Pressing On

Or "Frzn Colds" as they are called at the Chevron station ;) And why did we need crushed ice with soda syrup? BECAUSE.... We are done!   The 2014-15 school year is now history. We did it!   And we always go for Slurpees/Slushies/Frzn Colds on the last day of school.  (Ice cream is for the first day of school). Back in September, when I got my diagnosis, I didn't know if we'd finish this year, or if the kids would be in a school someplace; but we did it!  The kids have been champs, working while I've been at soooo many appointments, or in bed.  Some of the hardest days were when I was plagued by what-if's and couldn't concentrate on the task at hand. When I was waiting a test result or consumed by a decision we had to make:  mastectomy or lumpectomy? Chemotherapy or no treatment at all? Or just dread... who can concentrate on phonics?? How did we get school done this year, practically speaking?  Well, I schedule my two youngest in the mornin...

Well, I'm back on my way again - a successful infusion of Herceptin.  It was actually a bit of a "fun" experience.  It was nice to see the nurses again - the nurse who started the infusion was my first "chemo" nurse, Laura, so I have a strange affinity for her. She talked us down on the first day of chemo and has a wonderful confident manner about her that makes me believe she'll take care of whatever goes wrong. I also talked flip-flops (no, they are no long called "thongs"!) and wigs with some fellow patients and by then I was done. Only 30 minutes!  And no anti-nausea drugs to make me woozy, steroids to jack me up or antihistamines to make me sleepy.  Smoooooth.  Despite all of the above, I was glad to leave the place when I was done... more than ready to hop in the car for a slow, sunny, late afternoon drive home. I'm now on schedule for Herceptin every 3 weeks and I think it's after 3 more treatments I get another MUGA scan to see ...

More good news!  While seeing my GP on Thursday I inadvertently got the results of my MUGA.  It appears the snake venom did the trick! My heart is actually pumping better than it did before I started. How crazy is that? I'm 2% over what I need to be - which is actually a good margin. I also haven't heard from the Cancer Clinic, so it would appear I'm good to go for my Herceptin treatment on Wednesday.  I am SO glad. From what I've read the Herceptin will increase my overall survival by 37% .  That's not shabby.  The 10 year survival rate when Herceptin was added to chemotherapy went from 74% to 84%.  My oncologist said that I should have an 80% chance of living to be an old lady, so that's about right.  He has no idea how I cling to that little phrase of his.  80% is a good number, although it doesn't mean 80% chance of being cancer-free, it only means being alive. But still...

I never thought last June that "I'm finished radiation" would be in my vocabulary; but it is! 20 radiation appointments  - check. 20 - 3hr round trips into town - check. 20 changes into 2 blue hospital gowns - check. 20 encounters with the fabulous radiology staff at the Clinic - check. Now I await an appointment with my Radiologist on July 29 "to see if it worked".  I'm not sure how they tell if it worked.  I didn't even know they could tell until 3:13 this afternoon when the nurse let me in on the next step in this odyssey.  I'll let you know. In the meantime I await the results of my MUGA (left ventrical heart scan) yesterday, to see if I can continue my Herceptin treatments.  I expect to get a call for an appointment with my Oncologist for Tuesday next week as they've pre-booked my Herceptin appointment for Weds. and he has to give me the go-ahead. I hope I get it. Although the few treatments I've had are helpful, more would be b...