The actual infusion and immediate side effects have been the easiest I have experienced in Round Two; I slept through a great deal of the treatment and the flu-like symptoms began on Saturday and were not too bad.
Right on schedule the fatigue began on Monday. The white cells were very low but not as low as they have been and I am hopeful that means that my body is fighting on its own. The Lukine injections are scheduled for every other day this week because the cells were not as low. The hemoglobin was good and a Procrit injection was not necessary, I did have the weekly B-12 injection.
Today from the knees down including my feet are freezing and a little achy, I have been wearing socks and have had them wrapped up in a quilt. This is the neuropathy and according to the CBCC staff it is possible that the leg weakness I have been experiencing and the arm weakness which recently began are also due to neuropathy. I do have some numbness of the fingers and toes and it is no longer going completely away during the final days of a cycle. On the advice of the PA I have began taking a B vitamin to see if it will help.
The only new side effect I experienced was this afternoon, I was sitting on the floor looking in the bottom drawer of the filing cabinet for a warranty and a wave of nausea hit me along with the feeling that I was going to pass out. Fortunately I was low to the ground and I was able to drop my head for a minute and then lay down until it passed. I won't worry about this unless it begins to happen frequently.
A co-worker, Richard, got me hooked on Dove candy; I love the dark chocolate. The candy is foil wrapped and is just the right size, pop one in your mouth and ever so slowly let it melt....mm mm. The inside of the wrapper contains a variety of messages and today's message is, "Collect 10 different kinds of tree leaves." I'm putting this one on my bathroom mirror and counting the days until I can go on a walk with Madison, Jackson and Connor to collect those leaves. As soon as you can, find a child and experience a walk with them hunting for 10 different kinds of tree leaves - it will be time well spent.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Round Two: Infusion #4 Days 9 - 20
Well it is at that point of treatment ... the halfway point ... the not much is new point ... the one minute I'm sick of this point and the next minute WooHoo! I'm on the down hill slope point ...
It is the night before treatment number five ... following this treatment I will either have one or three treatments remaining. I do not want to be disappointed so I'm preparing for three treatments because of course I will follow Dr. Patel's recommendation.
Last week the hemoglobin level did drop and I had a Procrit injection along with the weekly B-12 injection but I was able to stop the daily Lukine injections last Friday. This Monday both the neutrophils and hemoglobin were still up so I only had the B-12 injection; this is good, my body was able to produce enough white and red blood cells on its own.
My energy level is up but it lasts for only a short time and I'm not strong enough to be out and about this time. Believe me I tried to be out of the house but less than five minutes in the store and my energy was depleted; the cumulative effect of the treatment has caught up with me.
With treatments one through three I experienced neuropathy - numbness of the toes and fingers which for the most part went away before the next treatment. Quite a bit of the numbness now remains; it is not painful but it is slightly awkard to guide the pen while writing.
I have some fuzzy hair on my head; it's not a pretty sight or cute by any means, it's just a bit fuzzy hair.
Have I told you before how wonderful my husband is? He takes care of everything including me ... he's wonderful.
That's it ... really... there is nothing too tough to report - it is pretty much the same old six and seven around here. By the way, I checked out this expression and according to Wiki it is a 19th Century expression that originated in England and the original expression was "same old seven and six" which referred to the prevailing wage of seven shillings and six pence. The phrase implies that "things" are the same with nothing notable occuring.
That's the way it is around here and I can live with nothing notable occuring.
It is the night before treatment number five ... following this treatment I will either have one or three treatments remaining. I do not want to be disappointed so I'm preparing for three treatments because of course I will follow Dr. Patel's recommendation.
Last week the hemoglobin level did drop and I had a Procrit injection along with the weekly B-12 injection but I was able to stop the daily Lukine injections last Friday. This Monday both the neutrophils and hemoglobin were still up so I only had the B-12 injection; this is good, my body was able to produce enough white and red blood cells on its own.
My energy level is up but it lasts for only a short time and I'm not strong enough to be out and about this time. Believe me I tried to be out of the house but less than five minutes in the store and my energy was depleted; the cumulative effect of the treatment has caught up with me.
With treatments one through three I experienced neuropathy - numbness of the toes and fingers which for the most part went away before the next treatment. Quite a bit of the numbness now remains; it is not painful but it is slightly awkard to guide the pen while writing.
I have some fuzzy hair on my head; it's not a pretty sight or cute by any means, it's just a bit fuzzy hair.
Have I told you before how wonderful my husband is? He takes care of everything including me ... he's wonderful.
That's it ... really... there is nothing too tough to report - it is pretty much the same old six and seven around here. By the way, I checked out this expression and according to Wiki it is a 19th Century expression that originated in England and the original expression was "same old seven and six" which referred to the prevailing wage of seven shillings and six pence. The phrase implies that "things" are the same with nothing notable occuring.
That's the way it is around here and I can live with nothing notable occuring.
Thursday, August 06, 2009
Round Two: Infusion #4 Days 5 - 8
Sometimes we are not told everything in the beginning and I have come to learn that it is not such a bad thing.
For those of you who have been reading this blog from the very beginning you may remember that in 2006 when I was first diagnosed I had received one report after another of bad news in fact it was so much bad news that I decided I was not going to call and get scan reports to find out if the cancer had spread beyond the breast and lymph system. I decided that I could not take anymore bad news and I would just wait until I received a call or until I saw Dr. Risbud again at the time of my first chemo. Fortunately when I did see Dr. Risbud the scan results were that the cancer had not spread to other areas of the body but my point of reminding/telling you about this is to help you understand my emotional and mental status at that time ... I had enough bad news to deal with and any more bad news would have crushed my hope.
When I was told in May that the cancer had returned and it was in the liver that is all I was told. I did learn during the biopsy that there was more than one tumor but I never asked Dr. Patel for more information ... I had enough bad news to deal with and any more bad news would have have crushed my hope.
My team of medical caretakers from their vast experience or their sense of my emotional and mental well being knew that unless I asked it would not be good for me to be told everything. Now that I am better I have been told just exactly how sick I really was:
1) I barely made it into the clinical drug trial - there was so much fluid on my lung that it was affecting my heart and I almost failed the heart efficiency test and since both of the biologic drugs can be hard on the heart there is a minimum heart efficiency requirement. The ECHO last week showed that my heart efficiency is now much, much higher.
2) I knew of more than one tumor in the liver, today I was shown the PET scan which was conducted at the end of April; there were three distinct and sizable areas of cancer activity and at least two smaller areas of activity in the liver; three plus two equals five. The CT scan taken last week showed significant reduction of all tumors in the liver and the PET scan from this week showed absolutely no cancer activity in the liver.
3) Until this week I did not know that the CT scan of April showed a slight darkened area on the spine at about the middle of my back and I did not know that the PET scan definitely showed cancer activity in the same area. The CT scan of last week does still show a slight darkening but it is less and the PET scan of this week indicates absolutely no cancer activity in the area. In fact let me go ahead and tell you right now, the PET scan shows absolutely no cancer activity anywhere in my body!
4) Dr. Patel told me today that if the finding of the cancer had been delayed by even six weeks we would have had a very different conversation ... in other words we might have been having a discussion of how much time I had left.
It's the same thing that happened when I was diagnosed in 2006, such a small tumor but such extensive lymph node involvement that even the surgeon was surprised. I am so grateful and so very blessed that Dr. Patel after reviewing my cancer history determined that standard follow-up protocol of scans every six months could not be followed for me and that instead I needed scans every three months. The scans of January showed no cancer activity ... three months later there was a tremendous amount of cancer activity.
Let's see, I think that covers everything I did not know but now do know ... at least as far as I know right now. Oh my stars-a-mercy let me tell you it is so much easier to find out the bad news when in the next breath you are told of all the good news. When Dr. Patel walked into the exam room today in his beautiful voice he sang out, "There is no bad news to report today!" Well, I don't actually know if he sang it out but it sounded like a beautiful sing out to me.
Now if that is not enough good news let me share more good news and keep in mind that all of the good news I have reported and am about to report are based upon tests that were conducted after only three treatments. And oh by the way, I am told that not everyone has such immediate and positive results as I have had. So here you go:
1) The tumor markers are now in the normal range the CA 15-3 is now at 26.9 and the CEA is now at 3; remember now that these markers started out at 305 and 350 respectively. Circulating tumor cells initially were 112 and they are now at zero.
2) Liver function was far from normal and now is completely normal.
3) Oh and did I mention that the PET scan shows absolutely no cancer activity anywhere in my body? Of course I know that I have already told you that but I just loving saying/writing those words, absolutely no cancer activity; they are beautiful words.
Now what does all of this mean in terms of treatment? I am still scheduled for six chemo treatments and following the sixth treatment the scans will be repeated. If the tumors are completely gone I will go onto the maintenance program which is continuing on the trial drug for a total of one year and continuing with Herceptin for the rest of my life. When the trial drug passes through all the FDA requirements I will likely receive it for the rest of my life as well.
If the tumors are not completely gone I will have two more chemo treatments and then based upon scan results I may also have further treatment such as radiation. I, of course, really hope than the tumors will be gone after the sixth treatment because the fatigue from the treatment is very difficult.
On Monday I began the Lukine injections because as expected the white blood cells had plummeted to almost nothing. The Hemoglobin however was very good and the platelet count actually improved. I will be re-tested next Monday to determine if more Lukine injections are needed and to also check on the Hemoglobin level.
Tonight I am reminded of Psalms 23 particularly the following: "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want ... He leads me beside quiet waters ... even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death ... my cup overflows."
Through the two experiences with cancer I have become more fully aware of my blessings and have received so many more. My hope for you is that you never have to go through this trial to fully realize and experience that your life is also filled with so many blessings and that your cup too overflows. These blessings are a gift from our Creator and He wants us to appreciate and enjoy these blessings and then to share them with others. I hope that you make a plan for today; a plan to fully experience, appreciate and share your blessings.
For those of you who have been reading this blog from the very beginning you may remember that in 2006 when I was first diagnosed I had received one report after another of bad news in fact it was so much bad news that I decided I was not going to call and get scan reports to find out if the cancer had spread beyond the breast and lymph system. I decided that I could not take anymore bad news and I would just wait until I received a call or until I saw Dr. Risbud again at the time of my first chemo. Fortunately when I did see Dr. Risbud the scan results were that the cancer had not spread to other areas of the body but my point of reminding/telling you about this is to help you understand my emotional and mental status at that time ... I had enough bad news to deal with and any more bad news would have crushed my hope.
When I was told in May that the cancer had returned and it was in the liver that is all I was told. I did learn during the biopsy that there was more than one tumor but I never asked Dr. Patel for more information ... I had enough bad news to deal with and any more bad news would have have crushed my hope.
My team of medical caretakers from their vast experience or their sense of my emotional and mental well being knew that unless I asked it would not be good for me to be told everything. Now that I am better I have been told just exactly how sick I really was:
1) I barely made it into the clinical drug trial - there was so much fluid on my lung that it was affecting my heart and I almost failed the heart efficiency test and since both of the biologic drugs can be hard on the heart there is a minimum heart efficiency requirement. The ECHO last week showed that my heart efficiency is now much, much higher.
2) I knew of more than one tumor in the liver, today I was shown the PET scan which was conducted at the end of April; there were three distinct and sizable areas of cancer activity and at least two smaller areas of activity in the liver; three plus two equals five. The CT scan taken last week showed significant reduction of all tumors in the liver and the PET scan from this week showed absolutely no cancer activity in the liver.
3) Until this week I did not know that the CT scan of April showed a slight darkened area on the spine at about the middle of my back and I did not know that the PET scan definitely showed cancer activity in the same area. The CT scan of last week does still show a slight darkening but it is less and the PET scan of this week indicates absolutely no cancer activity in the area. In fact let me go ahead and tell you right now, the PET scan shows absolutely no cancer activity anywhere in my body!
4) Dr. Patel told me today that if the finding of the cancer had been delayed by even six weeks we would have had a very different conversation ... in other words we might have been having a discussion of how much time I had left.
It's the same thing that happened when I was diagnosed in 2006, such a small tumor but such extensive lymph node involvement that even the surgeon was surprised. I am so grateful and so very blessed that Dr. Patel after reviewing my cancer history determined that standard follow-up protocol of scans every six months could not be followed for me and that instead I needed scans every three months. The scans of January showed no cancer activity ... three months later there was a tremendous amount of cancer activity.
Let's see, I think that covers everything I did not know but now do know ... at least as far as I know right now. Oh my stars-a-mercy let me tell you it is so much easier to find out the bad news when in the next breath you are told of all the good news. When Dr. Patel walked into the exam room today in his beautiful voice he sang out, "There is no bad news to report today!" Well, I don't actually know if he sang it out but it sounded like a beautiful sing out to me.
Now if that is not enough good news let me share more good news and keep in mind that all of the good news I have reported and am about to report are based upon tests that were conducted after only three treatments. And oh by the way, I am told that not everyone has such immediate and positive results as I have had. So here you go:
1) The tumor markers are now in the normal range the CA 15-3 is now at 26.9 and the CEA is now at 3; remember now that these markers started out at 305 and 350 respectively. Circulating tumor cells initially were 112 and they are now at zero.
2) Liver function was far from normal and now is completely normal.
3) Oh and did I mention that the PET scan shows absolutely no cancer activity anywhere in my body? Of course I know that I have already told you that but I just loving saying/writing those words, absolutely no cancer activity; they are beautiful words.
Now what does all of this mean in terms of treatment? I am still scheduled for six chemo treatments and following the sixth treatment the scans will be repeated. If the tumors are completely gone I will go onto the maintenance program which is continuing on the trial drug for a total of one year and continuing with Herceptin for the rest of my life. When the trial drug passes through all the FDA requirements I will likely receive it for the rest of my life as well.
If the tumors are not completely gone I will have two more chemo treatments and then based upon scan results I may also have further treatment such as radiation. I, of course, really hope than the tumors will be gone after the sixth treatment because the fatigue from the treatment is very difficult.
On Monday I began the Lukine injections because as expected the white blood cells had plummeted to almost nothing. The Hemoglobin however was very good and the platelet count actually improved. I will be re-tested next Monday to determine if more Lukine injections are needed and to also check on the Hemoglobin level.
Tonight I am reminded of Psalms 23 particularly the following: "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want ... He leads me beside quiet waters ... even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death ... my cup overflows."
Through the two experiences with cancer I have become more fully aware of my blessings and have received so many more. My hope for you is that you never have to go through this trial to fully realize and experience that your life is also filled with so many blessings and that your cup too overflows. These blessings are a gift from our Creator and He wants us to appreciate and enjoy these blessings and then to share them with others. I hope that you make a plan for today; a plan to fully experience, appreciate and share your blessings.
Sunday, August 02, 2009
Round Two: Infusion # 4 Days 1 - 4
This was the first infusion scheduled to have all three drugs on the same day: Pertuzumab (trial drug), Taxotere and Herceptin. Fortunately I tolerated all of the drugs very well - my appointment began at 1:00 PM and we were on our way home by 5:45 PM.
Randy and I started the day by meeting April and the grand kids for breakfast and once we arrived at CBCC we were joined by two friends for a short time. I'm glad my friends were there for awhile because it did help to distract me; I was not as prepared for this infusion as I thought I was. To be exact, the infusion itself was not what I was dreading but rather the many days of fatigue that would surely follow.
I have been blessed because this infusion has given me the least immediate side effects and I am grateful. I do very much hope that this is an indication that my body is growing stronger, that the white blood cells will not plumet this time and that the fatigue will be less. My legs were not as strong this morning a sure sign of fatigue which goes hand-in-hand with the loss of white blood cells.
Because I have had light side effects and have not gone in to have an injection, it seems as though in some sense that I have had the weekend off. I have a check-up tomorrow and like many of you I will be returning to my "job". Let's make it a happy week - there will surely be some tasks that we would rather not be faced with but because we can, let's make it a happy week anyway.
Randy and I started the day by meeting April and the grand kids for breakfast and once we arrived at CBCC we were joined by two friends for a short time. I'm glad my friends were there for awhile because it did help to distract me; I was not as prepared for this infusion as I thought I was. To be exact, the infusion itself was not what I was dreading but rather the many days of fatigue that would surely follow.
I have been blessed because this infusion has given me the least immediate side effects and I am grateful. I do very much hope that this is an indication that my body is growing stronger, that the white blood cells will not plumet this time and that the fatigue will be less. My legs were not as strong this morning a sure sign of fatigue which goes hand-in-hand with the loss of white blood cells.
Because I have had light side effects and have not gone in to have an injection, it seems as though in some sense that I have had the weekend off. I have a check-up tomorrow and like many of you I will be returning to my "job". Let's make it a happy week - there will surely be some tasks that we would rather not be faced with but because we can, let's make it a happy week anyway.
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