Dr. Day
Well today was doctor day. My blood count was great. White count was 8.9 and neutrophils 6.4. That is high for me. Last chemo treatment my white count was 7.0 and neutrophils 4.0. Maybe that is why I was feeling so good yesterday and today.
Today I did a 3.5 km walk with my friend Colette and Rylie. Went way faster when I had someone to talk to. I could have gone much further but my day of appoinments did not have room for that.
So the doctor says my side effects, although annoying, are not severe enough to cancel this treatment. So in other words "suck it up". She says my eyes are watering because the chemo is affecting my tear ducts. The nails hurting are a sign that I could lose them - yuck! She says to watch for discoloration (is that even a word) and ridges on them. The white tonuge will be inevitable but only lasts 1 week. As for the hot flashes she says to get use to them - part of having no estrogen.
I will start radiation in 4 weeks. The radiation oncologist will call me with an appointment in the near future.
The doctor wants to give me Zoladex shots between the end of chemo and the removal of my ovaries. This basically shuts down the ovaries and keeps them from producing estrogen. With my type of cancer the estrogen attaches to receptors on the cancer cell walls. That stimulates the cancer cells. Without estrogen, hormone-sensitive tumours starve and often stop dividing and die. So we don't want any estrogen. She asked if we have extended health care. The Cancer Board does not pay for the shots. I asked how much they are thinking that we are talking $35 - $50. She replied with "$600" per shot. Holy Wow!!! But each shot last 3 months. So I should only need 1 or 2 at the most. I will call our health provider tomorrow. If they cover the shot I will get my first one in 4 weeks. That is also when I have my next follow-up appointment with my medical oncologist.
Now the not so good news. I told the doctor that my ribs on the left side hurt. They hurt enough that if I turn on that side while sleeping that it wakes me up. She did not like the sounds of that. She listened to my lungs and felt my ribs and collar bone. She said it was unlikely that it was bone cancer but sent me for an X-ray to rule it out. She asked if I was out of breath - I said no but that I run like crap. I don't know if the 2 are related or not. She also found a small (the size of a pea) lymph node near my collar bone. She said she would just keep an eye on that. When I get my X-ray results I will ask if it showed up on the X-ray. So I should get the results tomorrow when I go in for chemo.
Well it has been a long day so I am signing off. I will update the blog as soon as I get home tomorrow. Chemo is at 11 am.
Bye for now.
Love Carolin
PS All of you are going to be half way through medical school by the time this whole medical crisis in my life in finished.
Today I did a 3.5 km walk with my friend Colette and Rylie. Went way faster when I had someone to talk to. I could have gone much further but my day of appoinments did not have room for that.
So the doctor says my side effects, although annoying, are not severe enough to cancel this treatment. So in other words "suck it up". She says my eyes are watering because the chemo is affecting my tear ducts. The nails hurting are a sign that I could lose them - yuck! She says to watch for discoloration (is that even a word) and ridges on them. The white tonuge will be inevitable but only lasts 1 week. As for the hot flashes she says to get use to them - part of having no estrogen.
I will start radiation in 4 weeks. The radiation oncologist will call me with an appointment in the near future.
The doctor wants to give me Zoladex shots between the end of chemo and the removal of my ovaries. This basically shuts down the ovaries and keeps them from producing estrogen. With my type of cancer the estrogen attaches to receptors on the cancer cell walls. That stimulates the cancer cells. Without estrogen, hormone-sensitive tumours starve and often stop dividing and die. So we don't want any estrogen. She asked if we have extended health care. The Cancer Board does not pay for the shots. I asked how much they are thinking that we are talking $35 - $50. She replied with "$600" per shot. Holy Wow!!! But each shot last 3 months. So I should only need 1 or 2 at the most. I will call our health provider tomorrow. If they cover the shot I will get my first one in 4 weeks. That is also when I have my next follow-up appointment with my medical oncologist.
Now the not so good news. I told the doctor that my ribs on the left side hurt. They hurt enough that if I turn on that side while sleeping that it wakes me up. She did not like the sounds of that. She listened to my lungs and felt my ribs and collar bone. She said it was unlikely that it was bone cancer but sent me for an X-ray to rule it out. She asked if I was out of breath - I said no but that I run like crap. I don't know if the 2 are related or not. She also found a small (the size of a pea) lymph node near my collar bone. She said she would just keep an eye on that. When I get my X-ray results I will ask if it showed up on the X-ray. So I should get the results tomorrow when I go in for chemo.
Well it has been a long day so I am signing off. I will update the blog as soon as I get home tomorrow. Chemo is at 11 am.
Bye for now.
Love Carolin
PS All of you are going to be half way through medical school by the time this whole medical crisis in my life in finished.
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