Still waiting...

My oncologist couldn't present my case to the tumor board on Thursday, so she'll do it next Thurs. There was a delay since the pathologist was out of the office. Still waiting on the new tumor's pathology report (reexamining margins & size), but they did retest it & it is definitely ER+ & I'm a candidate for hormonal therapy, so it's a "good thing." They will retest the orig. tumor soon to make sure there were no erros.

Another Kaiser pathologist, Dr. Balaram Puligandla (my former Asian Health Services supervisor's husband) is willing to look at my case too -- he'll ask the lab director what their experience has been with tumors that may have parts that are ER+ & ER- (a clone within a tumor?). I guess it's unusual for a tumor that's ER- to become ER+. So I don't know when I'll start radiation since there's still a possibility that I'll need chemo beforehand -- which I don't want to do. I'll have to ask my mom to mail me my wig then -- which I only used once in Hawaii -- since it'll be colder here.

My visit with the radiation oncologist went OK. The Rohnert Park Cancer Center, about 30 miles away, is nice & quiet. He went over my files & reviewed what to expect for the treatments, like fatigue after a few weeks, skin reactions, heart damage is not likely with the newer technology, although about 5% of my lungs might get scarred. Will return next Friday for a CT planning session for my treatments.

We then picked up Kailee from a family friend, the Sungs, ate lunch & then I went to see an acupuncturist at the Pine St. Clinic to consult on Chinese herbs & other supplements. He'll do an acupunture treatment plan for Pete's brother to implement for me. He encouraged me to also do some kind of movement activity since radiation can damage muscle tissue, so he referred me to his mother who teaches qigong. Since my new tumor's ER+, I should have soy products in moderation, about 3 or less servings/week, since there's some controversy over soy's estrogen effect on cancer growth.

On Tues. the 28th in the evening, I went to my 1st breast cancer support group at the Kaiser hospital. There were 6 other women at various stages of treatment, one just got diagnosed a week before & was still very confused. It was good to hear everyone's stories & they were all nice. Just before leaving for the group, I was rushing out of the house because Kailee insisted on coming with me & was running around & screaming. I yelled at him to get back inside. Luckily, Jan was just coming back from work & she grabbed him & took him back into the house (she later said he immediately calmed down & was fine). I felt really bad for yelling at him & cried about it to the group -- I've been distracted a lot & haven't been able to give him enough attention that he needs. I'll put him into day care at least 2 days/week & then more when my treatments begin. It'll be good for both Kailee & me to have him socialize with other kids, then I can take better care of myself, exercise, get errands done, & do more research.

Some hopeful news!

Yay! My blood tests, bone scan & CT scan came back negative! No evidence of spread, so hopefully radiation should take care of any residual cancer cells. The surgeon who did my mastectomy said it was probably due to the "close margins" of the 1st surgery & that remaining cells weren't taken care of by the aggressive chemo treatment -- those stubborn cancer cells!

So I have my 1st consultation with the dept. chief, radiation oncologist Dr. Marc Fields, at the Rohnert Park Cancer Center, next Monday -- it's about 1/2 hr. drive north from here -- which beats going into the city to UCSF (the other option) & having to pay for tolls & parking everyday. Pete has the day off Monday (if he finishes up his write-ups for his students) & may go up with me & take Kailee. It'll be good for him to see the clinic & hear what I'll have to go through. I checked out 3 day care providers around here & I'll probably put Kailee into one at least 3 days/week beginning Nov. so I can go to the radiation treatments & other needed appointments. Aunty Joan (a close family friend), Pete's dad & Jan may be able to help the other 2 days for a few hours. Boy, day care is almost twice as expensive as back home -- $55-70/day around here!

I had also asked the woman, Dr. Nancy Gardner, of Optimum Health Clinic, who did my breast thermogram last November back in Hilo, why her reading didn't indicate a future tumor growth -- she said although my reading was "atypical", it showed no obvious blood supply growth to a tumor (or neo-angiogenisis). So that's a mystery -- how can the tumor grow so quickly without a blood supply??? She said to schedule a free follow-up appointment w/her at some point.

Also, I got scheduled for a breast MRI in South San Francisco next Wednesday, so hopefully that should be negative too. Jan says she can take the day off & suggested that she could come with me & take Kailee to the appointment too. She's been so great about helping us resettle temporarily in the family home here, helping babysit & tolerating Kailee's behavior.
We owe her so much! :-)

Another cancer journey...

The biopsy result came in last Thursday & it turned out to be a local recurrence in the chest wall. My type of breast cancer is considered "triple negative" & tends to recur within 2-3 years. Follow up medication (like Tamoxifen) to prevent a recurrence isn't effective for me. For more info, you can go to http://www.tnbcfoundation.org

Unfortunately, that puts a big change in my plans to resettle in the Bay Area, at least initially. I'll need to undergo further tests to determine any spread, but probably have to do radiation for at least a month or so. I'll have to figure out how to minimize the side effects, like how it can affect the heart & lung, so I'll see my acupuncturist again at the Pine St. Clinic in San Anselmo. Maybe see if I qualify for a clinical trial too.

I'll stay with Pete's family in San Rafael since it's only a few miles from a Kaiser hospital & I can try to find some drop-in child care or have relatives or family friends look after Kailee during my appointments. Pete will stay in his house-share in San Jose (we'll see each other on the weekends or once in a while during a weeknight) & after my treatments, we hope to get a rental not too far from Pete's school in San Jose. Then do some job hunting.

My mind is just so scattered right now with the packing -- trying not to worry too much & hope there's no spread. Not a good way to start our new life back in the Bay Area...