Happy New Year 2014

Goodbye 2013.  Hello 2014.

Happy New Year!

Celebrating!

We started the New Year as we do every year, remembering Mark's dad who died on New Years Day in 1990.  His father was a runner and used to run around Lake Calhoun every day.  He died while out on one of his runs.  We called Mark's mom to see if she would like to meet us for a late lunch. We drove to the Bloomington Baker's Square and enjoyed some good food and conversation. 

The manager surprised us when he approached our table saying one of his regular customers had just paid for our meal.  So grateful to start the year on this note... with a sweet act of kindness  :)    

Photo by Olivia Joy (just kidding, she fell asleep in the car)

If only PET scan results came with an airbag!

I had my last PET/ CT scans of 2013 right after Christmas.  On Monday, December 30, Mark, my mom and I were headed to Dr Laudi's office to get the results.  My mom lives closer to the clinic than we do and got there minutes before us, so we asked her to check me in.  She was still standing in line when we arrived.  We were roomed by a snarky young woman who commented that I was late.  I asked if I had kept Dr. Laudi waiting.  She said no, but I had to be on time, even though Dr. Laudi wasn't.  I laughed.  Snarky always makes me laugh!

After 20 minutes had passed and still no Dr. Laudi, I said "See!  I wasn't late at all."

"You know why he's late, don't you?"  Mark said without looking up from his phone.  "He's looking at the PET results."

"Dragging his feet?" my mom ventured. "Celebrating?  Crying?"

Mark slipped into an Italian accent, "Oh, no, I have killed her!"

Bad taste?  I guess so.  Tempting fate?  Maybe.  But this is a long and winding road and we all were laughing when Dr. Laudi walked in with what appeared to be red eyes. 

"There appears to be progression." he said, signing into the computer and bringing up the scans from 3 months ago, 2 months ago and last week.  Three months ago, the only active area was L4.  Two months ago, L4 was slightly smaller with 2 small spots in my liver.  Last week, the liver spots were nearly gone, L4 was smaller, but there were 2 new spots under my left arm.  I remembered to show Dr. Laudi the rash I have been doctoring in my left antecubital that was thought to be a viral infection, but was spreading.  After some thought, Dr. Laudi wanted to biopsy the skin rash and the lymph nodes under my arm.  One or both could be cancer cells, even though the known cancer cells were being killed by the chemo, these cells could have mutated.  Dr. Laudi hoped if they had the cells were now HER-2 +, because there were some promising new treatments out there. It was possible that my skin rash and lymph nodes were part of an infectious process and not cancer at all.

Here we go...

Skin biopsy time



Emla- a cream that numbs the skin

Skin Rash

Doing the Punch Biopsy

 Dr. Laudi numbs up my skin and takes a small "punch" that looks like a small, pencil eraser-sized sharp cookie-cutter like thing and punches a hole into my skin, taking the skin cells with it and leaving a small hole.  He put 2 stitches into each spot.

The next day



Here I am modeling a Breast Center top 



Lymph node biopsy gear

 During a needle biopsy, an ultrasound technician finds the lymph nodes, then the doctor numbs the area and sticks in a guide needle.  To get the sample, he shoots in a large hypodermic needle and then removes the cells from inside the needle.  It only leaves a small puncture wound that needs a pressure dressing.

Biopsy cells

   




Please aim prayers right here. 
Thank you! 

More Stinky Pinky

These images speak for themselves,

but it's my blog

 and I will speak for them.

 

 

 

        

Stinky Pinky Grippy Gardening

                


Wite-Out Breast Cancer

Stinky Pinky Pens

Breast Cancer SUCKS!



Breast Cancer Hair Products



"Fighting Breast Cancer with Grease Fighting Power"



Breast Cancer Snacks

Breast Cancer Crafts

Breast Cancer Treats

Stinky



Stinky

Stinky

Pinky


 

December 2013

Wow!  December went fast!

Ding! Ding! End of Round One!

On November 25th, I got my second dose of chemo- completing Round One. 



My chemo is given over a 5 minute slow push.



That little syringe knocked me to the mat!  My blood counts dropped.  I got a fever, which is treated as life-threatening to someone with low counts, so Dr. Laudi sent me to Mercy Hospital ER for blood cultures and antibiotics. 

Blood Cultures

 

After a week to recover, Round Two started on December 9th.  When I went for the second dose on the 16th, my counts were too low, so I got a "Snow Day" and finished up some Christmas shopping with my mom.  Dr. Laudi ordered 6 days of Neupogen shots (I can't stand those things!  More about that later) 

On 12/20, my ANC was 1.7, so my chemo was a go on the 23rd.  Ding! Ding! End of Round Two!

My New Haircut and Sweet Amore!

After Christmas we will do another PET and CT scan.  Please pray that everything is getting smaller or is gone!  I hope the New Year brings peace and love and joy to all!

Dooms Day: or Eribulin Dose 1

The Infusion center called over the weekend to say they are having trouble finding my chemo. We were called around noon today to inform me they had found it. Yay. Not.  All chemo wipes me out for a few days and I don't know what new side effects this one will hold.  I choose to have my chemo on Monday, so I can be ready for work on Saturday.

 I work every weekend, so Monday is my big cleaning day. I get the older girls up and off to school. Olivia helps me pick up the kitchen and start laundry. Cleaning done and laundry still washing. We make a grocery list including easy foods for Mark to cook.  At the store I pick up my post-chemo cuisine: 7up, ginger ale, crackers, vegetable broth, rice.  I stop by the by the pharmacy to pick up my pain meds and zofran. Grocery shopping done and put away.  Amore walked.  Lunch made and eaten.  Time to go.

Olivia stayed home with her Dad.  Amore and I drove to my parent's house.  Amore sang the whole way anticipating our destination!  She was so happy to see her sisters!  My mom was getting ready.  She worked the overnight shift the night before.  I asked my dad if he wanted to come along.  He said, "Yes."   Off we went.

I haven't been to the infusion center at Mercy Hospital for months, so it was like a reunion of sorts.  My favorite room in the corner was taken, so instead of waiting, I picked a room with a hospital bed.  My parents took turns sitting on the bed with me while my PIV was started and I got a half hour infusion on an antiemetic and an IV push antiemetic.  The chemo itself was pushed into the IV line over 3-5 minutes.  PIV out and done. 

My parents took me out for a veggieburger and onion rings, leaving Amore at their house.

When I got home Olivia asked me many times about her Amore.  I told her she is having a sleepover with her sisters.  She got my car keys and told me, "Go get my Amore.  I love her.  She's my friend."

Meeting of the Minds

This morning, we had one more meeting of the minds before starting the new chemo, Eribulin (FDA approved July 2013.  Given on a 21 day cycle- days 1,7-  so Monday Dose  #1, next Monday Dose #2, the next Monday off, then repeat.)  We started with labs, so we went to the clinic infusion center waiting room.  A man was sitting in the chair next to the candy bowl.  Olivia gave him the stink eye. I handed her the bowl and she filled her hands and pockets. She asked Mark for a cup and he started filling it with water.  She yells, "NO!" Grandma trys to get her to page through a book with pictures of baby hats she will knit for Ashley and John's baby. She is not having any distraction and she is still asking for a cup. I get her a cup, she thanks me, then starts unloading the candy from her pocket into the cup. My name is called. I am told to head to the sink to run warm water over my hands to warm them up. That water is HOT, but worth it, because it only took 3 needle sticks to fill 8 lab tubes.

We go back the waiting room. Olivia starts eating candy.  Grandma reminds her to put her garbage in the garbage  can. She run over to the old white push-pedal can. Pure joy crosses Olivia's face using the foot pedal.  She starts looking around for more trash to throw.



My name is called and we are ushered to a room where my weight and vitals are taken and my pain meds reviewed. There is a knock on the door, then Dr Laudi and Deb walk in.  Dr. Laudi greets Olivia, but she holds her cup up to her eyes, trying to hide behind it. We all laugh.

 

 

Dr Laudi says hello and teases me for bringing Mark. He ask about my pain, my bowels, my weight, my nausea, my appetite...

Pain: No
Bowels: Diarrhea
Weight: Same as last appt, but down 25 pounds from May and down 60 pounds in 2 years
Nausea: Yes
Appetite: I say good, but Mark and my Mom disagree.

Dr Laudi is a little concerned about the diarrhea and nausea. He lists other meds we could use for nausea, Marinol, Ativan, Haldol, a scopolamine patch?  I laugh at the Haldol. I like the Zofran and will stick with that.

The plan is to start chemo on Monday, November 18.