Treatment #8

So, who said that medicine was a science.  I have to say that it is becoming somewhat of an art form.  We were under the (false) impression that after this treatment, mom would be going in for another scan of her liver.  Well, we are starting to get a bit more clarification on how this whole process works.  We meet with the doctor each week.  At that point, depending on how mom is doing, he will determine the next treatment.  Today she received the Herceptin (protein drug) and a reduced amount of Abraxane (chemo).  The chemo dosage was reduced from her treatment two weeks ago.  It was sort of my expectation that she would be done with this first phase of chemo as this was treatment #8.  However, that is not the case.  The doctor indicated that she will probably have another 2-4 treatments before we have further testing.  So, we plan on taking this one week at a time and more importantly, one day at a time. 
Her side effects were better this week than last.  We are hoping that she will have a good week since the chemo dosage was reducted a bit from before.
It is somewhat frustrating not knowing when this phase will end.  Even I was disappointed to hear that mom will be taking more treatments and I am not even the one going through them.
Mom also had an appointment scheduled with the surgeon in about two weeks.  Dr. Margolis said that we were a long way away from talking to the surgeon again.  So, we cancelled the appointment and will reschedule at some point in the future.

One Year Later

One year ago, I was planning a 70th birthday party for my mom.  It is amazing how much life can change in just one year.  For those of you that don't know, my mom's birthday is May 1.  After mom's party last year, she spent some time reading all of the birthday cards that she received.  I thought it would be nice if she would get some cards this year too.
So, if you are so inclined, please send my mom a birthday card this year and let her know that you are thinking about her.  Here is some helpful information:

Ida Wolf
2411 Winkleman Drive
Waterford, MI  48329

Treatment #7

The title this week is just "Treatment #7."  As you can see, I omitted the word Chemo.  Mom did not get a chemo treatment this week.  She did get her dose of Herceptin (the protein drug).  I think this is the first week where she had more bad days than good days.  She had some side effects this week and so the doctor is giving her the week off of chemo.  Hopefully her body will recover quickly.  No neasea, but she has been having problems with skin rashes and tingling extremities and a few other annoyances.  Enough of a concern that the doctor didn't want to give her any more chemo this week.
We are hoping that with no chemo treatment this week, that we will have more good days than bad.

Chemo Treatment #6

Today was moms 6th treatment. Yes, it was Wednesday this week. The doctor had no appointments for Thursday this week. It is a really busy place. However, we will be back on track next week again. We talked to the doctor about the next step. As you may recall, mom was supposed to get 6-8 treatments and then see how she is doing. Since she is tolerating the treatments well, the doctor said that she will have 8 treatments before we reevaluate. So, after today, mom will have two more treatments before we have more information. Physically, mom is doing pretty well. Most days her energy level is good. She has had a few bad days, but that was expected. I have to say that since most of her hair is gone, at least she has a nice shaped head. She looks really good in those hats. She has a day or two being fatigued after each treatment. One day at a time, but most days are good.

Genetic testing

Yesterday we met with a genetic counselor. Based on the family tree and family history with cancer, we opted to test mom for the breast cancer gene. It was a simple blood test. We should have the results in about four weeks. There is definitely a family cluster of cancer on mom's paternal side of the family. Not only does it relate to breast cancer in women, but there is a link with prostate cancer in men. I learned that each of my grandparents were one of 8 kids. So, the family history took several hours. Mom has LOTS of first cousins. Thank goodness for the family tree book that we had. Ultimately, the testing will not benefit mom, but it will give the next generation some more information. I will be getting a copy of the family history that I will be happy to share with other family members. We will know in 4 weeks if the cancer in the family was just bad luck or if there is an underlying genetic reason.

Chemo Treatment #5

Well, the doctors office is starting to feel a bit like Cheers.  "Everyone knows your name."  The office staff have been super friendly.  They recognize and call both mom and dad by their first names when they see them.  It is a great personal touch.
Moms appointment today went really well.  Her doctor was out of town for spring break (like lots of other people).  We met with another doctor in the practice today.  He was also very happy with how mom looks.  Her blood levels are still all normal - a very good thing.  Her immune system is still doing very well.  In fact, the doctor said that dad should take mom out.  We'll see if that actually happens.
Mom completed the repair work on the afghan at the doctors office today.  In fact, she was done with her treatment and had another foot or so to finish.  She opted to stay until she was done crochetting, even after the nurse unhooked her from the IV.  Next week I am sure that she will be inspecting one of the other afghans for repair work.