As some of you may have already seen on Facebook:
MY CT SCAN WAS CLEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(Which means the cancer has not spread to other parts of the body.)
HUGE SILVER LINING. HUUUUGE!!
And we weren't late for our appointment ...we were actually early! (that may only be because some people were off on Monday so traffic was really light....but I digress...)
When we got to the Tom Baker we were directed to the ground floor and told to follow the yellow line on the floor...I kinda felt like Dorothy and the yellow brick road...would have been awesome if munchkins would have started to sing "follow the yellow brick road..." (sadly there were no singing munchkins though I kept a sharp eye out for them....)
Filled out more forms (story of my life - forms and bloodwork!) Then got taken back to another waiting room by this sweet older lady who I think was a volunteer. She had the disposition of a great grandmother and numerous patients called out hello's to her as we passed by.
After waiting half hour (maybe I missed my calling - doctors are always late and have terrible penmanship - we have so much in common!) my oncologists nurse called us in. She weighed me and noted my height (I on the other hand did not). Then she sat me down and asked a bunch of questions. Then handed me a dreaded gown to get undressed (waist up) for an exam.
Gulp.
A doctor who is working with Dr Stewart came in and did the exam. Checked all my lymph nodes. She was very gentle. She even measured my lump from the outside (like actually took a measuring tape to my breast) which kinda felt a little redneck to me lol
She asked a bunch more questions (history, medications I'm on, allergies etc) and then sat down and got down to business. Confirmed both scans (bone and CT) were clean (happy dance!) Then she explained that they test for 3 different receptors (ie if the tumour is receptive to 3 hormones - estrogen, progesterone and HER2) They have some drugs they can use to block the receptors as part of some people's treatments. My tumour is "Triple Negative" (sounds like a band name to me...) which means its not sensitive to the 3 hormones. Although that means they can't use hormone therapies, I read in my Silver Lining book that it typically responds well to chemo (esp in it's early stages) Its most common in young women and African American women. Turns out my Mama friend I've mentioned (Kelly) has this same kind. Our cases are so similar its crazy!
Doc told me they will use 2 different chemo drug cocktails (I had to bite my tongue from asking if the cocktails came shaken or stirred...) The chemo treatment they will use for me is called FEC D. FEC (each letter represents a drug) is the first round. I will do 4 treatments, once every three weeks. Then they will change to the D drug and do 4 more treatments also once every three weeks. This will take about 6 months.
They will be watching the tumour to make sure it's shrinking. I will also get bloodwork before each chemo treatment to make sure my counts are up. The first 3-4 days after treatment can be roughest for immediate side effects (nausea, vomiting, appetite loss, mouth sores) Lovely eh?!? The second week my counts will be at their lowest (red, white cells and platelets) so I may feel most tired this week. The third week I should be almost back to normal (well, my normal ha!)
And oh ya, hair loss is almost guaranteed.
Yup, I will very likely be Cindo The Bald (Goddess!) They said this could be within two-three weeks of my first treatment.
Ok then....
Silver Lining: I got a wig prescription.Yes, a prescription for a wig! I was kinda looking at the doctor when she handed me the piece of paper, wondering if I had heard her right...
Me "Wig prescription?"
Doc: "Yup"
Me :So, what do I do with it? Trade it in for a wig?!?"
Doc: No, its for the insurance to send in"
Ohhhhhhhh...well that makes more sense lol. So get to try out a "new me"if (when) I lose my locks. I saw a funny shirt I will have to get:
"Does this shirt make my head look bald?"
Ha. (hey gotta laugh - its only hair)
But they also said once it starts to fall out, you are best to shave it cause it will hurt if you let it fall out "naturally" (ha nothing too natural about losing your hair at 35...) For the kids sake I may cut off my locks to a very short cut before treatment starts (I want to donate it but i had highlights so think that might make it "inadmissible") So I have 5 days to grow a pair and just do it!! I've never had short hair so this will be....different. We'll stick with that. Kelly has a bunch of girlfriends that are holding a fundraiser event (for Breast Cancer in her name) that are going to shave their heads in support! (she will be going through Chemo too)
That is awesome!!! I will be there sparkling head and all for support too!!
My Oncologist Dr Stewart finally made his appearance after the first doc went over all this info. He is kinda quiet. He mentioned after chemo would be surgery, then radiation.
Me: WHAT????
No one has mentioned radiation until he said it.
Me: "So radiation because its just how you treat this? Like its part of the treatment?"
He just nodded. Not much explanation. This kinda threw me from my game. I was reeling from this new piece of info, as well as still reeling a bit from the "triple negative" info (I didn't really know what that meant at the time and I think I had bound and gagged my inner ninja cause I was too afraid to ask) But I asked him about the medicinal marijuana and he shot that down pretty quick. I honestly didn't have the heart to argue. But that fight is not over...he may have won the round, but definitely not the fight - he just had a bit of a psychological advantage at the time...
He also dismissed any clinical trials but also was not "wordy" about why. Of all people, I get the Oncologist who doesn't like to talk!!
So I asked about when chemo would start.
Doc: "Tuesday"
Me: "Like next week?"
Doc: "Yes"
OK....My Kinda Handsome Surgeon had told me within a week of this meeting chemo could start. I've written about it. Told the same to everyone. But suddenly it was like a fog had lifted and reality smacked me across the face.
In a week chemo starts. Within three I could be bald. Alrighty then...
Another Silver Lining: When he did speak, alot of it was to tell me (multiple times) : young, healthy women like yourself usually fare really well on chemo" (maybe this is his way of asking me to stop the incessant questions on side effects lol)
I will go for a few more tests. An echo cardio MRI to get a baseline of my heart (a very rare side effect to one of the chemo drugs can affect the heart - this test is just standard) An ultrasound to get better measurement than the tape measure across my breast (hooray for accuracy!) and as a baseline going into chemo. And more blood work lol
So there you have it in my version of a nutshell (ha this might be the longest post yet lol) I felt pretty emotional after the meeting, as did my mom and Phil. I was actually quiet. BIG flag that something is up!
It wasn't that he said anything bad (well, radiation is not the best news I was hoping for) It was just ALOT. And FAST. And I'm gonna be bald...(ya I know, first it was the obsession with lymph nodes, now its baldness - I"m never happy !)
Sigh...I kinda liked my worries BC (before Cancer)
However, the wig could be awesome...and if the chemo gets rid of other hair on my body, might not be all bad....
Sending ((hugs)) Cindy
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