A Short One

Like my new radiation treatment, this will be short.

I started a new phase of radiation today. Up until now, I've been receiving X-ray radiation on all the areas surrounding my surgical area, including the lymph nodes in my left armpit and on the left side of my neck.

Today, they started something called an electron boost that is applied only to the incision area. This is good because my skin was really starting to become tender in the other areas. One spot, in the center of my chest, has become so red and irritated that the outer layer of skin is starting to flake away (much like a bad sunburn). Under my arm, the skin has become very red (almost purple) and very sensitive (again, like a bad sunburn). So, it's nice that I'm done with treatment in those areas. My doctor has given me a prescription to put on those areas to take away some of the pain and, hopefully, accelerate the healing process.

The new radiation is different because it uses electrons instead of X-rays. The electrons don't penetrate as much as the X-ray, so it's all surface radiation for the skin around my incision area. I originally stated that I would receive this for my last 6 treatments. I miscounted; it's my last 7 treatments, starting today.

The nice thing is that because they are only treating one spot, the session is super quick. A few days after starting radiation, I began bringing my iPod with me to listen to music during my treatment. I would usually get through several songs while I was in there. Today, I brought my iPod with me to my new treatment. I was already in the middle of a song when it started. I didn't even get through the first song before it was over. That was pretty cool! So, I'll be skipping the iPod for last few sessions.

That's it. I just wanted to give you an update on the latest info.

Happy Halloween!!

Radiation Week 6

I thought I would give you all an update on the latest stuff that's been happening with me. As the end of my radiation approaches, there have been a few changes.

First of all, I wanted to share something with you that I've been holding back until I got more information. I now have enough information to share. About a week ago, I noticed two little lumps on my chest near the incision. One was a little harder than the other, but both had me a bit concerned.

So, when I met with my radiation oncologist, he examined them and indicated that they didn't feel like cancer to him. They felt more like lipomas, which are benign tumors composed of fatty tissue. These are very common and have no relationship to my cancer at all. But, to be safe, he decided to measure both of them. He will measure them each time we meet and if we notice a change, then we'll take further action. However, he said that he felt that there was nothing to worry about. He said he wasn't worried and as long as he wasn't worried, I shouldn't be worried.

When I met with my oncologist last week, I also pointed out the lumps to him. He was in agreement that they weren't cancer but said that felt more like some of the post-surgical anomolies that occasionally occur but are nothing to be concerned about. The next time I met with my radiation oncologist, I mentioned this to him. He measured the spots again and found no change in size. He told me that he's still not concerned, but just to make the opinion unanimous, he wanted to get my surgeon's opinion as well.

I met with my surgeon earlier this week, and it was definitely unanimous. He agreed that one felt like a lipoma and the other felt like a post-surgical thing that he compared to scar tissue. Apparently, these lumps are fairly common post-surgery and no one feels I have any reason to be concerned. So, I'm taking this at face value and am not concerned.

Throughout my radiation, I have always been treated on the same machine. My radiation configuration was set up for use on this machine, and I am scheduled at the same time everyday. However, starting next Tuesday, I will go on a new machine for my last 6 treatments. This machine is a kind of booster that concentrates heavily on my incision area. Yesterday, they performed the setup (called "simulation") on the machine.

It's hard to believe that I'm already in my 6th week of radiation. It took four months for 8 sessions of chemo to pass, and yet I will have received 35 treatments of radiation in less than two months.

Back when I started all of this, radiation seemed so far away. Back then, when I got to the end of radiation, I would be almost done. Unfortunately, that is no longer the case as I will have to receive more chemo. But I still feel like I'm in the home stretch. Even though it takes longer for the chemo to pass—and who knows how many treatments I'll receive this time—it should be the last thing I have to do before reconstruction.

Although reconstruction is going to be a harder surgery to recover from (because they have to cut through muscle), I'm looking forward to it as it will mark the beginning of the end of this journey. Although the reconstruction is not the journey's goal, it is the road sign that tells me that the journey is nearly complete.

This experience will always be with me, and it has changed me inexplicably, but I hope it's an experience that I never have to repeat. I know I'm talking like it's over when I still have several months of this, but I feel like I can see the light at the end of the tunnel now. And, I'm ready for it.

A Doctor a Day Keeps the Apples Away

I don't know what that title means; I was just trying to be clever because I had so many doctor's appointments today.

In addition to my daily radiation appointment, I also met with my oncologist (not to be confused with my radiation oncologist with whom I meet every Monday) and my plastic surgeon.

First of all, I have a radiation update. When I get close to the end of my treatment, they are going to start doing something they call an electron boost. (I think that's how they referred to it.) Anyway, they do some extra treatment with electrons along the incision scar. So, on October 25, I am scheduled to go in for the simulation for that.

Basically, that will be the same thing they did for me the first time I went in to get set up for radiation. They take a lot of pictures, they draw out the shape of the beam, and then they try to program the machine to match the drawing. That is sort of a lengthy process and requires me to lie very still for quite a while. Limbs fall asleep while it's happening. However, I will have my iPod to keep me company. I can only hope that Dane Cook doesn't show up on my playlist while I'm lying there because I might break into uncontrolled laughter if that happens.

I basically met with my oncologist so that we can talk about the next phase of treatment. He scheduled my CT scan and bone scan for restaging. We also talked about different treatments. He said that he discussed my case with several of his colleagues and they all seemed to think that I should not go through another round of chemo at this time.

However, given the aggressiveness of my disease, my age, and how healthy I am (outside of the cancer), both my doctor and I are inclined to ignore this advice and pursue an avenue of chemo treatment now. As I told him, I'd rather go through chemo now and stop any further growth of the cancer than to come back a year from now and discover I need to be treated for lung cancer or brain cancer or something else.

Maybe if I had a less aggressive disease, or if my health was poor, I might feel otherwise. But I'm strong enough now to take on another round of chemo, and I'd rather do that than risk the cancer spread any further. The success they've shown in treating ibc has been a result of being aggressive with treatment. An aggressive disease requires aggressive treatment. So, I'm still planning to get more chemo after I'm finished with radiation.

I have another appointment scheduled with my oncologist after my restaging scans. At that time, he's going to present a couple of different treatment options based on what has been successful in treating the aggressive growth of ibc. He indicated that there would probably need to be some recovery time (for my skin) between the end of radiation and the beginning of chemo. So, I should know by mid-November what my next stage is going to be, when it will begin, and how long it will last.

I also met with plastic surgeon today. Originally, this appointment was planned so that he could add some additional fluid to my implant expander. However, the radiation therapists asked that we wait until the completion of radiation before expanding it further. As it is, they already have to tape down that side a bit because it gets in the way a bit of one of the radiation treatment angles. So, no expansion today.

I really like my plastic surgeon. He is so warm and concerned. He told me how great my hair looks now that it's coming in. (I have to admit that I really do love the short hair. I'll take a picture soon and post it.) He also asked how everything else is going and was very supportive when I told him I'd be getting more chemo. I'm scheduled to see him again in about 6 weeks and should resume expansion then.

One other thing happened today that I'm really excited about. Last week, I met with the social worker in the radiation oncology department and asked her to help put me in touch with the right people at the hospital so that I might get permission to film more of my treatments. While my doctors have all consented, hospital staff has to be cleared through the legal department in order to appear on camera. Several have been willing, but unable to obtain permission from legal.

Today, I got a call from someone in media relations at the hospital. I explained what I'm trying to do and why I want to do it. She loves the idea and is going to work with the legal department to see if she can help me get the permission I need. Of course, there are no guarantees, but I'm really excited to have a champion at the hospital that might be able to help me get this through. If that happens, I'll be able to film things like my radiation treatment and the CT scans that I've been unable to film in the past. Keep your fingers crossed for me!

That's all the news I have for now. I'll keep you posted on everything as I learn more. :)

Slow Blog Week

Sorry, folks, there's really not anything new to report tonight.

Actually, it's going to be like that for a while. And, during that time, I'm going to take a break from blogging. It's becoming an obligation in a way that I don't want it to become. Not that I don't enjoy it and that I don't want to keep you informed, but I don't always have something to say.

I know you want to keep up with what's going on with me, but right now, it's kind of the same thing every day. Until I get through radiation, I probably won't have a lot of news. And, if I do, I promise I'll write about it. That's why I started this blog in the first place.

In the beginning, there were a lot of things going on and I was learning a lot that I wanted to share. But, right now, I get the same treatment every day, five days a week for 2-4 more weeks. I'm not going to experience significant side effects, other than some skin irritation. It has started to present itself, and it basically looks like a slight sunburn (normally, I'd tan within two days) and doesn't feel like anything.

I want to write when something new happens, or when I've learned something, or when changes take place. None of that is going to happen for a few weeks. And, I'm not going to suddenly get sick. My health is not in a place where I'm going to take a sudden turn for the worse. And, even if I were to get suddenly sick, that's the kind of thing I would blog about!

I'm taking a little break from blogging, but that just means that I'm not going to try to post regular posts every single week if I have nothing new to say. When I do have something new to say, I'll post it, whether that's tomorrow or a month from tomorrow. I'm sure it won't be that long, but it might not be as soon as a week from today either.

Please know that, in my absence, I'm doing well. If you were sitting next to me, you would never know that I'm battling cancer unless I told you. Half the time, even I can't believe it. Because if I didn't have that regular appointment for radiation to remind me, I wouldn't know I had cancer either.

Remember, in this case, no news really is good news.

Pink October

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, so I thought I would make today's post about a few ways you can support the cause this month.

1. Shop!
   
   • Bed, Bath and Beyond is selling a collection of items specifically to support the cause. A portion of the sales on these items will be donated to the Susan G. Komen Foundation.
   • Target is donating a portion of their sales of special pink items to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.
   • Saks is donating 2% of all sales between October 12 and 15 to various women's and breast cancer charities.
   • RedEnvelope is asking everyone to "Think Pink" this month with special pink items. For each purchase, they will donate 10% of the proceeds to the Entertainment Industry Foundation's Women's Cancer Research Fund.
   • Origins is donating $1 from every purchase of their Make a Difference skin care products up to $35,000.
   • Apply for a National City Diamond Edition Visa. National City will donate $5 from every purchase using the card to the National Breast Cancer Foundation.
     
   • Don't forget about those cute rubber duckies at Munchkin. They may be a kid's store, but I'm sure some adult women in your life would appreciate the pink ducky. Especially when it's for such a good cause.
     


2. Eat!
   
   • Pink M&Ms are back! Mars, Inc., makes a donation to the Susan G. Komen Foundation for every bag of pink M&Ms purchased. Don't buy plain when you can buy pink!!
   • Save your pink Yoplait lids and mail them back to the company to donate 10 cents to the Susan G. Komen Foundation for each lid. Their goal is to contribute $1.5 Million to the Foundation.
   • KitchenAid is sponsoring Cook for the Cure with special pink items for sale, events, and donations.
   • To support the cure Lean Cuisine offered special designer lunch bags that were so popular that they've already sold completely out! However, you can still buy specially marked frozen dinners at your local grocery store. For each one purchased, the company will donate 10 cents to the Susan G. Komen Foundation.
     


3. Drive!
   
   • If you've been in the market for a Mercedes, now is the time to buy one of their Special Edition 2007 E350 Sports Sedans. Through sales of these cars, they are helping raise $1 Million to support the Saks KEY TO THE CURE Campaign.


4. Pay Your Bills!
   
   • No one likes bills, but if you use the Breast Cancer Awareness stamp, at least you can be donating to a worthy cause at the same time. These stamps are 45 cents; the extra 6 cents is donated to breast cancer research and is tax-deductible. The post office has been selling these stamps since 1998 and time is running out. They are scheduled to be removed from sales on December 31, 2007.
     


5. Surf the Web!
   
   • Visit the Breast Cancer Site every day. All you have to do is click on one button. Just for visiting the site, the site sponsors donate money for free mammograms for women in need. Please support the site sponsors by at least visiting their sites. They also have great items for sale in support of the cause.
     


6. Walk (or just donate)!
   
   • The American Cancer Society is sponsoring Making Strides walks across the nation to raise money for research, prevention, early detection and support programs.
   • The Komen Foundation is sponsoring the Race for the Cure.
   • Avon Breast Cancer Crusade is also sponsoring the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer, as well as other events.
     

Monday Update

I've only been doing radiation for about a week and a half, but I feel like an old pro.

It's super easy. I show up a few minutes before my appointment, so I almost always go straight in without having to wait for more than 5 minutes or so. I've gotten there late a couple of times, and I'm trying really hard not to do that because it's rude for the people who are scheduled after me. This morning, I got there just as the woman with the appointment before me was going in. That's the perfect timing.

Once you go in, it only takes about 10-15 minutes. You lay down on the table using the foam pillow they customize for you (so you are always in exactly the same position. They spend a couple of minutes adjusting you and the machine, then it only takes a few more minutes.

I've been bringing my iPod in and listening to music, which is nice. I'm only laying there for about 10 minutes, but it's kind of nice to just lose myself in the music. A couple of times, I've thought about listening to my Dane Cook CD (which is on my iPod), but it seems dangerous as it often makes me laugh really hard. And, since I don't want to move, I figure I should stick to music.

Today, I had my weekly appointment with my doctor. My skin isn't showing any signs of irritation yet, but he expects that it might start by my next appointment with him next Monday.

They also weigh me every Monday, and I've gained two pounds. Curse that Ben and Jerry! Actually, I've been eating way too much stuff lately that's not good for me (can you say "Everything But The"?) and not enough stuff that is good for me (darn it, I let the asparagus go bad again). Not that I care about two pounds, because I so don't. But I do care that I haven't been eating well, so I'm trying to get my eating habits back to where they were after I was first diagnosed.

Have a great week!