Mom completed 14 of her 30 scheduled radiation treatments. We are starting to see the effects of daily treatments, both good and bad. On the good side, the swelling of her breast has continued to shrink. That typically indicates that the cancer cells and surrounding areas are shrinking. There is a noticable deduction in the swelling. On the bad side, her breast is starting to get that "sunburn" look from the intense radiation - as expected at this stage. One area is especially sore, but she is taking good care of it so far.
Moms energy level has continued to increase since she has been off of the Abraxane. She just completed her fourth week of the oral chemo drug (Xeloda). The side effects are much better than with the Abraxane. Her hands and feet continue to improve. The pain and numbness continues to fade.
She was feeling well enough this week to endure a trip to IKEA with me. We haven't shopped together in a long time. It was nice to spend some brousing time with her again. She managed the shopping trip quite well. We walked for more than an hour. It was a slow stroll around the store, but her feet didn't bother her and she wasn't too tired when we were done. It was good to get her out of the house again for something enjoyable.
Sunday, December 9, 2012
Friday, November 30, 2012
Radiation Week 2
Mom completed 9 of her 30 treatments so far. She is still managing the radiation effects pretty well. It appears that the redness from the cancer is beginning to fad. A good sign.
She has also been tolerating her oral chemo drug well. The side effects have been very minimal.
Mom just completed knitting new scarfs for my girls. Julia's matches her backpack. Bridget's matches her jacket. They even got compliments on them from someone at the bus stop today. Nice to know that mom's handy work is being noticed.
Mom even felt well enough to hem a pair of Julia's pants for me this week. Needless to say, I didn't own enough stick pins for the job. So, the next day, mom brought over a box of stick pins from England for me. Apparently they have glass ends which you can iron over (instead of plastic ends that can melt). I don't even iron - but when I do, I'll have plenty of stick pins to use.
She got a bit of a cold this week, but nothing a few anti-biotics couldn't help.
Taking one day at a time.
She has also been tolerating her oral chemo drug well. The side effects have been very minimal.
Mom just completed knitting new scarfs for my girls. Julia's matches her backpack. Bridget's matches her jacket. They even got compliments on them from someone at the bus stop today. Nice to know that mom's handy work is being noticed.
Mom even felt well enough to hem a pair of Julia's pants for me this week. Needless to say, I didn't own enough stick pins for the job. So, the next day, mom brought over a box of stick pins from England for me. Apparently they have glass ends which you can iron over (instead of plastic ends that can melt). I don't even iron - but when I do, I'll have plenty of stick pins to use.
She got a bit of a cold this week, but nothing a few anti-biotics couldn't help.
Taking one day at a time.
Sunday, November 25, 2012
Radiation Week 1
Mom ended her first week of radiation treatment on Friday. The treatments are 5 days a week (for six weeks). However, they are closed for holidays. So, mom only had 4 treatments last week. The fifth day was really a day of Thanksgiving for our family this year. I am thankful that we were able to spend another Thanksgiving together. I wasn't convinced of that back in January/February when she was first diagnosed.
Lots of people ask me about her spirit. She is still going strong. She still has good days and bad days physically, but her attitude continues to be unwavering. I would say that the good days still outnumber the bad.
Yesterday was a family wedding reception for my cousins son. It was about a 1 1/2 hour drive from home. Not far, but not around the corner. Probably not one of mom's best days, but she went anyway. How could she miss visiting with all of the relatives and friends she doesn't see very often? Those are the days that we should all be thankful for. Best wishes for a long and happy life together to Jeff and Danielle.
I hope you all remember to be thankful for someone special in your life. You never know what the next year will bring.
P.S - I am thankful for all of you, my blog readers. I sometimes think that I am writing to no one. Shirley, this one was for you!
Lots of people ask me about her spirit. She is still going strong. She still has good days and bad days physically, but her attitude continues to be unwavering. I would say that the good days still outnumber the bad.
Yesterday was a family wedding reception for my cousins son. It was about a 1 1/2 hour drive from home. Not far, but not around the corner. Probably not one of mom's best days, but she went anyway. How could she miss visiting with all of the relatives and friends she doesn't see very often? Those are the days that we should all be thankful for. Best wishes for a long and happy life together to Jeff and Danielle.
I hope you all remember to be thankful for someone special in your life. You never know what the next year will bring.
P.S - I am thankful for all of you, my blog readers. I sometimes think that I am writing to no one. Shirley, this one was for you!
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Radiation Update
Well, it has been about two weeks since my last post and a lot has happened. We met a couple of days ago for our first consultation with a Radiation Oncologist - Dr. Vicini. We also have continued to see Dr. Margolis.
Here is what is going on....
1) Mom started taking an oral chemotherapy drug over the weekend. She developed a bit of redness after stopping the Abraxane. So, Dr. Margolis started her on a new drug. Good news is that the redness has all but disappeared. The side effects of the new drug seem to be tolerable at this point.
2) We switched to a different chemo drug because of the continued numbness in moms hands and feet. The feeling in her feet and hands are getting much better now that she has been off of Abraxane for several weeks.
3) We will go back to the Radiation guy next week. We anticipate having some additional scans done at that point and then beginning Radiation therapy shortly thereafter. Radiation would be 5 days a week for 6 weeks.
4) The new drug thankfully is oral so mom can take it at home or whereever she is. Eventually, she will only need to go to the doctor every 3 weeks for the Herceptin treatment.
5) The Radiation guy was very complimentary regarding moms spirit and attitude considering what she has endured for the last 10 months - not surprising to me at all.
So, the next phase of treatment is upon us - one day at a time.
Here is what is going on....
1) Mom started taking an oral chemotherapy drug over the weekend. She developed a bit of redness after stopping the Abraxane. So, Dr. Margolis started her on a new drug. Good news is that the redness has all but disappeared. The side effects of the new drug seem to be tolerable at this point.
2) We switched to a different chemo drug because of the continued numbness in moms hands and feet. The feeling in her feet and hands are getting much better now that she has been off of Abraxane for several weeks.
3) We will go back to the Radiation guy next week. We anticipate having some additional scans done at that point and then beginning Radiation therapy shortly thereafter. Radiation would be 5 days a week for 6 weeks.
4) The new drug thankfully is oral so mom can take it at home or whereever she is. Eventually, she will only need to go to the doctor every 3 weeks for the Herceptin treatment.
5) The Radiation guy was very complimentary regarding moms spirit and attitude considering what she has endured for the last 10 months - not surprising to me at all.
So, the next phase of treatment is upon us - one day at a time.
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Treatment #34
Mom had a pretty good week. She has been keeping busy doing a few things outside as well as making some more pot holders. Two more pot holders were delivered to my house today when mom and dad stopped by for lunch.
Moms toes are still troublesome. Dr. M referred her to a podiatrist to see what they can do. The nails are starting to come loose and her feet were really itchy for several days last week. The numbness is still there. She will be scheduling an appointment with dad's podiatrist ("his favorite doctor").
Today marks a turning point in moms treatment. The CT scan came back with good news. No new cancer spots and the current mass on her liver is stable. Mom started a 3 week treatment today. So, after 34 weekly treatments, her next one won't be for 3 weeks. I think we are all happy for the break - especially mom. She got a 3 week dose of Herceptin. We are stopping the Abraxane for a while. Assuming that her condition is stable, she will continue to have only Herceptin every 3 weeks. There is still some redness on the skin of her breast where the tumor is. If it remains stable, no additional chemo at this point. If it gets worse, then she will probably be back on some sort of chemo drug.
Now that we are "done" with the chemo for a while, Dr. M referred us to a Radiation Oncologist. We have an appt with him on election day. We are hoping to be able to treat the redness on her breast with radiation.
All in all, this is very good news. We are hoping that this break from chemo will give her time for her feet and hands to feel better.
So, my next post will probably be in a couple of weeks after we meet with the radiation guy.
Moms toes are still troublesome. Dr. M referred her to a podiatrist to see what they can do. The nails are starting to come loose and her feet were really itchy for several days last week. The numbness is still there. She will be scheduling an appointment with dad's podiatrist ("his favorite doctor").
Today marks a turning point in moms treatment. The CT scan came back with good news. No new cancer spots and the current mass on her liver is stable. Mom started a 3 week treatment today. So, after 34 weekly treatments, her next one won't be for 3 weeks. I think we are all happy for the break - especially mom. She got a 3 week dose of Herceptin. We are stopping the Abraxane for a while. Assuming that her condition is stable, she will continue to have only Herceptin every 3 weeks. There is still some redness on the skin of her breast where the tumor is. If it remains stable, no additional chemo at this point. If it gets worse, then she will probably be back on some sort of chemo drug.
Now that we are "done" with the chemo for a while, Dr. M referred us to a Radiation Oncologist. We have an appt with him on election day. We are hoping to be able to treat the redness on her breast with radiation.
All in all, this is very good news. We are hoping that this break from chemo will give her time for her feet and hands to feel better.
So, my next post will probably be in a couple of weeks after we meet with the radiation guy.
Friday, October 19, 2012
Treatment #33
Well, mom had a few tough days with week. Her feet continue to bother her and are painful and numb. So, the doctor held off on the Abraxane this week. She only received her maintenance drug (Herceptin).
However, her attitude is still good and she remains positive. She has been feeling much better the last few days. She was able to be outside for some of the nice weather days we had. She even trimmed a few plants for the coming winter.
The doctor ordered a CAT scan for this week. This will be the first full body scan since her diagnosis in February. We should have a better idea next week on how her body is fighting this terrible disease.
However, her attitude is still good and she remains positive. She has been feeling much better the last few days. She was able to be outside for some of the nice weather days we had. She even trimmed a few plants for the coming winter.
The doctor ordered a CAT scan for this week. This will be the first full body scan since her diagnosis in February. We should have a better idea next week on how her body is fighting this terrible disease.
Thursday, October 11, 2012
Treatment #32
Well, mom had a full treatment again today. Dr. M was out of town, so we saw one of the other doctors in the practice. He mentioned that mom has a really good attitude.
Her blood levels are all doing really well still. We are counting our blessings.
I know that mom is feeling better. She has lots of energy. She made pot holders for all of the nurses in the treatment area. She gave them out today to everyone. I think there are either 7 or 8 different nurses, so mom brought in a stack to make sure that there were enough for everyone - even those that had today off.
It is always nice when she has a good week.
Her blood levels are all doing really well still. We are counting our blessings.
I know that mom is feeling better. She has lots of energy. She made pot holders for all of the nurses in the treatment area. She gave them out today to everyone. I think there are either 7 or 8 different nurses, so mom brought in a stack to make sure that there were enough for everyone - even those that had today off.
It is always nice when she has a good week.
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Treatment #31
Today was just a partial treatment for mom. It wasn't one of her better days today. It is amazing to see how her posture, demeanor, look and even her voice changes when she is having a difficult day. Her bad day started before her chemo treatment. All of the nurses and the doctor could immediately tell that today was not a good day. This afternoon was a bit better for her. We are hoping that tomorrow will be a better day than today.
Last week, one of the assistants in the treatment room received a couple of pot holders that my mom crocheted. I went to see Renee today to have her call in some meds for mom and she told me how much she liked the pot holders and was so happy to get them. I had to laugh and tell her that I had half a drawer full of them. I could even put in orders for different sizes or colors. I know I have probably taken all of my pot holders for granted. Seeing the happiness that little gesture made for Renee was so nice.
Mom continues to show appreciation to all of the wonderful people who are taking care of her. It is amazing to be able to touch someone's life with something given from the heart.
Last week, one of the assistants in the treatment room received a couple of pot holders that my mom crocheted. I went to see Renee today to have her call in some meds for mom and she told me how much she liked the pot holders and was so happy to get them. I had to laugh and tell her that I had half a drawer full of them. I could even put in orders for different sizes or colors. I know I have probably taken all of my pot holders for granted. Seeing the happiness that little gesture made for Renee was so nice.
Mom continues to show appreciation to all of the wonderful people who are taking care of her. It is amazing to be able to touch someone's life with something given from the heart.
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