Dear Diary #26 - ZAP!

 Hey Friends,

We finally got another piece of the puzzle today! It seems like cancer is all about waiting, and now I hope most of the waiting is done. So this post is a few updates, and some new information. 

It has been a while since I posted, but not really much to tell in the interim. The last couple of weeks have been fairly uneventful. I have been feeling good, and other than being definitely weaker, I feel pretty much back to normal. I have a ton of yard work to do, so that will get my strength back up I hope! 

I did have my follow up with my medical oncologist last week. It was fairly uneventful other than getting my prescription for Tamoxifen, my hormone treatment drug. I'm sure I have explained in previous posts a little bit about Tamoxifen vs AI's, but I'll explain a bit here as well. As I have also said, I am opting to do a full hysterectomy later this year, and this choice affects these drugs also. 

Tamoxifen is a drug used for breast cancer and has been around a long time. 20+ years I'm sure. It is used for hormone positive cancers to stop cells receptors from being affected by hormones. This drug comes with some fun warnings, the very first big box on the pharmacy paperwork says "This drug may raise the chance of very bad and sometime deadly side effects like stroke, blood clots, or endometrial or uterine cancer". So that is super fun, hahaha. But I started this drug along with some additional supplements 4 days ago and so far no noticeable side effects so I am taking that as a win! I am not sure if things accumulate as it builds up in your body, but I'm planning on skating through this with no issues!! 

Tamoxifen is typically prescribed for 10 years. However once I do a hysterectomy later this year I will be moved off of Tamoxifen and give AI's (Aromatase Inhibitors), and these will hopefully only be prescribed for 5 years. AI's work differently in they actually block the production of estrogen in my body. My ovaries are the biggest producers of estrogen, but other things like adrenal glands also produce it. So I will remove my ovaries, and then essentially block other places from producing more estrogen, and that is my hormone 'treatment' to reduce the risk of recurrence. 

Nothing will actually make risk of recurrence zero, but studies show that all these treatments (chemo/radiation/hormone treatment)  greatly reduce recurrence so I am all in. 

Each of these drugs to come with some chance of some pretty risky side effects, but many women don't experience anything that isn't tolerable, so fingers crossed my path is smooth. And I bet that all the cheering that my #tribe does for me will help guarantee this! Other wise you'll have to listen to my whine here occasionally! 

And the next news is that I had my radiation oncology consult today. Looks like they want to ZAP me. When it comes to radiation, I am mostly okay with doing it. I have decided that I will not turn down any treatment offered to me as I would have regrets later if the cancer returned. There will ALWAYS be a risk of recurrence, and if it happens it happens. I will deal way better with it if I knew I didn't leave anything on the table the first time around. 

My radiation oncologist told me today that with my cancer stats that I have a 10 - 15% chance of recurrence over the next 10 years. She thinks radiation cuts that chance by two thirds, bringing it down to 3 to 5%. That is fairly significant, at least to me. So off to get zapped we go. 

My issue with doing radiation is simply that I don't have time. Seriously. But it is what it is. I live approximately an hour and fifteen minutes from the hospital, so a 2.5hr commute to go in for a 15min appointment just pisses me off. So I have asked my oncologist to request that I get the first appointment of the day at least as often as possible. I will be in my SUPER busy time at work, and am still doing some real estate. My days are busy enough without take 2 to 3 hours every day out of them! 

I will get in this week, I hope, for an initial planning scan. This is a CT scan that does a couple of things (I think). First they will tattoo a few dots on me that mark where they want the radiation machine set to so that it can be set to the right spot each time. Second, there is some amount of risk to my lung on that side so they will do a test with me holding my breath, and without, to see how that changes the lung in the area of radiation. This will determine if I get zapped while doing breath holds, or if it isn't necessary. I am super lucky my cancer was on my right side, because left side radiation also poses a risk to your heart. 

After this scan radiation is expected to start in about 2 weeks, and I will go for 16 treatments total. These are done daily Mon to Friday (I think off for the Victoria Day holiday) so just over 3 weeks. So I expect to be done just into the first few days of June. I will stay home for a couple of more weeks after that also. They say that any skin irritation or burning actually gets worse after treatment is done. So I want to be at least some healed before dragging my post cancer butt back to the office. Wearing a bra might suck, lol. 

BUT....all of this means that outside of the continuation of hormone treatment, and one more elective surgery, my cancer journey will mostly be over by June. This is the best news!! From my initial doc appointment at the end of September of last year, this has been a road. And I am ready to return to something normal, in the crazy abnormal world of ours! 

Keep cheering friends, the end is getting nearer!! WE'VE got this!!! 

#tribe #fightlikeagirl #fuckcancer

Peace and love

Barb