Cancer Sucks

Since my last update, I've now completed 14 radiation treatments which means I'm just about halfway finished.  I'm SO glad I chose a facility close to home because I think by this point a long drive would start wearing on me.  The whole process is very efficient; I even have my own scan card that buzzes me in the door so I can head straight back to the changing area with barely any wait at all.  Once you go into the treatment room, there are usually about 3 technicians ready to get you in place.  I no sooner lay down before they start arranging everything and checking the computer to make sure everything is lined up correctly.  Then they all leave the room and I just lie still while the machine moves around me.  

Once a week I also meet with the radiation oncologist.  So far, the only visible symptom is redness around the target area, which is starting to resemble the state of Ohio.  She gave me some special lotion to use on the area three times a day.  One day I noticed a lump under my armpit which of course had me thinking the worst.  But when the doctor checked it, she said that it was something called "tendon cording" which is a common side effect when a lot of lymph nodes are removed.  Not a huge deal to worry about, thank goodness.  

So far, the most difficult part of radiation is laying completely still.  It seems so easy at first, but it quickly becomes a real battle to stick it out!   One of the nurses warned me that if I moved so much as one millimeter, they'd have to start all over.  The first day took longer than usual so they could check and re-check their measurements, and I couldn't move for almost 30 minutes.  Pure torture!  But since then, most treatments are over in about 10 minutes which is much more manageable.  Also, my leftover side effects from chemo are winding down.  The hot flashes have subsided (thank God!!).  I still have a lot of back pain, though not sure what's causing it.

A few weeks ago I had a routine appointment with the medical oncologist.  We discussed starting hormone therapy once I'm done with radiation.  He explained that in the time since my diagnosis last summer, new studies were released that have changed how they treat pre-menopausal women.  They used to suggest a medication called Tamoxifen, which you would take daily for 5 or 10 years.  However, new research shows that women have less chance of recurrence if they combine daily medication with ovary suppression.  Ovary suppression can be obtained by getting an injection every couple months, or you can just have your ovaries removed surgically, Angelina Jolie style.  The data suggests that removing the ovaries combined with meds (called aromatase inhibitors) results in the best outcome.  I'd like to put all my eggs in the "don't die" basket, so this is the option I'm leaning toward.  But, this would mean no more children and I'd be put into menopause. I'm ok with that right now, but I'm not so sure how Future Dee feels about it.

Easter weekend 2015

Speaking of children, Sweet Potato is approaching five months and is still happy and healthy as can be.  At his four-month visit to the pediatrician, he weighed just over 13 lbs and was 24.5 inches, which puts him in the 10th percentile for height/weight.  He's still a little guy but is slowly working his way up the growth charts :)

Now the part I didn't want to write about:  an update on our 10-year-old Australian Shepherd mix, Charley.  

Charley has cancer.

You might recall that a few months ago, he started to have trouble using his hind legs. We started him on a treatment plan of medication and lots of rest.  He was basically confined to a corner of the house for 6 weeks straight, aside from going outside to use the bathroom three times a day.  For this entire time we made sure that someone was home with him 24/7, so that he didn't try to injure himself.  It was a really difficult plan to stick to, but we decided if we were going to do it, we wanted to do it right.  But as the weeks went on, taking care of him became more work than taking care of the baby.  Our life started to rotate around him and the stress was wearing on all of us (not like we aren't already dealing with multiple other stressors).  And by the end of the six weeks, we accepted the fact that Charley didn't make any progress at all.

We took him to a follow-up visit with the vet and found ourselves at a crossroads:  either give him stronger meds (he was already taking meds 4x per day) and continue keeping him confined indefinitely, or cough up thousands of dollars (that we simply don't have) to finally figure out what's wrong.  

We ultimately made the decision to move forward with the series of tests suggested by a veterinary neurologist.  If you're not a dog lover, you might think it's crazy to go to such great lengths for a pet.  But I don't think I could live with myself if I put Charley to sleep only to find out that something could have been done to fix the problem.  Every other part of his body is in perfect health (and believe me, we know this for a fact because he's had almost every test in the book!).  

He has an atypical tumor in his spinal cord and there's not much that can be done about it. Radiation might be an option, but it's doubtful that treatment would restore his ability to walk independently.  If he can no longer have a good quality of life, then I feel like treatment would do more harm than good.  For now, he's not in any pain and is happy to be back home resting with us.  

There are so many things in life right now that need my attention:  my own health, Charley, the baby, paying bills, my clients at work...the list goes on.   Sometimes I don't know where to start and wish I could just stay in bed. Please keep Charley in your prayers. He's my best friend.