It's Just Another Manic Monday

I'm getting a jump start on my Toxic Tuesday this week.  Dr. H will be out of the office tomorrow so I had to come in today for my Drs appt and Chemo.  It's looking like a long day in the infusion room for me, but you won't hear me complain too much... I've got great company, the UT baseball game is on and I just had an amazing 20 min foot massage.  Yes, that's right, I said foot massage.  Wendy, a massage therapist with Oncology Massage Alliance (see below for more info) was volunteering her time giving Chemo patients a little R&R.  I tell ya, if you have to have Chemo, you might as well do it in style!!  For a brief moment I actually forgot where I was.  Thanks Wendy and mission accomplished OMA!

If you get a chance, check out www.oncologymassagealliance.org    
The Oncology Massage Alliance is a 501(c)3 nonprofit foundation created by four therapists in 2011 and dedicated to providing compassionate touch designed to reduce stress during chemotherapy. We are also dedicated to ongoing research into the effects and benefits of oncology massage therapy. By providing our service at no charge to the clients and their caregivers in the infusion rooms and elsewhere, we hope to reduce the stress of additional financial burdens as well as comfort them during treatments.
Stress can be a major enemy in the fight with cancer. It is our belief that oncology massage therapists can aid in the reduction of this stress as well as provide positive physiological changes.

FYI... My next PET scan is scheduled for July 6.  I just can't wait to get back the awesome results!

Hope you're having a great day!  Nothing like getting a great 80s song stuck in your head...

It's just another manic Monday, oooooooooooh oh oh
I wish it was Sunday, oooooooooooooooh oh oh
'Cause that's my funday, oooooooooooh oh oh
My I don't have to runday, oooooooooooh oh oh
It's just another manic Monday

Cancer 101... Today's lesson: CA 27-29

Hello boys and girls!  Today's lesson will be on a Tumor Marker called CA 27-29.  Enjoy!

 

CA 27-29 is a tumor marker found in the blood of most breast cancer patients and is often used to follow the course of treatment in women with advanced breast cancer.  It's not 100%, but it is useful along w/ other tests (imaging such as my CT & PET scans) to evaluate recurrence & response to treatment.  I have been tested 4 times since D-Day (the day I was diagnosed) and here are the following results...

Oct. 2010 / 255.7
Mar 2011 / 424.5
Early May 2011 / 164.6
May 31, 2011 / 155.3

It makes since that the marker would be so high in March... not only was that around the time I was adjusting my chemo cocktail BUT the bone metastasis was occurring as well.  Again, these tests are not perfect, BUT they are tending to correlate with my ups and downs throughout my treatment.  And HELLO, we're down to 155.3!!  The normal range is less than 35 so we're at least heading in the right direction!  This can only mean that we're kickin' this cancer's ass!!  Sorry, I just can't say that enough!  ;)

 

Class dismissed!  Hope to see ya next time!

"DAL" & Proud

I had an amazing weekend down in New Braunfels and wanted to share some pics from the Hunter Industries Invitational Golf Tournament at the Bandit Golf course.  I went into this tourney thinking I'd only be able to putt, but of course once I got out there I couldn't resist... I started out w/ a chip here and chip there.  My hip wasn't hurting so then I thought, what the hell, I might as well hit from the tee box at least once.  Weeeeeeell, then I tested out Jason’s Cobra driver (quite a bit different compared to my old school clubs).  I had fun hitting that and what do you know, I walked away w/ winning the woman’s longest drive competition!  Not too shabby huh?!? Coach Howell and Coach Ag would be proud (and would probably think that I cheated… teeing off was never my strong suit).  Anyway, I’ve attached some pics for your viewing pleasure… and YES, that’s me covered from head to toe, playing golf in 98 degree weather in pants and long sleeves.  With all the drugs they’ve got me on my skin is extremely sensitive to the sun.  Damn this cancer… if being the heaviest I’ve ever been isn’t enough… now I’m the palest I’ve ever been!  So much for the expression “if you can’t tone it, tan it.”  Oh, and I can't forget to mention the trophy we won... now we didn't win 1st, 2nd or 3rd place.  Pleeeeeeeeeeeease, anyone can do that!  We brought home the "DAL" trophy!!  And yes, that would mean "Dead Ass Last!"  And we did it in style!!  Now as much fun as we had coming in DAL, we're thinking next year we may put a little more effort into winning.  But you never know... it is all about having fun after all!!

Challenge ACCEPTED

On April 26, 2011 I extended the CfR PFG Challenge.  Guess what folks???  The Challenge has been accepted!  Here are a few pictures I've received... thank y'all so much for participating!!  ;)

5/17/11
"Sandbar Dave"
Fishing the Flats w/ a nice size Trout

5/17/11
"Bullseye Bonnie"
w/ a much larger Red Fish (although not quite as big as her 41'' Red)

5/20/11
"Mr. Pickles' Stylist"
Fort Jefferson, Dry Tortugas National Park, 24° 37’N  82° 52’W

Another Toxic Tuesday Down

Well, we're still on track... I'll continue on with 2 more treatments after this week (every 3 weeks) and then at that time I'll have another PET Scan to really determine how I'm doing.  Dr. H thinks it's a good sign that I'm responding well to my new chemo cocktail and even though I still have a "hitch in my giddy up," my hip is no longer hurting as bad as it was.  On that note, I dodged having radiation treatments. If the pain in my hip had continued to get worse, we would have turned to radiation for pain management.  Whew!   No complaints here!

In the meantime, I'm going to recover from my Toxic Tuesday this week and hopefully continue to have fun in my "spare time." I'm starting to think that the key to kickin' this cancer's ass is to have as much fun as I can, when I can!  If I'm feeling up to it, I'll be playing in a golf scramble this weekend and even though I won't be able to play a full round, I'll be putting like a Mofo!  I can't wait!!  

Kickin' Cancer's Ass... In Key West

I just had an AMAZING vacation in Key West w/ a few of my besties... I would like to introduce Elizabeth, Brandi and Annah.  

As if we need an excuse to have fun, we actually had a pretty good reason to celebrate this time.  It was Annah's birthday... the Dirty 30!.  It was definitely a memorable trip and it felt so good getting away for a long weekend.  My cheeks are still sore from laughing and smiling so much!  Unfortunately, I wasn't able to start the week off w/ the girls, but I'm so glad that they had an unbelievable deep sea fishing trip.  They went to the Dry Tortugas for some serious deep sea fishing.  Check out the fishing report on Lethal Weapon Charters website... the May 21, 2011 Fishing Report for Team "Texas Tarpon."  I also just noticed that our fishing trip from last year is still up, May 15, 2010 "Key West Blue-Water Fishing Report."

http://www.lethalweaponcharters.com/news/news.cfm?rowid=AAAQ79AAFAAAmrHAAK

Here are a few pics from the rest of the weekend...

Oh, and is this not crazy... look who we ran into.  It's Mr. Pickles!!!!  

A Hiccup

And don't we all know how annoying hiccups are?!?

So my PET Scan came back w/ mixed reviews. Great news is that the area in my breast has significantly improved and the lesions on my liver have moderately improved. So this means the newer treatment I was prescribed is working. Can I get a hell ya!  I'm extremely excited about this!  Okay, this is where the hiccup comes into play... As if spreading to my liver wasn't enough, I can now add bone metastases to my list of things to brag about (and yes, by brag about I mean bitch about).  Now, I cant say there is anything cool about this tidbit of info, BUT apparently there are drugs that can specifically target this bone activity. I'll continue with the same Chemo cocktail that I've been on and then I'll add a new concoction to the mix... Another IV drug called Zometa and another oral med called Xeloda.  Hopefully this will be a good match.... You know, like UNICORNS & GLITTER!!!  

Well, it's Friday and I'm FINALLY feeling somewhat normal again after my Toxic Tuesday.  This has by far been my worse chemo week, but hey, that's not a complaint... if the drugs are working, BRING IT ON!!!  On a side note, one of the side effects to my drugs is "aching of the bones/muscles/joints."  Omg, is this how it feels to have arthritis???  

***WARNING  The following may contain content not suitable for all viewers.  On the topic of side effects, I'm going to say it... the nastiest, dirtiest of dirty words... the dreaded "D" word!!!***

So speaking of side effects, does "D"iarrhea (cha cha cha) have to be a side effect of EVERY drug given to me???  Seriously?!  And you would think this would provide some assistance to me losing weight, but nooooooooo, it's not even doing that. This week I reached my all time heaviest weight.  Ugh!  This cancer is becoming a pain in my side... Oh wait, been there done that w/ the lesions on my liver!!  Nothing like good 'ol cancer humor! ;)

So we'll just keep on truckin'!  The great thing about hiccups... they eventually go away, right?!?  In the meantime I have a long weekend in Key West to look forward to... 7 more days and counting! I can't tell you how much I NEED this vacation!  I can't wait!