Hi there, back for second chemo treatment tomorrow with the Halaven...this past week after the first treatment wasn't so bad, just a couple days of feeling kinda yuck. Here's hoping this one will be more of the same. If it's going to make me lose my hair, it'll be this week, after 2 straight doses, it might be time for another drastic hair appointment! I'm really hoping not though, I love my hair!!! So, fingers crossed for me please! I know it should be no big deal, so inconsequential in the grand scheme of things...but when, like me, you've been through so many side effects, it would be nice just to keep my curls!!! Positive wishes for tmw please!!! xoxox
Monday, June 24, 2013
Thursday, June 20, 2013
1st Halaven treatment down...
Had my first new chemo treatment Tuesday; today's Thursday and I'm still feeling it. Although, I'm never sure which med to blame, the Halaven or the XGeva (Denosumab.) It's a mixed bag, I'll blame the stomach aches and pains on the Halaven, and the sore joints and feeling 1000 years old on the XGeva.
No issues with actually getting the treatment, smooth sailing, although for a quick injection it still took 2 and a half hours in and out of the hospital. Thank goodness Will was there with me, keeping me company and keeping my spirits up since:) Our dogs are thrilled to have me on the couch so much; I've been working mornings and sleeping/resting afternoons. It worked out well that I like to work mornings, and mornings are really the only time i feel up to working; as the day goes on i feel less and less like myself and more "sick." Then by 8 ish I'm ready for bed:) Poor Will, I'm sure he didnt expect old age to come quite so quickly!! Wonder if we can start getting the early bird specials when we go out...:)
I found another massage gift certificate in the cupboard today (thanks to Cheryl Bovard!) and plan to use it soon. Massage and the heating pad are my new best friends. Thanks for all the notes and support!
No issues with actually getting the treatment, smooth sailing, although for a quick injection it still took 2 and a half hours in and out of the hospital. Thank goodness Will was there with me, keeping me company and keeping my spirits up since:) Our dogs are thrilled to have me on the couch so much; I've been working mornings and sleeping/resting afternoons. It worked out well that I like to work mornings, and mornings are really the only time i feel up to working; as the day goes on i feel less and less like myself and more "sick." Then by 8 ish I'm ready for bed:) Poor Will, I'm sure he didnt expect old age to come quite so quickly!! Wonder if we can start getting the early bird specials when we go out...:)
I found another massage gift certificate in the cupboard today (thanks to Cheryl Bovard!) and plan to use it soon. Massage and the heating pad are my new best friends. Thanks for all the notes and support!
Monday, June 10, 2013
Halaven
Alrighty, here we go again:) As suspected form my numbers, the last med hasn't been working, so I hafta go on a chemo called Erubulin or Halaven. My onc went over the scans with me today, and Colleen came with me just for fun:) The scans showed definite disease progession, especially in my liver (15 spots) and in my bones, most in my spine. I'm not surprised, I've had some pain in my upper back for the last 3 weeks or so. I'm going to see a spine specialist later this week, see what they see and if they can help with the pain.
I'm also switching to a new bone-building med called Denosumab; the onc is worried I've been on Zometa too long, something about a risk of paradoxical fracture. If anyone has any experience with either Eribulin or Denosumab, I'd love to hear, especially about side effects. The side effects I've read about so far for Eribulin are the typical chemo ones; fatigue, nausea, hair loss. I'm ok, happy there are still options to keep trying, and hopeful that this one will work for awhile. Thanks for checking on me!! And thanks for going with me, Col:) Love you.
I'm also switching to a new bone-building med called Denosumab; the onc is worried I've been on Zometa too long, something about a risk of paradoxical fracture. If anyone has any experience with either Eribulin or Denosumab, I'd love to hear, especially about side effects. The side effects I've read about so far for Eribulin are the typical chemo ones; fatigue, nausea, hair loss. I'm ok, happy there are still options to keep trying, and hopeful that this one will work for awhile. Thanks for checking on me!! And thanks for going with me, Col:) Love you.
Friday, May 31, 2013
Welcome back! :)
Smile, I haven't kept up well with my blog because not much of interest happening...I've been feeling well and no big scary news to report. :)
I went today for my every 3 month PET scan, had to go to Strong first for my IV, then on to the PET scan place - where my IV promptly fell out. They tried to put one in, searched everywhere for a vein, were very confident, tried to put it in my FINGER and failed. Reschedule. Luckily I have lots of free time next week, and come to find out, they can directly inject the radioactive dye for people like me who have a hard time with veins. Why didn't they tell me this 5 years ago? Excellent question, I wonder the same, but at least from here on out they will direct inject into a vein instead of having to thread in a catheter. Yippeee:)
I'll report back with news of PET scan results next week. My blood numbers have been steadily increasing since we ended the last chemo and started the hormonal treatment, meaning it's not keeping things under control and I'm pretty sure they will have to put me back on chemo after they see the PET results. Plus my back hurts, in the same place they're concerned about some spots they saw last time. Or maybe some lovely radiation? That helped with the pain and prevented spread last time...wait and see what the oncologist says on June 10. Take care and enjoy the hot weather (from inside with the ac blasting:))
I went today for my every 3 month PET scan, had to go to Strong first for my IV, then on to the PET scan place - where my IV promptly fell out. They tried to put one in, searched everywhere for a vein, were very confident, tried to put it in my FINGER and failed. Reschedule. Luckily I have lots of free time next week, and come to find out, they can directly inject the radioactive dye for people like me who have a hard time with veins. Why didn't they tell me this 5 years ago? Excellent question, I wonder the same, but at least from here on out they will direct inject into a vein instead of having to thread in a catheter. Yippeee:)
I'll report back with news of PET scan results next week. My blood numbers have been steadily increasing since we ended the last chemo and started the hormonal treatment, meaning it's not keeping things under control and I'm pretty sure they will have to put me back on chemo after they see the PET results. Plus my back hurts, in the same place they're concerned about some spots they saw last time. Or maybe some lovely radiation? That helped with the pain and prevented spread last time...wait and see what the oncologist says on June 10. Take care and enjoy the hot weather (from inside with the ac blasting:))
Monday, February 25, 2013
Great news!:)
Doxil is working, doing its job at keeping most of my cancer under control:) we decided today to do one more Doxil treatment today, and then to start on another hormonal treatment called Fulvestrant next month. The reasoning is: my body (specifically my heart) can only handle so much (typically 10 tretments) Doxil or other similar chemos; I've had 3, today is 4th. So we used the Doxil to get control of my cancer; now that it's under control, we can go back to the slower acting hormonal treatment and hope that keeps working longer term. The best news is that my liver lesions have completely resolved, no trace of them on my PET scan from last week. There are 2 spots that seem to be resistant to the doxil, so if the Fulvestrant doesn't work on them, ill probably have to have radiation for those spots. The only complaints I have with the doxil are minor: mouth and throat sores the second to third week after treatment, dry hands and feet throughout, and weight gain from the steroids. Will says "Assept!" , so ill suck it up (or in) as long as its working! Woohoo!!:)
Monday, January 28, 2013
Doxil #3
Happy almost February!:) My favorite month...mostly cuz it's my birthday and because my better half already gave me prezzies!!:) Anthropologie loves me, and I love them. PLUS my sister in law found a replacement of the beautiful coat i had last year from Anthro and bestowed it upon me as a surprise:) PLUS massage certificates...She's the best!!! (dear leanne and jill, in case this makes you jealous...love you!!)
Anyway, it's Monday, Chemo day, and I'm home now, resting and going back to work tomorrow. Doxil hasn't been bad, and talking to the NP this morning emphasized that for me; very few side effects, just some nausea and mouth/throat sores. I got some special numbing medicine this morning in case i get them again. I did the whole ice on my hands and feet routine and ate 4 edy's popsicles:) in hopes of keeping the chemo from pooling in those areas. I'm not sure it helps, but I don't want to not do it and have the side effects get me!!
The NP said this morning that one of my markers went up this month, the other one went down. (Puzzled face?) So...definitely not conclusively treating my cancer. But one more treatment today, see what the numbers look like and a PET scan late Feb to determine if i need to switch to a different chemo. Really hoping this one is working, it's not so difficult as chemos go, and ideally each treatment works for a lot longer than 3 months...
I'm good, please send all positive thoughts and well wishes to Carolyn's sister this week, in hopes we can ease her journey with this horrible disease just a little. Fucking cancer. Also, I just reread Carole Radziwill's "What Remains"...awesome read, but don't be afraid to cry, good reminder that even tho i'm the one with cancer, Will is going through his own experience with all of this and I'm beyond blessed to have him with me. MWUH!
Anyway, it's Monday, Chemo day, and I'm home now, resting and going back to work tomorrow. Doxil hasn't been bad, and talking to the NP this morning emphasized that for me; very few side effects, just some nausea and mouth/throat sores. I got some special numbing medicine this morning in case i get them again. I did the whole ice on my hands and feet routine and ate 4 edy's popsicles:) in hopes of keeping the chemo from pooling in those areas. I'm not sure it helps, but I don't want to not do it and have the side effects get me!!
The NP said this morning that one of my markers went up this month, the other one went down. (Puzzled face?) So...definitely not conclusively treating my cancer. But one more treatment today, see what the numbers look like and a PET scan late Feb to determine if i need to switch to a different chemo. Really hoping this one is working, it's not so difficult as chemos go, and ideally each treatment works for a lot longer than 3 months...
I'm good, please send all positive thoughts and well wishes to Carolyn's sister this week, in hopes we can ease her journey with this horrible disease just a little. Fucking cancer. Also, I just reread Carole Radziwill's "What Remains"...awesome read, but don't be afraid to cry, good reminder that even tho i'm the one with cancer, Will is going through his own experience with all of this and I'm beyond blessed to have him with me. MWUH!
Thursday, January 3, 2013
not so happy
Had my 2nd dose of Doxil on Monday, a shot of Neupogen on Tuesday....and a dose of kick my butt yesterday and today:(
I'm not nauseated, so i really am trying not to be a baby, i know it could be much worse, but my back is not happy!! It feels like someone removed my spine from my body, cracked it like a whip or one of those pretty ribbons in gymnastics, then put it back in. Every time i change from seated to standing (which is a lot!!!) or vice versa, it takes my breath away as it ripples around in there. Goes away after maybe 15-20 seconds. NOT. HAPPY.
I'm gonna make an appointment for a massage soon, and I have lots of fancy pain relief creams and whatnot to try from my chemo care package:) Plus Suzi and Curt gave me 2 more massage gift certificates - yeehaw:) I love being spoiled. I don't love being in pain tho, and i guess i've gotten off easy up 'til now...it's funny because at my last dr appt, they asked, as they always do, how my pain level was, and i said it was great! I was actually starting to wonder if i should decrease my pain meds...oopsy, guess not! Thank goodness for pain meds. And loving husbands;)
I'm not nauseated, so i really am trying not to be a baby, i know it could be much worse, but my back is not happy!! It feels like someone removed my spine from my body, cracked it like a whip or one of those pretty ribbons in gymnastics, then put it back in. Every time i change from seated to standing (which is a lot!!!) or vice versa, it takes my breath away as it ripples around in there. Goes away after maybe 15-20 seconds. NOT. HAPPY.
I'm gonna make an appointment for a massage soon, and I have lots of fancy pain relief creams and whatnot to try from my chemo care package:) Plus Suzi and Curt gave me 2 more massage gift certificates - yeehaw:) I love being spoiled. I don't love being in pain tho, and i guess i've gotten off easy up 'til now...it's funny because at my last dr appt, they asked, as they always do, how my pain level was, and i said it was great! I was actually starting to wonder if i should decrease my pain meds...oopsy, guess not! Thank goodness for pain meds. And loving husbands;)
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