Feels Good, Getting Better

How far I have come since my last chemo treatment.  My energy levels are good.  I can get through a full day of work.  I still don't have energy to do too many days in a row though.  If I have a "big" day with lots of activity, I'm pretty beat the next day.

I have lost about half the weight I put on during chemo treatment.  Aside from my "treats" after treatments, I have been eating healthy.  Lots of fruits and vegetables, lean meats, and whole grains.  I have been preparing most of my meals again, too.

My exercising is still not what it once was but it is better.  During chemo, I could barely walk down the block to the park.  Thanksgiving weekend I started walking on the beach.  It was quite the effort to get to the water's edge.  Now, three months later I can make it to the pier and back - almost 3 miles round trip.  I've been hitting buckets of golf balls, about 2-3 per week.

It feels so good to be feeling better.

Getting closer

The end is getting closer for this crazy journey I am on.  Soon I will be back to the life that I once had.  The first of my two reconstructive surgeries has been scheduled for Wednesday, March 6th.  Woo hoo!!!  They needed to schedule it midway between my drug trial treatments, so I am very glad they were able to get me in this soon.  Otherwise I would have had to wait six weeks and that would not have been fun.

The past month, it has been quite uncomfortable having the expander in my chest.  The closer it got to capacity, the more it pushed out not only on my pectoral muscle, but also the scar tissue from the first surgery.  Basically, no room in my chest cavity for the hard disc.

So happy the hockey puck is coming out!

Drug Trial Day

Back at the Cancer Center for my next round of the drug trial.  Yippee!!

First a visit to the vampire's lair.  Always a good time with my vampire Paul.  Five vials later and a urine test, now off to doctors office.

The doctor gives me a routine check-up.  And we review how I have been feeling the past month.  I tell  them that the memory loss is getting worse.  Stupid side effect of the tamoxifen.  It is pretty crazy.  I forget words in mid-sentence, this is the most disturbing.  Either I end up stopping the sentence or other words come out, usually not pertaining to what I was even talking about.  Forgetting little things, like I have a comforter in my closet but keep pulling my blankets off my bed to put on the guest bed.  Forgetting to take my medications, which isn't good, I start breaking out in hives and realize I forgot to take the allergy pills.  Plus, little other things here and there.  It's usually worse in the evenings when I am tired.  Argh!  Blah!

Now we head up to the Cancer Research Unit and start prep for the injections.  Even with taking the Ativan and putting the Lidocaine rub at the injection sites, they still don't go in well.  The first one was the worst this time.  I give it a 9 on the pain scale.  The second one was somewhat tolerable and gets a 5.  Three and four sucked too, they get 7's.  There is continuous pain for about 25 minutes after injection and then it slowly subsides.  Not fun, but anything to increase the odds of the cancer not coming back I am still game for.

Injection sites 1 and 2

Today I also had to get an echocardiogram.  So after the nurse discharged me from the Cancer Center, they took me over to the cardiology department in the south tower of the hospital.  Not the most pleasant procedure with the expander in my chest.  Since the expander is on the left, it is sitting right over my heart.  The technician has to press up into areas that are not very comfortable, the expander is hard and rigid so it was hard for them to find a good spot to get decent readings.  After about a half an hour I am done and get to go home.

My six hour day at the Cedars campus has me so wiped out, I don't even want to stop for a treat today.  I just want to get home and veg out.

Later that night, injection sites are swollen and the hives have popped up around each one.  I have also realized that I have forgotten once again to take my allergy medications.  Argh!!

Swelling and Hives

Mummy wrap

Today in physical therapy, I learned how to compression wrap my arm.  Being at stage one lymphedema, the goal is to stay at this stage.  Stage one means that my arm and hand swells up when I use  the arm, but with the use of compression therapy (sleeves, gauntlet, and wrapping) the swelling goes down.  Stage 2 means that the swelling does not go away, this I do not want.  So, I will be wrapping my arm each night that I have a busy activity day (surfing, softball, golf, etc. - basically everyday for me).

It starts with layer 1, Tricofix, a lightweight absorbent stockinette.  It is 100% cotton, highly absorbent and non-irritative for comfort.

Mummy Layer 1

Layer two consists of wrapping the fingers (boxer style) with Transelast Classic Bandages, a gauze bandage for compression wrapping.

Mummy Layer 2

Mummy Layer 2 Complete

 Layer three uses Artiflex, a multi-purpose padding.  It is to ensure even distribution of pressure in multilayered bandaging for lymphedema.

Mummy Layer 3

Mummy Layer 3 Complete

Layer four is Rosidal K bandage.  It is a little different than an ACE wrap.  This bandage is 100% cotton and is specifically designed to provide both compression and resistance to stretch which in turn helps the lymphatic system move fluid out of the swollen limb.

Mummy Layer 4

Mummy Layer 4 Complete

 Layer 5 is a second, slightly larger Rosidal K bandage.

Mummy Layer 5

Mummy Layer 5 Complete

It takes about 30 minutes to wrap my arm completely.  More Good Times!!  There is a chance that over time the lymphatic system in my arm will adapt to all my activities and be able to drain on its own.  But, until then I will have to do the wrapping and wear the sleeves and gauntlet.

Last Expansion

Today was the last day of the expansion process.  Woo hoo!!!

Even Southpaw got into the action as the doctor put the last 30ml of fluid into the expander.

Southpaw making sure all is good one last time.

Last bag of injection fluid!!

With the last expansion comes more decisions to make.  In a few weeks they will swap out the expander for a silicone implant.  At that time, they can also do some work on the other breast to make it symmetrical to the implant.  Or, they can wait six weeks when they do the nipple reconstruction and do it then.  There will be a little "settling" of the implant over the first few weeks, so I am inclined to wait the six weeks to do the symmetrical procedure on the right side.  I can also choose not to do nipple reconstruction as well.  Which would mean doing work on both breasts at the same time.

Scheduling of the surgery will also have to be with in a certain time frame as to not interfere with the drug trial I am doing with the oncologist.  There seems to be only a small window to get it done, so hopefully it will all work out.  The expander is at capacity and is very uncomfortable.  Looking forward to it being out of my chest as soon as possible.

To celebrate my last expansion, my favorite treat of all time, the milkshake.

Vanilla, mint chocolate chip

12 out of 13

Today we reached number 12 of the expansion run.  We were able to get only a mere 20ml in, but the doctor is optimistic that next week will be the last.  Woo hoo!!  The end of this sequence in the journey is almost over.  I'm a little sad, because coming here week after week I have grown fond of the staff at the Breast Center.  I am also happy to be one step closer to having my "normal" life back.  Albeit, not as normal as it was, but hopefully very close to it.

Today's treat:

Breakfast Burrito