Long story but I would like your opinions please

Thanks petitegal - you're a sweetie for checking in on us.  All of this support is really amazing!  {{{{group hug!!!}}}}

Good morning ladies!   kj - I'm sure you are correct that the lymph nodes are uninvolved, but it's always good to check these things out.  Your body is going through a lot right now and your immune system is always involved in everything (good, bad or indifferent), so it's difficult to know without biopsy.  I'm glad that you have such a concientious doc!  I'll be praying for more "no mets" news from you! 

Cls1 - I sure hope you can get some good news soon!  Are you still having pain or has that improved?

Chickie - Please post after you doc appt on Tuesday.  I'll be thinking of you!

I hope you all have a very pleasant and safe Labor Day weekend. 

Is this a clavicular LN biopsy?  That does not sound pleasant ... not that an axillary LN biopsy sounds like a day at the beach either!  I hope they have good anesthetics!  When is your biopsy scheduled?

Understandable - but I'm sure they'll have some good meds for ya!  I hope they can get this done soon for you so you can start your chemo.  Fingers crossed for no mets!

Hi KJ - best wishes on your first day of chemo.  I hope all goes well.  It looks like your cancer is Her2+, which is a positive b/c then you can get a more targeted therapy.  The Taxotere and Carboplatin both effect rapidly dividing cells, which unfortunately includes gut epithelium (cells that line the gut).  Did they prescribe something for nausea?  I HATE nausea!  This will also effect cells of the immune system and hair for the same reason.  The Neulasta is a cytokine that we normally make (cytokines are small proteins that are largely involved in immune cell maturation, differentiation, proliferation and activation ... a lot of "...ations"!).  The cytokine is called granulocyte colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) and it will help you to make neutrophils.  These are important for your innate immunity.  I took neupogen in the past without any problems.  Neupogen is the same thing as Neulasta, with the exception that Neulasta is "pegylated".  Essentially, it has additional molecules attached that will provide a more sustained release of the G-CSF (that's a good thing!) . 

Thought I would just provide a little information to help you ace that exam!  I know you'll do great.  I'll be thinking of you today and wishing you the best as you dive into therapy!

Hi KJ - I'm glad that was helpful.  Please let me know if you have questions or if you just need some clarification with tests, results, meds, etc. through this whole process.  I know all of this can be very overwhelming and I may not be able to help with everything but I am very happy to help the best I can.  As it would happen, I am a scientist and professor of neuoscience at a medical school.  My research focus is largely on the immune system and I've studied a fair bit about various cancers in my graduate work.  So I'm pretty familiar with a lot of these things already and understand the language, should I need to investigate things further.  I'm a strong believer in "knowledge is power" and that patients should be informed as much as possible.  So, yep - as you state in you blog - life has gotten really real, really fast for you!  Please let me help any way I can!

All is well here.  I have my 2nd biopsy tomorrow at the breast cancer center.  I hope these guys do a better job with the local anesthesia than the folks I went to for the 1st biopsy.  One core 'bout sent me through the roof!  I still feel like I'm in that limbo stage of not being completely certain of my dx.  This whole thing has now been over 2 months, which just feels like a long time not to know what is going on for sure.  Not meaning to sound whiney, at least there is still the strong possibility that I'm not dealing with cancer, but I'd really like to be done with this not knowing business!

OK - that's enough of that!  I hope you do well today with your first treatment!  Each day/treatment is a step closer ...

Chickie & Cls1 ... Any news?

Thanks, KJ - will do.  Hey, if you can, I certainly should be able to!

Sounds like the biopsies on Tuesday were a real pain in the neck - Ugh!  Yeah, I know - really bad but I couldn't resist!   Some people just don't have a good bedside manner but at least you have a good group at the Milgard Center.

Thank you for the thoughts & prayers.  I'll send a friend request.  It'll be from Ollie Manders, who is one of my cats.  He keeps my account so my students don't find me! That can get a little messy.

I'm sorry to hear about your ordeal and hope that it will get better for you.  I can only imagine how frightening it all must be.  My heart really goes out to you.  I don't think what you are dealing with will ever be "easy", but hopefully, it can get a bit easier when many of the unknowns become knowns.  How are you feeling today? 

I'm off to get my biopsy.  Will post later today and send request! 

Hi KJ - Just got done reading your blog.  Sounds like such a rough time.  I'm so glad you have such wonderful children!  I love the message Tom sent you - it's perfect!  How can you lose with such strong positivity and support?  It looks like you are being well cared for!    How are you handling the chemo so far?

My biopsy didn't happen on Friday.  It was a long day but in the end, they couldn't find by u/s what was concerning the doc from the MRI, so I have to have an MRI-guided biopsy.  It is scheduled for the 19th.  I only told a couple of people about this because the first go-round ended with an "all clear, just cysts and an abscess", so I didn't want to raise any alarms unless necessary.  I was speaking (whining, may be a more accurate description) with one of the people who knows about this second go-round and I must be wearing him out, as his response was "you're not going to be happy until they find cancer".  Very hurtful, to say the least - and he certainly couldn't be more wrong.  I just want an answer and I want to feel that everyone is confident in that answer.  I would expect that anyone would want the same.  Cancer or not, I would really just like for all of this testing to be done.  It really wears on a person.  Anyway, all of this put me in a bit of a foul mood, hence the "radio silence", but I'm back.  It was silly to let myself get upset but I'm over it!  Sent request