Kicking Cancer's A** -- My Road to Recovery

I finally had my first post-treatment mammogram on October 4th. It was much more thorough than a routine mammogram with more pictures and additional views on the right side. They had also ordered an ultrasound. With BC patients, they always have a radiologist immediately read them and notate anything suspicious and talk to the patients that very day about the results. No waiting. So I did the test (only one pose was painful) and sat in the waiting room until they called me back to the radiologist's office. He smiled and asked if I remembered him as the doctor who did my biopsy procedure last year. I did recognize him but did not remember his name (last year was a whirlwind between the months of September and December). He said he took a careful look and felt very confident there were no suspicious areas and that both breasts were cancer-free. In fact, he asked who did the surgery and I told him Dr. Wagner did and he said kudos to her, it was one of the best jobs he had seen and t...

Sorry it has been a long time since my last update. At work, we are into our second busiest time of year which runs late August to early November. I do a lot of travel during this time of year both personally and for the job. I am feeling good generally. I have very little pain and have only had a few episodes of any problems with symptoms. Most of the time, I can forget I have been in this fight for the past year. I do feel lucky. That said, I have developed a new problem with my thyroid and have been diagnosed with goiter. I have had an ultrasound on my neck and it shows 6 enlarged nodules and I have had one visit with an Endocrinologist. She has told me that it is unlikely to be cancer of the Thyroid, but that she will probably do a biopsy to rule it out. Meanwhile, she is rechecking the blood test with the out of whack numbers as it it old (from May) and I will have another screening test when I go back in October. I still do not know what is causing this but problems with the ...

I haven't written in my blog for more than a month now: so it's past time for an update. There is not too much news as far as my cancer goes. I was supposed to see my radiology oncologist two weeks ago for my follow-up. I have been bumped twice (through no fault of my own) from my appointments. I have rescheduled for this Thursday so I hope the third time's a charm. As well as I did during the treatment, it has seemed harder post-treatment. Radiation often has late side effects well after treatment has ended and it seems I have several. In addition to discoloration, I have had rashes that come and go, some pretty nasty itchiness and soreness. All of the symptoms are intermittent;  sometimes they are almost non-existent and other times, they flare up enough to be really annoying. The heat of the summer seems to aggravate it. I will, for the rest of my life, have to keep the treated area from direct sun exposure. Another symptom I have noticed is that side doesn't feel ...

Nothing eventful with my cancer happening at the moment. My skin has improved even though the discoloration hasn't and the tenderness and soreness has slowly decreased to where it is mild and hardly a bother. I feel pretty normal for the most part. Or, at least, as normal as I am capable of ... lol. So while the cancer thing isn't causing waves right now, other parts of my life are like a tsunami. My daughter got married last Friday at the Cliffs of Moher in Ireland. So yes, I just got back from a week in Ireland. It was an awesome trip and I got lots of pics and memories. The day after I got back (today) I got a very expected phone call from my mom's hospice nurse. Her kidneys are shutting down and her breathing is very shallow and rapid. She is unresponsive and starting to make gurgling noises. Doctors have ordered a "comfort kit" for end of life and she has been put on morphine. They say she has anywhere from a few hours to a few days. I have spent today pu...

Wow! So excited. Guess who's not gonna make the long drive to her doctor's office today? ... I had my FINAL radiation treatment (Day #21) yesterday. I can officially say that the tumor blasts treatments are more hardcore. My residual side effects are as follows: a little pain, some soreness and tenderness, my nipple is darker in color than the other and I have what looks like a rash/sunburn all over the breast. In addition, there is a darker red spot about the size of a golf ball where those last five targeted treatments were. Fatigue is not really much of an issue. I am told that all of these side effects will diminish with time (like my scars) and that I am not likely to have any lasting changes from this treatment. The discoloration may be permanent in that the redness will fade to a tan, but there is no way to know that now and even if that happens, so what? My radiation oncologist says out of a ten point scale where ten is the best, I was a solid ten insofar as how I...

So today is my last day! Haven't had the treatment yet but will soon. Yesterday's treatment (#20) wasn't too bad after having a kinda rough time this past weekend. I have finally had that skin reaction I was expecting all along but it's not too bad. It looks like a sunburn/rash but not too dark or angry. I'm told it will fade with time post-treatment. I hope so. Today is graduation day for me. In a few hours, will have my final treatment. I am looking forward to it ... but with a little trepidation. After this, I am on my own. Sure, there will be further tests and future check-ups. But I will not be in "active" treatment anymore. There are no maintenance drugs I can do and nothing but chemotherapy left as far as any other treatment which I have already rejected. I must divert my attention away from getting through treatments and recovery which I have been doing for the past six months. I will now focus on being as healthy as I can and being proactive...

As I finish these last few radiation treatments to try and keep the cancer from returning, my thoughts and focus are turning to the future. After this week, there are no more planned treatments. After this, it's up to me without medical intervention. Of course, I will be checked and have some follow-up visits with my oncologist and cancer care coordinator and a new mammogram around August/September. I will continue to get healthier, work on my diet and exercise, sleep better, drink more water, etc. This is even more important than ever. I can't slip back into my old bad habits. I have always believed there are Eastern and other more natural, holistic healing methods out there that are very effective. I have tried acupuncture and massage and will do those again. I want to pursue yoga (you know, the little green guy from Star Wars? Lol). Another thing (besides paying more attention to the type of food I put into my body) I have decided to incorporate is the heavy use of essen...

I'm on a short break to do a three-day show now but finished Day #19 on Thursday. While I am still handling fatigue well, the tumor blasts have been a little more difficult than expected. They hit a fairly small area with a highly concentrated blast from three different angles and it is a lot. The area is swollen and very sore. In fact, it is affecting my right arm movement and I am stiff on that side. In addition, I have developed a rash on my chest (not in the area being treated) that's very red and blotchy and itches like hell. I'm not gonna tell my radiation team, but because there was a mark with a piece of tape over it in the rash area, I removed the tape (and therefore the mark) and they will have to redo it on Monday. I had to remove it because it was itching and hurting there. On the other hand, that area under my breast isn't sore (like it has been) and other parts not in the new treatment field are healing and will continue to heal. So I am almost done an...

Day #17. Down. First day (1 of 5) of what they nicknamed, "Tumor Blasts." While that sounds scary, it's really not. All it means is that they refine the radiation field down to a much smaller area around the tumor bed. It also means they are no longer radiating the entire breast and surrounding chest. Which is really awesome because I had my worst day of shooting pains so far yesterday after treatment. I think my body was screaming "enough, already!" Today, I have had very little pain and discomfort. And since I already kicked fatigue's butt and sent him away; none of that either. This visit was a long one because they had to do a lot. They took new measurements and X-rays and drew new marks in different places. The aligning and machine resetting took quite a while. Before, the machine had two different positions for treatment ... one to my far left angled down toward my right chest and the other out to my right side and angled slightly up. Now, I am z...

They say you never know how tough you are until you have to be. While I still don't know who "they" are, I have to concur with them. I just finished what is the hardest physical show I have to work all year with the most challenges this past weekend. It is also one of my favorites. Called the Poteet Strawberry Festival, it is held the second weekend in April every year in a VERY small town most people would otherwise never hear of about 45 minutes Southwest of San Antonio. The population of Poteet is listed at about 3400 people and it is about as sleepy a little town as you could image. Neither a McDonald's or a Walmart here, folks (although the do have a Dairy Queen). There's not even one motel here, ergo, my stay at a motel in South San Antonio which is the closest I could find. So this little town transforms into Las Vegas overnight for three straight days when the festival begins with fireworks, rodeos, all night parties, bands everywhere, vendors lining SH 16...

Day #16. Done. Owned It. Did pretty well today ... less discomfort than yesterday and skin is still holding up well. Of course, I am like a fanatic with using creams/lotions, etc. I can tell the difference with some darkening (mostly the nipple), but it isn't real obvious. I did experience some fatigue and am tired tonight. Will probably go to bed soon and rest up because my 3-day show starts tomorrow. I am in for some long hours of work but will not have another treatment until Monday. Hopefully, I will have the energy I need. In fact, Monday will be final day of my whole breast radiation. On Tuesday, I will start the first of 5 "tumor blasts" which will focus the radiation on the area where the tumor was removed. I should be done completely by Tuesday after next. Let the countdown begin. I am ready to graduate!

Or is it an oncoming train? Lol. Days #12, #13, #14 done. As per my usual, Monday and Tuesday were pretty good; although I had a bout with fatigue Monday night. Had to go to bed at 9:00 p.m. which is so not the norm for this night owl. Was so tired I was shaky. Wednesday (today) brought more pain focused in a couple of areas including the usual under the breast rib area and higher up near the crease where my arm is. There are occasional shooting pains throughout, but the areas I am talking about have a combination of burning, stinging, soreness and itching in equal parts. My pain level today is closer to a 7 whereas yesterday it was more like a 3. I don't feel particularly tired and have napped very little during the day (I think once ... lol) and I have to admit the cumulative effect of fatigue was the side effect that worried me the most. For me, it's up and down rather than a linear pattern getting just a little harder each day. So I see my doctor (radiation oncologist) ...

You know, everyone has good and bad days. With cancer, this can be even more exaggerated. So many times treatment affects your day: from your mood to your energy to your physical state. I have certainly learned why so many call it a rollercoaster. I am not ashamed to say I broke down yesterday; crying for no real good reason. It's not like I had gotten any bad news ... I just wasn't having a good day and the treatment was more uncomfortable and tiring. I slept for 10 hours yesterday, but got up this morning feeling much better. And today was better. I have just completed slightly more than half of my 21 treatments, finishing Day 11. Although I have some soreness and tenderness, especially in that one area, I am more comfortable this evening and as I am traveling to Houston for work tomorrow, done until Monday. So I have some slight skin changes that have appeared including a darkening of the skin pigment on the right side, as well as a few red blotches (like a minor rash). ...

Days #8, #9 #10. In the rearview mirror. Done. I am about halfway done with radiation treatment! Can I get an amen?!? So Monday and Tuesday were easy. In fact, yesterday (Day #9) I felt no side effects. No pain, no discomfort, no fatigue ... almost completely normal. It is wonderful to have days like this while undergoing radiation. Today was a bit tougher. More pain especially in the skin and rib area underneath the breast. It feels a bit like when you scrape your knee or get a burn. I have swelling and it's uncomfortable for sure. There was a lot of heat today and the treatment seemed long. I guess I was overdue for something as I haven't had a bad day since last Thursday. I really feel like lying down and just going to sleep in hopes that I'll feel better in the morning. I guess that's the fatigue talking. Lol. My skin is still holding up well though. No blistering, redness, not much swelling and no breaks or rash. It's between days 10 and 14 that most ...

Rad Day #7. Over with. Relieved to get a two-day break for weekend. They say they don't do radiation on the weekend to give your body a break to heal. I suspect it's more about the medical team not wanting to work weekends. Lol. But either way, I'm glad. Yesterday was a much better day as pain was minimal and fatigue not as bad. I guess treatment is kinda like life is ... Lots of ups and downs. Ever since I got on this ride in October of last year I have had my share of bumps, chills, thrills and chills ... Oh and some screaming too. I've learned a lot about myself and what I'm capable of when my back is against the wall. I've learned a lot about the goodness of others. I've been as afraid as I've ever been in my life and pushed through it. I've been bruised and broken, cut and scarred in this fight and knocked down but I've gotten back up. I have learned to handle daily pain as my new companion. I found the courage somewhere ... Most likely in...

Just finished Day 6 and after tomorrow I will be 1/3 of the way through. Yesterday was a fairly easy day but today has been rough. Feeling considerable pain under my breast which I think is a rib and burning sensations/pain all over the target area. I'm pretty uncomfortable and down emotionally because I know it only gets worse from here and I have 15 more treatments to go. In addition, today I felt the first of the fatigue and it has hit me like a ton of bricks all of a sudden. I guess I am just gonna have to take it one day at a time. Sorry if I sound whiny. I hate that. It is not me. And I don't like it when cancer tries to make me into something I'm not. So I'll sign off and hope for a better day tomorrow.

So I just finished Day #4 of my 21 radiation treatment schedule. Day #3 was pretty much the same as the day before. However, I got a 5-day break to go out of town for a business trip (thereby missing Spring Fling in Conroe) and it was amazing that at the end of that time, everything felt so normal. I felt so ... recovered from the radiation. Well, going back today was probably the most uncomfortable day so far as I have a fair amount of heat, swelling and soreness tonight ... maybe because I haven't had any noticeable side effects for a few days before. I also felt the most tingling during treatment. This time it was on the outside blast (where the swelling is tonight) whereas before I felt the tingling on the inside nearer the center of my chest. I am more sore and swollen right now than I have been and I have 4 more days this week before my next 2-day weekend break. Ugh. I hope it gets to feeling better. I saw another radiologist today who is taking my regular doctor's ca...

Day #2 Radiation Therapy. Done. Much better today. I owned it. Even though I went to bed with slight discomfort, woke up feeling better this morning. The treatment went much faster (didn't have to take as many measurements and my markings were in place). They added outline of where radiation field is hitting and it literally is from a center line down my chest to top of my abdomen and covering the entire right chest/breast area including up into my underarm and about halfway around my right side. This is to help me know the boundaries where to use the creams and such. The topography is more extensive than I thought! Lol. The treatment only took 10 minutes and I had no problem remaining calm. Blood pressure still a little high (was in 160s) so maybe my newest blood pressure med isn't doing enough. The other worked better but made me cough ALL the time; it had to go. Mario was there and being his awesome self. He is my favorite, by far. After treatment and the new marking...

Women don't sweat ... they glow. Or so they say. Whoever they are. First radiation treatment down. Not sure how many more to go but I think it's 20 more. I don't think I'm glowing yet but ... So to give you a run down on this very precise technology and very expensive machinery and what my experience was like .... I got to the oncology building about 5 minutes early and walked to the radiation wing, signed in, and took a seat. Very shortly thereafter a man walked in and introduced himself as Mario. He was going to be my lead radiation tech (and apparently, I was to learn later, my greatest support and source of strength through this process). He escorted me to a dressing room and I took off all my clothes above my waist and put on a blue cloth gown open to the front. I then signed a consent for treatment form. I met three more radiation techs including a young college student studying to be a med tech at TSU. After this, I was asked to remove my right arm from the...

This would be part two of the blog I posted earlier. And I forgot some stuff. A senior moment, perhaps? Nah, if I don't qualify for senior discounts, it doesn't apply. Lol. The radiation oncology department called me back to answer questions. What I learned is the CT scan was not really considered a diagnostic tool, but rather an imaging study so the doctor can look at the entire area and decide on the path, the dose, the length and so on and so forth for the radiation treatment. We know I have a cancer diagnosis. That said, had he seen anything alarming or something that would cause him concern and probably a change in the course of treatment (for example, if a new tumor that is visible was found and another surgery to take that one out was indicated), I would have been called in to discuss this. Apparently, he didn't see anything that would change his initial plan to proceed with radiation. That is a good thing. But I still couldn't get a straight answer as to did...

Well it seems like I've been in a holding pattern circling the airport for quite some time now. It's appropos considering all the business trips I've taken this year. And the blog has been way too quiet lately. But silent no more ... I have some news! Before I get into all that though: a sidebar. Did I mention cancer can also be confusing? Or really what I mean is that cancer care and treatment can be confusing. And while I have already noticed the inconsistency in prescribing treatment: it's almost like a dartboard sometimes even when you have the exact same diagnosis ... for example most Stage 1 breast cancers do not automatically get a chemo recommendation (unless it's a triple negative like I have), yet there are plenty of women doing chemo with ER+/PR+ and HER2+ diagnoses. And why do some get recommended for mastectomies when they could have lumpectomy and are willing to have radiation? I know sometimes it is a preference, or there are other indicators; but o...

One of the things that can be the hardest about dealing with a chronic illness can be the waiting. Cancer really hits hard on this front. I mean, you have to go 5 years before they'll even talk about you being "in remission" and 10 years before the word "cured" even comes up. And survivors know that they will spend the rest of their lives worrying about recurrence any and every time anything hurts or feels "off." Recently, Olivia Newton John announced a recurrence of her breast cancer from 25 years ago! It has now gone into her bones. There are many cases of this type of thing happening. I wonder if cancer is kind of like shingles or herpes or other diseases that lay dormant for years just to strike again or if a cancer patient ever really is truly cured. Furthermore, there are lots of tests. And then lots of waiting for those tests. And delays and postponements. So when my oncology department coordinator called and said the Radiology Oncologist Do...

I wasn't gonna write another post until I had my CT scan next week (Wednesday, Feb. 28), but needed to vent. Mostly, I have good days. Those outweigh my bad or mediocre days by far and for that, I am grateful. However, the past several days have been rough. I was backed into by an 18-wheeler which crushed in my hood. I went to get estimates for repair and now he's acting like I'm the one who did something wrong. Thank God I have a witness because he first tried to say I rolled forward into him! That was Monday night when I was coming back from Corpus Christi and got stuck in a 3-hour traffic jam on the freeway. Then day before yesterday, I developed some pain in my underarm area (and apparently some swelling). It probably was the worst ache I felt in the past month. Then, same day, another part of my broken tooth fell out and there was new pain there (that pain comes and goes). I was gonna get that fixed, but my insurance company messed up and said that dental surgeon w...

Well hello and suffice it to say that I haven't written in a while. Will be doing a trip to Memphis, Tennessee for work in a couple days. When I return, I am gonna get back on this cancer thing. I am supposed to have a second opinion regarding the chemotherapy with the leading breast cancer oncology expert at the University of San Antonio - Health Science Center. That hasn't happened yet, but I imagine she is a busy lady. The puzzle before me is still somewhat of a jumbled mess and I don't even think I've got the borders done yet. Maybe that meeting will help me but I will be bringing an even longer list of questions to that consultation. I'm sure I will annoy the heck out of that doctor before I am done. And it is probably time to check into some financial resources. I don't know how all that works and I have to see a clear and logical way to do whatever I choose to do, whether that would be clinical trials or whatever. It may involve something like a 5- to...

This past week I have paid $50 in co-pays just for the privilege of talking to a few specialists. Not even a blood draw in the mix. I am about 6 weeks post-surgery and I have to make a decision on my next treatments. I thought I had that figured out and I thought it would be easy. As has been the case several times along this rocky road I have been on since August of last year, I was wrong. Just a final update on my condition post-surgery: I am as recovered as I think I'm gonna be for the most part. The scars are healing (although they still look like angry red cuts) and the residual pain and sensitivity is minor. I have been completely off any pain meds for two weeks. The cosmetic appearance is actually very good (after the surgery I looked and felt like a carved up Thanksgiving turkey). Thumbs up. So to catch you up on the past week, I met my radiologist on Thursday. He is a nice man, probably in his 50s or early 60s and the first guy I have let touch my breasts since the s...

This posting is for my medical, scientific and technical friends (and you know who you are). I promised doing a summary report with all the pathology info so here it is. To date, I have had two different labs analyze and report on two different samples taken on two different dates (October 23 and December 11). Both reports are remarkably similar. I will not attempt to identify or explain any of the technical/medical terms listed below. That information is readily available online and it's a bit too tedious for me today. I will also not give much commentary on the report. As my title suggests, this is just a collection of the objective facts. Anyone who wants to do more research on any of this is more than welcome and I would appreciate any feedback if you have it. Patient has family history on paternal side with Grandmother and Aunt diagnosed with Breast Cancer. Genome test: Negative for genetic BRCA mutation. Patient has life-long history of fibrous breast tissue and fibrocyst...

Hey everyone! I went back to work last week on January 3rd. After working a 4-day RV show in San Antonio, I am now in Phoenix, AZ, doing the Maricopa County Home Show at the Arizona State Fairgrounds. I return back to Texas on Monday. My next shows are the last week in January in Sugarland/Katy, TX. You could say I am back in the saddle again with my work schedule in full throttle. So far, so good. My boss is understanding now, and will continue to be in the future, as far as ongoing doctor appointments and future treatment schedules and will work with me in reducing hours should I find I am tiring more easily. I am very lucky. Money is tight as my checks have not gotten back to normal; that should ease soon as our busy January through April show season kicks in full force. I am feeling much more like myself pre-cancer and like I am easing back into what I think of as normal life. That is a good feeling. I am healing slowly but surely. The pain is much less (but not completely go...

Happy New Year to all!! It has been three weeks today since my surgery. Although I had been on somewhat a plateau with a few set-backs for the past week, as I approached the weekend (and the New Year holiday) I started to improve again and the pain is much less. I even went to Six Flags with my daughter this past Saturday (on the only day that was reasonably warm) and rode some rides. Although I was concerned that might be too much, I did quite well. And the next day I felt better, not worse. I have actually had some time with virtually no pain over the past couple of days and that has not been the case since the surgery. Although the soreness and aching comes and goes, the shooting sharp pains have stopped. I am not as tired now as I was before and will be ready to return to work as planned, on the 3rd. I am getting stronger and better every day and think in another week ALL the pain and discomfort will be gone. I just changed insurance companies, effective today, and will be mo...