What's New With Me

Hello Friends.  I am sorry I have been a little MIA. I know some of you are starting to get a little worried, but in this case, no news is good news ;o).  Today is a very snowy day here in Maryland, and I am making myself stop and write a little update while Charly is napping, and Steve is out shoveling snow!!

I am doing great post-surgery.  I have pretty much resumed all activities and can pick up Char with ease.  I can always gauge how strong I am when I pick her up, since she is constantly getting heavier.  I still have some pain and pulling on the right side, but I try to listen to my body and take it easy when needed.  I started doing a little yoga, which I love and am so happy to be able to get some good stretching in, but again I have to take it a little easy on that one side.  I am always cautious of what side I am lifting on and try to limit how heavy things are on the right side.  The last few months have been the normal holiday craziness I am sure most of you can relate to.  We had a great holiday with family and friends.  We are doing normal parenting stuff having a two year old with potty training, swimming lessons, etc.

All my follow-up appointments have gone well.  I started Tamoxifen on 1/11/13, so I have officially completed my first full year (with a little break for surgery).  Only nine more, yes nine more, years to go!!!  The hot flashes started a few months ago.  Most of mine happen in the middle of the night with night sweats.  They seem to be stronger and more often around the time of month when my hormones are higher.  Drinking wine also seems to trigger these nasty little disturbances.  If it keeps my cancer from recurring, I will gladly endure the hot flashes.   

My thyroid is still having some trouble getting jumpstarted.   I am on my forth regiment of synthroid, and each time a little increase or decrease is needed.  I am hoping this is just a temporary issue, but with the radiation I had done to the lymph nodes in my neck, this may be something I struggle with for a long time.  I think I am due for another adjustment.  I have been really tired and feel a little run down.  I have a follow-up in a couple of weeks for some blood work.

I have been trying really hard to eat healthy and really limit the amount of processed foods we eat.  It is definitely challenging when life gets busy.  Eating fresh fruits and veggies take dedication, work, and frequent trips to the grocery store.  But, boy can I tell a difference when I am not getting a high level of veggies every day.  Steve and I have been doing a 21 day cleanse where we eliminate all processed foods, animal products, and gluten.  We already try to limit animal products and eat a lot of fresh veggies and grains, but the cleanse gives us a little jumpstart after the holidays.  Meat is something that Steve struggles with giving up, while I rarely miss it.  But, I am only human and sometimes I get a craving for a good organic burger or movie theater popcorn.  If I am not feeling well or am tired, the cravings seem to be stronger, and I can’t always resist the temptation.  Everyone asks me how I get Steve to give up meat and do a cleanse.  I should add that while he will do it, it’s not done silently, and he reminds me on a regular basis how much he misses meat and cheese.  I always say it must have been watching me go through chemo while being sick and bald that gives me a certain level of persuasion.  In reality, it probably has more to do with me harassing him and not wanting to hear my lecture when he is eating something I disapprove of.  A happy wife equals a happy life right?!?  Moderation is a word I hear a lot of people say.  Especially when I am talking about why I don’t eat fast food or drink soda.  A lot of people say it’s all about moderation.  But, what does that really mean?  To me, moderation might mean I eat something once every three months.  Whereas someone else might think eating this same thing once a week or once a day is moderation.  Everyone has a different definition of what moderation means to them.  I think we each have to come to terms with what is really good for our health and not everyone is ready to hear about why something they enjoy is not so good for them.   

What’s next in my journey you might ask?  I need to decide what I am doing about my ovaries.  The opinions seem divided on the pros and cons related to removing them for prevention of both a recurrence and ovarian cancer.  There is a really interesting study taking place at Hopkins that I would be a candidate for.  Some new studies show that ovarian cancer may originate in the fallopian tubes and then spread to the ovaries.  For high risk patients, they are removing the tubes and leaving the ovary function.  This would be a really great alternative since I would not have to deal with the added full blown menopause symptoms.  If I opted to go down this road, it would just be a temporary precaution, and they still recommend I have the ovaries removed around 40, which will be in 2021.  The removal of the tubes is done laparoscopically and is a very minor procedure.  The doctor I talked to is fantastic, and I really liked her a lot.  Part of the study would involve monitoring during the period between tubes and ovary removal, and I would continue to have a pelvic ultrasound every six months.  I still need to think about this and decide how I want to proceed.  That's all I've got for the moment.

 If you are in Maryland, enjoy this beautiful snow day and be safe.

Procedure........Not the One I Had Planned

Looks like there will be a procedure in my future that is not what I had planned.  My exchange surgery has been pushed to 7/25, but I am not sure at this point if it will actually take place that soon.  First off, I have been having some excessive bleeding (I know, TMI) every 2.5 weeks since the beginning of April.  I will say it has been a very unpleasant experience the last couple of months given the "menopausal" state I have been in since chemo.  During my annual visit to my GYN, and after discussing the symptoms, he decided to do an endometrium biopsy (ouch).  Fortunately, the results came back negative for cancer, but positive for an endometrial polyp in my uterus.  Since I am taking Tamoxifen, the presence of a polyp is of some concern, given one of the side effects of Tamoxifen is uterine cancer.  I will be having a D&C to remove the thickening of my uterus lining and an additional procedure to remove the polyp in a couple weeks.  This is all done outpatient, but I will be put to sleep during the procedures.  If the polyp returns, or this becomes a recurring issue, we will need to discuss other options.

In addition to the polyp, my thyroid was very underactive.  This explained the excessive fatigue and lack of focus/concentration I had been experiencing.  It may even be somewhat related to the bleeding, although the polyp is more likely the cause.  Since one of my sisters also has an under active thyroid, and it had been a few years since I had been tested, my GYN decided we should look into it.  Plus, he noticed my thyroid was larger than normal.  The normal level of TSH is 0.40-4.5 mIU/L.  My levels were at 47.00, and I was feeling pretty lousy by the time I got the blood results on 5/24.  I started taking a low dose of synthroid to help regulate the thyroid, and I can definitely feel a difference.  This will probably take a while to regulate since it is one of the largest glands of the body, and it controls a lot of things including hormones.  It can also affect the white blood counts, which were also a little low during my blood work.  Why all of a sudden I am having a thyroid issue???  Coincidence the timing is shortly after my treatment???  I am meeting with a specialist at Hopkins in August who might be able to shed some light on the issue.  I did have radiation to the lymph nodes in my neck (close to the thyroid gland).  Not sure if that has anything to do with this, but the timing does imply they are related.

I am hoping to have the procedure to remove the polyp in the next couple of weeks and am hopeful the thyroid will get regulated and hopefully stay that way.  Maybe it will jumpstart and kick back in gear on its own.  I will not be cleared for my exchange surgery till the thyroid is completely regulated, so I am not quite sure now when that will actually happen at this point. 

Overall, I am feeling better.  Still not full of energy, but the meds are helping.  I am not looking forward to the D&C, but hopefully it will help.

It's not always the easiest path once you become a breast cancer survivor.  Stories I read or people I talk to can be empowering while at the same time scare me and shatter my optimism.  During the last month (on top of all the other issues I was having), two specific people come to mind.  One bravely fighting an aggressive cancer that at the onset was so similar to mine it seems unreal.  Her cancer began to spread within a year after her original diagnosis.  7 years later, I watched her walk her daughter down the aisle and dance together during the reception.  I will be honest.  I was so happy and incredibly sad all at the same time as I thought about Charlotte growing up.  After we got home from this incredible wedding, I learned of another women who received a terminal diagnosis of breast cancer over ten years after she was originally diagnosed.  She was gone just a few days after learning her diagnosis.  I went to a dark emotional place where thoughts of either situations happening to me clouded my mind.  But, after the tears subsided (Steve was very happy about this) and the fear passed, I realized that although there are times it is difficult to stay positive, good things come from hearing these stories.  It fuels my passion for change and helps me focus on what I can do to stay healthy.  Getting to meet the incredible woman who has been fighting for years, trying chemo after chemo, and seeing how she has stayed positive through it all, was incredible.  I would not take back meeting her for anything.  I have said this before, and I will say it again.  She, and women like her, are the true heroes in the fight against breast cancer.