Saturday Was a Wonderful Day

I cannot say enough about how wonderful it is to be finished with chemo and to be feeling good. Yesterday Randy and I had the kids over for the afternoon and we had lots of fun. First we hung the ghosts out front that we had made earlier in the week. Then we made Halloween cookies and while they were in the oven baking we took a break on the porch swing with a sucker.



Later we invited our neighbor Rose over to help decorate the cookies. The decorating recipe is lots of colored frosting and sprinkles to produce many giggles and smiles.


The day ended with a Halloween party at the home of friends. It was a perfect day and we are blessed to have had it.



Proverbs 17:6a "Grandchildren are the crown of old men" I think they are the crown of young grandmas too!

Thursday Was a Busy Day

First radiation at 10:30, at 1:00 pm the first solo Herceptin infusion, and then later I had my wig trimmed. I have yet to wear the wig but winter is coming and I may need it. I will need a passport for our cruise in February so I will definitely wear it for the passport photo!

For the Herceptin infusion I pre-medicated at home 30 minutes prior to the appointment with 650 mg of Tylenol and 50 mg of Benadryl. The actual infusion only took 30 minutes. As for side effects, well Herceptin can cause a variety of side effects but I only noticed mild insomnia Thursday night and minor body aches the following day. It was a breeze compared to chemo!

Here is a picture of my oncology nurse Rosa and me in my chair.

Radiation Treatments

I am receiving external beam therapy from a linear accelerator. Here is a picture of the machine:



If you are interested the following website gives some very specific information about the linear accelerator http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?pg=ebt

Simply stated, all seven of my areas have been mapped out and the dose information entered into a computer that operates the linear accelerator. The linear accelerator puts out high energy x-rays that are shaped exactly to match each area. The arm of the machine is called a gantry and it rotates around my body positioning itself for each area. When the gantry is above me I can see metal pieces moving to form different shapes as it moves to a new position/area.

A cone is placed on the end of the gantry for the two areas that receive electron treatment. You would think a cone would be cone shaped, right? Well it is not, instead it is a square metal frame and the template for each of the two areas slides onto the bottom of the frame.

Two radiation therapists work with me, throughout the treatment they work together to carefully check measurements and positioning. Both yesterday and today they too have used permanent markers to create dots, dashes, solid lines, and x's on my body. The first treatment they used blue and purple markers, today they used green and orange markers - my chest, neck, and underarm are now a colorful road map. They were so proud of their work that today they took Polaroid pictures - I'm teasing of course - the pictures were documentation of the treatment areas.

In addition I also officially have a tattoo - in fact I have three tattoos. I wanted hearts or flowers but the only choice was a dot so in the midst of my colorful road map I have three dots.

So, pretty much the treatment sessions move along quickly. Randy and I enter a side door which leads into a small waiting room with dressing rooms behind it. I remove my upper clothing, place them in a locker, and put on a gown. After changing I join Randy in the waiting room and usually have only a few minutes before the radiation therapists are ready for me. Randy stays in the waiting room drinking coffee and having a cookie, muffin, or pastry and chats with the other spouses. My time in the treatment room is very short - the therapists are efficient and although the delivery is not determined by time but rather by dose of radiation the time for each area is anywhere from about 15 to 30 seconds.

As of now my treatment plan is Monday through Friday with weekends off for a total of 28 treatments to all seven areas followed by a boost of 8 - 10 treatments only for the incision site which runs from almost the middle of my chest to under my arm. Two down and several more to go ... it is far less than the chemo treatment time. I will diligently apply the RadiaGel three times a day and follow the nutrition plan recommended by Dr. Davis as I count down the treatments. I will write about the nutrition recommendations on another post.

Catching Up and the Radiation Planning Sessions

Over the past couple of weeks I have spent time with friends, business associates, family, and I even attended a women’s conference in Southern CA with some girlfriends. We have also said good-bye to Randy’s parents as they left to spend the winter in Arizona and our nephew Daniel received a transfer and returned home to Missouri. Sandwiched in between all of this I battled what I thought were allergies. Evidently I caught something because last week it became worse and I have been on antibiotics.

This week I had the second planning session for radiation and have had two radiation treatments. I am very impressed by how precise the planning is and feel that under Dr. Davis’ care I am in good hands. I will attempt to summarize and share with you the planning session experiences.

During the first planning session laser lights were used to align my body on the table which is called a couch. The alignment included positioning my arms over my head and tilting my head slightly to the right. Once this was completed Dr. Davis came in and marked two X’s and one upside down T on my chest with a black permanent marker. A transparency was used to trace these marks and other identifying areas such as the surgical scar. Polaroid pictures were taken to record the exact position of my body, arms, and hands. And finally, x-rays were taken of my lungs and heart (under the couch is a tray that holds the x-ray film). We then moved to another location for a CAT scan of the head and upper body; films were taken every 3 mil once the machine moved below my head. The total time of the first planning session was about one and half hours.

The x-rays and scans were studied prior to the second planning session which was on Wednesday of this week. The second session took place in the room where I receive treatments. First I was positioned on the couch; the couch is padded from my hips down and metal from the hips up. A sheet was placed on the couch so the metal was not cold and there was a head rest with handles to hold on both sides of the rest. I was further made comfortable with a bolster that was placed under my knees and was covered with a blanket from the warming oven.

Laser lights and the Polaroid pictures were used to align my head, body and arms exactly as they were during the first planning session. Once I was in position Dr. Davis came in and again placed marks on my body with a black permanent marker. The radiation technologists also added marks with blue and purple permanent markers. Another transparency was made to record the new markings and more Polaroid pictures were taken. And finally, a template was made for each of the two areas that will be receiving electron treatments.

During the time of positioning, marking, and the templates being made I was told that seven areas will be treated; five areas will receive photon radiation and two will receive electron. Photon radiation penetrates more deeply and electron less deeply. The two areas receiving electron radiation will be covered with a bolice during the treatment - it looks like a gel pack and simulates extra skin for these areas to further protect the lungs.

I think that pretty much summarizes the two planning sessions. I have been doing some research myself and found a terrific site if you are interested in learning more about radiology http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/radiation-therapy-and-you/page1

Cycle 8 : Days 6 - 12

Well, I have officially survived all eight chemotherapy cycles...YEAH!

This time seemed so far away on the day of my first infusion - May 10th. I sat in the chair with everything new – people who I needed to trust to take good care of me … the crash cart in plain sight … an IV stand beside me with three bags of liquids draining through a tube into the catheter in my chest – one of the drugs a bright red … medicinal smells … instructions, reassuring and comforting words from Rosa my oncology nurse … oral medication to minimize the side effects and in liquid form injected into the IV tube … Oh yes, the end of chemotherapy seemed far, far away.

I am a firm believer of “fake it till you feel it” so, I faked my way through the first infusion and each time I made it through another infusion I became stronger. I grew to trust the people who wore the gowns, gloves, and masks before administering drugs that could save my life … the crash cart became a normal fixture that was more reassuring than scary … I relaxed enough so that the medication given to combat the side effects lead to pleasant naps that helped the time to go by more quickly … and the medicinal smells just became the normal smells of a comfortable place.

Headaches … nausea and vomiting …bloating and weight gain … hair loss … pervasive salty taste … extreme cravings … mouth sores and cracked lips … fatigue so severe that I would cry … bone and muscle aches … steroid hot flashes … and the other side effects all went away, or in the case of the hair loss I should say that it is coming back.

I would do it all again if I had to … I am grateful for the peace of God that has guarded my heart and mind … that he has taken care of all of my needs … that he is aware of my wanderings and has put my tears in his bottle and book (Philippians 4:7,19; Psalms 56:8) … and that you have been here with me every step of the way encouraging and cheering me on … praying with and for me … and doing your own good job of catching a few of my tears.

Randy and I met last week with the radiology oncologist. Tomorrow I have the planning meeting which involves a CAT scan and decisions as to the exact areas that will receive the radiation. I will write another posting later this week and give you the scoop. Thanks for checking in on me and listening while I reflect back on the past five months.

P.S. Other than feeling a wee-bit tired I am feeling good.

Cycle 8 : Days 1 - 5

I awoke this morning with a heart that felt like dancing ... and then I got out of bed. I won't be getting out the dancing shoes just yet.

I now know the cumulative effect of Taxol. I have had days of intense pain - mostly in my legs. The pain began on the day after the infusion, Thursday, and increased over the next two days. I have been very grateful for the pain medication.

Yesterday was better and I suspect that today will be very much like yesterday - I need to stay down in order to minimize the pain. The muscles of my arms and legs seem to be weak and they are exhausted with little use. Walking or standing causes a deep rumbling from within my legs and feet that increases unless I quickly lie down.

My mind is less exhausted and more clear this morning - an indication that this time will soon be over. So ... today I will dance away in my mind and heart and that's not a bad thing because through my imagination I am the most graceful ballerina! Oh yes, it is where I can sing good too so maybe I will also do some singing today :)!

Cycle 7: Days 15 - 20

It's me again ... the night before a Taxol infusion having my "steroid hot flashes". I do have a big smile on my face though because if chemo has done its job tonight is the last night that the "steroid hot flashes" and I will keep company. That's right, tomorrow is my final chemo - it is the BIG number eight!

I have done some more research and have learned a little more about Herceptin, the drug I will continue to receive every three weeks. I have learned that Herceptin is not classified as a chemotherapy drug but instead is a biologic treatment. It is an antibody made in the laboratory with the goal of stimulating the immune system to attack the breast cancer cells and to block HER2 cells from dividing.

I have also learned that a decreased appetite is one of the side effects and this explains why I am rarely hungry and must remind myself to eat. Food tastes great though unlike when I was on A+C so I'm not complaining.

Days 15 - 20 have been spent enjoying the company of family and friends and performing the simple things in life like grocery shopping, cooking, and cleaning house. I have very enjoyed every moment!

Here is a thought I want to share with you tonight.....

Who would have ever thought a little girl from Gridley... Gridley is this little-teeny-tiny town in Northern California where we lived for a few years and I went to high school there. A part of me belongs to Gridley as much as I belong to the Valley. Occasionally when speaking about something I have accomplished Randy or I will start the sentence with, "Who would have ever thought a little girl from Gridley..." So the ending of the sentence this time is, "could tackle cancer and chemo head on." The point of this is to say that within each of us lies untapped strength - we are capable of far more than we realize even the very, very scary things.

My family and each of you have been a big part of my strength. I'm not sure there are words that can express how deeply I have appreciated your support.

My greatest strength has come from believing in the promises of God. No matter what happens I know that my future is secure. Philippians 4:6-7 "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

There is more to tell you about where my strength has come from such as a positive attitude and my tips for how to get and keep it but that's a topic for another day. It is 11:00 PM and time for my final dose of steroids and then some sleep. Thanks for checking in on me and know that over the next few days my thoughts will be ....