Tag Archives: breast cancer

Health Issues

Radiation planning March 7 2010

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Today I went to the Fraser Valley Cancer Clinic (FVCC) and I saw the gals in radiology who did some Scans and marking of the breast area that is to be hit with radiation. I think the procedure was an hour or so. The first thing was I watched a video of what would happen, and that took about 15 min to watch. Then I had to get in a gown and get on the table of the machine, and they put me in a certain position.. the same position I have to be in for each radiation treatment. They did a mold of my body shape and how I had my arms over my head, and they did an exact mold so each time I use that to “assume the position”.  Then after they did many different scans in different directions, took pictures with the camera’s… I was then injected with some dye, just a pinprick x 3 so they marked the boundaries of where I would be zapped. Tattooed x 3, it is a small dot.

I have to now wait for the “planning” part of it to be done.. where the radiology gals and the DR decide on the strength of zapping, and the length of each treatment. I know I have to do mon-fri x 5 weeks. The specialist told me that, but I still don’t know  the start date for that.

I have to go for a bone scan tomorrow, and a liver ultrasound ?? no date yet. I imagine they are just looking to see if the cancer might have spread. I’m not sure. Maybe they are looking at baselines before the radiation happens.

I also got a call from Surrey Memorial Hospital  Rehab. I need to go on the 9th for physio. They see breast surgery patients 1 month post to assess how they are doing, and measure post op to assess for lymphedema.

I see my family Dr on Thursday. I still have to do fasting blood work but it’s been to nuts with having to travel to Calgary the day after I saw my Dr, and now having appointments or tests each day. I’m just tired of all of the running.

I got sick when I went to Calgary. Mum had a wicked sore throat, and coughing ++ and I managed to get it (no surprise there). Anyways I’m now in the midst of a sore throat and hacking ++, fever. I tried to get in to see my family Dr tomorrow but she’s already double booked so it was a no go. I feel a bit better today, not coughing up as much gunk so that’s good. 🙂

That is all of my news thus far. I’ve been taking the letrozole, and I do think I am feeling some extra joint pain, more sweats (yahoo!) and definately noticing more PACs.  The pharmacy was closed while I was there at cancer clinic today, but I will ask them about the side effects of letrozole. I imagine, even though I am post menopausal, that the letrozole is driving my estrogen levels down further, thereby increasing my menopausal side effects. That’s my theory anyways and I’m going with it until I hear differently. heheh

…Pam…

Health Issues

Surgeon's update

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We got good news at the surgeons. I have a copy of the pathology report from the remaining lymph nodes (she took out 6 more on Feb 1st). It shows there is no further cancer in remaining 6 nodes they took out. I told Dr Janzen  about the numbness and the nerve pain I was having. She said costal nerve was not cut so thinks it will improve when swelling healing happens.. says nerves get manipulated etc, so hopefully it will improve, it’s numb in parts and hypersensitive in others. She said she felt the incisions were healing well.

I saw family Dr today and I go back and see her again on 22nd, to see if I feel ok enough to go back to work. Told her right now I’m not, that nerve pain and extensive numbness etc was gross right now… plus my neck C6-7 pain has been exacerbated (not as severe as before, but it’s not right either, and is causing me some bother).  So I’ll hear from and see cancer clinic  hopefully in the next couple weeks.  I am feeling good that there was no remaining cancer, but still could be cells in breast along track where biopsy was… so hopefully the radiation will blast any remaining cells.

The worst part right now is this unrelenting pain and numbness that is there all the time. I wasn’t expecting any nerve pain. I had read that there might be numbness,  but this pain is weird. I want it to fade away with the swelling and I hope that it does.

So the short version is, I think I got good news today. I still have to see Cancer clinic and talk to them, and I know I will need 4-6 weeks of radiation, but what I don’t know, is if I will also need chemo along with the tamoxifin or other hormone receptive med I will be put on. Both of my drs told me they think I will also need to have chemo as the cancer spread to a lymph node…  but I will talk to the cancer clinic. This is their specialty and it’s a new road I’m on, so i’ll listen carefully to all options ahead.

I’m resting up for the next hoop to jump through to get me through this. I thank everyone who’s emailed me and or called/visited. It’s swell to have friends and feel supported.

…Pam…

Health Issues

Breast Cancer post op – update

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Had my surgery, and am doing alright. Typing with left hand isn’t easy, so M’s been doing most of the blog posts etc. I heard from Surgeon’s office today. I am to see her on Jan 20th for the pathology/staging/follow up visit.  I am hoping that everything has been caught in time and that it hasn’t spread to the lymph, but need to wait to find out.

At this point I am still hopeful. I feel like it’s been caught pretty quick (8x7x6mm) and saw Surgeon quickly (dec 23rd) and had surgery in a timely manner  Jan 11th .. had the sentinel node biopsy done.. so I believe we’ve done all we can do at this point.

I’ve emptied the davol once this AM and will empty it again. I think once my 24 hr total is less than 24 cc’s it can come out…  that’s what Dr told me before surgery anyways. 🙂

I have spent today pretty much being catered to. M’s been wonderful bringing me everything I need. He’s a great nurse. 🙂 Better than me, I think. 🙂 I’ve been in recliner since I got up, and nodding off and on all day. I’m keeping myself pretty drugged up today, and am taking a tyl # 3 every 3 hrs. Pain scale is about 1-2 when not moving, when sitting in recliner with right arm propped up. Pain level is 4-5 when I try to move. It is manageable. I think it will feel alot better once the drain comes out.. maybe a couple more days. Have not heard from the homecare nurse. I have their # . i’ll continue to drain my own davol twice a day, and when drainage is less and drain ready to come out, I’ll give them a call.

Thank you to everyone who has emailed me, phoned, or replied on the blog. I appreciate the support and friendship. 🙂

…Pam…

Health Issues

Surgery Update

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It’s not official yet, because they are still waiting for a “fine wire” time in radiology department, but nuclear medicine called this AM (Monday Jan 10th) at 0830 and told me that I was to be at Nuc med appointment for 0745… tomorrow morning. (They do these fine wire things on Tuesdays only. )

I then called Surgeon’s office as I had not heard from them Friday as to OR date, and receptionist told me that she had the OR time, but she wasn’t going to tell me it until she gets the “fine Wire” time from radiology as they need to do that bit before the surgery….

So right now it’s on hold until she hears from radiology and she said she’s going to call them around noon to see what’s up. I expect to hear from her after she speaks from them.

I said, so you are saying I have an OR time, but we can’t confirm that it’s a go for tomorrow because of radiology –not having a fine wire time booked?

She said yes that’s right, but that Dr J will have a hairy if they can’t get me in. I told her I would have a hairy too.

SO… it’s very much looking like it’s going to happen tomorrow, just need this last piece of the 3 prong puzzle to be fitted in.

Nuclear medicine = booked 0745

Fine wire Radiology = no time given yet, apparently it all hinges on this.

OR time = booked  (but I don’t know exact time yet, she didn’t want to give me yet until she gets Fine wire.)

I will post an update as soon as I know anything.

…Pam…

Health Issues

Next Dr appt – Dec 30th

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I called the surgeon’s office, to see if they had a date set yet for my surgery, and Linda said no, that the Dr had to book it. So it’s more waiting. She said they don’t do a lot during the Christmas holidays so I’m thinking it will be Jan 4th or 11th, at least I hope it’s that quick. I don’t like the idea of this thing being in me longer than it has to be, and I want it out.

I dropped off the pre op sheet to my family Dr’s and was told I need her to do an assessment on me and send that to the hospital, so I am going to see Family Dr on Thursday Dec 30th (in 2 days) and get that done. So things are progressing, just not as fast as I would like.

A natural tendency is to wonder if the thing is growing and invading the lymph nodes while I wait for surgery. I’m really working hard to curb my thoughts from going down that road, and instead I am trying to focus on staying calm, relaxed and am sending healing thoughts to the area, telling my body to wall it in  and not let is spread further! Who knows if imaging like that works, I believe it does, and so will continue to try it.

I’ll post more when I know more.

…Pam…

Health Issues

Breast Cancer diagnosis

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Well, I was handed an early lump of coal this year, in the form of a breast cancer diagnosis (right breast) . I am going to put in some posts as things/treatment progress, in hopes that if someone else is out there, feeling alone, feeling overwhelmed.. that you know you are not alone. Yes, this is a road we have to walk alone, but we can walk with company, in the forms of friends and family, your health care team, and internet friends, support groups.  My husband Maurice has been super, he’s driven me to every scan, xray, mammogram, Dr’s visit. He’s been my rock, and I hope that everyone going through this has someone like him, that they can lean on. He gives me strength. My friend Maggie came with me for a gyne surgery I had to have, and has also been there. Other friends have reached out to me now that I’ve gotten this diagnosis and it really warms my heart. 🙂

Well this has all happened quickly. I went for my yearly mammogram, and I’d put it off for a few months, getting my reminder letters in the mail. I’ve had other issues I’ve been dealing with lately and thought, what the heck, may as well get this done as I’ve been going to ultrasounds, Drs etc.. so booked my mammogram, which I had mid December 2010

About me: 53, female,  never had kids, early menarche (10yrs old) , never breastfed, obesity, post menopausal – those are the things that have put me higher risk for the breast cancer..

I got a call from Surrey Memorial Hospital Radiology department, letting me know I had been booked for a more focused mammogram, with an Ultrasound (and I figured maybe a biopsy) Dec 15th. So, on the 15th, I took some pain meds in case they did do the biopsy. They did the mammo, and the tech said they always wanted to do an Ultrasound. I could see the “highly suspicious mass” in question on the ultrasound screen and it looked and felt ‘wrong”… like it did not belong, and wasn’t healthy looking. It was not big — only  8x7x6 mm and it had some spiky (spiculated) edges so looked like a little minesweeper, like in the game. It looked black and dense. It was a bomb alright.  It is 8 cm from nipple in right upper outer quadrant (the most common spot for breast cancer) at about the 10 o’clock position.

The tech went and spoke to the Radiologist, who advised her that he wanted to biopsy it, based on what was seen on the mammogram/Ultrasound.  He came in and we talked. I asked him What were the risks of malignant seeding by doing the biopsy?  What I wondered was, in plain English, would the act of doing the biopsy, of sticking a needle in the mass and then pulling it out through healthy tissue, cause cells to be deposited along the tract thereby spreading it?  He said that in some cancers, it has found to be the case, but not with breast cancers. My surgeon told me the same thing when I saw her.

So the breast biopsy was no big deal. He told me that he was going to put a nick in the side of my breast, and use that area to insert the needle and use the ultrasound to guide the needle to the mass. I did not feel the needle even go in, and it did not hurt at all. I know others have found it uncomfortable, but I can’t say that I did at all. He showed me the “gun” they use to probe the mass and collect a sample… it’s like a smaller needle that shoots out from the main needle, grabs the biopsy sample and then pulls it back into the needle. It was cool to watch.  The radiologist showed me the “gun” they use and warned that when he pulls it, people tend to flinch, mostly because fo the noise it makes. I told him that I would not, that I was relaxed and that that I wouldn’t move. And I didn’t. He told me that he has never seen anyone sail through it, that most people just can sit for 1-2 samples… and often it’s not enough of a sample, so they end up having to come back to have it done again. He took 5 samples from me, 2 of which he called “slam dunks!” and showed me, we watched the needle shoot out into the center of the mass. Fun stuff. 🙂 I told him he could keep going and take it out sliver by sliver if he wanted to lol lol . He told me I go on record as being THE calmest person he has ever seen have a breast biopsy. A badge of honour of sorts 🙂

Then it was a hurry up and wait. I had an appointment to see my family Dr on Dec 21st, as she knew I was having the mammo, and a pelvic US done (unrelated to the CA) and wanted to discuss my results. Did I mention that my family Dr is Fabulous? Her name is Dr Louise Low and she works out of Surrey BC. She is just awesome and always answers my questions, listens to my suggestions or concerns.

I saw her on Dec 21st and got the news. She had my path report and it shows “invasive adenocarcinoma”.  I was expecting it. It was not big enough that I could feel it (it’s a bit bigger than a pea) but because of having alot of cysts in my breasts, it makes it hard to feel new lumps.  Anyways she told me that she had gotten a recommendation from radiologist and would send me to Dr Janzen, a surgeon in Surrey BC , who specializes in Breast issues. I got in to see her Dec 23rd, so that tells you something when you can get in to see a surgeon in 2 days. Can’t be a good thing in that you know it’s serious, but it was a good thing, in that things are moving fast. I like that. I like that a lot.

I met with the surgeon on Dec 23rd. We discussed the options that are open to me. So my choices were basically a lumpectomy/sentinel lymph node biopsy/radiation   or  a mastectomy (which they can reconstruct the breast at the same time, but it might take longer to get in, as they would need to coordinate with plastic surgeon..)  After doing the breast exam on me, she confirmed that there was no way that I would have been able to feel it on a manual exam. That made me feel better. The surgeon gave me a packet of information that breast cancer patients get. Included in it is a book that is about 1.5 inches thick, and it’s about breast cancer and gives a lot of info to allow you to make the best decision for you. I have read the book. Being a nurse I knew a fair bit of it, but it was still well written and informative. I did learn some things 🙂 <– always a good thing.

My decision was to do the lumpectomy/sentinel node biopsy/radiation. The earliest I can get that is early January sometime. I don’t have a date yet for it.

Surgery: well I know I will be able to come home the same day, that I’ll have a drain in my armpit to drain fluids and that I’ll have a home care nurse coming to see me at home. I will have radiation but I don’t know when that will start or for how long I have to have it. I do know it’s daily once it starts.

Work has been great, very supportive. I am a nurse and have been x 30 years. I am lucky to have such a supportive place to work in, and my co workers and friends have been really great. 🙂

It’s not the Christmas gift I would have wanted. In the grand scheme of things though, I feel like it is a gift that it’s been caught early so that gives  me hope. It’s still small (as of last week), and yes it is infiltrating, but hopefully it has not spread to lymph yet. fingers crossed.

If you are reading this post and you’ve never met me, or don’t know me, then I welcome you to our blog and hope that by my posting what is happening to me as it happens, will help others to know what to expect, or how things happen, in what order etc. Please feel free to add comments if you want or if you have questions, I might be able to answer.

As for emotions I’m feeling. I am doing ok. I can’t worry about what if, etc, as I don’t have the facts. I will know more when the cancer is removed and tested and staged. Until then I don’t know really to what extent this cancer has spread, and I’m not going to waste any precious energy worrying about what I have no control over. Those of you who do know me, know this is how I have lived my life, and so I’ll continue to do that now. 🙂 I will do that, and I will fight!  And as my sister Cathy says ” we will get through this.”. And so we will. 🙂

Right now Dec 26th: I’m optimistic and hopeful and feeling very supported by my husband, family and friends and the medical community.