Good News - Just had to Share

I know, it's just a toe through a sock.
But it's a chemo toe that rammed it's way through a sock while wearing tennies and tromping through Costco.

This is big.

It means this toe has balls.

The finger nails are coming right along.

I had to clip them this morning.  The front 1/4 is still unstuck to the skin and has to be dealt with tenderly but we are moving right along. 

Visit to the Radiologist

Went in yesterday and got tattoo'd.  They put marks where they want my body part to line up on their metal table so the radiation beams can shoot straight when they flip the switch.  Apparently, the beams shoot from across the room.  I feel so "007" - too bad this stupid computer wouldn't let me drag a photo of James Bond.

They're aiming, well, you know where.   

About the heart, the beams should well miss the heart.  And, everything else.   That's all I really cared about.  They say my breast/armpit/shoulder will be sunburned, nipple won't be happy.  I could give a shit.  I can drink coffee now. 

By January, this part will be done, then I'll be on a pill for 5 years that's supposed to suck the estrogen out of my body.  My body has been sucked of estrogen since I was in my late 40's.  If there is any estrogen left, I'll be real surprised. 

They did a CT scan yesterday, lots of measuring, and will design the plan that will be done daily for about 6 - 8 weeks. 

I had a really cool picture of beams shooting across the room, right into breasts, but my POS computer won't even bring them up.

Well, upon second try, it worked.
I guess they're lungs, not breasts. 
Pretty, huh.

But, that's how it works.  From across the room, they beam the spots. 

Today is Thusday, 10/21.  The last treatment was Monday, 10/11.  I woke up ready to get up and go.  Usually, I have to allow my mind to surface through many layers. Not today.  It takes about a week and a half for the chemo to apparently not attack me anymore.  The deep desire for See's candy is just blah now.  Good thing, it's almost gone.  I'm back to buying Jalapano potato chips - they have the best at the Cancer Institute - go figure.  I don't know if I'll have the Starbuck's desire now.  They do have marvelous potato chips and the clerk said their buttered popcorn is the best.  I'll have to give it a go.

Have to get some vitamin E and some Aloe now; that's ALL they said will work on the radiation burns.

Correct me if I'm wrong - for vitamin E - do I just buy a bottle of capsules and cut off the end and squeeze it out, onto the sore???

Anybody know?

Appointment with the Radiation Dr and Nurse



I'll probably go back 10/25 for the results of her "plan of action."  At that time, I can look at their calendar and pick a time that will be my time till the end of the year.  For those days I miss during the holidays, they tack them onto the end.  It'll either be 6 or 8 weeks, 5 days a week. 

Left Breast Tumor Area Gets Radiation



                         





She said, the more water I drink, the more the chemo will leave the system and the faster the hair and nails will grow back in.  She said Chemo will hang around a long time if I don't drink water.



She also said Aloe is about the only thing that will relieve the symptoms of radiation.  Don't waste money on creams, just use Aloe. 

The whole daily process, from walking in to walking out, should only take 30 minutes, that includes undressing and dressing.  I'll lay on a hard table, arms up over the head and then it only takes a minute for the radiation thing to hit its target.  The only side affects are to the areas themselves and it could be okay or it could be real bad (burning).  I really don't give a shit.  What will be will be, said Doris Day.









They'll target the left lymph node area since that's where one was positive.
They'll also target the area on the shoulder between the shoulder and
the neck because that's where cancer jumps next.

February of '11, I'll return to the Cardiologist to see if the Chemo or
Radiation did
any damage to my heart.  I saw him about 6 weeks ago and he seemed
to think I was navigating pretty well.  The Radiation should stay well
away from the heart. 

That's all I know for now and this computer is making me nuts; can't get anything to stay where I put it, changes colors on me, I just give up on the damned thing.

The Last Treatment - They All Said Happy Graduation

Well, it's finally here.  Today went fast for me, although it dragged for Fred.  We not only had the treatment which takes about 3 hours but also the vitals, the blood draw, and the meeting with the oncologist's nurses. 

They said the green pea thing probably just stopped the blood from flowing in the tips of the nails which made them discolor and separate from the skin.  Fortunately, it's only the front half and it'll grow out.  I just keep layers and layers of polish on them. 

I spent the whole time on the computer this treatment time.  All 3 hours.  Trying to find urban lofts for a lady moving here from Long Beach.  Not easy to find. 



Left hand painted



Right hand not painted,
the front half has
lifted off the skin.





I guess this is the
left hand again.
Oh well.
Painted.



Left hand,
That black spot has grown
way out.  It started half
way back.



So much for sticking your fingers into bags of frozen peas. 

I felt good enough to cook dinner tonight, but after the Neulasta shot tomorrow, may let Fred go to Panda Express.

Tomorrow at 10:30, I have an appointment with the Radiation doctor to get up to speed on that.   According to my Oncologist, the radiation should start the first of November and end by the end of the year. 

My nails want to grow, I can tell.  My hair can start to grow now.  This gastly chemical can fade away.  The sugar craving can go away, although my blood sugar was 117 this morning after eating breakfast which isn't that bad.  My ankles are swollen from the steroids, my cheeks are pretty pink from the steroids and I'm up at 10:00PM writing on this blog because of the steroids.  I have to take two more pills tomorrow, am and afternoon.  That's it.

I'm heading back to Dr Milne for a vitamin drip - although I have to say that Trader Joe's EMERGEN-C has kept my spirits and energy pretty high.  I got turned onto that from a lady in Pilates class who went through chemo too.  She said it worked for her so I bought some. 

Enough for tonight.

Thanks for staying with me during this chemical journey. 

Next stage is recovery.

Then, radiation.  I'll be doing the Milne vitamin drip and the Hyperbaric Oxygen thing to tackle the radiation's attempt to kill me.




My Cousin, Sherry, is Right about the Sugar

The Chemo causes the sugar tooth.  If I fall prey to the sugar tooth, the risk is that when this is over, I'll wind up with diabetes problems.  Fred says it's not a big deal, don't worry about it.  But, 4 quarts of chocolate chip ice cream and Gelato, and a pound of dark chocolate See's in the freezer just isn't normal.

I still think that if our bodies have cancer cells floating around, and we eat sugar, those cancer cells go bonkers on the sugar. 

Oh well, last treatment Monday.

I couldn't find the picture of the peas, so I just threw this one in of Ronald Reagan doing a cigarrette ad.  The peas were a bust.  I think it made things worse.  My nails weren't brown before the peas, now some of them are brown and some are detatched from the skin, in parts.

I'm photographing my nails with about 8 layers of polish, then again naked.  The 8 layers of polish are there for a reason.  It makes the nails more solid.  You'll see.

I have a few eyebrows left and a few eyelashes left.  Still haven't gotten ill.  I can eat anything, but Chees-its seem to be the choice du jour right now. 

We're going to Macaroni Grill tonight and I'll try some wine.  Then, tomorrow, I have to start the steroid prescription.  No coffee, no wine, no nuthin.   This will be the last time taking those blasted steroids. 

Can't wait to get to 24 Hour on Friday, after the last chemo treatment.  Chris will work on resistance training to build the bones up.  Today, he pretty much did that but yesterday I got to put on the boxing mits and he put on the trainers boxing mits and he showed me how to properly box.  It was exhausting but fun - way more fun than the punching bag.  And, no hives. 

They have a blind girl at 24 Hour who works out with her black lab watching all the time.   Mind blowing.

Till Monday.....