Get a Cup (Pot) of Coffee ... Let's chat!

Let's see where to start ... oh yea, blood check and appointment with Helena last Thursday ... that'll work.  GOOD NEWS --- my blood work showed that my white, red and platelet levels were up to normal (I think that's what Helena said ... normal).  That is exciting in itself.  Praise the Lord.

In order to get to the blood report, I had to have my blood drawn.  This was my first blood draw out of my arm since my port removal.  The girl was 'new' to The Center and that always makes me a little nervous especially since I have only one arm now that can have blood drawn from it.  She put that blue stretch band around my arm and did that slapping thing in the bend of my arm and couldn't feel my good vein, told me to make a fist and did some more of that little tapping thing those blood people do and then grabbed the needle and stuck.  I do not think I will ever get used to someone sticking me with a needle.  I know it's just a 'little stick' but it is is still a stick.  She hit the vein (Praise the Lord ... I always have to ask because I can't look) and took three vials of my blood and sent me on my way ... next door to Dr. Y's office to wait for the results and my appointment with Helena.  I guess they weren't too busy and the results came back really quick because before I knew it, my sista, Fred aka Yvonne was coming out and getting me for my appointment with Helena.  But never fear I still got to talk to the ladies sitting in the waiting room.  Bald headed women like me with a good attitude about being bald ... we get quite a bit of attention and people like to talk to us.  Anyway back to my appointment.  Fred weighed me, took my temp and got me in the room, took my blood pressure ... happy to report all was well.  Before I knew it, Helena was coming in.  I got my list of topics to discuss out of my purse with my pen because you all know that it is a must that I take notes for my sister the nurse.  I get in big trouble if I don't remember everything ... this has gone on since our Mother had cancer 29 years ago and Pat worked and I was with Mother at all her doctor appointments.  If I didn't get all the answers she wanted, I had to call the doctor - even at night - to finish asking questions.  <laughing>  I learned to ask the questions, get the answers and write them down so I could relay them to my sister.  <laughing>

First topic for discussion was my hip pain.  Remember last week I said my hips hurt so bad and it was caused from the Taxotere chemo drug ... well there's further explanation.  Helena told me that most likely before I took chemo that I had a mild hip pain... memory kicked in and yes, I did experience mild hip pain .. I always figured the pain came from body abuse and ok, so I am 56 years old and well, you know ... body pain in some form usually happens when you get a little more mature.  But the pain was never this severe ... severe meaning when I stand up, I can't move for a few seconds because of the pain.  I'm not making this up either.  <laughing>  Helena said that while I was taking the Taxotere it eliminated all the pain in my body ... again memory kicked in and I thought hmmm, I didn't have hip pain throughout my treatment.  She said they do not know why the Taxotere does this ... takes all you body aches away during treatment ... but after you are finished and 1 to 3 months post chemo, your body pains come back and usually are more painful but then they level out to the degree of pain
pre-chemo.  Father God, I sure pray that happens.  I told her I had taken two Advil at intervals of four hours and it seemed to help but (you know me) I kept thinking about the toll on my liver from the Advil.  She said she didn't want me taking all that Advil and suggested that I get a prescription of Celebrax, which is used for arthritis.  Of course, I questioned her about the side affects ... like addiction and not being able to get off of it once my hips get back to their normal pain level <laugh>.  She said there was nothing to worry about and it would help me readjust to my normal level of pain.  So she sent a prescription to the pharmacy which is in the next room from her office so I could pick it up on my way out.  Evidently insurance companies do not like to help much with Celebrax because I had to pay $60 co-pay ... which is the highest level of prescription co-pay on my insurance.  If it works for the pain and gets me accustomed to my 'normal level of pain' it's worth it.  I took my first one yesterday and I'm thinking maybe a little build up effect will have to happen for it take the pain away because one pill didn't do the trick.  <laugh>  God is still working on my patience level.

The next topic I wanted to discuss was the Latesse eye lash grower stuff.  Now listen ... do not judge me ... yes, they are just eye lashes and supposedly they will grow back but being bald (and my hair is still turning loose) and no eye lashes or eye brows for that matter makes for one plain looking face. (Note:  if you want to know what it's like being a chemo patient ... buzz all your hair off and pull all your eye lashes and eye brows out and look at yourself.  <laughing> ... then you will know what we go through with losing our hair ... all of it. <smile> ... )  I get up in the mornings and look at my self in the 40 foot mirror (well maybe it's 8 foot) I have to pass in the bathroom to get to the water closet (that would be the little area where the toilet resides) and I think ... one round head with two eye sockets, a nose and a mouth ... no hair.  <laughing>  Helena told me that The Center was part of the study for Latesse and they endorsed it.  Latesse is the cosmetic version for the medication that is given to glaucoma patients.  The study showed that when glaucoma patients used the medicine drops for glaucoma, their eye lashes got long and thick.  Oh and it can also change the color of your eyes.  I currently have green eyes but was told by the pharmacy lady that my eye color could change to brown ... I'm thinking ... brown eyes and who knows what color my hair will grow back ... I could look totally different by the end of all of this.  I really don't care what color all this stuff turns as long as it all grows back. <laughing>  And my insurance didn't cover any of of the Latesse ... cost $108.60.  <cough cough>  I'm thinking I will have a bake sale ... set it up at the end of my drive way to try to recuperate some of my money.  <laughing>  Picture this ... a bald headed lady sitting at the end of her drive way ... 6 foot table set up with signs ... Help support my eyelash growth.  Cookies/Brownies all home made of course (from a mix).  <laughing>  I crack myself up sometimes.

Above:  I guess they needed the $108.60 for the packaging
because the bottle of stuff is very small.  

Above:  See how small it is.  Praying this works
because it is liquid gold.  <smile>

So now I'm down to my third and final topic for Helena.  I preface my third topic with ... My sister, the nurse told me to ask this question.  Helena said ... have I ever met your sister?  I told her ... no, but trust me she does exist.  <laugh>  My question ... 'what do you think about me having a hysterectomy'?  (Note ... this is not a gross question/topic ... women have hysterectomies every day for one reason or another and when you are sitting in a breast cancer patients seat, you want anything and everything taken out of your body that produces estrogen.  Remember ... estrogen feeds the cancer.)  Helena ask me if my tumors were estrogen positive (ER Positive for short).  I told her yes ... in both breasts.  She looked at me and told me she thought that I definitely needed a hysterectomy.  She said ... do you have a gynecologist?  I said ... I was not going back to the doctor that I was using when I found out my diagnosis and planned to change doctors.  She was not aware of the method of which I found out I had breast cancer and when I told her the story she gasped, covered her mouth, tears welled up in her eyes and said ... "I'm so sorry that happened to you."  Anyway ... at The Center there is an Oncological Gynecologist (say that three times fast) ... and she treats women with ovarian, uterine and other female part cancer ... and she's a surgeon.  Helena sent the referral to Dr. V's office and I expect to get a call soon to set up a consultation with Dr. V.  Now ... let's talk about ER positive tumors ... actually I don't know anything about this topic but there's always the internet (and you know you can believe everything you read on the internet).  Do not skip reading the following ...

Hormone Receptor-Positive Breast Cancer

About 75% of all breast cancers are “ER positive.” They grow in response to the hormone estrogen. About 65% of these are also “PR positive.” They grow in response to another hormone, progesterone.

If your breast cancer’s cells have a significant number of receptors for either estrogen or progesterone, your cancer is considered hormone-receptor positive and likely to respond to hormonal therapies.

Breast cancer tumors that are ER/PR-positive are 60% likely to respond to hormonal therapy. Tumors that are ER/PR negative are only 5% to 10% likely to respond to hormonal therapy.

Hormonal therapies for breast cancer are treatments usually taken after surgery, chemotherapy, and/or radiation are finished. They are designed to help prevent recurrence of the disease by blocking the effects of estrogen. They do this in one of several ways.

Now if you think that I just love having surgeries and taking all this medication ... I DON'T.  I do not like taking medicine period ... pre-cancer diagnosis I took ... my hormone (big mistake) and Magnesium.  That was it.  BUT ... having had cancer, I want to ensure, as much as possible to have everything removed that could remotely produce any estrogen ... remember cancer feeds on estrogen ... so my survival chances are raised ... so I take all that I'm told to take and if another surgery is needed ... let's  do it.

Couple of other things that happened during the chemo that I may or may not have mentioned.  Taxotere can turn your nail beds dark and you will lose your nails.  If you remember during previous post during chemo when I would keep my fingers on a block of ice during the Taxotere drip, that was to keep the blood flow shut off to my finger tips to keep from losing my nails.  Well I didn't do that with my feet and I have one nail that has turned completely purple and is in the process of falling off ... and they get very sore during the process.  The other side affect is neuropathy in my feet.  The last three toes on my right developed the neuropathy ... lose of feeling in my toes.  I am thinking this is reversing itself because it is not as bad as it was six weeks ago.  Praise the Lord.

So that was my visit at the doctor ... gosh I talk a lot but ... I want to continue to educate everyone on cancer, the process, the surgeries, the side affects, etc.  Knowledge is power.

Speaking of cost ... I figured out this morning that my radiation for 33 rounds will total $26,400.  Now that in addition to six rounds for chemo at $10,500 each totals a whapping... $89,400 ... for treatment.  That does not include the medications, surgeries, doctor visits, tests and all that goes with this experience.  I Praise my precious Lord for good insurance.

Enough about medical stuff ... My grand babies are doing well.  I fully believe that being a Grammy is the second most precious time in my life ... having my babies was the first.  I am so thankful I am still here to enjoy these precious lives.

Madelyn had her first experience with the sprinkler last night and I captured a small portion of it on my phone camera.  Braxton loves to play outside in the water as well.  I think they will both be little water bugs like their Mommy's.  (Note:  In early spring my front yard had a lot of those prickly weeds so I decided to show them ... I got the Round Up and sprayed them.  Those would be the round brown spots in my yard. <laughing>  God continues to work on my patience building.  Had I waited for a little heat, it would have naturally killed the weeds but oh no, I had to take matters in to my own hands.  <laughing>  Also, I devised me a redneck sprinkler system.  I have the sprinkler that Madelyn is playing in first and with a 15 ft piece of hose, there is another sprinkler running as well.  Who needs to spend $4000 for a sprinkler system with this concoction. <laughing> I could probably sell these systems while I am having my bake sale.  Good idea oh hairless wonder!  <laughing> )

Praises this morning:
*  First and foremost ... knowing that God is in control and is with me every second of every day.
*  Good report from my blood check and visit with Helena.
*  Being able to afford the things that I need.
*  Feeling good even with the hip pain.
*  Going to a diaper shower for my new grand baby today.
*  Only 16 more radiation treatments.  Skin doing well .. tender under my left arm but not too bad.
*  Much much more.

Prayer Requests:
*  My survivor sisters who are still taking chemo.  Some of them are still struggling with the side affects during the treatments.  These are brave women who want to get to the end of the treatments.  Please pray for strength and endurance as they finish up their treatments.
*  Anyone recently diagnosed with a dreadful disease.  Little side story ... my radiation appointment got moved to 7:30am yesterday (instead of my usual 6:00am) and when I got there and as I was walking up to the building ... I prayed ... Father, be with anyone in this building right now who has just found out they have a dreadful disease and are meeting for the first time with a doctor.  Give them the strength they need and comfort of knowing that you are with them.  .... People need our prayers.
*  Unspoken prayer request.  God knows the issues.
*  My daughter, Bonnie, as she goes through the last three weeks of her pregnancy.  She's doing well but is ready for baby number two to get here.  Praise the Lord....

I had a lot I wanted to share today and if you got down to this point, thank you for hanging out and reading the entire post.  Knowledge is power ... got questions, just ask.  I welcome questions, comments, etc.

We are blessed ...
Ephesians 1:3 ... Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.

Blessed and praying blessings for all who are reading this post.


gkmorrison12@gmail.com