Caroline's Breast Cancer Blog

This morning I had CT scans of my chest, abdomen and pelvis to see the status of the tumors in my lung, liver, and bones.   I�ve been feeling better the past week and the hope was that the chemotherapies I�ve been getting were shrinking my tumors.   Wynn, Nathan, Nina and I then went to see my local oncologist late in the afternoon to get the results of my scans.   Unfortunately, I did not get good news.   Although the primary tumor in my lung shrank, the lesions in my liver and bones are bigger and more numerous.   Next Steps: So the sobering reality is that I need to set myself up for clinical trials, which are therapies that are offered only under strict research protocols. I will start a new chemotherapy next Thursday, which will work to preserve my liver.   In the mean time, I will have another liver biopsy, probably tomorrow, which will be tested for information needed to help my doctors choose the best chemos to try next and help me decide the best c...

         This past weekend, one of my oldest and dearest friends came to visit me.   Anita and I met when we were 4 yrs. old at Sunday school.   [Along with our mutual friend, Stacy, we have known each other for 50 years!]   Anita and I talked, laughed and cried.   Oh�and we shopped.   We both like Eileen Fisher so we went to the outlet before she left to drive back to Iowa.   While there I found a pair of boots that I really liked and wanted.   The only problem was, even though we were at the outlet, they were still too expensive for my blood.   Anita did her best to talk me into getting them.   She even told me of a specific outfit I have that would be great with the boots.   But, I just couldn�t do it and I walked out without them.             Shortly after saying �good-bye� to Anita and leaving the store, Wynn called me while I was driving home...

Sorry about any difficulties readers have experienced trying to leave a comment on my blog.  I changed some settings so I hope that takes care of the problems.  Please leave your comments...I love hearing from you.

Today has been a good one.   The first two days after my second chemo session weren�t bad at all, but days 3-5 were pretty challenging.   The nausea and fatigue were indescribable.   However, today, I feel much better�only mild nausea, minimal fatigue, mild liver discomfort and minor bone pain.   I was hoping that after my second chemo session I would be able to figure out some sort of pattern, but so far, it seems like I need to plan to be out-of-commission for about 5 days afterwards. It�s my understanding that chemotherapy treatments are cumulative, so I can expect to have a longer recovery with each treatment.   I�ve been told that the post-chemo liver discomfort may be a �sign� that the medications are working on the liver tumors�so I suppose I should be glad :/     Two good things:   My hair is still on my head and the fuzzy spot in my right eye seems to show up less frequently.   Next week I�m scheduled for CT s...

Ahhhh, cancer�the gift that keeps on giving.   A couple of weeks ago I noticed that I had a small area in my right eye that would sometimes get fuzzy.   It comes and goes and initially I thought I had a smudge on my glasses.   After realizing that something was going on with my vision, I mentioned it to my oncologist.   He reminded me that one of the medications I�m on, Avastin, decreases the blood supply to my tumors and one of the side effects is vision changes because Avastin can act on the vessels in my eyes.   He recommended an evaluation with an ophthalmologist, which I did last Tuesday.   I�ve been found to have what are called cotton-wool spots on my retina, which are white puffy areas of inflammation.   Although seen in diabetics and those with uncontrolled high blood pressure, a rarer association is in folks with metastatic cancer.   That would be me.   The ophthalmologist didn�t think it was associated with Avast...

Today was another very long day.  Nina and I arrived for my 10:15 AM appointment on time and we walked out of the office at 3:30 PM.  Through my port, the nurse drew blood for a CBC (complete blood count) and other standard tests.  So far, my CBC is staying normal enough to receive the chemotherapies, which I�m so grateful for.  [This morning, the woman sitting in the chair next to me was told that her white blood cell count was too low for her to receive her chemotherapy today.  I watched as she tearfully called for her ride, packed up her things, and went home.  I can imagine how disappointing it would be to be unable to receive the medications that would be helping fight the fight.  I felt for her.] My time in the chemo chair was a little longer than usual today because my doctor added two anti-nausea medications since the first few days after my first treatment were really rough. I�m hoping they help, but I�m dubious.  (I started feeling naus...

  I�ve had a few family members and friends ask me about my port so I thought I�d explain, in more detail, what it is.   Mine looks like this: It�s placed in my chest like this: The port was surgically implanted just under my skin so that there�s a half-walnut-shell hump and the three small bumps (on the round center of the port) that can be felt on the right side of my chest.   The round part of the port is made of a dense piece of silicone.  From the port there is a tube that runs up toward my collarbone, then turns and enters a vein that goes directly to my heart � the superior vena cava to be specific. When my care providers need access to my circulatory system (to get a blood sample, give me medications or chemo, etc.), they simply push a specially designed needle, (with tubing), into my skin in the center of the three small bumps.   The needle goes into the silicone and into a small reservoir of my blood. So, for example, when I receive chemo, the me...

  My last blog generated a couple interesting replies both on the blog-page and in personal emails I�ve received.   Just to be clear, at this time I�ve decided not to have pan-cancer testing done.   There are a few confusing things about this testing that I didn�t blog about, but the bottom line is that for right now, I�ve decided that I don�t want to know if I have a resistant tumor type.   I understand from replies and emails that a couple of friends would choose a different action�and I am very respectful.   For me�I�ve met with some pretty damn smart and experienced lung cancer specialists who have encouraged me to wait on this testing. Plus, if I have a resistant tumor, for now I like the thought that I�m trying to fight it.   It�s terrifying to me to think what I might do if I learn I have a resistant type�throw in the towel?   I have my second chemo session this coming Thursday, and a couple weeks after that, I will be re-scanned to see ...

Among the many tests I have had and that have been suggested or recommended to me is one called a pan-cancer test .   So�going back to the gene mutation testing I had early on, let me explain my understanding of all this.   (Keep in mind I might be full of crap.)   In the past few years there has been a lot of research and excitement about tumor mutation testing.   A simple explanation:   Tumors have their own genetic information that is different from our other healthy body cells.   Researchers have found that some tumors have gene mutations, (alterations in the normal sequence of DNA), which make the cells cancerous.   Researchers now know how some gene mutation(s) change a normal cell into a cancerous one�one that grows and divides too fast, doesn�t function as a normal cell, and/or that doesn�t die away properly when it gets too old to function properly.   Researchers have also found what are called �targeted therapies�, whi...

--> It turns out that the insurance lingo for a wig is a cranial prosthesis.   Prior to submitting an insurance claim for a wig, I need to get a prescription from my oncologist for a �Cranial prosthesis due to chemotherapy induced alopecia.�   In other words, a wig because one goes bald from the chemotherapy.   Brigid and I went to LuLu�s Wiggin� Out to look for a wig last week.   The name of the shop gave me pause��LuLu�s��that�s not far from my name, since some people call me �Lu.�   I was hoping that would be a good sign. But the �wiggin� out� part is what I should have paid more attention to. It�s a small shop in a far suburb that was a hybrid wig shop/costume shop.   The styling chair was spray painted hot pink and sat in the middle of the shop in front of a hot pink wicker mirror.   They have very nice, quality-looking wigs, but also have the rainbow colored clown wig and Orphan Annie wig.   The young woman who helped me was great�...

Ringing in this New Year has a much different meaning for me.   In the past, although I did wish for Good Health and Happiness for everyone I know, this year I REALLY DO wish for Good Health and Happiness for everyone. Period.   People I know, those that I don�t� everyone . Over the past three weeks, I�ve learned so much about a subject that was barely on my radar.   One common question that keeps getting asked is, �How can you be so advanced and not known it.�   The textbook answer is:   Lung cancer, like a few others, tends not to have very many associated symptoms. Therefore, about 40% of patients are already at stage 4 (spread to other organs) at the time of diagnosis.   In my experience, my 3 cm lung tumor isn�t giving me much trouble.   Most of my discomfort is from the mets to my liver and bones.    My answer to the above question is:   I don�t know.   I have been in excellent general health my whole life.   Any aches ...

Here I am, ~4 days after my first chemo therapy session.  I still have hair and a smile :)  Yesterday I was back in the hospital to have a port placed, which is a small device implanted in my chest.  The port gives my care takers an easier access for IVs, chemo therapy, blood draws, etc., meaning no more IV starts in my arms.  Hopefully this means less painful sticks and things will go faster. The port placement went well.  I was pretty well snowed and don't remember much.  The nausea from the anesthesia wasn't fun, but none of this is.  I am just grateful to have these medical advances around to help my life be, even a little, easier.  It's really frigid here in Chicago today, but Wynn and I went for a short walk.  The cold, crisp air felt really good.  I love my husband. I've been getting tons of notes, messages, emails, and calls.  I need everyone to know how much I appreciate hearing from all of you.  I read every message a...