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| Trusty infusion pump |
Greg and I went out for breakfast and then he came to my appointment with Dr. Shah.
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| Almost last port access before it's gone |
And then I had enough time to finish (and bind off) my bright pink shrug that I started so many months ago, also in the infusion chair.
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| It definitely needs blocking! |
So a bit of catch-up since last time I posted (March 5th):
My MUGA scan came back at a good level. The MUGA checks if the heart's ventricles are pumping at a correct level. It's measured in percentages, and a score of 50% or higher is considered normal. My score this time around was 61%. The other scores, were 62% (pre-chemo), 56% (post-chemo, but mid-Herceptin), and 68% post-post chemo and mid-Herceptin. Dr. Shah won't continue to monitor my heart, as she's very pleased with my numbers.
I had an appointment with my new GYN (my former one retired and I hadn't seen one for almost two years--which was when I was diagnosed with Endometriosis and put on birth control pills (which still make me wonder if that kicked my ER+ tumor into high gear, but I digress). My GYN looked at my hormone levels and was pretty convinced that I am in menopause. She supports the switch from Tamoxifen to Aromatase Inhibitors, but respects Dr. Shah's desire to re-test before switching me. I don't have to be watched any more closely by the GYN due to the increased risk of endometrial cancer (unless I have symptoms), so that was nice to know. Trying to decrease those visits any way I can--current count is 129 appointments related to my breast cancer diagnosis.
I met with my plastic surgeon and got the OK for my final (reconstruction) surgery. It's scheduled for June 28th at 7:30 am. It should last about 4 hours, then I'll be in recovery for about 2 hours and be able to go home (hooray!). I will have surgical drains again (ugh!), but only two this time. And I'm supposed to take 2 weeks off of work. When pressured, Dr. Sterkin said maybe I could return earlier, but not until the drains are gone. I have only (this month) earned sick leave at the rate of one day a month, and I've been withdrawing time for doctor appointments already, so I'm still a little down about having to use vacation time to sit home recovering from surgery. Adding insult to injury, my surgery is scheduled for the day before Summerfest begins, so my plan to "do Summerfest" is dashed. <whine, whine, whine> On the other hand, the cool things about my surgery include not only getting rid of the uncomfortable saline-filled expanders, but also getting rid of my port-a-cath, and having my new breasts "rounded out" with fat lipo-suctioned from my belly! (silver linings...) I did check with Dr. Shah today, and while there is a (debatable) risk with procedures done to the arm after lymph nodes are removed, that doesn't apply to the chest. What does that mean? I'm clear to get tattoos after my reconstruction!
I spent a lot of time today talking to Dr. Shah about next steps. In cancer circles, they call this phase "Survivorship." It's common to experience changes physically, socially and emotionally. It's common to fall into a depression of sorts when active treatment stops. Given my history of depression, I'm acutely aware of this possibility. I definitely know that there is a chance of recurrence. I am trying to decrease my fears of recurrence, and part of that was talking to Dr. Shah about what to do if it does come back. My follow-up with her will begin in 2 months, including bloodwork and a clinical breast exam. If all looks good, my appointments will gradually spread out (3 months, 4 months, 6 months...). My greatest fear has centered around the fact that my tumors were highly Her2+. That indicates an aggressive tumor with high chance of recurrence. But if it does come back, I could go back on Herceptin (which I tolerated well), and there are other therapies that are being developed, targeted at Her2+ cancers. Dr. Shah shared that she has one patient who's on her third year of Herceptin, post recurrence. So there are options.
When I first sat down with Dr. Shah to discuss my treatment options back in February of 2015, she shared statistics with me about how likely it is to remain alive and cancer-free, depending on which treatments you chose (given my particular characteristics). I remember barely listening at the time and just being determined to do everything possible to fight, even if it only increased my chances of survival a few percentage points. I found that chart this last weekend, and then went to the website where (I think) she got the data from. It's called Cancermath.net. Now that I've already survived beyond that time of decisions, my numbers have improved! :) So for those who like stats, here's my survival curve, using the specifics of my tumor and the treatments I've done:
It was kind of sad to say goodbye to the nurses, MAs, and receptionists today. I know I'll see some of them on and off for many years yet, but I don't plan to sit in the infusion chairs in the chemo bay for a long time (if ever again). Today, for the first time in all my chemo/infusion appointments, a patient sitting next to me was ill--vomiting throughout his treatment. It filled me with an overwhelming desire to bolt, but it also made me realize how truly fortunate I have been. I have had so many visits and treatments and things done to me, and I have had side effects, and likely will always have some of them that remain. But in the scheme of things, my treatments have been very well tolerated. My side effects are annoying, and they linger (I'm talking to you, damn neuropathy!), but I've made it through the active treatments and I feel unbelievably lucky. I've put up with things I never thought I'd be able to do (like a 45 minute MRI), and I've learned a lot. I've learned about cancer, immunity, the nervous system, heart function, and hormones--and I've learned that I have the most amazing family and friends in the world. Thank you all for reading, writing, texting, and hugging me. I could not have done it without you.
