I started the Eribulin about 10 days ago, and so far it's been going fine. I've just had two out of three weekly treatments in the first cycle, so I'm still feeling my way through it.
The effects feel minor at this point, and while I don't feel quite as good as I did on the Navelbine, it's a little early for me to come to any big conclusions about how I'm going to tolerate this regimen. Overall I'm aiming for being aware of effects without obsessing over every little thing.
I received results from the genetic testing I had, and the news is good. There was no mutation found in any of the genes on the High Risk Breast Cancer Panel. This includes six genes related to hereditary breast cancer - BRCA1 and BRCA2 (which we've all heard about and which I tested negative for in 2012) plus CDH1, PTEN, STK11 and TP53 (which I'm sure you haven't heard of yet).
Because there is no history of cancer on B's side of the family, and because I do not have these gene mutations, M and C also do not have them. Hopefully that will mean a little less stress for them as they move into their 20s and 30s and are talking with their doctors about cancer screening.
Of course it may be that I have a mutation in one of these genes that current technology cannot detect. It may also be that my family has a mutation in a gene that was not included on this panel, or that there are multiple genes that in combination point to a higher risk of cancer in my family that have yet to be discovered.
We don't know why I developed breast cancer, and I'm past being bothered by that (you know, for the most part). I'm a lot more focused on just living with this chronic illness the best way I can. And obviously I'm also focused on doing anything I can to help M and C (and their future children) learn about and minimize their risks for getting cancer.
One thing I've learned in the last few years is to take what I read in the mainstream media about cancer with a grain of salt. Most of the articles require some digging on the reader's part to substantiate the claim that grabs your attention in the headline.
For example, you may have read recently an article claiming that a new study shows that about 70% of cancers can be chalked up to "bad luck". Turns out not everyone agrees with this statement. This is a pretty good analysis of how good the reporting was and how tricky it is to synthesize studies for a mainstream readership, in case you're interested.
I don't rely on just one article in even the New York Times to inform me fully about an issue related to cancer. I check different sources and also ask my doctor.
The Conservatory, where most of the photos on this blog were taken, is finally open after several months of remodeling. So I'm happy to have some new photos to add. For those of you who may be new here, the Conservatory is close to the medical center where I receive treatment and in 2012 during radiation I started visiting it almost daily. It's in my favorite city park.
I don't go as often as I used to, as treatment days are Mondays and the Conservatory is closed on Mondays, but it's still a special place I like to visit, even for just 10 minutes now and then.
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