Done with Radiation

Well, just a quick update regarding the radiation treatment.  Mom is done with her 30 treatments.  We had a follow-up appointment with the doctor this morning. 
We had a minor complication where she developed a small infection on the outside of the breast near the end of her treatments.  Between the infection and the radiation, let's just say that mom looked like a tomato.  She got pretty toasty at the end of her treatment cycle.  She has been on anti-biotics and is looking much better after a few days.
All in all, the doctor was really pleased with how she responded to her treatment.
We will be back to the regular oncologist later this week.

Radiation Week 6

Mom just finished her 28th radiation treatment.  Two more to go next week and she is done.  We have a follow up appointment with the radiation doctor after she finishes her final treatment next week.  Her skin is still holding up really well; the doctor and radiation techs are really happy with the response.  She will have a CT scan in 2-3 weeks to see how the cancer responded.
We meet with her regular oncologist (Dr. Margolis) on Jan 9th.  At that point we'll get a better plan for the coming weeks.
We are all headed to Baroda to visit my brother and family for the weekend.  It will be nice to celebrate a belated Christmas together.
Wishing all of you a healthy new year.

Radiation Week 5

We are counting down the radiation treatments.  Mom completed 24 of the 30 treatsments so far.  The radiation therapy is going well.  The doctor continues to be pleased with the response from treatment.
Mom had a few rough days this week.  She stopped taking the oral chemo drug last week.  We see the regular oncologist next week to see how long of a break she will before she begins the oral chemo again.  I think it is good that she is able to have some better days around the holiday. 
The big news this week is that she got a hair cut.  This is her first hair cut since February.  There was enough hair to shape on the sides and back.  For those of you that are not able to see her, her hair is now curly.  The only time I remember her hair being like that was after her getting a perm.  So, a few chemo treatments and her hair came in curly. No more perms for her.
This is the first time that my parents will be joining us for the Christmas holiday in many years.  They are normally in Florida by this time.  I am glad that we will be able to share this holiday together. 

Radiation Week 4

Well, mom just completed her 19th radiation treatment today.  Only 11 more to go.  We are on the downhill side of this course of treatment. When we met with the doctor this week, he was really happy with how she has been responding.  Although her breast is getting pretty red, the doctor said it is looking great.  It looks pretty red to me, but I obviously don't see as many breasts as he does :)  Mom had a few rough days this week, but we take one at a time. 
Today is a very sad day in this country.  How can anyone take the innocent life of a child?   My girls will be getting an extra hug when I pick them up from their elementary school today.
I wanted to tell a quick story about how proud I am of Bridget (now in 5th grade).  She has been doing a research project at school.  Her subject has been breast cancer.  She selected the topic herself, so I know how much mom's illness has affect her.  Bridget and Julia also raised $116.41 that we donated to the Beaumont Foundation for breast cancer.  She needed to interview an "expert," so we took her to one of mom's doctors appointments with Dr. Margolis.  She asked him some questions for her report.  She also wanted to do a section on "Someone real."  So, she of course interviewed my mom.  One of her questions included "How does it feel to have cancer?"  Mom's response was "I am thankful to still be here to watch my grandchildren grow up."  We are thankful that she is here to be a part of our lives and keeps inspiring others.
We should all feel blessed with the loved ones in our lives. 

Radiation Week 3

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.

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.

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!

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.