Third Time is a Charm

My expander surgery has been re-scheduled for the third and final time. It will be on March 19th at 9:15 at Swedish Hospital. I moved the date so that my mom can help out with the kids while she's on Spring Break. It was also very important to me to attend the YSC conference, so I will be going afterall.

Merry Christmas

I Don't Have a Brain Tumor

What a day. I found out I don't have a brain tumor! Thank God! I had an MRI of my brain this afternoon. My doctor ordered it because I've had some pretty dramatic changes to my vision. I've been nearsighted since sixth grade, but see 20/20 with contacts or glasses. A few weeks ago my vision became blurry, so I went in for a vision check. My prescription had improved by about half for no apparent reason. I got new contacts and all was well. A week passed and my vision became blurry again. I'm thinking it's age at this point - maybe I need bifocals? I went back to see the eye doctor and my prescription returned to what it had been previously. Today I went in to see my regular doctor to follow up on a sinus infection. I told him about the vision issue and he sent me to get a brain MRI to rule out a brain tumor. I was sick with anxiety, but feel so much better now that it's over. We still don't know what is causing the vision changes, but all is well inside my head.

New Surgery Date

My expander surgery date has been moved to February 26th. I've also canceled my plans to attend the Young Survival Coalition conference in Atlanta. There are lots of changes happening at work and I was unable to take the necessary time off in January.

Starting Reconstruction

My surgery to place the expanders has been scheduled for the first week in January. I will see the plastic surgeon twice before surgery. I love my surgeon and she is a survivor herself. Bring on the turtle shells. That's what the expanders look and feel like under the skin. We had show and tell at support group last night, so I got to see an actual expander that my surgeon placed. I am having a lot of fear about the pain involved with the expansion process. I think the experience is different for everyone and I've heard it all. I'm going for it and I'm excited to have scheduled the surgery. It's real now.

[Post mastectomy reconstruction with a tissue expander and implant involves a staged approach. A tissue expander is a temporary device that is placed on the chest wall deep to the pectoralis major muscle. The purpose of the expander is to create a soft pocket to contain the permanent implant. Placing the Expander - at the time of the initial post mastectomy reconstruction operation, when it is first positioned on the chest wall, the tissue expander is partially filled with saline. Within a few weeks after this surgery, once the patient has healed, expansion can be started as an office procedure. The process of expansion takes place at one, two or three week intervals over several months. The amount of fluid that is placed into the expander at the time of the initial surgery will also determine how many expansions are later required. Most expanders have a fill port that is built into the front of the device. This port is accessed with a needle through the skin. Expansion takes about one minute, and the amount of fluid that is placed is limited by the tightness of the patient’s skin. A typical volume for each expansion procedure is 50 cc's of saline (an equivalent of 10 teaspoons). Once expansion is completed and the patient is medically cleared for another operation the second stage of reconstruction is performed. This is an outpatient procedure that involves exchanging the expander for an implant, and creating a more refined breast shape. The initial tissue expander placement, and subsequent exchange for an implant, each take about one hour in the operating room.]

Airport Security

This is funny. I'm on the way to Disneyland with my family. We are a traveling roadshow with four roller bags, four backpacks, a bunch of miscellaneous electronics, baggies of toiletries, Amanda's walker and wheelchair. Imagine us at the security check point leaving SeaTac. Shoes off, jackets off, putting stuff in the plastic bins, Amanda escorted aside for her chair to be scanned, back in the chair, shoes back on, etc. The bags are coming out the other side. I'm thinking we're on our way. Nope. They needed to take a look inside my bag. The TSA agent zips it open, takes out my "swim boobs" (a combo of fiberfill and sand, they are quite realistic in the suit, actually)... he has one in each hand and looks right at me... "What are these, ma'am?" I tell him, "Well, I'm a breast cancer survivor, I've had a double mastectomy and those are my swim prosthesis, also known as my swim boobs." I could barely keep a straight face. You should have seen his. He said he'd never seen anything like this in eight years. Really? He proceeded to feel them and toss them in the air a little bit. Mind you, they are a very full size D cup. He asked, "Is there sand in here?" "Yes," I said... wondering what else he was going ask. Then he said he'd need to scan them again. So, there they go - all alone on the conveyor belt, each one in it's own plastic tub, bouncing along. They came out the other side. I put them back in my bag and away we went. Austin missed all of this because he was busy helping the kids regroup. I explained what had happened and he just cracked up. It makes a good story. I'm glad the swim boobs made it, because I'm afraid the pool chemicals may have damaged my regular silicone-filled ones which run $400 each.

Remission

I saw my oncologist today for a three month follow up. He said I'm doing great! He also said technically I'm in remission because it's been over one year since my last surgery. At the time of the last surgery all remaining signs of the cancer were gone. I thought it was one year from my last chemo, but I was wrong. So, that's good news. There is currently "no evidence of disease". I'm in remission! There is still a 25% chance the cancer could come back. My type, triple negative, is the most aggressive, but also responds best to treatment. Overall, this is very good news. If I make it five years without a recurrence I'm considered cured. I also had a blood draw today for the tumor marker test. My last tumor marker was extremely low, which is wonderful news.

[Remission -- This term is heard very frequently. It refers to the response of a cancer to the treatment. It dose not mean that a cancer is cured. Complete remission refers to the situation where the disease disappears completely with the treatment. Partial remission refers to the situation where the disease shrinks but does not disappear completely with the treatment. Cure means complete freedom from the cancer. To render someone cured of cancer, one has to wait and see if the cancer will ever come back. So, time is the crucial factor. If a patient remains in remission for a few years, the cancer might be cured. Certain cancers can reoccur after many years of remission. The status of remission is determined by a series of tests and examinations to determine whether a cancer has responded to treatment or not. Patients are examined by the medical oncologist as often as needed. The type of tests performed depend on the kind and extent of cancer. If a cancer that is seen on regular X-rays, or CT Scans, etc., they should be repeated after a while. Tumor markers are also used to determine the response to therapy and for early detection of a recurrence.]

Cheering for the 3-Day Walkers

Nathan and I went with Amanda's Girl Scout troop today to cheer on the walkers finishing the Susan G. Komen 3-Day Walk for the Cure. It was an inspiring and meaningful experience for everyone. We had a beautiful sunny 75 degree Seattle day and a perfect spot in the shade. The event raised 5.5 million dollars in Seattle alone. Go Pink!

Summer Update

Overall I am doing great! I look and feel tired and I'm still not sleeping well, but I think that's just the way it goes after going through what I've gone through. I will recover and plan to slow down a little after school starts.

After going in for my pre-op appointment to begin reconstruction I've decided to hold off for now, for reasons I can't really talk about in this format. Suffice it to say I have a new plastic surgeon and will be getting started in October. I wanted to enjoy the rest of my summer pain free (the expanders can be painful for the duration they are in, as they are enlarged each week to stretch the muscles). We are also planning a vacation to Disneyland with the kids in October, so I'd rather not be in pain or on drugs for that experience either.

The lymphedema in my left arm is getting worse. My arm feels heavy and it is swollen. It feels spongy, like a sand-filled stress ball. I'm also retaining fluid around the incision site on the left side. I really need to stay in bed and elevate my arm, but I can't do that - it's summer and I'm having fun with my kids and husband! I do elevate it when I can... mostly late at night after I've taken my lorazepam (relaxing medicine). Austin makes pillow piles for me to rest my arm on. I'm currently re-decorating Amanda's room, it's an easy project that will be done by Saturday (hopefully). I know the painting will aggravate the swelling, but it's worth it to accomplish this for her. I see a specialist at the lymphedema clinic on Tuesday. They will probably give me a compression sleeve to wear, which I'm sure will help some. My attitude (which is not what the doctor wants to hear) is to to for the gusto until I see the specialist - maybe I'm not the best patient right now, but I am living life and doing what is important to me.

On the last day of school we made a list of fun things we wanted to do this summer. We've done a lot - so far: hiking, puppy classes (our dog failed puppy class, that's another story), camping, Mariner's game, picnic, sleepovers, go karts, drive-in movie, have lunch with dad, swim, go to camp, vacation bible school, plant flowers, bike riding, get ice cream from the ice cream man, Nathan's birthday, go to Corbin's house, ferry boat ride, Orcas Island, camp fires, s'mores, lots of reading and fireworks. Left on our list are: make home made root beer, soccer camp (planned), water park (planned), Cannon Beach with friends (planned), ride the ducks (planned), sail boat ride, dig clams(planned), car races and fishing (planned). Whew! It has been awesome!! To top it off we had an absolute blast at my brother's 40th birthday party. I've never had a better roasted pig. Loved it!

I have been busy making two family picture walls, one going up the stairs and the other at the top of the stairs. I've also framed some pictures from our trip to France. This has been a big project because I've never ordered prints since switching to digital in 2003! It is easy and now I'm hooked. This is very morbid, but honest - in case I die I want lots of pictures of me around the house. A dear friend of mine made a CD for me when I was going through chemo. It has the song "Keep on Rollin'" by REO Speedwagon on it. I've been listening to that CD in the car a lot lately. It is exactly what I have got to do - physically, mentally and emotionally - Keep on Rollin'. I listen to my chemo play list all the time and have added that song to the list. Every day cancer free is another day toward full recovery. I continue to pray for full recovery and complete healing. I am also able to attend my young survivor's breast cancer support group more regularly, which is very helpful. My next appointment with the oncologist is the last week in September.

We Walked

Look at my beautiful family! I love you guys! We walked together in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure last weekend. It was a very emotional day, bitter sweet - so awesome to see the "sea of pink" with thousands of people showing their support, at the same time I was reminded of all the women who have lost their battle to this horrible disease. Lots of tears, but I'm glad I did it. I met some of my Young Survival Coalition friends there. We walked in the survivor's parade after the race. I will be honest and say that I don't really feel like a survivor yet. I am glad to have survived four rounds of chemo. I am thankful to be alive. I will feel so much better after I make it through the first year without a recurrence, then, each year after that. After I hit the five year mark I'm sure I'll feel safer, but even that's not a guarantee. I think my friend Maria said it best, "I won't feel like a survivor until I hold my grandchildren".

3 Month Update

I saw my oncologist last week. Everything looks good. He did some blood work, which came back fine. I have the green light to get started with reconstruction! I don't have to wait until fall. So, I need to get in touch with the plastic surgeon, have a consult, pre-op and surgery to put the expanders in. I chose one of the top plastic surgeons in Seattle who specializes in breast reconstruction. He works closely with my breast surgeon. The expander is basically an empty implant that is placed under the pec muscle. Each week it is filled with a bit more saline and over time the pec muscle stretches out. After that process is complete I'll have a "swap out" surgery. After all I've been through this seems pretty easy. By this time next year I should have the new "girls".

Cruise to Cozumel

Fun long weekend cruise from Galveston to Cozumel to celebrate a friend's 40th birthday. Lots of reading, relaxing and sun! No, I don't have the swine flu. I was barely in Mexico (just long enough to walk to the snorkel boat) and nowhere near Mexico City. It was fun to wear a hat because I wanted to, not because I had to cover my bald head. I enjoyed snorkeling in the warm water and saw a barracuda up close and personal. The reefs were still partially covered in sand, due to Hurricane Ike, but I saw a lot of beautiful fish. Austin stayed home and took care of the kids. It's good to be home.

It's Been A While

I've been neglecting the blog lately. Since finishing chemo I don't feel like I have as much to say. Physically I am still tired and not sleeping well. I feel like I need a nap every day and that's just not realistic. I do rest when I can and have also been reading a lot more than usual. Emotionally I am more anxious than ever, wondering if the cancer is truly gone or when/if it will reappear. Friends who have been through this tell me the first year of waiting is the worst and it gets easier. This past month has been a transitional time. I went back to my regular 3 day work schedule the first week in March. The kids are back to after school care. Nathan started Little League. Amanda's friend Nina has been spending more time with us. Austin and I are planning our 16th wedding anniversary. We had a great Easter. I've been down to the beach with friends and family, which has been fabulous! The surgery to remove my port was quick and painless. I got the stitches out last week. I'm preparing for a vacation to the sun and have been having foob related swimsuit issues - they just don't look right, but as long as they stay secured in the suit nobody will even know. Life is good!

Stupid Cancer

This is the new t-shirt I bought at the conference. I saw another really good one that said, "YES, THESE ARE FAKE, THE REAL ONES TRIED TO KILL ME". I should have purchased it, but then again, do I really want people staring? Not so much.

Dallas Conference

Here I am with the Seattle girls in Dallas at the Young Survival Coalition's National Conference. It was a great weekend and I am so glad I went. Everyone was in a different phase of treatment, recovery and reconstruction. It was very emotional for me, everywhere I looked there was a young woman going through what I have been through. I gained a lot of new information and met many other women with triple negative. One of the women in our group is triple negative and three years out, so that is encouraging! We received medical updates from some of the nation's top oncologists, heard a very motivational speaker talk about "Embracing Life Through and After Cancer", explored exhibits and had plenty of time for Q&A, networking and relaxing. My favorite classes were: "Breast Cancer Reconstruction Options", "Raising Healthy Children when a Parent has Cancer" and "Triple Negative News You Can Use". There are lots of targeted drug therapies in the works for triple negative, especially a drug called Avastin, which I will ask my oncologist about. We had receptions each night, went out for a delicious Tex-Mex dinner on Friday and dressed up for dinner on Saturday. I am part of the Seattle group, but have only been to one meeting because it's the same night as Girl Scouts. I feel like I've bonded with these women now and really look forward to participating more during the summer. What an incredibly strong, inspiring, real group of women. Thank you to my friend Andrea for connecting me to the Seattle YSC leader when I was first diagnosed.

On Deck for the Cure

Kristen and Brett went on a Carnival cruise recently. One of their activities was "On Deck for the Cure", sponsored by Komen and Carnival. They, along with Brett's family, participated in my honor. Very cool!

Survivorship

I had an appointment with my oncologist today. We talked a lot about "survivorship" or life after breast cancer treatment ends. He is writing up a summary of the treatment I received and coordinating follow up with my surgeons and family doctor. For the next year I will see my oncologist every three months for exams and blood work. He said if a recurrence happens 80% of the time it is found by the woman, so we talked about how closely I need to pay attention to how I'm feeling. He said he is not expecting a recurrence, but there is a 25% chance. I am afraid and thankful at the same time. Even though all of the breast tissue is gone sometimes the cancer can come back near the scars. I think that's weird. So, I need to continue to do breast exams, even though I have no breasts. On that note, here is a shout out to all of the ladies out there to check out www.feelyourboobies.com. It is a GREAT campaign! He doesn't feel that I will suffer any long-term toxic effects from the chemo and said my heart should be fine, considering that the amount of Adriamycin I received was safe. He gave me marching orders to get in shape and he was happy to hear that I am serious about the 5k in June. He is fully expecting the blood clot to go away after my port is removed.

Breast Cancer Survivors: Life After the Treatments End
By Gina Shaw MD
The breast cancer treatments are over. Now what? Here's how to return to your "new normal." Life after breast cancer means returning to some familiar things and also making some new choices. The song says "It ain't over 'til it's over," but when you've had breast cancer, you discover that it's not even over when it's over. After a marathon of breast cancer diagnosis and treatment that may last a year or more, you can hardly wait to get back to a normal life again. But the day of your last chemotherapy infusion doesn't mark the end of your journey with breast cancer. Instead, you're about to embark on another leg of the trip. This one is all about adjusting to life as a breast cancer survivor. In many ways, it will be a lot like the life you had before, but in other ways, it will be very different. Call it your "new normal." From your relationships with your family and your spouse to eating habits and exercise, breast cancer will change your life in ways that last well after treatment ends. How do you fight lingering fatigue? What should you do to help prevent a breast cancer recurrence? How do you get back into a normal routine? These are just a few of the questions that may nag at you as you make the transition from breast cancer treatment to breast cancer survival. "Chemobrain" and Other After-Effects: You watched the last dose of chemotherapy dripped from the IV into your veins six months ago. Your hair has really started to grow back. Maybe it's curly where it once was straight, or a lot grayer than before, but it's hair. You have eyebrows again. So why are you still so tired? When are you going to feel like you again? "Your body has just been through an enormous assault, and recovery is a huge thing. You're not going to just bounce back right away," says oncologist Marisa Weiss, MD, founder of Breastcancer.org and the author of Living Beyond Breast Cancer. "You've been hit while you're down so many times: with surgery and anesthesia, perhaps with multiple cycles of chemotherapy, perhaps with radiation."Two of the biggest hurdles women with breast cancer face post-treatment are fatigue resulting from chemotherapy and/or the accumulated effects of other treatments, and a phenomenon some women have dubbed "chemobrain" -- mental changes such as memory deficits and the inability to focus. If you tried, you probably couldn't pick two more frustrating and troubling side effects for women handling busy lives, managing careers, and caring for families."You expect them to go away as soon as treatment ends, and they don't," says Mary McCabe, RN, director of the Cancer Survivorship program at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York. That such a program as McCabe's exists is a testament to the changing nature of what it means to have cancer. Women with breast cancer, like other people with a cancer diagnosis, are now surviving for so much longer, and in such large numbers, that some hospitals are opening entire departments devoted to survivorship. How long after breast cancer treatment ends can you expect fatigue, "chemobrain," and other post-treatment side effects to persist? Everyone is different, of course, but as a general rule of thumb, Weiss tells her patients to expect a recovery period about the same time from your first "cancer scare" moment to the date of your last treatment. So if you found a lump or had a suspicious mammogram in April, and had your last radiation treatment in December, it may be August or September of the following year before you reach your "new normal." "Even then, that doesn't mean that you're fully back to yourself again, but by then you should have a sense of where you're going to be, what your energy level will be, and so on," says Weiss. Breast cancer survivorship, Weiss observes, is a marathon, not a sprint. That means learning to handle the symptoms that stick around after treatment ends, says Sloan-Kettering's McCabe, by using those adaptive strategies you learned while on chemotherapy or recovering from surgery. "You need to continue to have planned periods of rest, and think about what times in the day and after what activities you tend to find yourself most tired," she says. A Chance to Make Some Life Choices: Make sure your family and your coworkers understand that just because treatment is over, that doesn't mean that you're going to be able to jump right back into running the carpool, coaching soccer, and traveling to conferences a week out of every month. "Everyone's ready for treatment to be over, not just you, and although they've been supportive, your friends and family may be expecting you to spring back right away," says McCabe. "It's an education process. They need to understand that when the therapy stops, that doesn't mean that the effects of the therapy stop immediately." Manage your expectations, urges Weiss. "Decrease the stress and the pressure on you in whatever ways you can. There are a lot of decisions you can make to take charge of how your life goes while you're in this recovery process." Decide which of those things are really important to you and which ones don't matter quite as much. Let the less-important ones slide or find someone else to do them. Gina Shaw is a medical writer who was treated for breast cancer in 2004, and now calls herself a "joyful breast cancer survivor."

Yahoo! I'm Done!

We went to Salty's at Redondo to celebrate the end of my chemo. This was one of the kids' first "fancy" (a step up from Red Robin) dinners, so it was fun to dress up. My mom gave me a beautiful necklace that belonged to my Gram. I feel close to her when I wear it. It feels so good to be done with chemo. I have five more days of Xeloda and then that is it! Yahoo!!! I am heading to Dallas next weekend for the national Young Survival Coalition conference. This organization is for women diagnosed with breast cancer under the age of 45. There are 15 women from the Seattle chapter attending, so it should be a lot of fun. There are several classes about triple negative, which is the main reason I'm going. I'm looking forward to it.

Last Chemo!

Today was my last chemo infusion!!! Yahoo!!! I am done. I came home, slept for four hours and just got up to make a smoothie. Tomorrow Austin, my mom, the kids and I are going out to a nice dinner to celebrate.

Flesh Wound

I cut myself today and lived to tell about it. I had the bright idea to use a steak knife to even up a big three wick candle. Last time it was lit Nathan played with it (what is it with boys and fire??) and one side "fell" off. As I was trimming it up with a steak knife, the candle slipped out of my hand and just like that my left thumb was sliced and there was blood everywhere. It soaked through three washcloths. Yikes! I got pretty woozy and anxious. I called 911, told them had cut myself and was on Coumadin. The ambulance was here right away. I called Austin and he picked up the kids from school. Once I got to the hospital the bleeding was pretty well under control. They planted me in the waiting room for about a half an hour, so clearly they weren't too worried about it. It took 9 stitches. I'm home now, the local is wearing off just as the pain killers are kicking in. I'll be fine. It's just one more thing.

Three Week Follow-Up

I saw my oncologist this past Monday. We talked a lot about the "new normal" or what life will be like after I'm finished with chemo. Waiting, watching and wondering if it's back while trying not to stress out. After one year without a recurrence I'm considered in remission. After five years I'm considered cured. This was just a regular three week follow up appointment, so there is no real new news. My counts look good and I'm tolerating the chemo well. We'll schedule surgery to take the port out a month after I finish chemo. He gave me the thumbs up to train for the Susan G. Komen 5k Race for the Cure, which is in June. My plan is to RUN it, so I better get my rear in gear. While this is a lofty goal, I believe I can do it if I stick to a training schedule. It's only three miles.

Wonderful Distraction

It's been a week since we brought Tui home. It has been a great week! Everyone is settling in nicely. I would say that we are all definitely bonded with Tui. The kids are doing great with him. Amanda pets him, fills up his food dish and gets kisses on her hand. Nathan is the proud new dog owner. He is very responsible and helpful. Having a dog around is the most wonderful distraction for me. It's hard to think about how sick and tired I feel when I have my family and this new little bundle to focus on first. He goes all out, is full of energy and loves to play - then all of a sudden he will be completely sacked out. He is a lap dog, but likes his bed and also goes into his "house" (crate) with no problem at all. We just have to get up once at night to let him out. He goes in the car with me when I pick the kids up from school. He gets so excited to see Nathan. Yesterday we even took him up to Crystal Mountain for Nathan's ski lesson. I thought, being a Husky and all, that he'd love the snow. I was wrong. He wasn't real fond of the snow, it was too cold. He preferred to be cuddled up inside our coats. The focus of this blog is to keep friends & family up to date on my cancer journey, but I think it's important to share the good things that are going on my life too. Tui is definitely a good thing! So, thanks for listening to me rave about him. Chemo went well last week. They were able to get blood return from my port right away, so there was much less waiting around. I was in and out in three hours. It still seems like a breeze compared to my last rounds of chemo. I'm still not sleeping well due to the Xeloda. My blood sugar is all over the board again. I'm back to testing routinely and taking insulin when needed. The blood clot doesn't seem to be getting worse. I still have man veins and some pain. I am on continuous Coumadin (blood thinner) and I can't ski this year because of that. If I fall or get crashed into I could have internal bleeding. Sometimes I feel like an old person who could complain all day if you let me. I try not to. The best news ever is that I have two chemo's left and then I'm done. I see my oncologist tomorrow and will find out about scheduling the surgery to take the port out.

A New Puppy!

We are getting a dog! He is an Alaskan Klee Kai, or miniature Alaskan Husky. His name is Tui (pronounced too-ee) and we pick him up from the breeder in Oregon next weekend. Tui is nine weeks old. He is black and white with blue eyes. He will grow to approximately 7 lbs and 12 - 13 inches at shoulder height. He is very cute, and much smaller than the dogs Austin and I grew up with - a Siberian Husky, St. Bernard and St. Bernard German Shepherd mix. A full sized Husky was too much dog for us to consider right now. We think Tui will be a perfect fit. Our whole family is very excited. We thought about naming him Tequila or Touchdown, but in the end Tui won out, it is short for Tuiososopo. [The Alaskan Klee Kai is a northern breed, originating in Alaska. The term "Klee Kai" was derived from Alaskan Eskimo words meaning "small dog". The breed was developed to create a companion sized version of the Alaskan Husky (although it more closely resembles the Siberian Husky), resulting in an energetic, intelligent, smaller sized dog with an appearance that reflects its northern heritage.]

One Year

Today is January 14th. It has been exactly one year since I began my fight against breast cancer. Thank you to everyone who has provided on-going love, support and encouragement to me. I continue to pray that I completely kick cancer's butt and prevail triumphantly in this battle so I can live a full life. I also pray for a cure (.)(.)!

Breast Cancer Vaccine Clinical Trials

Austin forwarded this article to me today. I find this very exciting and hopeful, because it could directly affect me in the future if I face a recurrence.

Clinical Trials of Experimental Breast Cancer Vaccine Expected to Begin in Spring 2009
Scientists from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences this spring expect to begin the first of two phases of clinical trials for a vaccine designed to prevent the recurrence of breast cancer, the AP/FoxNews.com reports. Principal investigator Laura Hutchins -- professor of internal medicine and director of the division of hematology and oncology at the university -- said that the vaccine, if successful, would not replace chemotherapy and radiation but could be an additional treatment for women with breast cancer. While working under a six-year, $2.9 million grant from the Department of Defense, a team from the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute at UAMS developed peptide antigens that mimic the carbohydrate antigens present on breast cancer cells. Although carbohydrate antigens do not typically stimulate a strong immune system response, the peptide-based vaccine is able to trick the body into producing antibodies that attack both the peptide antigens and carbohydrate antigens on the cancer cells, according to the AP/FoxNews.com. The first phase of the clinical trials will involve women who have breast cancer that is actively spreading and women who had a recurrence after remission. Participants will receive five doses of the vaccine over four to six months. The second phase, which will last about one year, will involve women who are in remission, considered at high risk for a recurrence and have been off chemotherapy for at least six months. The number of women who will participate in the trials has not been determined. According to the latest data from CDC, 40,954 women died of breast cancer in the U.S. in 2004. Reprinted with kind permission from http://www.nationalpartnership.org.

Oncology Follow Up

I saw my oncologist yesterday. It looks like the port will be coming out 3 or 4 weeks after my last chemo. Even though it's a minor surgery to remove it, there is still some healing involved. My body needs to be free and clear of the chemo poison before surgery so that I heal properly. We also talked about timing around the reconstruction. He recommended waiting until this fall to get started. He is doesn't feel it is necessary to repeat the CT to take another look at the lymph nodes on my left side. He said, "I've been doing this a long time. Trust me, the cancer is not in your lymph nodes". I do trust him. I was also very concerned about the rib tenderness I've had on the left. He said it is very likely residual pain and swelling related to the surgery. The rib bones are probably bruised. I did ask the doctor how long he thought the tumor was there before I found it and he guessed 1 - 2 years. It is something I've been wondering about. He said that's when microscopic cancer cells could have migrated through the blood supply to another site. That's why I'm doing this round of chemo - to clean house. I have another oncology follow up in three weeks and my 8th chemo session tomorrow.

A Nice Break

It was wonderful to have my chemo off week fall during Christmas. I felt better than usual and I'm thankful for that. I have been taking it easy as much as I'm willing to and we did have a nice relaxing Christmas. Austin and the kids were home for two weeks (seems like longer with all those snow delays). The bummer is that I had chemo on New Year's Eve. I was queasy most of the afternoon, but was able to get in a nice 4 hour nap before the festivities began. We had our annual fondue party with neighbors. Austin did all of the shopping and our friends prepared everything while I rested on the couch. I almost made it till midnight. I slept through the fireworks. I talked to my oncologist last week. He said my port will be coming out as soon as this round is over (last chemo 2/19/09), which will hopefully help the blood clot dissipate. I go for labs tomorrow morning to check my Coumadin level. It is supposed to be between 2 - 3 and was 4.8 last Thursday, a bit high, so the dose was reduced. I'm still getting labs at the hospital, but am scheduled with the Coumadin Clinic next week. I have been feeling a little anxious, as we are approaching the one year mark of when I was first diagnosed (1/14/08). I was glad to say goodbye to 2008.