Living my life 8/26/2010

I got the results of the chest xray: clean. I got the results of my mammogram: clean. I got the results of the CA15-3 test (cancer marker test): clean. All I have to do now is be vigilant. I have one more full chemo to go, and a short infusion on the 28th of September. After that, I'll get the port removed. That's when I can really look back on cancer and say : Good riddance.

But no matter what the future may hold for me, I know that I can handle it. Life is sweet.

Spots 8/20/2010

Since the last time I posted, I have had another visit with the oncologist and another Herceptin infusion. When I meet with the doctor, I usually bring a list of things to discuss that I've written down, so I won't forget to ask. On this week's list were 3 particular issues. When will my last Herceptin infusion be, and when can I get my port out? And lastly, what are the purple spots (they look like small bruises) that pepper my right leg? It turns out that while I thought that I only had one more chemo, I have 1 1/3. I will go on 9/7 for my last full treatment (1 1/2 hours), and again on the 28th for 1/3 of a dose (only a half hour). I have to set up a time for the surgery to have the port removed. So I should be port-free by middle of October at the latest.

As far as the purple bruises, she had no idea. "Let's just wait and see what happens". As a matter of fact, by Thursday (my appointment was on Tuesday), the bruises appeared to be fading. But lo and behold, I now have bruises appearing on the other leg. It's the darndest thing: this is not a skin rash, but small, pencil-eraser sized bruises. Where will they go next?

The Arimidex is still the source of regular hot flashes, not too bad to deal with. But now to get a full night's sleep, I have to take Benadryl before I go to sleep. I fell asleep the other night without taking it, and even though I was very tired when I went to bed, I woke up at 3:00. Sleep disruptions are a side effect of Arimidex. But the Benadryl (the PM part of Tylenol PM) works pretty well to allow me to sleep right through.

Yesterday I had a blood test for my Coumadin level (3.06), and also a CA15-3 blood test. Curious as to what that was, I googled it to find that it is a marker for breast cancer. It is given to monitor the response to treatment of invasive breast cancer and to watch for recurrence of the disease. Needless to say, I'll be watching for those results.

All in all, I feel great!

Back to Reality 8/4/2010

Well, back to reality... In the last week I had a blood draw and an Echo Cardiogram, and am due for another blood draw tomorrow. I still don't have a stable INR (test level to determine how thin my blood is, to prevent further clots). I did try to keep a consistent diet while on vacation. Oh well, only 1 1/2 to 2 more months of Coumadin to go. Then it's OUT with the port, because I'll be done with the Herceptin. I've been very good with wearing my compression sleeve, and the glove when working out or hiking. I even wore the 2 of them when hiking at Arches and Canyonlands with heat up into the 100s. Lymphedema is minor. I must say that the humidity back home has been a blessing for my eyes, if not my body. Out west, with 4% humidity, my eyes constantly watered and stung from the dryness and brightness, to say nothing of the wind. My eyes feel much better now. while I do have some measly, straggly little eyelashes, no one's going to mistake me for Brooke Shields after Latisse. The hair is coming back in kind of funky. It's mostly gray, and right now, it's about an inch long--still not enough to braid, or put in a pony tail...

I started the Arimidex on the 26th. I'm expecting the best, and no problems with this stuff. I feel great, and am moving on with life.