Another yummy smoothie

Pre-op Abdominal CT Scan, time to drink another "smoothie".

Never get used to drinking this thing, good thing Southpaw doesn't have any taste buds.

Spawn of Hal

Every good production needs a sequel.

Treatment:  The Spawn of Hal

Opening montage of our heroine rebuilding her life over the past year and a half.  She is getting her strength back.  Enjoying life and all her favorite activities.  Back out on the softball field, basketball court, golf course, and in the water surfing and boarding.  Working full time again.  Life is good.  Doctor visits going well, blood work looking good, scans looking good.  But, the fight against cancer is never really over.  Nothing like a sprinkling of cancers cells in my female parts to be a giant buzz kill.

The fibroids.  Like many women, I had uterine fibroids for some time.  They are noncancerous growths of the uterus that often appear during childbearing years.  They showed up on scans that were done before my breast cancer surgery.  There were also several small polyps in my uterus as well.  The gynecologist did an endometrial biopsy at that time and the results were negative.  When my oncologist put me on the Tamoxifen, he said we would keep an eye on the fibroids as they have a tendency to grow in patients on this drug.  In April, the first sign came in the form of a little spotting of blood one day.  Keeping in mind, my body has been forced into a post-menopausal state after chemotherapy so any blood is not a good sign.  I had my regularly scheduled check-up in May with my oncologist.  I told him about the spotting and he said I needed to get a check-up with a gynecologist and it was time for another ultrasound to check on the fibroids.  A couple of days after my check up with my oncologist, the spotting came back and was pretty consistent for almost a week.  I made an appointment with the gynecologist.  She found a large cyst on my cervix (about 3.5cm) and sent it to pathology to be tested.  She also did another endometrial biopsy.  A couple of days later, she informed me that both the cyst and the biopsy tissues had cancer cells on them (the spawn of Hal).  A few days after that conversation, I met with oncology gynecologist.  We talked more about where the cancer cells were found.  They were on the outside of the cyst and the outside of the lining of the uterus.  She informed me that I would need a hysterectomy and since my cancer was hormone based she would also like to take the ovaries and fallopian tubes.  I told her that I didn’t want to have any more surgeries so it would be best to take everything this one time.  She will also need to harvest a few lymph nodes from the abdomen area to determine if the cancer cells have gone beyond the female region.  She assured me that it would only be a minimal amount of lymph nodes this time and I shouldn’t have the same effects as when they took them from my arm.  This is good to hear, it was a long road to get the lymphedema in my arm under control.  She will be doing a laparoscopic assisted vaginal hysterectomy.  If all goes well, I will spend one night in the hospital and be back to normal routines in a couple of weeks.  The recovery time to be back to all my activities will depend on how my body heals, anticipating about six weeks.

So now it is time to have as much fun before the surgery.  So off to the golf course and into the water I go.

Drug Trial Day - the end is near

It is the second to last round of shots for the drug trial.  Only one more to go after today.  Stopped by the vampire's lair first.  Today they only took nine tubes of blood, not too bad.

Southpaw and his dog checking out injection sites.

My leg is finally getting used to these injections.  The welts are not as big or itchy as they have been in the past.  It helps that they adjusted the dosage after last time.

Drug Trial Day Goes Awry

It is once again drug trial day.  First stop, as always, the vampire's lair.  Today they are taking a whopping twelve tubes of blood.  Really!!!  Southpaw and I do not approve.  And, I must not have had enough water this morning because it was taking forever to fill them all (over 15 minutes).  Blah!

After a quick chat with the doctor, it is time to prep for the shots.  A little Ativan and some Lidocaine cream on the thigh for me while the pharmacist mixes the injections.

Southpaw making sure the Lidocaine cream is working.

Now it's time again for the injections, four in the thigh.  Oh yeah!

Number 1 going in.

All four done and bandaged.  Now we wait.

So, after treatment there is an observation period for an hour.  Why?  Because you never know when this might happen:

Just a little bit of swelling.

Let the games begin.  The nurse came by to check on my leg.  She lifted the blanket and was taken aback by how large the welts were at the injection sites.  They were also very itchy and super sore.  She asked if this was normal.  I said no.  She went to get the research nurse.  A couple minutes later they both return. "Oh, that doesn't look good." The research nurse was a bit surprised by what she saw and went to get the doctor.  She returned a few minutes later with the Investigative Pharmacist (have no idea what that is).  They were both perplexed.  A couple minutes later the doctor arrived.  "Oh, my.  That's not good."  Mind you, I am already a bit loopy because of the Ativan so this is all very comical.  The doctor prescribes a dose of Benadryl intravenously.

     Doctor:  "You won't be able to drive."

     Me:  "She's my ride."  Pointing to my friend sitting in a chair near by.

     Friend:  "I'm only drunk."

     Doctor:  "That's okay, you are still going to be better off than her."

Good times at the cancer center.

A few minutes later, after a couple of tries, the IV is in place (it gets to come home with me tonight because I have my yearly scans tomorrow) and Ethel is back by my side.

Hello, Ethel.  It's been awhile.

After about an hour, all is good and I am finally discharged.  My leg is still swollen, but I have been reassured that the swelling will start to go down this evening.

Never a dull moment on this journey.  Now it's time to eat.

Aussie meat pie on mashed potatoes with gravy.

A well deserved treat today.

Quick look

A quick trip to Cedars for a nurse's visit.  The research nurse wanted to check out the injection sites on my leg.  It did not have the crazy reaction that past drug trial treatments have shown.  She thinks that my immune system is getting back on line, thus I am not having drastic adverse reactions to the injections anymore.  This is good to hear!

Drug Trial Day - Month 12

Time for my twelve month follow up and next round of injections.

As always, first stop the vampire's lair.  Today we set a new record as the vampire sucks out twelve vials of blood.  It takes a while to suck out twelve vials of blood.  I'm going to say twelve minutes at least, but I think it was more like fifteen.  And, since they were taking so much blood this time the vampire informed me that she needed to use a bigger needle.  Oh yay!!! Blah!!!  The vampires do their best to keep the mood light as it seems like it is taking forever to fill all the vials.  They are quite the jovial bunch of blood suckers.  We had some laughs and finally I was done and on my way.

Next stop is the doctor's visit.  First we discuss the results of all my tests from last week.  Everything looks good, except they did not do the ultra sound on my pelvis to check on the fibroids so they will schedule one for me.  Blah, definitely not a favorite test.  He would also like me to schedule an appointment with my breast cancer surgeon to go over my mammogram results.  He said that I should be seeing her after each of my mammograms (every six months).  Then we discuss how I have been feeling lately.  My biggest complaint is that I seem to feel nauseous more often these days.  Other than trying to eat much healthier, there does not seem to be anything in my diet that would be causing it.  He thinks my body is beginning to produce hormones again.  At my last visit, my estrogen levels were still very low and the tamoxifen will block any estrogen my body tries to produce, however, the ovaries are still trying to do their job and are likely producing other hormones that my body is trying to adapt to.  Other than that, all the same fun symptoms seem to be hanging around; fatigue, hot flashes, memory loss.  On the plus side of side effects, my body seems to have adapted to allow me to eat berries again.  I have been slowly testing the waters this last week.  So far blueberries and cranberries have made it through without any hives.  Yay!  We shall continue albeit slowly with the berries.

Side note:  the research nurse had to do this huge report (looked like 50 pages) for my file from my little  over night stay in the hospital when they thought I had a blood clot.  I felt a little bad and told her that it was not my intention to stay overnight and have them run all those tests.  We agreed it would be best if that did not happen again, I for one am on board with that plan.

Now it is time to head over to the short-term treatment area to be tortured by the cobra.  I put the first round of lidocaine on my leg in the doctor's office to give it time to set in.  Plus, took the Ativan after I finished at the vampire's lair.  I should be nice and ready for these injections.  There is still some time while they prepare the injections, so Southpaw and I ready ourselves.

Tried to get the cobra to give Southpaw some of my injections.

Southpaw checking the needles. 

Let the games begin:

First injection goes in, no problem.  Hardly felt it.

Number two is not too bad either.

Not happy about number three.

Three does not go in very nicely.  I'd give it a six on the ole scale.

Fourth injection, the worst of them all.

I'm not sure if it is the placement or what, but the fourth one goes in with a big bang.  I even flinched a little and when it was done it still felt like the needle was in.  Now we hangout for an hour to make sure I don't have any adverse reaction.  Southpaw and I finish watching our movie and then the cobra comes back to bandage me up before I go home.

Southpaw checking out the cobra's bandaging technique.

The cobra gives the okay and I am discharged.  Off to lunch and get today's treat.

Today felt like a two treat day so we got both.

Marathon Scan Day

Time for my annual scans, twelve months post chemotherapy.  It is going to be a long day at the Cedar's Campus.  Arrival time: 8am.

First stop is the new Heart Institute Pavillion for yet another echocardiogram and ekg.  The technician remembers me from July.  I get through this test without any problem.  The ekg technician comes in afterwards and takes care of this test rather quickly.  Now I have some time to kill before my next appointment.  I go in search of food.  For my next round of scans I cannot eat or drink anything after 10:30am and will not be able to eat again until about 5pm.  I find myself a nice breakfast; eggs, chicken sausage, potatoes, and toast.  Good to go.

Next stop, Imaging Center.  First up is the injection for bone scan, she also puts in an IV port for the afternoon procedures.  This one goes in so much more nicely than the last time.  It probably helps that I have also had a couple of Ativan.

Southpaw thinks she did a nice job.

This takes only a few minutes and I am off to the CT scan area to drink the "smoothie".

Southpaw shares smoothie.

After we drink up it is off to the mammogram area.  I only have to have my right side done, so I am anticipating no real problems.  I get three images done and then wait for the doctor to look at them.  He wants to see some more images, so the technician does four more images.  So, that is a total of seven boob squishing pictures.  They want me to wait again for the doctor to look at these images.  I inform them that I need to go to my CT scan appointment.  They let me go, but I have to come back to them when I am finished with all of my other scans.  I get to the CT area and they make me drink a baby "smoothie" because too much time has passed.

Banana, not so bad.

I make it through the CT scanning without any issues.  Now it is over to the bone scan area again.  The technician is ready and waiting for me.  She gets me all secured into the machine, they strap you in nice and snug to keep you still.  And off we go.  This room is dark and cool.  The scan takes about thirty minutes.  I am exhausted by this time.  I fell asleep about five minutes into it.  A nice little cat nap.  I wake up when the technician comes back into the room at the end of the scan.  All went well, so off I go back to the mammogram area.  The nurse informs me that the doctor would like to have an ultra sound done.  So down the hall we go to the ultra sound room.  This test takes about twenty minutes and then I have to wait for the doctor to look at the images.

Southpaw the Ultra Sound Tech

The ultra sound looks fine and they schedule me for another mammogram in six months.  My day is now complete, nine and a half hours later.  No treat today, I just want to go home and go to sleep.