Field of Women

An emotional event. I was invited with a bunch of other people to be available for media comment. No one spoke to me specifically,  but it was great to be a part of such an amazing event. Hope funds for a cure are raised quickly.

Week 1 of Rads done

So, once I got the call from ROV it was full steam ahead with planning CT and straight into the radiation treatment. 10 days starting last Tuesday.. Had Friday off work to rest and relax.
Driving home after day 1 Rads I was in a fair bit of pain... Weird, but called a flare up...which is good means the Rads are hitting the right spots.
So today is day onc day, denosumab, and just waiting to see onc now...hmmm

nip tuck... slice drain

So.... no progress with the bone rads... but today was the day to remove the lump the surgeon discovered during the physical exam with the mammogram stuff... I would have preferred to be totally out to it, but at least there was some numbness so most of the poking and prodding was more annoying than painful. The end result was he liked the look of it, and was pretty certain it was hardened fat rather than anything nasty. Stitched me up, popped in a drain which will be taken out tomorrow.. I find out the results on Monday...and stitches out on May 9th.

Looking ok, feeling ok... just draining into the gauze so as to prevent any infections.. Tomorrow I should hear from my radiation onc as to what the plan is there... She is lovely... I did hear that my onc had a heart attack in the carpark of the hospital... and is cutting back on his work... as he should... so hoping the break he is having will bring him some good health again...

Dumb Stuff People Say to People With Metastatic Breast Cancer

Results are in.... I think

And what the result are is leaving me in limbo a bit...Well to say I don't know what the bone scan revealed is an understatement.... The mammo and ultrasound were both clear, however the physical exam on Monday revealed a painful lump under my scar area... Which he want to remove ASAP, after the bone scan results are in... Hmmmmm. This will be removed under a local.... This scares me more than a general... I would rather not know what is going on.....

Went into day oncology and was sent to the bed area... Nerves went on higher alert.... Is my management changing from just the jab every 4 weeks.... Why do I have to lie down? Panic mode, or just a full house?.... Seems it was misread info... Phew...

So get the jab... Then wait to see the locum onc... Where did she go???

Soooo finally... And the results??? Ohhh yeah there seems to be something going on... Definite issues with right hip ball joint and top of left hip, and sacrum. Well they didn't compare the scans to older scans... So ummm... Yeah the hips have been irradiated last year, but the sacrum.... Yep... That is new pain, and explains the nerve pain down the legs.

Elbow pain, probably tendinitis, as expected... It was hard to get, as it was the arm the radiation juice went into...LOL 

So I guess that means it has progressed... I am trying to play it down, and convince family and friends who know I was having a bone scan that it's all good, and just getting more radiation for pain management....

It at least means I wasn't imagining the pain... But bugger....

I did get offered morphine patches... Or oxy contin ... But you know, I will just live with it.... That whole quality of life... Not wanting to be fuzzier than I already am... And I can't imagine I would be able to drive with that....

So for now it's 2 Panadol osteo 3 times a day, 2 ibuprofen 3 times a day and endone, once I am at home.... So still only taking one at a time, but every 4 hours.... Still feel pain, but still feel able to function.

Want to do Bikram, but soooo tired....

For now.... At paintball celebrating my oldest child's 18th birthday....hoping to see many more milestones in their lives!

And on it goes

So, last Thursday I was injected with radioactive isotopes at 8.30am at Cabrini, went back at 1.30pm to be put through the scanner. The scanner stays put, but the slide I lie on moves through the machine... I was in there til around 4pm... I get my results tomorrow...

Not having a good feeling. As the doctor came in who gives the report, and they did my ribs and extra hip/pelvis ones... As well as my left elbow...hmmm

On a better note, my mammo and ultrasound was clear. However, he found a painful lump just under my scar that he wants to remove with local anaesthetic... Yikes...but will make that appointment after I find out tomorrow's results...

That time of the year...

Hmmm, April first 4 years ago I got the news that was to change my life, and that of my family as well. I found out how small my real posse was, and rely much more on my inner strength and my family.
April 1, 2 years ago my dad passed away from his battle with melanoma. Although we had made our peace after not speaking for many years it was frustrating to have to clean up his estate although most of that fell to my brother. I know I don't want to leave that kind of mess for my family...

So April is a time of testing... Monday was my mammogram, Tuesday was the skin check, Thursday is a bonescan scan to check on the increased pain....next week back to Cabrini for denosumab, so today is also blood test, with a queue a mile long.

So, with the mammo they take the breast, put it on the cold metal plate, with the xray plate underneath and the plastic shelf squishes the boob as flat at possible. That is the pic of my boob in the background. They do a top squish and a side squish... When I told the mammographer that the 7 invasive tumours were not seen on on the mammo or ultrasound in 2010, not even with the stereo core biopsy, it was only when the breast was removed....she was a bit taken aback...

Then the ultrasound... Jell everywhere, the sonographer feels around the scar, the lymph nodes (both where they were under my right arm....just in case, as well as around the left arm, as well as the breast...not invasive or painful, just confusing to try and interpret the fuzz on the screen...

So.... The blood test...my veins are starting to show some wear and tear, and the young girl who tried to take my blood from my elbow vein was struggling.... But this time I spoke up before fainting! And the more experienced vampire tried....this time from my hand...didn't get much blood...but enough for the FBE and EUC tests. And now I have a big ouchie bruise on my wrist bone.

Tomorrow the bone scan.