Full Steam Ahead

It's been almost two months since my last update, and I'm happy to report that life has been fairly uneventful.  Busy, yes!  But, uneventful.  On June 2nd, I had a CT Scan and bone scan to check for any possible spread of the cancer to my bones, lungs, and liver.  The results were clear!  There were a few tiny spots on my lungs, but they appear to be related to a chest cold I was getting over; I'll be re-checked in September just to be sure. 

I'll also be getting a mammogram in July, and at some point my port will be removed, once my doctors decide that it's unlikely I'll have to go back on chemo.  I'm now averaging about one doctor's appointment per week, which is amazing! It's nice not to spend the better part of the week in a waiting room.

If breast cancer spreads elsewhere in the body, it usually travels to the bones, brain, lungs, or liver. At that point, it's called "stage 4" or metastatic breast cancer and it is incurable.  Because I'm "stage 3" (meaning that the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes), my doctors will keep close watch on these other areas, especially over the next several years.  Cancer recurrence is much more likely to happen within the first five years after diagnosis.  There are times I want to fast-forward to the year 2020 just to get out of this "danger zone", but at the same time I want the clock to slow down because obviously I want to enjoy Ben being so little.  So, I try to be patient, enjoy each day as much as possible, and not get stressed by trivial things.

Beep Beep!

A few weeks ago, I started the long-term medication regimen to suppress my hormones and basically go into menopause.  This involves an injection (Lupron) every three months at my oncologist's office, as well as a daily oral medication (Aromasin/exemestane).  My doctor suggested I wait a week after the initial injection, to see how my body responds to just the Lupron.  The main side effects I experienced were muscle aches and fatigue.  A week later, I added the exemestane to the mix.  The muscle aches and fatigue have been kicked up a few notches, and I also have more frequent headaches and some difficulty sleeping.  I basically feel like I've aged about 20 years and am living in someone else's body.  I'm waiting for the hot flashes but so far those haven't hit me yet, though living through a humid Florida summer is punishment enough.  One day I got my period, which was a bit alarming because umm, as far as I understand, being in menopause means this shouldn't happen anymore???  I called my oncologist who instructed me to call him back "if it doesn't stop."  He's such a dude sometimes. (It eventually stopped).

I had a 6-week post-radiation followup with my radiation oncologist and brought Jeremy and Ben along, since they hadn't met her before.  Ben was quite a hit with the staff, I'm pretty sure one of the nurses wanted to kidnap him.  The doctor noticed a small red bump within the "radiation zone" and said that it appeared to be a cyst.  Because there was a chance it could be infected, she wanted me to be seen by my surgeon later that afternoon, who'd be able to remove it if needed.  So this quick follow-up visit turned into a long day, as I was sent to the surgeon's office without an appointment (translation: I had to wait about 4 hours).  She gave me a shot of lidocane and basically carved it out of my chest wall, and that was that.  

I'm still dealing with neuropathy in my hands, which feels like a permanent numbness/tingling across my fingertips.  I've become very skilled at dropping various items multiple times a day.  So far, I haven't dropped the baby (!!) but there are times when I've suddenly had to put him down when I started to lose my grip.  This side effect can be permanent for some people, but I'm hoping it will taper off as time goes on.  Until then, it's butterfinger city up in here!

I took a gander at my health insurance statement the other day and quickly realized that insurance is a necessary evil.  A single Lupron injection?  $5600.  And that teeny tiny pill I'll be taking every day for the next ten years?  $11 a pop.  I couldn't believe when I went to the pharmacy and was told that I didn't owe anything.  My monthly premium is crazy expensive, but I've racked up over $80,000 in claims just in the past five months and so far I haven't had to pull a Walter White.  I consider this a win.

Ben is now a SEVEN MONTH OLD.  Whaaaaat?  He's been experimenting with all sorts of new foods.  His current favorites are sweet potatoes (how could he not love those), apples, and squash.  Least favs are peas and prunes.  I always thought you had to be at least 80-years-old to truly enjoy prunes, so no real surprise there.  

Sweet Potato eating sweet potatoes :)

At his 6 month check-up he weighed 15.4 lbs; a bit on the small side but his height and head circumference are average.  He basically has a little waist and a big noggin. :)

May 2015

June 2015

Rainy pajama morning

My two loves

Charley is about the same, still chugging along on two legs and a lot of meds.  We recently hoisted him into the car for a coffee run because he never gets to go on rides anymore (one of his greatest joys in life) and he was so excited when he realized he wasn't going to the vet. He still makes his way to the nursery every morning so he doesn't miss out on anything.

Now that I'm essentially in the "maintenance phase" of treatment, I might not update as often.  But, thank you for taking the time to read.  This blog has given me a place to record everything that's happened over the past year...a crazy chapter that has simultaneously been the greatest and the most terrifying year ever.  I hope that my story might help someone dealing with a similar diagnosis, to know that they aren't alone, and that there is always a light at the end of the tunnel.  

Dee