Chemo June 2010

Bon-  Yeah, it's hard to fathom it has been a year of this madness.  Here in NYC, the cherry blossoms are blooming.  I distinctly remember walking home through the park watching my son skip, taking in the gorgeous cherry blossoms last year on April 14, knowing I was going home to call my BS for my path results.  I had a funny feeling that my life was about to change forever....and I was right.  It's nice to have that beautiful day as my last cancer-free memory.  Hoping for only excellent news with your checkup today, my friend.

hi carrol - you should check with your onc or gyno about this - tamoxifen comes with a slightly increased risk on uterine cancer, so they need to do a regular ultrasound to check that the uterine wall is not thickening (or something like that i think). both my onc and my gyno told me they would be keeping an eye on this, although the risk is minimal, especially for younger women.

carol-  I think it is pretty standard protocol to do a baseline US to measure the uterine lining before going on Tamoxifen.  That way they have a starting point and can check it periodically.  If it ends up thickening, sometimes they do a biopsy to make sure it isn't uterine cancer (which is a slight risk of Tamoxifen).

So, the results of the follow up MRI has caused the radiologist to want an ultrasound today with my mammo and 'maybe a biopsy'.  I am freaking out!  All i can think is 'NOT AGAIN'.  I believe either today or tomorrow is the anniversary of my first surgery, how ironic!  Of course he said 'It's probably nothing'.  Yeah, that's what everyone said a year ago when I started this journey, 'it's probably nothing, lets do a follow up mammo', it's probably nothing, lets do an ultrasound', 'it's probably nothing, let's do a biopsy', 'oh, it's cancer'.

Julia 

Julie - It sounds like they are being very careful and thorough. Think positive....prayers are coming your way.

Jackie - congrats on getting the tissue expanders out.  Those things are not fun!!!  I'm glad things are going well. 

Julia, today is also the annversary of my first surgery of my 2nd dx.  How crazy does that sound?  I hope everything goes well on the biopsy.  Negative Results!  Negative Results!!! 

I got my scans scheduled for Monday.  I'm getting nervous just thinking about them.  I am having a bone scan all over and a CT scan on my abdomen and pelvis.  Yesterday, I met with the gyn onco that will be performing my hysterectomy.  Today I meet with my plastic surgeon to see about my hardened foob from radiation.  The doctor appts never end!!!

Thanks everyone on the kind words about Haley.  I was watching TV last night and my 2 dogs were sitting on my lap, snuggling with me (they are both 40-50 lb Border Collies - not lap dogs).  Then, my cat Shakira started looking up at the ceiling and around the room.  I thought a bug might be flying around, but there was nothing.  Then, I thought maybe it's Haley's spirit, running around the living room.  Based on how all the animals are behaving, I think it's possible!  When my dad passed, my mom's cat would look up at the ceiling and meow all the time.  My niece kept pointing up and saying, "look Mommy it's Pop Pop" and my dogs were looking up at the ceiling and being more emotional than normal.  I really believe that animals and children are open to things that sometimes us adults don't see or hear. 

Thanks for all the good wishes ladies, I had my ultrasound, mammo and a biopsy, and clips put in to mark the biopsy site today.  Results tomorrow!  DesignerMom, I did have rads, but this is the other side, an area of concern that showed up on MRI, we've been tracking it since my initial diagnosis.  I told the radiologist that I will be royally pissed if this is cancer after I've gone through rads ( I think a 2nd cancer would definitely cause me to have a mastectomy).

Kittycat, I bet you would love my new border collie puppy!  He is a pistol. 

Julia 

gin2-You and all these ladies are  family now,  You are all truly the sisters (and I'm not talking the "bc sisters"), we all dream of having.  This year's weather is beyond wild.  Thank God your brother is safe.  Everyone be careful!  That would really pi$$ me off if I got hurt from some weather incident....after surviving all these lovely medical treatments!

mimi-  Right back at you!  Did your snow finally melt?

Hello my lovelies!  Have been under the weather a little with my bronchitis, but feeling better today.  I have been sleeping alot - don't know if it's because of the medicine or the illness, but guess I must have needed it.

DMom - shut yo' mouth, girl!  I am definitely NOT having any more babies, LOL!  I had four in five and half years (no twins) and that is enough!  All my epidurals from now on will not be associated with childbirth!

Joan - thanks for the info on the Effexor.  I've been on it almost two weeks now and although the frequency of my flashes has not diminshed, the intensity has for the most part.  My face used to get beet red and I wanted to rip off all my clothes and get in a tub of ice!  One of the teachers here came in my office while I was having one of these lovely episodes and she asked me if I was sunburned. 

Kitty - {{{HUGS}}}  So sorry you are hurting both for your pet and your friend, but glad to know that your friend got some good news.  Try not to worry about your joint pain.  I know I was very concerned about mine because it was so painful.  But my bone scan came back clean, so I feel a little better.  Now, every time something aches or hurts, my mind immediately suspects cancer.  That is a horrible feeling.  But after my bone scan I have hope again.  Chemo just messes everything up but is a necessary evil I suppose.

Latte - I too was wondering about the vaginal US, but see that my question was answered in a later post.  I am taking Tamoxifen, but since I do not have a uterus I guess I will not be needing that scan.

Julia - I know that having another biopsy must be so scary after all you've been through.  I'm praying that it is hopefully something false or a false positive.  I have already warned my husband that if this thing comes back either in the original cancer boob or the other, that I am ordering them both to come off and I won't even hesitate or blink an eye.  Thinking higher thoughts for you.

Jackie - congrats on your new "chest."  I bet it's fantastic!  You deserve to get something special after all you've been through.

I'm with Latte about what is the standard for screening after you've finished tx.  On my first visit with my onc last week since I finished rads, I had so many questions about several things and we talked for quite a while.  But we did not cover future screening.  He did tell me to get a mammogram and then he would see me in 3 mos.  I've been reading about dense breasts and mammograms and that ultrasound and/or MRI is recommended because mammograms don't always detect problems in dense breasts, which I have.  Do you ask the mammo people about doing the additional testing or does your onc have to order that? 

sherry-  Figured you were done "birthin' babies", just never knew they did epidurals for other reasons.  About screening dense breasts.  As I was "mammo occult" and my BC did not visualize on mammo, I now have mammo plus US at 6 months then MRI the other 6 months.  When I asked my BS why I had to be exposed to rads for mammos if they didn't pick up my BC, she said any future BC could be a different kind (joy!).  From what I can gather, mammos follow calcifications which can turn to cancer, US differentiate between cysts and masses.  MRIs do something else, maybe more detailed, not sure.  My BS had to order both mammo plus US and I believe had to deal with insurance telling them I needed it due to my BC and "mammo occult" status.  I think your BS should organize all this for you if you ask.  Good info on this site if you have dense breasts  areyoudense.org.  Hope your bronchitis clears up.  I bet all this pollen doesn't help!

yay julia!!

sherry, i take tamox in the morning, but based on what i have been reading on other threads it doesn't matter when you take it. some people switch if they are having SEs to see if that helps. i won'[t answer your question about who orders the testing as i am sure the US is different to here.

I don't have any regular scans either.  I'm ok with it as I understand that lots of false positives can show up which just leaves you with constant worry.  That's what happened with this area we've been tracking in my other breast, 'something' showed up on MRI that was probably benign, but after 3 MRIs 6 months apart it was still there, which is why it was biopsied.  

Julia 

congrats on b9 results Julia,   what a relief ! 

 Hoping everyone in the group is safe from this crazy weather,  just looking at some pictures in the news.. holy smokes!

   regarding the follow up tests and scans...  my team is also on the side of no further tests with out symptoms.. aside from the yearly mammo and ultrasound.  I'm ok with that. .  Although, being on Tamox, i'm wondering if i should be getting the yearly vag ultrasounds too?  might have to ask about that next time. 

Julia -  Good, Good news ! 

Gin- I pray your brother continues to be safe.

Jackie- Congrats on the new girls.

Got my port out today.  Had to do it under anesthsia at a different hospital.  The proceedure was no big deal.  Was able to see the Xray of my lungs and ribs with and without the port.  The difficult part was spending a day on hospital time.  I half hour proceedure took five hours.  I am a little sore and sleepy but otherwise fine.  Was told not t work for 24 hours.  I may go in tomorrow afternoon as I am feeling guilty about missing days.

Sherri-  I started taking Tamox at night and switched to mornings.  I thought maybe it would cut down on night sweats if I did that.  I have no idea if that is why I have fewer night sweats or if the Effexor worked or my biology just changed.  But, I do have fewer night sweats now.

I was never given a strong reason as to why I was to get a second scan.  I did find out after the second scan that my first scan (prior to chemo) showed I had growths on my liver.  The doctor said that since my second scan showed no change in the growths they would be classified as cysts not cancer.  So... maybe they wer suspicious of mets prior to chemo with me and used the second scan to check for mets to my liver.  So far it sounds like I am in the minority as far as scans go.  I haven't asked if they plan anymore.