Heather's Blog: January 2014

Why Am I Writing This Blog?

There's nothing more important to me than my connections with family and friends.

So in an effort to stay connected I'll be posting updates about my treatment and health here. Of course I want to connect with you outside of this blog! But this is a quick way you can find out what's happening.

Also a request: I would appreciate it if you didn't post anything on Facebook about cancer and me.

Writing has always been a natural form of self-expression for me. So this blog is also a personal outlet, one I'd like to share with you.

January 10, 2014

Doing Very Well

So the latest news is that there really isn't any news. I'm continuing to do very well. Except for feeling more tired than usual at times, I feel like my regular self. Most of the time I go about my business and don't give cancer much thought. I'm not in pain, my stomach feels fine, and my hair is growing. My liver continues to function normally. I'm working, I'm exercising, I'm nagging the kids - it's all pretty normal stuff.

Some things have shifted. Small pleasures seem bigger than they used to. Life has more Technicolor, poignancy and intensity. I feel grateful for how much abundance I enjoy.

But I'm also in the soup of mundane, day-to-day living. I'm running out of bread and taking pets to the vet. I'm behind with email and am putting off a hundred boring projects, just like everybody else.

Right now I think of the cancer as a chronic condition that needs to be attended to. This is the most helpful way I've found to frame it, especially since I feel as good physically as I do. It doesn't define me, and it doesn't need my constant attention.

Of course it has changed my life forever and can feel very heavy and burdensome at times. But I've got a lot going for me right now and am just trying to focus on and enjoy that.

The Treatment Plan

Today I had my 6th round of this chemo drug (Kadcyla). Since it's working and I'm tolerating it well, I'll continue getting it every three weeks.

I'll have another CT scan to check on things in May. (November's scan showed 50% shrinkage of the tumors.) In the meantime I'll continue to have a couple of tumor markers checked (via blood draw) every three weeks. Those measurements give clues about how well the cancer is responding to treatment.

In a couple of months my doctor and I will talk about starting me on an aromatase inhibitor, which is a type of drug for post-menopausal women that lowers estrogen levels in the body and is used for treating advanced breast cancer. Since I'm pre-menopausal I would need to receive injections that put me into menopause. I'm sure that will be tons o' fun.

I hope the start of 2014 has been good for you. As always, I love to hear what you're up to.

Want to Help?

We periodically need help with meals, rides, errands, dog walking and that kind of thing. If you're interested in helping out sometime, you can join "Team Heather" online. Just go to https://www.lotsahelpinghands.com/c/710014/ and request to join the community.

Once you're approved, you'll receive instructions on how to log in. When we post a request for help you'll receive an email message and can sign up if it works with your schedule.

Or if you have something specific in mind to offer, just call or email B. or me! And THANK YOU.

History

2012: Stage 2 invasive ductal carcinoma diagnosis. Mastectomy, chemotherapy, radiation treatments. No evidence of cancer after surgery.

2013
September: Masses found in liver incidentally as part of a standard screening breast MRI. Diagnosed as the return of the breast cancer. No evidence of cancer anywhere else.

September -December: Chemotherapy.

2014
Chemotherapy (a few different kinds) throughout the entire year. Fared well and felt well most of the time!

May - cancer found in several places in my spine/pelvis. Very small, no pain.
June - December took post-menopausal estrogen-suppressing medication (and received monthly injections to create medical menopause)

2015
Jan - March: chemotherapy as part of a new clinical trial
April: starting a different chemotherapy since the disease progressed while I was on the trial.
June: The chemo is not helping, and my liver function is such that I have to take a break from chemo. Starting anti-hormonal pill plus a pill that targets cancer cells but does not damage the liver.