Scans are clear......cardiac tests show minimal damage to my girl's heart, so treatment can continue.....whew!
Now scans every 3 months to check for re-occurrence and an echo on her heat every 8 weeks to check for damage to her heart from the meds...
...and we continue chemo every 2 weeks via IV (Herceptin & pre-meds).
Showing posts with label her2nue pos. Show all posts
Showing posts with label her2nue pos. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Monday, October 31, 2011
The Good and the Scary...and the "Who me?!?"
The Good: T's Scans still look clear....no sign of a re-occurrence. (She has scans every 3-4 months for the rest of her life now)....WHEW! So Happy about this....I've been having mini freak-outs for weeks.
The Scary: Did you know that Herceptin CAN damage your heart?
We didn't either....no one ever told us that.
Now that T is almost done with her 52 weeks of Herceptin treatment, our new oncologist tells us she's surprised we haven't re-checked T's heart since August of LAST year.
So heart tests are scheduled.
1. If there is no damage, she will continue on Herceptin maintenance (a lower dose) every 2 weeks for the next 5 years (THIS IS THE BEST WE CAN HOPE FOR)
2. If there is damage (LET's HOPE THIS IS NOT THE CASE), we have to stop all treatment after the 52 weeks are up in a little less then a month, because...
THIS is the drug that works on her type of cancer. If your "HER2NUE +", meaning that this is the receptor that the cancer cells attach too, then herceptin is your drug, because it turns off that receptor. However once your heart is too damaged, you can never use this drug (the one that works best) again. So better to stop now. That way IF there is ever a re-occurrence, it is still an option that we know works.
Make sense?
WHO ME?!?!
After meeting with the new oncologist and getting all the info. above, I ran into the old oncologist packing up her office and stopped to chat. I am quite fond of her. She saved T's life.
She took one look at me and pulled me inside her office and told me to see a doctor. Who me?!?!, I said. Then she started asking me how much weight I have lost and telling me how exhausted I look. I was a bit taken back because I've been so concerned with T's health that I don't give mine much mind.....especially since I still have no insurance, until I'm eligible (which should be before the New Year sometime).
Truth is I have lost a LOT of weight in a very short span of time, but to be honest, I just have not been that hungry.....and I've never looked better in my eyes.....LOL.
I know stress & worry has played a major role. I've been having mini panic attacks and also I know, I have a leaky mitral valve in my heart......so basically, when I have a panic attack, my chest hurts like I'm having a heart attack. Now that I know what it is though, I don't freak out. I know it's a panic attack, and I wait it out.
Anywho, the doctor finally let me go after I promised to see a doctor as soon as I have medical insurance. I could tell that she wished I would just go now, but I do not have that kind of money and I'm sure they are going to want to repeat all those crazy expensive heart tests. Sooooo, since I haven't won the lottery this week, I think I'll wait.....hummmm....Do I look that bad?
The Scary: Did you know that Herceptin CAN damage your heart?
We didn't either....no one ever told us that.
Now that T is almost done with her 52 weeks of Herceptin treatment, our new oncologist tells us she's surprised we haven't re-checked T's heart since August of LAST year.
So heart tests are scheduled.
1. If there is no damage, she will continue on Herceptin maintenance (a lower dose) every 2 weeks for the next 5 years (THIS IS THE BEST WE CAN HOPE FOR)
2. If there is damage (LET's HOPE THIS IS NOT THE CASE), we have to stop all treatment after the 52 weeks are up in a little less then a month, because...
THIS is the drug that works on her type of cancer. If your "HER2NUE +", meaning that this is the receptor that the cancer cells attach too, then herceptin is your drug, because it turns off that receptor. However once your heart is too damaged, you can never use this drug (the one that works best) again. So better to stop now. That way IF there is ever a re-occurrence, it is still an option that we know works.
Make sense?
WHO ME?!?!
After meeting with the new oncologist and getting all the info. above, I ran into the old oncologist packing up her office and stopped to chat. I am quite fond of her. She saved T's life.
She took one look at me and pulled me inside her office and told me to see a doctor. Who me?!?!, I said. Then she started asking me how much weight I have lost and telling me how exhausted I look. I was a bit taken back because I've been so concerned with T's health that I don't give mine much mind.....especially since I still have no insurance, until I'm eligible (which should be before the New Year sometime).
Truth is I have lost a LOT of weight in a very short span of time, but to be honest, I just have not been that hungry.....and I've never looked better in my eyes.....LOL.
I know stress & worry has played a major role. I've been having mini panic attacks and also I know, I have a leaky mitral valve in my heart......so basically, when I have a panic attack, my chest hurts like I'm having a heart attack. Now that I know what it is though, I don't freak out. I know it's a panic attack, and I wait it out.
Anywho, the doctor finally let me go after I promised to see a doctor as soon as I have medical insurance. I could tell that she wished I would just go now, but I do not have that kind of money and I'm sure they are going to want to repeat all those crazy expensive heart tests. Sooooo, since I haven't won the lottery this week, I think I'll wait.....hummmm....Do I look that bad?
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Our Oncologist is leaving...sigh
OK, I'm just going to jump right in with a Cancer Update.
Well November is fast approaching, when T's heceptin IVs were supposed to end. The doctor was consulting specialist about what pill to give her for the next 5 years as the one most people end up taking (Tamoxafen) only works on women who are estrogen positive, which T is not. Meaning that for those people, the cancer cells attach to the estrogen receptor and the Tamoxofen turns that receptor off.
T is her2neu positive, and there is no pill for that, that can be given without chemo medicine at the same time......sooooo, for the next 5 YEARS we have to go to continue to go to the oncologist every other week for about 4 to 5 hours for premeds (Steroids) and herceptin via IV.
THE BAD NEWS: T's oncologist told us that because her husband can't find work in CT, she is moving out of the state. She saved T's life and now she's leaving and we have to trust a different doctor to continue her care......we both burst into tears. She hugged us both and told T she loved her and would continue to monitor her case, which took some of the sting out of it, but still! THIS SUCKS SO MUCH!!!!
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Sorry I haven't done one of these updates in awhile.....life's been hectic to say the least. Tina's working again, I'm working again. We hardly see each other Monday through Thursday as she works 1:pm to 7:pm and I work 4:pm to midnight. We have a new puppy, Apollo, who I swear is possessed at times and adorable.
Loving my new job at least....technically, I'm a temp., but I should get a perm position as soon as they have a budget for us as we are a new department in the hospital. I don't mind the drive to New Haven either....oddly the ride decompresses me.
Glad to be back at work....my bank account run-eth dry as a bone....LOL....time to replenish the savings I used up this past year.
Well November is fast approaching, when T's heceptin IVs were supposed to end. The doctor was consulting specialist about what pill to give her for the next 5 years as the one most people end up taking (Tamoxafen) only works on women who are estrogen positive, which T is not. Meaning that for those people, the cancer cells attach to the estrogen receptor and the Tamoxofen turns that receptor off.
T is her2neu positive, and there is no pill for that, that can be given without chemo medicine at the same time......sooooo, for the next 5 YEARS we have to go to continue to go to the oncologist every other week for about 4 to 5 hours for premeds (Steroids) and herceptin via IV.
THE BAD NEWS: T's oncologist told us that because her husband can't find work in CT, she is moving out of the state. She saved T's life and now she's leaving and we have to trust a different doctor to continue her care......we both burst into tears. She hugged us both and told T she loved her and would continue to monitor her case, which took some of the sting out of it, but still! THIS SUCKS SO MUCH!!!!
------------------------------
Sorry I haven't done one of these updates in awhile.....life's been hectic to say the least. Tina's working again, I'm working again. We hardly see each other Monday through Thursday as she works 1:pm to 7:pm and I work 4:pm to midnight. We have a new puppy, Apollo, who I swear is possessed at times and adorable.
Loving my new job at least....technically, I'm a temp., but I should get a perm position as soon as they have a budget for us as we are a new department in the hospital. I don't mind the drive to New Haven either....oddly the ride decompresses me.
Glad to be back at work....my bank account run-eth dry as a bone....LOL....time to replenish the savings I used up this past year.
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