflammation. The other is my "port of exit (POE)", which is also inflamed. They did a CT of my jaw and upper chest, a chest x-ray, another blood culture, and took urine and stool specimens. Everything's come back normal so far.
I had a reaction to the vancomycin. Usually they give it to you by iv for an hour. About 45 min in, I felt like I was having a hot flash. My head and upper chest became red and hot, and my scalp started icthing like crazy! I was given tylenol, benadryl, and the rate of infusion was lowered. I was talking with Jeannie, and she said I had red man syndrome and needed the vancomycin to be given more slowly. Everything else went smoothly, even the food here is pretty good.
I got a cream for my rash: Sween 24 once a day moisturizing cream (Dimethicone, Coloplast) and another for my POE: Critic-Aid Clear Moisture barrier ointment (petrolatum, Coloplast).I'll definitely be getting the Neulasta the next time around. Right now it looks like the docs are waiting for me to produce them on my own.
I had a reaction to the vancomycin. Usually they give it to you by iv for an hour. About 45 min in, I felt like I was having a hot flash. My head and upper chest became red and hot, and my scalp started icthing like crazy! I was given tylenol, benadryl, and the rate of infusion was lowered. I was talking with Jeannie, and she said I had red man syndrome and needed the vancomycin to be given more slowly. Everything else went smoothly, even the food here is pretty good.
I got a cream for my rash: Sween 24 once a day moisturizing cream (Dimethicone, Coloplast) and another for my POE: Critic-Aid Clear Moisture barrier ointment (petrolatum, Coloplast).I'll definitely be getting the Neulasta the next time around. Right now it looks like the docs are waiting for me to produce them on my own.
Friday, October 17, 2008
Pics as Promised
Chemo Round 1: I get to lounge in a bed! It was crowded elsewhere and warm. The white/gray box was dripping the chemo into my wrist. During the 3 bathroom runs, we just unplugged the contraption from the wall, and mom followed me with it. Sam took the pic with my mom. I was talking to Linda.
Hair Cutting Day: William and Mom come over. I should have brushed my hair for the pic. Kinda scraggly lookin'.
My hair all tied up and resting on the coffee table.
New do: Mom curled it under nicely, but I just run out the door with wet hair for my radiation treatments. =>
Hair Cutting Day: William and Mom come over. I should have brushed my hair for the pic. Kinda scraggly lookin'.My hair all tied up and resting on the coffee table.
New do: Mom curled it under nicely, but I just run out the door with wet hair for my radiation treatments. =>
Neutropenic, but feeling fine!
Well, the rash behind my knees got worse, and I saw another mild rash on my left wrist so after radiation treatment, I headed to see my chemo nurse. They did some bloodwork, and I am neutropenic. I'm at 30 neutrophils/cubic mm when normally it's 1500-7800. Before chemo, I was at 3740. I feel completely fine though and was given prescriptions for some antibiotics just in case I needed them over the weekend. They also stuck me again to get a blood culture. The nurse was suspecting fungus or yeast, but when I showed my arm to a pediatrician in my lab, he said it looked like an allergic reaction. Now I'll be getting Neulasta, which makes your bones pump out white blood cells, after my next chemo. I honestly thought that she would just give me some skin cream and send me on my way. I got some masks and will be eating all cooked foods.
I'm suppose to stay away from large crowds so I mentioned to my nurse that I'll be attending the Komen walk/run on Sunday. My nurse is actually running as well, but she didn't sign up under the Johns Hopkins Breast Center team. I guess if I feel sick I can try to track her down, among the thousands of people there. => William is on board for the walk. Also, another person from my lab may join us! Only thing is that the news last night said that it will be literally freezing on Sun morning, 34 degrees!
I'm suppose to stay away from large crowds so I mentioned to my nurse that I'll be attending the Komen walk/run on Sunday. My nurse is actually running as well, but she didn't sign up under the Johns Hopkins Breast Center team. I guess if I feel sick I can try to track her down, among the thousands of people there. => William is on board for the walk. Also, another person from my lab may join us! Only thing is that the news last night said that it will be literally freezing on Sun morning, 34 degrees!
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Good Night and Walk Recruit
Last night was a great night. No pain and comfortable rest. I think that I developed a rash behind my knees though. It's not bad though.
I talked to Mom last night, and she will be joining me in the Komen walk/run this Sunday in Huny Valley, MD. I'm going to sign her up today. Hey, William, you wanna come? I'm planning to be there at 7am, but we can meet around 8. At 7, there is a survivor parade. As a survivor, you can wear a brighter pink shirt and have your picture taken. Anyone else want to join us? Let me know, and I'll get you the info.
I talked to Mom last night, and she will be joining me in the Komen walk/run this Sunday in Huny Valley, MD. I'm going to sign her up today. Hey, William, you wanna come? I'm planning to be there at 7am, but we can meet around 8. At 7, there is a survivor parade. As a survivor, you can wear a brighter pink shirt and have your picture taken. Anyone else want to join us? Let me know, and I'll get you the info.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Radiation Day 6 and Meet with Dr. Rad Onc
Last night was rough. During the day, I feel pretty good, eating much smaller amounts than what I usually eat, but still eating something if I want it. Yesterday, I had 2 pancakes, a piece of cake, mashed potatoes with gravy, small amount of roasted corn chowder, scrambled eggs, a few pieces of fish that Sam made, and 3 slices of roasted chicken. I would say that's a pretty good amount of food considering that I feel like my tongue's starting to swell. Well, for the second night, I had intense abdominal pain. Sam ran out to get the Immodium for diarrhea, but I don't think that it gave me much relief. I just went to bed. I could try going to sleep earlier so that I'd be unconscious when it hits.
When I woke up this morning, I was feeling like my normal self. The radiation went smoothly, and I went to see Dr. RadOnc (radiation oncologist) afterwards. I had my pics taken for the study. I'm getting 270 cGy per radiation treatment, for a total of 4050 cGy. Dr. RadOnc showed me the CT scan, and I could see the clips that were left from the surgery. My heart really does look like it's out of the way with I breathe in. He did a good job.
Sam got me roses yesterday to celebrate one of our many anniversaries. Isn't he sweet? What did I do? I did the laundry. He loves it when I do the laundry. Those of you who have read The Five Languages know why this makes complete sense.
When I woke up this morning, I was feeling like my normal self. The radiation went smoothly, and I went to see Dr. RadOnc (radiation oncologist) afterwards. I had my pics taken for the study. I'm getting 270 cGy per radiation treatment, for a total of 4050 cGy. Dr. RadOnc showed me the CT scan, and I could see the clips that were left from the surgery. My heart really does look like it's out of the way with I breathe in. He did a good job.
Sam got me roses yesterday to celebrate one of our many anniversaries. Isn't he sweet? What did I do? I did the laundry. He loves it when I do the laundry. Those of you who have read The Five Languages know why this makes complete sense.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Pancakes for a while
Pancakes are fluffy, and you can stuff peanut butter in them. They're pretty gentle on my stomach it seems so it looks like I'll be sticking with them for a few days at least.
I had some bad cramping last night so I tried to sleep it off. Since I usually don't get cramps, I didn't have anything for them. My scalp is starting to itch, but my hair isn't really coming out more than usual.
A lot of you called last night. Thanks for your well wishes! I just couldn't pick up because of the cramping. I got a chance to talk to Grandma though. She's such a great cheerleader, a lot of experience at 88!
I had some bad cramping last night so I tried to sleep it off. Since I usually don't get cramps, I didn't have anything for them. My scalp is starting to itch, but my hair isn't really coming out more than usual.
A lot of you called last night. Thanks for your well wishes! I just couldn't pick up because of the cramping. I got a chance to talk to Grandma though. She's such a great cheerleader, a lot of experience at 88!
Monday, October 13, 2008
taxotere and radiation doses
Thought I would just write down what I'm getting and how much while I remember:
Taxotere: 75 mg/m^2 range is usually from 60-100 mg/m^2
Radiation: total dose 4050 rads
Taxotere: 75 mg/m^2 range is usually from 60-100 mg/m^2
Radiation: total dose 4050 rads
Schedule for Chemo
If I don't have any delays due to low blood counts or other side effects, I should have my next 5 chemo treatments on the following Wednesdays:
Oct. 29
Nov. 19
Dec. 10
Dec. 31 JHU still open on New Years' Eve!
Jan. 21
Then, I'll be done!
It seems that my nose is starting to run-- could be a Herceptin side effects (cold-like symptoms). It doesn't bother me though.
I had kosher enchiladads for lunch, but I forgot that I shouldn't eat salsa. It's hard to be picky when I'm usually not.
Oct. 29
Nov. 19
Dec. 10
Dec. 31 JHU still open on New Years' Eve!
Jan. 21
Then, I'll be done!
It seems that my nose is starting to run-- could be a Herceptin side effects (cold-like symptoms). It doesn't bother me though.
I had kosher enchiladads for lunch, but I forgot that I shouldn't eat salsa. It's hard to be picky when I'm usually not.
Haircut and no meds
On Saturday, Mom and William came over for the ponytail cutting. I'm behind on my pics. It seems that Sam is uncomfortable with me waving around the ponytail. He just makes a face. Now it's resting on our coffee table.
My hair is chin-length. I think that it makes my neck look longer. Not bad at all. It's just been a while since I've had a bob. I've been rummaging through my earrings for different accents around my head.
Yesterday, I was with Jeannie at the mall and walked slowly. I didn't take any meds yesterday or today, which is encouraging. We were looking at hats and chose a white cable-knit newsboy from Aldo. We even went out to eat pho afterwards. Unfortunately, Jeannie had an emergency she had to attend to in Boston, but it was great she came by.
My fourth radiation treatment was this morning. The techs didn't know that I was going through chemo at the same time, but they noticed the haircut. I don't have any flushing on my face today so I think that previously it must have been from the flu shot.
My hair is chin-length. I think that it makes my neck look longer. Not bad at all. It's just been a while since I've had a bob. I've been rummaging through my earrings for different accents around my head.
Yesterday, I was with Jeannie at the mall and walked slowly. I didn't take any meds yesterday or today, which is encouraging. We were looking at hats and chose a white cable-knit newsboy from Aldo. We even went out to eat pho afterwards. Unfortunately, Jeannie had an emergency she had to attend to in Boston, but it was great she came by.
My fourth radiation treatment was this morning. The techs didn't know that I was going through chemo at the same time, but they noticed the haircut. I don't have any flushing on my face today so I think that previously it must have been from the flu shot.
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Walking Helps!
Last night I was suppose to walk with Sam to take out the trash/recycle, but since it was so cold outside, I wanted to walk in gym instead of going across the community to the dump. Poor Sam walked alone in the cold while I started on the treadmill. I realized that the walking subdued that heartburn! I walked for about an hour, more than 2 miles, while watching Deal or No Deal. I was worried that if I got off that I would feel sick again, but I didn't. I took some Ativan before going to sleep to prevent the nausea from coming back. I woke up without any nausea or heartburn. I actually felt normal!
I ate an egg that Sam made. Actually, the second egg he made. The first one he made fried with soy sauce that I find too salty so he make another with little salt and ketchup. What was the movie where the woman found her identity by finally deciding how she likes her eggs? Anyway, at least Sam knows now.
I also had a soup Sam made with young green peas. As scheduled, I took an Anzemet this morning. Some heartburn that comes and goes. I'll take a walk.
William and Mom will be coming over today to the apt. I asked Mom to cut my hair shoulder length so it's close to the wig. My hair isn't falling out more than usual. My scalp seems itchy in the front, but it could be the change in weather.
My face does seem like it's getting a tan. The flushed cheeks may be the radiation on my face? I think that I'll be talking with Dr. RadOnc soon. Off to the haircut!
Just finished reading: My One-Night Stand with Cancer (Tania)
I ate an egg that Sam made. Actually, the second egg he made. The first one he made fried with soy sauce that I find too salty so he make another with little salt and ketchup. What was the movie where the woman found her identity by finally deciding how she likes her eggs? Anyway, at least Sam knows now.
I also had a soup Sam made with young green peas. As scheduled, I took an Anzemet this morning. Some heartburn that comes and goes. I'll take a walk.
William and Mom will be coming over today to the apt. I asked Mom to cut my hair shoulder length so it's close to the wig. My hair isn't falling out more than usual. My scalp seems itchy in the front, but it could be the change in weather.
My face does seem like it's getting a tan. The flushed cheeks may be the radiation on my face? I think that I'll be talking with Dr. RadOnc soon. Off to the haircut!
Just finished reading: My One-Night Stand with Cancer (Tania)
Friday, October 10, 2008
to continue...
blog issues. Anyway, the nausea started last night, and I'm still not feeling so great. I'll probably be popping another anti-nausea med compazine soon in addition to the Anzemet that I took this morning. I keep checking my temperature since I feel warm, but it's only at 98.4 or lower. I'm going to head home soon. Right now I'm using the lab computer. Later...
Third radiation and some nausea
I had my third radiation treatment this morning. It went smoothly, no ncolor changes. I'm a bit flushed with rosy cheeks.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Flu shot
I was also given a flu shot at the same time as chemo. I will have to avoid getting sick while on chemo so I'm not eating any raw/uncooked foods from restaurants. My blood counts will lower in about 7-14 days post chemo. So far, people at work say I don't look sick at all. I ate something a little spicy after the radiation treatment accidentally. I have a little heart burn, but it's OK. Then I had pizza at lab meeting. No nausea! I think I'll head back home to take a walk and rest. It's important to exercise drink lots of water and exercise during chemo to get everything flushing right.
Still Feeling Fine Today
The night before chemo and radiation (Tues night), I only got 3 hours of sleep. I slept from 12am to 3am, but then I couldn't fall back asleep. I just kept on thinking about the upcoming procedures. It may have also been the decadron I was taking. It's a steroid that's suppose to help decrease reaction to the chemo and decease nausea, but it keeps you active! Last night though I had a good night's sleep even with the decadron (dexamethasone).
I'm having partial breast radiation treatment 15 times once a day except Sat. and Sun. I had my second treatment this morning, and it went smoothly. I was even able to take in more air than yesterday so my lungs seem to be expanding. There were five angles for radiation treatment.
With the breathing machine you have a mouthpiece like the cheap scuba gear and then they clamp your nose. It kept on slipping off my nose I guess because of the lotion that I used. So they stuck on some tape before putting on the clamp to secure it. It worked very well.
The chemo went so smoothly I couldn't have had it better! It was crowded yesterday in the waiting room, but when it was my turn to go in, I got to have a bed with a TV and curtained private area. With the blanket and pillows I brought, it was pretty relaxing.
I was given the anti-nausea med Anzemet through the i.v. first. The i.v. tube was uncomfortable at first, but after a few minutes I asked another nurse to adjust the angle. I couldn't even feel it by the end of chemo. I was worried because if the chemo goes outside your vein, you can have cell damage there even though they are not growing fast since the chemo would accumulate.
The first chemo was taxotere, which I could have had a reaction to in the first 15 min. So the nurse watched me carefully then, but I was fine. In 5% of patients, they can get a rash or stop breathing. The carboplatin was next and that went without a problem. If patients get carbo more than 10 times, they can develop a reaction, but since I'm only getting 6 it should be OK with the rest of the treatments. The herceptin was last and could have given me a bad reaction (also 5% chance, but no prob there too. So I just ate grapes, a sandwich, drank water, chewed on ice, and flipped through an American Cancer Society magazine for wigs/hats. Mom helped me travel to the bathroom 3 times in my 5 hours there. Usually, the nurse keeps you there for an hour after you finish chemo, but I looked so well that I could leave early.
Sam, Mom, William, and I went to eat at Schezhuan House in Towson afterwards. I had a good appetite, but I noticed my mouth was a little dry. It could have been the gum I was chewing. I bought some Big Red the night before chemo because I heard the chemo could leave a bad taste in your mouth. We picked up some baking soda and added water to make a rinse. It was salty, but I think that it helped hydrate. With chemo you can get mouth sores or even a fungal thrush so the biotene and baking soda should help with that.
It was a smooth day yesterday. The only time I was really upset was when I heard that Janet's dad passed away. Please keep her in your prayers as well.
I'm having partial breast radiation treatment 15 times once a day except Sat. and Sun. I had my second treatment this morning, and it went smoothly. I was even able to take in more air than yesterday so my lungs seem to be expanding. There were five angles for radiation treatment.
With the breathing machine you have a mouthpiece like the cheap scuba gear and then they clamp your nose. It kept on slipping off my nose I guess because of the lotion that I used. So they stuck on some tape before putting on the clamp to secure it. It worked very well.
The chemo went so smoothly I couldn't have had it better! It was crowded yesterday in the waiting room, but when it was my turn to go in, I got to have a bed with a TV and curtained private area. With the blanket and pillows I brought, it was pretty relaxing.
I was given the anti-nausea med Anzemet through the i.v. first. The i.v. tube was uncomfortable at first, but after a few minutes I asked another nurse to adjust the angle. I couldn't even feel it by the end of chemo. I was worried because if the chemo goes outside your vein, you can have cell damage there even though they are not growing fast since the chemo would accumulate.
The first chemo was taxotere, which I could have had a reaction to in the first 15 min. So the nurse watched me carefully then, but I was fine. In 5% of patients, they can get a rash or stop breathing. The carboplatin was next and that went without a problem. If patients get carbo more than 10 times, they can develop a reaction, but since I'm only getting 6 it should be OK with the rest of the treatments. The herceptin was last and could have given me a bad reaction (also 5% chance, but no prob there too. So I just ate grapes, a sandwich, drank water, chewed on ice, and flipped through an American Cancer Society magazine for wigs/hats. Mom helped me travel to the bathroom 3 times in my 5 hours there. Usually, the nurse keeps you there for an hour after you finish chemo, but I looked so well that I could leave early.
Sam, Mom, William, and I went to eat at Schezhuan House in Towson afterwards. I had a good appetite, but I noticed my mouth was a little dry. It could have been the gum I was chewing. I bought some Big Red the night before chemo because I heard the chemo could leave a bad taste in your mouth. We picked up some baking soda and added water to make a rinse. It was salty, but I think that it helped hydrate. With chemo you can get mouth sores or even a fungal thrush so the biotene and baking soda should help with that.
It was a smooth day yesterday. The only time I was really upset was when I heard that Janet's dad passed away. Please keep her in your prayers as well.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Just waiting
I'm in the patient education room before I go in for the chemo. I talked with someone (Medical oncologist's assistant? I have her card.) just before coming here about what to expect from chemo. She said that I should be fine--that with taxotere you don't usually feel nausea and with carboplatin it's mild, if you feel anything. I have 4 different anti-nausea meds so I think that's covered.
I thought the chemo was going to be 6 hours, but now they tell me that taxotere is 1 hr, not 4 hrs unless I have a reaction, carboplatin is 1 hr, and herceptin for the first treatment is 1.5 hr but later it's 0.5 hrs. With the premeds, Sam, Mom, and I will be out of here in 4 hours. Yay! We can eat early afterwards, although we brought bags of food with us. We were going to have a picnic here. I even have pillows and blankets.
I had my first radiation therapy this morning. It was a breeze. I just laid there and used the ABS breathing machine. It took longer than I expected because the radiation was given in at least 4 different positions. I feel great. Only thing is that I have 14 more treatments, and they scheduled them all at 8:45 am. I'm so not a morning person.
I thought the chemo was going to be 6 hours, but now they tell me that taxotere is 1 hr, not 4 hrs unless I have a reaction, carboplatin is 1 hr, and herceptin for the first treatment is 1.5 hr but later it's 0.5 hrs. With the premeds, Sam, Mom, and I will be out of here in 4 hours. Yay! We can eat early afterwards, although we brought bags of food with us. We were going to have a picnic here. I even have pillows and blankets.
I had my first radiation therapy this morning. It was a breeze. I just laid there and used the ABS breathing machine. It took longer than I expected because the radiation was given in at least 4 different positions. I feel great. Only thing is that I have 14 more treatments, and they scheduled them all at 8:45 am. I'm so not a morning person.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Rad Simulation
I just came back from the radiation simulation. My treatment starts tomorrow at 8:45 am. I used the ABS breathing apparatus, but it was different this time. I just breathed in as much air as I could instead of having the machine cut me off. The staff took at least two x-rays. I have more x's on me now, in light blue.
Every time you into a different department, they make you put the gown on different. Open in front, open in the back. Put on two with one open in front, one in back. Now I just put it on and make sure I'm not flashing or mooning anyone.
Every time you into a different department, they make you put the gown on different. Open in front, open in the back. Put on two with one open in front, one in back. Now I just put it on and make sure I'm not flashing or mooning anyone.
Retail Therapy
Chemo class was this morning. I was late because the shuttle I took from the satellite parking lot to the hospital stopped twice in the middle of the road. When it braked at a red light, the driver would have to turn off the shuttle to get it going again. So I missed a video, but got a big binder of info on dealing with side effects and what to watch out for.
I met Marybeth my nurse and saw the area I'll be receiving chemo. I would say most of the patients in the waiting room are 60 and above. Instead of having blood drawn at 8:30 am tomorrow, I had it done today and passed by the image recovery center.
I wanted to check if they had the correct colored cap I needed for under my wig, but I ended up buying a whole bunch of products.
I bought another hat, but it's for sleeping and keeping my head warm so it's not cute like the other one. It's really soft though.
I also got:
Bee Pollen Shampoo--supposedly good for stressed hair
http://www.alphabeauty.com/shopping/pricelist.asp?prid=5246&Anasazi-Bee-Pollen-Shampoo,Stressed-&-Lifeless-Hair
Scalp lotion with vitamin E
http://www.iherb.com/ProductDetails.aspx?c=1&pid=3848&at=0 (Hey, it costs less on the website!)
Biotene for mouth moisture and prevention of sores
http://www.biotene.com/products/mouthwash.asp
Now about the hair...
I met Marybeth my nurse and saw the area I'll be receiving chemo. I would say most of the patients in the waiting room are 60 and above. Instead of having blood drawn at 8:30 am tomorrow, I had it done today and passed by the image recovery center.
I wanted to check if they had the correct colored cap I needed for under my wig, but I ended up buying a whole bunch of products.
I bought another hat, but it's for sleeping and keeping my head warm so it's not cute like the other one. It's really soft though.
I also got:
Bee Pollen Shampoo--supposedly good for stressed hair
http://www.alphabeauty.com/shopping/pricelist.asp?prid=5246&Anasazi-Bee-Pollen-Shampoo,Stressed-&-Lifeless-Hair
Scalp lotion with vitamin E
http://www.iherb.com/ProductDetails.aspx?c=1&pid=3848&at=0 (Hey, it costs less on the website!)
Biotene for mouth moisture and prevention of sores
http://www.biotene.com/products/mouthwash.asp
Now about the hair...
Monday, October 6, 2008
My excuse..My Driver's License
Well, I didn't cut my hair over the weekend. I figured I should change my FL license to the MD one. I wanted to have my picture taken with my real hair. I finally got my license after 2.5 hours and $45. The picture turned out better than the FL one, but still not so great. I forgot that on the MD one, it has your weight. I didn't fudge the number, but looking back I wonder: why didn't I?
Friday, October 3, 2008
Aww...Thanks! and Radiation Info
I was reading your comments on the wig. I'm glad you all approve. It makes me feel better that wig shopping turned out so well. If you come by and visit, I'll show you how it looks like real scalp on top!
So, I got an e-mail from my radiation oncologist yesterday. He's the one designing the radiation treatment and heading the clinical trial I am on.
He wrote: With this new plan [with the breathing apparatus] less than 10% of the heart will receive 200+ rads. That is a very very small dose.
Is this good enough? Dr. RadOnc seems to think so.
So I searched on the web for an idea of what 200 rads is.
1) On breastcancer.org,
rad = centiGray (cGy)
Radiation treatment is given in low doses daily, and the total cumulative dose is calculated.
For breast cancer, each daily session is usually 180-200 rads.
So, I got an e-mail from my radiation oncologist yesterday. He's the one designing the radiation treatment and heading the clinical trial I am on.
He wrote: With this new plan [with the breathing apparatus] less than 10% of the heart will receive 200+ rads. That is a very very small dose.
Is this good enough? Dr. RadOnc seems to think so.
So I searched on the web for an idea of what 200 rads is.
1) On breastcancer.org,
rad = centiGray (cGy)
Radiation treatment is given in low doses daily, and the total cumulative dose is calculated.
For breast cancer, each daily session is usually 180-200 rads.
For radiation to the whole breast and/or lymph node areas, the usual total dose is about 4500–5000 centiGrays over 5 weeks. Your doctor may then recommend an additional 1000–2000 centiGrays over 1 week delivered as a boost, targeted to the area where the tumor used to be.
Partial-breast radiation with external beam or internal radiation usually involves a total dose of 3400 centiGrays given over 1 week.
So I guess that 10% of my heart will have had about 1 daily dose of radiation treatment in a 25-day treatment plan.
2) Online book Radiation Toxicity: A Practical Guide
Editors: William Small Jr. and Gayle Woloschak
It only had the section on skin online. I guess I have to get the book to find out the effects on the heart.
"...fields treated with 2 Gy [200 cGy] daily fractionation do not show changes in basal cell density until total doses of 20-25 Gy [2000-2500 cGy] are delivered."
Greater than 45 Gy can cause dry, flaking skin with 2 Gy fractionation
I don't expect the cosmetic results of radiation treatment to be bad. A recent small clinical trial here at Hopkins that combined Adriamycin chemotherapy and partial breast radiation showed that the women tolerated the radiation treatment very well. The one I'm in allows any type of chemo treatment and partial breast radiation. As a part of the trial, the skin changes will be documented so there may pictures of my bust in a journal one day...
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Young Survival Coalition
I was talking to Grace last night, and she was trying to link me up with other people who have had cancer. I'm actually getting a lot of support and info from the Young Survival Coalition, which is comprised of mainly women 40 and under who have had breast cancer. There are more of us than you think!
http://www.youngsurvival.org/community/bulletin-board
http://www.youngsurvival.org/community/bulletin-board
New Chemotherapy/Radiation Date
The wig isn't cut and styled to my head yet since I still have all my hair. Since I want to donate my hair to Locks of Love before I have chemo, I think that I'll cut my hair this weekend, at least to the nape of my neck. In order to donate your hair, you have to have a minimum of 10 inches. Since it's going to come out anyway, I may as well ship it off to have a wig made for children with cancer.
So, it looks like the chemo date is set for next Wed., Oct 8th. Since I'm enrolled in a clinical trial where radiation is given at the same time as chemo (for the first 3 weeks), I will also be having radiation treatment next Wed. Actual radiation treatment time is 2-3 min. although with the prep and positioning it'll probably be 30 min. Chemo though will take about 6 hours--4 for the taxotere, 1 for carboplatin, and 1 for Herceptin. I guess they are all in different bags.
Sam and my mom will be coming with me. Hopefully, it'll be mostly waiting. Nothing exciting. Beth gave me some books to read. I actually already read one. I got some Korean books for my mom to read from the library.
I'll have my second chemo class next Tues. as well as the simulation for the radiation treatment. I'm ready to get going.
Most of you may have noticed that October is breast cancer awareness month so I've enlisted myself in two fundraising activities.
Lee National Denim Day: I'll be wearing jeans tomorrow!
http://www.denimday.com/team_page.aspx?tid=226673
2008 Komen MD Race for the Cure
Oct. 19th
There's a 1 mile walk or a 5K run. I'm going to see how I feel that day after the chemo to see how I participate.
http://2008rftc.kintera.org/faf/login/partMenu.asp?ievent=262076&lis=1&kntae262076=46DF05CA034C4012B1673E8CB76AC931
This year I'm participating to meet other survivors. It's not to raise funds, but be on the look out next year! =>
So, it looks like the chemo date is set for next Wed., Oct 8th. Since I'm enrolled in a clinical trial where radiation is given at the same time as chemo (for the first 3 weeks), I will also be having radiation treatment next Wed. Actual radiation treatment time is 2-3 min. although with the prep and positioning it'll probably be 30 min. Chemo though will take about 6 hours--4 for the taxotere, 1 for carboplatin, and 1 for Herceptin. I guess they are all in different bags.
Sam and my mom will be coming with me. Hopefully, it'll be mostly waiting. Nothing exciting. Beth gave me some books to read. I actually already read one. I got some Korean books for my mom to read from the library.
I'll have my second chemo class next Tues. as well as the simulation for the radiation treatment. I'm ready to get going.
Most of you may have noticed that October is breast cancer awareness month so I've enlisted myself in two fundraising activities.
Lee National Denim Day: I'll be wearing jeans tomorrow!
http://www.denimday.com/team_page.aspx?tid=226673
2008 Komen MD Race for the Cure
Oct. 19th
There's a 1 mile walk or a 5K run. I'm going to see how I feel that day after the chemo to see how I participate.
http://2008rftc.kintera.org/faf/login/partMenu.asp?ievent=262076&lis=1&kntae262076=46DF05CA034C4012B1673E8CB76AC931
This year I'm participating to meet other survivors. It's not to raise funds, but be on the look out next year! =>
The New Look
You may not recognize me on the street! I finally bought the Victoria wig in ginger brown two days ago. I also got the hat at the Image Recovery store. Take a look!
Monday, September 29, 2008
Like a deer
I have several crosses on me for the radiation treatment. Two on each side and one in middle of my chest, which covers a tattoo the radiation techs made that looks like a microfreckle. Sometimes I feel like a target in the woods. The cross that's on a clear sticker in the middle fell off today after being on me for about 3 weeks. Now I have an itchy rash there. I'm not sure if the rest of the stickers have to be on for the rest of my treatment, but if so, I'll have 4 more itchy spots in a few weeks. The doc is still trying to figure out if they can irradiate me safely, without getting my heart.
Friday, September 26, 2008
Wigs to consider
These were taken on my cell last week at the image recovery store. Wig Victoria in medium brown
Another wig in either espresso or cappuccino
Thursday, September 25, 2008
First blog
This blog is for the family and friends that want to know where I'm at in my treatment against breast cancer. It'll also be chance to make some friends in cyberspace who are going through similar situations.
Brief history:
Found a firm lump in left breast during self breast exam in Mid-May 2008
Primary Doctor's appt--05/27/08
Mammogram, ultrasound, needle core biopsy--05/28/08
Preliminary results of DCIS and possible invasive ductal carcinoma--05/29/08
Meet Dr. FabSurgeon--05/30/08
MRI shows 3 lumps in 1 area--6/11/08
First lumpectomy showed no node involvement and 0.7cm mutifocal cancer, Stage 1B--06/16/08
Meet Dr. MiamiMedOnc--07/10/08
Meet Dr. MDMed Onc---7/16/08
Meet Dr. FertilitySpecialist--07/23/08
First Heart Echo--07/25/08
Meet Dr. RadOnc--08/04/08
Second MRI showed calcifications were still present--08/06/08
Failed stereotactic biopsy--08/11/08
Second lumpectomy showed more DCIS--08/19/08
Day 2 for IVF cycle--08/25/08
IVF--09/05/08
PET/CT scan is normal, Simulation for radiation treatment--09/10/08
Found out BRCA1 and BRCA2 negative!--09/15/08
Simulation II for radiation--09/23/08
That pretty much brings us to the present. I've never been to so many doctors in my entire 32-year life. Let's see how this blog turns out.
Brief history:
Found a firm lump in left breast during self breast exam in Mid-May 2008
Primary Doctor's appt--05/27/08
Mammogram, ultrasound, needle core biopsy--05/28/08
Preliminary results of DCIS and possible invasive ductal carcinoma--05/29/08
Meet Dr. FabSurgeon--05/30/08
MRI shows 3 lumps in 1 area--6/11/08
First lumpectomy showed no node involvement and 0.7cm mutifocal cancer, Stage 1B--06/16/08
Meet Dr. MiamiMedOnc--07/10/08
Meet Dr. MDMed Onc---7/16/08
Meet Dr. FertilitySpecialist--07/23/08
First Heart Echo--07/25/08
Meet Dr. RadOnc--08/04/08
Second MRI showed calcifications were still present--08/06/08
Failed stereotactic biopsy--08/11/08
Second lumpectomy showed more DCIS--08/19/08
Day 2 for IVF cycle--08/25/08
IVF--09/05/08
PET/CT scan is normal, Simulation for radiation treatment--09/10/08
Found out BRCA1 and BRCA2 negative!--09/15/08
Simulation II for radiation--09/23/08
That pretty much brings us to the present. I've never been to so many doctors in my entire 32-year life. Let's see how this blog turns out.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
