I met with the genetic counselor yesterday for the results of the genetic testing and the results were just what I wanted to hear! My results were negative, which means my breast cancer is not hereditary, it is environmental. This is great news for my kids and all my blood relitives!!
I will be looking for healthier options for what goes in or on my body along with any thing I clean with and use on my yard and garden.
My side effects are pretty much the same as the last chemo treatment, puffy knees, food and water doesn't taste right, and I get tired pretty quickly. Thank goodness for a job where I can take nap in the afternoon! I only have about 10 days left of these side effects then onto eating better and exercising more! I can't wait to get back to it!
Friday, December 9, 2011
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Writing from my last "Heavy Duty" chemo infusion.......
Well here I am today writing during my last heavy dose of chemo. I will still be getting the Herceptin infusion every 3 weeks until the end of July but that is a piece of cake compared to the full treatment. I will not have the bad taste, hair loss, puffiness, redness in my face or any other side effects I have mentioned, and it should only take about an hour instead of 4-5 hrs, yea!!!
I can't wait until I can start eating better and exercising more. With food not tasting well I tend to eat whatever appeals to me which has been ALOT of carbs.
I will be getting radiation also, 5 days a week for 6 weeks. I don't know exactly when that will be starting until I see the Dr. On January 5th.
I did get some of the Christmas shopping done but I have kids and a husband to help with that, then they can get my gift while they are out. I am also almost finished baking, two more treats left to bake, maybe it will be better to bake when it doesn't taste good less eating while baking (however they are mostly carbs). The decorating is done, I think I put out every decoration I have for Christmas. I must be making up for Halloween (I only put out 4 of 12 totes that I have) and Thanksgiving ( didn't decorate at all, unless you count the fall colored M&M's).
Today is going well. It seems to be going a little quicker than the last 5 treatments. Maybe my reward for finishing the treatments is getting done a little early.
I cannot believe how fast this seems to have gone. It doesn't seem like 5 months ago that I was diagnosed. I know I still have other treatments to go through but what I have heard from people that have gone through this process, both friends and strangers, I am just finishing the most intense part. I realize that each experience is different but it is nice to hear from those that have gone through it.
We will still be posting through all of my treatments but it may be farther between each post, just because the treatments may get monotonous. I will be posting the results of my genetic testing once I contact my family to let them know what I find out.
I can't wait until I can start eating better and exercising more. With food not tasting well I tend to eat whatever appeals to me which has been ALOT of carbs.
I will be getting radiation also, 5 days a week for 6 weeks. I don't know exactly when that will be starting until I see the Dr. On January 5th.
I did get some of the Christmas shopping done but I have kids and a husband to help with that, then they can get my gift while they are out. I am also almost finished baking, two more treats left to bake, maybe it will be better to bake when it doesn't taste good less eating while baking (however they are mostly carbs). The decorating is done, I think I put out every decoration I have for Christmas. I must be making up for Halloween (I only put out 4 of 12 totes that I have) and Thanksgiving ( didn't decorate at all, unless you count the fall colored M&M's).
Today is going well. It seems to be going a little quicker than the last 5 treatments. Maybe my reward for finishing the treatments is getting done a little early.
I cannot believe how fast this seems to have gone. It doesn't seem like 5 months ago that I was diagnosed. I know I still have other treatments to go through but what I have heard from people that have gone through this process, both friends and strangers, I am just finishing the most intense part. I realize that each experience is different but it is nice to hear from those that have gone through it.
We will still be posting through all of my treatments but it may be farther between each post, just because the treatments may get monotonous. I will be posting the results of my genetic testing once I contact my family to let them know what I find out.
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Speaking of Viruses and Colds
Last week at work, there were two co-workers who didn't miss a day but both obviously had a cold. Their claim was that since they had been sick for a few days they were no longer contagious. The rest of us thought they shouldn't be there. I sneezed a few times last week. I'm hoping I don't wake up tomorrow morning with a cold. Grrr... As a result, this is one of my more uninspired posts so feel free to skip it if you are bored.
There are things in common between a cold and cancer. There isn't a cure for either. There are also risk factors for a cold as there are for cancer. We do try to minimize The family's risk factors. We eat a lot of fruit and vegetables, exercise, take vitamins. (That sounds like the same as for cancer.)
Colds don't necessarily do you in but they do make you feel like crap for a few days. And we have a lot going on with the holidays right around the corner and with Denise's condition we have to be diligent about catching anything.
I saw a news article recently about how to avoid getting sick - but now as I am ready to write about it I cant find it anywhere. They included things like avoiding sick people, washing your hands regularly, etc. I did just look up the difference between a cold and a virus/flu. Basically a cold is centered in your nose and a virus/flu makes you feel bad all over.
Hey, It's the holidays....let feel good about things. Denise's last major chemo trip tomorrow!
There are things in common between a cold and cancer. There isn't a cure for either. There are also risk factors for a cold as there are for cancer. We do try to minimize The family's risk factors. We eat a lot of fruit and vegetables, exercise, take vitamins. (That sounds like the same as for cancer.)
Colds don't necessarily do you in but they do make you feel like crap for a few days. And we have a lot going on with the holidays right around the corner and with Denise's condition we have to be diligent about catching anything.
I saw a news article recently about how to avoid getting sick - but now as I am ready to write about it I cant find it anywhere. They included things like avoiding sick people, washing your hands regularly, etc. I did just look up the difference between a cold and a virus/flu. Basically a cold is centered in your nose and a virus/flu makes you feel bad all over.
Hey, It's the holidays....let feel good about things. Denise's last major chemo trip tomorrow!
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Wee Bit of Good News.
I find this very cool. A little research lab in Pennsylvania thought they had a broken incubator but may have stumbled on a significant breakthrough in a cure for cancer. As I am not technical and did not sleep well last night and have not had enough caffeine (not that I drink coffee any more and more only inhale the aroma) I will attempt my explanation:
There is a very simple virus that was being tested on cervical cancer cells which is believed to be caused by the Human Papilloma Virus. Someone left the virus cells in an incubator with the cancer cells and then went back and the cancer cells were liquified. They thought the incubator was broken but then could repeat this phenomenon and with other kinds of cancer cells. Now is that cool or what? Making cancer cells liquify and go away. Sign me up baby! I'm there.
BUT... Of course there is a big fat BUT here (not a big fat BUTT which is an entirely different thing). It has to finish being tested and going through trials. Which can take a couple of billion (yes with a B) dollars and 10-12 years. The article gives a very good and clear summary of what it takes to get a breakthrough from a lab to an authorized treatment:
Steps to FDA approval
It’s a long, long road from the laboratory to the bedside, governed by the Food and Drug Administration. The vast majority of all drugs and therapies developed don’t make it. The American Cancer Society estimates it takes about 10 to 12 years to fully develop a drug or therapy from the laboratory to bedside use.
1. Preclinical (animal) testing. This is where Dr. Meyers team is in the process.
2. Phase 1 studies (typically involve 20 to 80 people).
3. Phase 2 studies (typically involve a few dozen to about 300 people).
4. Phase 3 studies (typically involve several hundred to about 3,000 people).
5. Submission of a new drug application is the formal step asking the FDA to consider a drug for marketing approval.
6. After an application is received, the FDA has to decide whether to file it so it can be reviewed.
7. Review of the application resulting in application approval or the issue of a response letter.
Source: Federal Food and Drug Administration"
So while this a very cool breakthrough and it looks very promising, we can expect to see it maybe in 2021 or so. However it has started my day off with a bit of cheery optimism in the middle of a week. In the meantime, I am cheering on this little virus.
There is a very simple virus that was being tested on cervical cancer cells which is believed to be caused by the Human Papilloma Virus. Someone left the virus cells in an incubator with the cancer cells and then went back and the cancer cells were liquified. They thought the incubator was broken but then could repeat this phenomenon and with other kinds of cancer cells. Now is that cool or what? Making cancer cells liquify and go away. Sign me up baby! I'm there.
BUT... Of course there is a big fat BUT here (not a big fat BUTT which is an entirely different thing). It has to finish being tested and going through trials. Which can take a couple of billion (yes with a B) dollars and 10-12 years. The article gives a very good and clear summary of what it takes to get a breakthrough from a lab to an authorized treatment:
Steps to FDA approval
It’s a long, long road from the laboratory to the bedside, governed by the Food and Drug Administration. The vast majority of all drugs and therapies developed don’t make it. The American Cancer Society estimates it takes about 10 to 12 years to fully develop a drug or therapy from the laboratory to bedside use.
1. Preclinical (animal) testing. This is where Dr. Meyers team is in the process.
2. Phase 1 studies (typically involve 20 to 80 people).
3. Phase 2 studies (typically involve a few dozen to about 300 people).
4. Phase 3 studies (typically involve several hundred to about 3,000 people).
5. Submission of a new drug application is the formal step asking the FDA to consider a drug for marketing approval.
6. After an application is received, the FDA has to decide whether to file it so it can be reviewed.
7. Review of the application resulting in application approval or the issue of a response letter.
Source: Federal Food and Drug Administration"
So while this a very cool breakthrough and it looks very promising, we can expect to see it maybe in 2021 or so. However it has started my day off with a bit of cheery optimism in the middle of a week. In the meantime, I am cheering on this little virus.
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