Sorry. Long time no bloggy - lot's to catch up on.
Friday the 28th of March was our big doctor's appointment where I learned everything there is to know about my particular breast cancer. And the first thing I learned is that there are lots and many and more than one kind of breast cancer. Some are estrogen based, some are lobular, some are ductal, you can read all over the internets about all the many many varieties. I only cared to learn about mine. Let me tell, after 2 long weeks of waiting to find out what and how bad my breast cancer was, the 28th could not have come soon enough, and at the same time I would have been ok with that day never coming. Ah, life.
So, what I learned: My breast cancer is apparently exactly what my Mom's breast cancer was last year. Her2 Positive. That diagnosis 20 years ago would have been quite scary. Today, however, they know just about everything there is to know about it, other than why we get it. It is a ductal invasive type of cancer, and the Her2 positive means it has a protein based receptor that is aggressive - or something like that. Ok, before I go further I need to tell you that I don't officially know what the hell I'm talking about. So if you are they type of person that needs some scientific documentation, then get on line and look it up. I just listened to my doctor and tried to remember a couple of basic details, and I have NO INTENTION of jumping online to read more. I got it OK, and now let's deal with it, and move on. Any additional anecdotes of how mean this cancer is just wont do me a bit of good. I'm going with the basics. The doc says it responds super well to the drug therapy and we can kick it's ass. And that, my friends, is the action we are taking.
This is how it's going down. I start chemo tomorrow. Every other week for 8 weeks I get a combo of Adriamycin and Cytoxan - then when that is done I get Taxol I believe and that goes for something like once a week for 12 weeks. At the same time, every third week, I get Herceptin (for the Her2 protein) along with a new shiny drug called Perjita. After the 12 weeks I get a 4 week rest, then I have surgery. Surgery will either be a lumpectomy or a mastectomy - all depends on how well my tumor responded to treatment along with how the docs and we feel about the options. The lumpectomy can leave me with a 3-4% rate of reocurrance, while the mastectomy is more of a 1-2% rate. I think we will cross that bridge when we come to it, because as of today I would say both those %'s are low, and a lumpectomy seems so less invasive - but again, I might feel differently in the summer. Decide later. Will also meet with a reconstructive doc to help get all the info. After surgery and the healing if surgery, I will start a program of radiation. That goes 7 weeks, every day M-F but it's a short appointment and doesn't have too lousy of side effects. After that, I will continue Herceptin until next year at this time. I know - it's a long haul. But, the first 12 weeks are the most harsh, and it lightens up after that. Because my mom just went thru this exact protocol, I can tell you that it hopefully wont be so bad. My mother is the original IRON LADY, but still, if I got anything from her (other than the bad gene for Her2 Pos), it is the tough cookie gene. I should be fine. Also, I understand that the drugs they give me to tolerate the chemo are so good now, that most of the time, people wont even know that I'm doing it.
So, before I start chemo (tomorrow), I had to do a bunch of tests. First thing Monday, I needed a biopsy of my closest lymph node. They wanted to understand if the cancer had gone there. Luckily the biopsy was cancer free - so really good sign. Tuesday, I had a port installed below my collarbone. This is where all the chemo drugs will go in my body. It's pretty alien, but from a tech standpoint, it's a good thing. I don't want my arms all needled up over the year, so a port is a good way to administer drugs on a repeated basis. It is sort of weird and not that comfortable (yet) but I'm guessing I will adjust to it. It has a little spaghetti tube that goes up and into my vein and down toward my heart... apparently works like a champ. Ugh. Then on Wednesday I had to have a heart scan - the chemo drugs can make your heart pump slower, so they like to get a baseline of heart operations before I start. Mine is strong. I'm good. Then finally on Thursday I had a PET scan. That is just a different kind of scan to look at the tumor. I am part of a research study on imaging - so I will get more PET scans along the way. Then, finally on Thursday I met with my main nurse Kay, who gave me all the ins and outs about chemo and how it might make me feel and what kind of awesome things I can expect to happen. Things like nausea, hair loss, mouth sores, dry skin, constipation, acid reflux, early onset menopause, the worry of fever or infection - you know..the good stuff. Jesussssssssss- So, as of today, I'm pretty much ready.
Which brings me back to the subject of hair loss! On Friday I went wig shopping with my friend Mo. She has had a couple of friends that have had to go thru chemo, so she knew the right place to go in Seattle. We had an appointment at the William Collier Salon in Belltown. They are known for treating hair loss patients - whether from chronic conditions or chemo. They know what they are doing and were very nice. It was a big fat reality check though - even if all the medical stuff is scary, it's the vanity stuff that really makes me want to cry about it. The idea of shaving off all my hair because it's going anyway, and getting a wig and the potential of having no eyebrows or eyelashes for a freaking year - ugh, kind of gut wrenching. But, the good side is this.... I can order a wig with real hair and a real looking scalp, and they will match my color and my style of hair, so hopefully the transition will fool people. And, it will be much better to be prepared than to wake up some morning in the next 2 weeks to find all my hair on my pillow and not on my head - I called them yesterday and got that ordered. It's enormously expensive, but when I factor in all the cut and color appointments I will miss in the next year, I'm getting more and more ok with the $2,000 price tag. Seriously, it's good hair. And the time I can save in getting ready in the morning will be really helpful when I have to figure out how to draw on eyebrows. (LORD HELP ME!)
Ok, so now you are fully up to date on "the cancer" - and I will get on with more interesting posts.
NOW GO GET A MAMMOGRAM!
