GOOD
NEWS!
The
CAT Scan (computerized axial tomography- a
type of x-ray scan) results showed the cancer is stable! The treatment is keeping the cancer from
growing. My chemotherapy treatment with
the drug Taxotere, and my targeted therapies of Herceptin and Perjeta will
continue to occur every three weeks. (Taxotere
attacks all fast-dividing cells including cancer cells and normal cells. The Herceptin and Perjeta attack just the
cancer cells.)
With that BIG question answered and
out of the way, Doctor R. and I were able to discuss the little issues of how Taxotere
is making my life a bit unpleasant.
Usually by the third week after
treatment, I am able to regain my energy level to a point where I feel close to
normal. But, over the past three
treatments I have seen a decline. I
just don’t have the desire to get up and do a lot of the physical aspects of
taking care of a home. Sure, I still
throw in a load of laundry, vacuum the floors, and wash the dishes when I
absolutely must, but much of the other items I have been leaving until the day
I am motivated. That has happened with
the help of the steroids that I start taking the day before chemo. Those steroids give me back much of the lost
energy. Dr. R. said unfortunately the
reduced energy is the result of chemotherapy and most likely will be the trend
as chemotherapy continues. When my
energy level worsens to a point that my daily have-to-be-done responsibilities are
compromised, then she would cut-back on the Taxotere or cut it out altogether. The daily must-do-activities for me would be
the taking care of my last remaining child at home. If I can’t take her to her extra-curricular
activities or her schooling at home is jeopardized, then something will have to
change. If that is done though, I would not get to
return to that drug as a treatment. That
scares me because once a drug can no longer be utilized for treatment the list
of drugs to use will be shorter. Once
the last one is used, there is nowhere to go. The list of drugs for Her2 neu breast cancer
is longer than once was the case, but it isn’t that long.
Next, we talked about my lovely
fingernails. Taxotere again is the
problem. With this drug, it attacks not
just the fast dividing cancer cells, but also the fast dividing normal cells. Those include your hair (this is why patients
lose their hair), your digestive tract cells (diarrhea, stomach issues, mouth
sores), and your fingernails (which get such attractive horizontal ridges plus can
turn black from the blood resulting from the nail separating from the nail bed).
I have four nails, two on each hand that
have separated partially from the nail bed.
Two have minor nail-bed infections.
I soaked them yesterday in soapy water and then pressed the fingernail
to push-out some of the clear-yellowish fluid trapped underneath. Dr. R. didn’t like my approach of pressing on
the nail bed because this can cause more inflammation, but it did made my
fingernails hurt less. She decided to
give me an antibiotic to help my body combat this nuisance.
I have also noticed I am having
difficulty finding foods that I want to eat.
Not a whole lot seems appetizing.
I feel hunger, sit down to eat, and within a few bites I no longer want to
eat. Or I will look in the refrigerator,
the cabinets, the pantry, and nothing in any of those places seems appealing. I am also feeling more nausea symptoms then have
been noticed by me in the past. This is just
another aspect of the drug Taxotere adding yet another obstacle to my
life. The cancer is a much greater
obstacle and Taxotere is helping me keep this beast under control. So for that, I want to keep it. And, if the only thing I want to eat is split-pea
soup every day with some fruits in between then that is what I shall eat.
Dr. R. then listened to my heart and
lungs. All sounded normal.
Now, on to the discussion of my scan
results… As I said, all tumors appear
stable. To add some interest to those
who enjoy reading such reports I will include pieces of that report here: “Infiltrative
soft tissue in a 2R station measures 1.8 cm.” This is the mediastinal tumor
in my chest between the lungs. The “R”
means right-side. It was 2.8 cm in July,
1.9 cm in April and 1.6 cm in March.
“Subcentimeter hypodensities are again noted in the thyroid
gland, stable.” These are not supposed
to be cancerous, but a being watched.
The right lung has several nodules. Since they have not been biopsied they will
not be confirmed cancerous until growth is noted. I know one is not cancerous because it had
been followed for several years with no change.
Because it is calcified it “most
likely represents sequalae of prior granulomatous disease”. Sequalae is caused
by a previous disease or injury. Granulomatous Disease could have resulted from
an infection such as tuberculosis or from a bacteria or fungi. “A
peripheral 0.9 cm nodule is stable since 3/29/13. Several other scattered
subcentimerter nodules are also unchanged.” Nothing in the report noted anything seen in
the left lung.
“A
tiny hyodense lesion in segment VII of the liver is too small to characterize
but is unchanged since 3/29/13.” Not confirmed as cancer at this time.
“There
is a nonenlarged para-aortic lymph node in the upper retroperitoneum,
previously described as a paravertebral lymph node.” The retroperitoneum
is the area between the two kidneys. Located
between the two kidneys is a vein (blood to heart). There is also an artery (blood away from
heart). Along the vein and the artery
are lymph nodes. There is something suspicious
about this lymph node, but I am not clear as to the why since it is indicated
as non-enlarged, but for now it remains stable.
Nothing was found in the scanned
part of the neck.
So, there is my report. Nice 49th birthday present for
me! Yes, I will be 49 on the 19th
of this month.
Today was a fun chemo day. Not usually how I would describe infusion
days, but today was different. A good
friend from high school came to visit me.
We talked the entire time. I must
have over-done it because this morning I am more than hoarse. I have totally lost my voice. My one working vocal cord will need to rest today. But, my voicelessness is a testament to the
good time that I had spent with an old friend.
She was the very first person who introduced herself to me at my new
school when my family moved back to North Carolina in 1976 after living in Louisiana,
Kentucky and Indiana. We have been friends
ever since.
My next scan will be in February. Like all cancer patients, I keep hoping for
some reduction in the tumors, but I will take stability over growth any
day. So, it was a great day for me, and
a very happy day for my family.
