October 21, 2006

I just realized today that I haven't added some necessary updates.  Right now I am procrastinating on a paper I need to write for school (masters in MIS...I know....very geeky) that's due tomorrow at midnight and I haven't started, and rather than write my paper I am playing video games, getting distracted online, and writing this :-)

I got my way with the MRI.  The good news is that it doesn't look like my cancer spread to my head (I guess the other good news is that I do have a brain, so for those of you who think that blondes are without brains, sorry, you're wrong).  However, sometimes when you go in to look for one thing, you end up finding something completely different.  The weird news is that I have a 6 mm mass near my pituitary gland.  So now I have to go in for another MRI to take a closer look at that and then probably do another whole-brain MRI.  I did some research on these types of things, and they are not uncommon.  In fact, my next-door neighbor had one 6 years ago, and she is several years younger than I am.  So I am not worried; it will just be a bit of a hassle to get more MRIs, and I will probably have to have some sort of surgery. Amy (my neighbor) said they surgically went up her sinuses and took care of the pituitary thing.  Doesn't sound like a very pleasant process, but it beats invasive surgery I suppose.

Other than that, all is well.  I don't miss the Herceptin a bit.  I am taking a break before I go full force after Tykerb.  Not even sure if I will be able to use it, but I plan to take a close look at it.

Have decided against reconstruction.  Because of the unpredictable nature of radiated skin, there's too much risk in a poor outcome.  And what's the point...why add a lump of tissue and silicone when there's no real purpose for it? 

August 6, 2006

Just two more triple doses on the every-three-weeks schedule.  Then it goes to every three months.  My oncologist, Jack Swanson, has changed his career path--he is staying with his partners, but is concentrating only on palliative care (working with the dying) at one of the local hospitals.  I will miss him very much, but the doc they recruited to fill his shoes seems like he will be an acceptable substitute.  He seems to be very open to patients bringing in ideas.  I've met him, but I haven't had an official appointment with him--that will happen in September.  My goal is to get a brain MRI, a PET scan, and to discuss Tykerb.

I still haven't scheduled surgery--maybe in January...

June 4, 2006

My relationship with Herceptin is one of love and of hate.  The longer I stay on it, the more intense my side effects seem to become.  I have battled a two-day headache this weekend, and I'm sure it didn't help that I traveled this week, right after my triple dose.  The traveling definitely was a good thing though.  In addition to attending a really helpful series of meetings for work, I was able to "crash" the ASCO convention, which is an oncology convention attended by thousands of oncologists and other professionals from around the world.  The people from the Her2support site were there, and they were kind enough to get me a badge.  There was a tremendous amount of information presented, the best news being that the Her2 drug that Glaxo Smith Kline has been working on (the one I have been watching for the last 6 or 8 months) is really close to being available.  There are several articles that I am hoping to get my hands on after reading the abstracts that relate to my situation.  Walt Carney, my friend from Oncogene Science was presenting his work on the Bayer serum testing, but he wasn't there the days I was there, so I didn't get to meet him in person.

It was such a huge coincidence that the ASCO thing was going on when I happened to be in Atlanta.  This week I will be in San Diego--I wonder what will be going on there?!?!  After my meetings in San Diego on Friday I am taking the train to LA and staying with my friend Joan for the weekend.  That will be so cool!

The new Glaxo drug, trade named now "Tykerb," has shown to decrease the odds of brain mets, which is something for which I am at high risk.  They have approved compassionate use of this drug, but I am not sure yet if I will qualify on that basis (that would get me use of the drug earlier than FDA approval).  The drug will hopefully be approved by the FDA late this year.  I am still on triple doses of Herceptin every three weeks, and in September I will decrease the frequency to every three months.  But hopefully soon after that I can switch to Tykerb.

I still am debating my reconstruction timing and whether or not to go ahead and lop off the other one too.  I still have greater odds of getting cancer elsewhere in my body than I do in the other breast, but sometimes I think that anything I can do to decrease my chances of ANY recurrence is the smart thing to do.

March 12, 2006

As I was traveling through my breast cancer treatment journey, I came to realize that I eventually wanted a career back in health care.  I decided that I wanted to be able to make a difference in health care.  Since I can't be a surgeon, I am doing the next best thing...

I have accepted a position with Network Health Plan (#16 in the country as listed by US News), part of Affinity Health System (www.affinityhealth.org).  I couldn't be happier...I formerly worked with many of my new colleagues and I am re-joining a wonderful organization.

At the end of March I will begin my duties as Director of Product Development :-)

February 17, 2006

I made the decision this week to postpone my reconstruction surgery.  It's just too busy right now in my life, but I also will be getting Herceptin until September, so I'd rather wait until that's over to do the surgery.  An added benefit will be that my skin will have additional time to recover from radiation.