As I suspected, my number was up again with this blood draw. I don't know why I suspected, but I did. Now it's at 77. S o today I'll go in and get the first shot in the rear. This is the Faslodex that will replace the little pill. It is anticipated that my numbers will rise for the next two to three months and then by November we should see the Faslodex working and bringing the numbers back down. Dr. Kumar says not to worry. He said I look good, and with the absence of any new symptoms things don't appear to be moving to other organs. Still...I'm a little freaked out by all of this.
I did send off an email the other day to the LiveStrong Organization. I'm hoping they can point me in the right direction to seek out a specialist or find a clinical trial in which I can become involved. Intuition says it's the thing to do now.
I hope all of you are LIVING STRONG!
Friday, July 29, 2005
Thursday, July 28, 2005
Tune In Tomorrow
After my appt yesterday we know........................nothing!
We talked with Dr Kumar and I suggested that maybe we should just do another blood draw for starters to be sure that last week's numbers weren't just a fluke. He agreed that was the best place to start. If the numbers are back in the low 50s then we'll just continue as we have been. If the numbers have stayed the same or risen, then we'll do my first injection on Friday.
"Everybody Limbo!"
We talked with Dr Kumar and I suggested that maybe we should just do another blood draw for starters to be sure that last week's numbers weren't just a fluke. He agreed that was the best place to start. If the numbers are back in the low 50s then we'll just continue as we have been. If the numbers have stayed the same or risen, then we'll do my first injection on Friday.
"Everybody Limbo!"
Wednesday, July 27, 2005
Nervous Nelly
As the day progresses I find myself tapping my foot a little more and becoming increasingly more tense. I have an appointment scheduled with Dr. Kumar this afternoon. We're going to further discuss what this change in numbers might mean and what steps we need to take, aside from the change in meds. Brian is coming with me, much to my relief.
I know I should have a lot of questions, but I don't. Not really. My brain won't let me 'go there' or something. I'm hopeful that Brian has questions. Or better yet, I hope it's another situation where the Doc answers the questions before we even have to ask. He's good at that!
I already know that we may not do a scan now but "save" it for the future. The body can only take so many x-rays and scans and radiation sessions before it becomes a new problem of its own. So we have to scan wisely. I'd like to know though, of course. I'd like to know what looks different now, and in what way, from how it looked a year ago.
I don't have an impending feeling of doom. I do have an overwhelming sense of being in limbo.
More later...after the appt.
I know I should have a lot of questions, but I don't. Not really. My brain won't let me 'go there' or something. I'm hopeful that Brian has questions. Or better yet, I hope it's another situation where the Doc answers the questions before we even have to ask. He's good at that!
I already know that we may not do a scan now but "save" it for the future. The body can only take so many x-rays and scans and radiation sessions before it becomes a new problem of its own. So we have to scan wisely. I'd like to know though, of course. I'd like to know what looks different now, and in what way, from how it looked a year ago.
I don't have an impending feeling of doom. I do have an overwhelming sense of being in limbo.
More later...after the appt.
Monday, July 25, 2005
It's a Numbers Game
55...52...69...Hike!
No, it's not football, it's my tumor marker number. Again, last week, we thought things were on a downward trend, but then we got the latest results and there's been a spike in my number again. 52 to 69 may be a significant jump. One theory is that is has to do with my meds (Femara) and my body may have run its course with that drug. There tends to be a window of 6-12 months with most of this type of drug and then the effectiveness wears off.
So now I'm being switched to something new. The "problem" for me is that instead of having to take a little pill each day (something I have managed to work into my daily routine quite nicely, thank you very much) I will, instead, get a shot in the rear end once a month. Isn't that special!
Of course my first question to the nurse was "how confident can we be that this is entirely meds related, and do we need to be doing a scan of some sort again?", to which she replied that Dr. Kumar had not mentioned that, but she would certainly let him know that I mentioned it and they'll get back to me tomorrow.
Ironically, before I got the call, I was just looking up some info online today about metastatic breast cancer. I saw another number there: 20. (20% that is.) 20% of women with metastasized cancer live at least five years once diagnosed with the spread of the cancer.
20 is a nice round number.
I would like to be part of that 20!
I need to be part of that 20!
I WILL be part of that 20!
No, it's not football, it's my tumor marker number. Again, last week, we thought things were on a downward trend, but then we got the latest results and there's been a spike in my number again. 52 to 69 may be a significant jump. One theory is that is has to do with my meds (Femara) and my body may have run its course with that drug. There tends to be a window of 6-12 months with most of this type of drug and then the effectiveness wears off.
So now I'm being switched to something new. The "problem" for me is that instead of having to take a little pill each day (something I have managed to work into my daily routine quite nicely, thank you very much) I will, instead, get a shot in the rear end once a month. Isn't that special!
Of course my first question to the nurse was "how confident can we be that this is entirely meds related, and do we need to be doing a scan of some sort again?", to which she replied that Dr. Kumar had not mentioned that, but she would certainly let him know that I mentioned it and they'll get back to me tomorrow.
Ironically, before I got the call, I was just looking up some info online today about metastatic breast cancer. I saw another number there: 20. (20% that is.) 20% of women with metastasized cancer live at least five years once diagnosed with the spread of the cancer.
20 is a nice round number.
I would like to be part of that 20!
I need to be part of that 20!
I WILL be part of that 20!
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