Dem Bones

In the past three weeks, I have had two scans, a full-body CT scan and a full-body bone scan. The previous CT scan showed some improvement to "shadowy" tumor areas. However, previous bone scans have not shown any progress -- until now.

Get this, folks: the latest bone scan showed NO NEW areas of metastases; in addition, the report showed a diminishing (!!) of most of the previous bone shadows.

This....is.... great.... news. It means that we are on the right track in treatment protocols.

So.... although the tumor areas have not been completely eliminated, progress has been made. I will be continuing with chemo infusions. For how long? Can't say at this point.

I am tolerating the protocol pretty well. I do get tired and occasionally feel loopy, but am able to continue playing church gigs, singing, and teaching. I have begun experiencing some neuropathy in the left hand. It is possible my naturopath will recommend increasing my intake of L-Glutamine, which is the supplement that helps counteract the effects of hand and foot neuropathy.

Many have wondered how I have been able to tolerate 8+ months of chemo without experiencing extreme side effects. I credit my naturopath M.D., who has helped me manage a heavy course of supplementation to counteract the side effects of chemo. I actually take a supplement to "up" my white- and red-blood cell counts; and another to help lower blood pressure. I take six mega-multi-vitamins daily, vitamin D-3, black currant oil, melatonin, colloidal silver, calcium...... and on and on the list goes. I am even taking THC oil (cannabis oil). And, of course, I still give myself mistletoe injections every other day to bolster my immune system.

Living a relatively normal life -- in my case, this means making music and being with all my musician friends -- has been key for my survival. And, of course, prayers and plenty of good vibes from everyone have made an impact; of that I am certain. Thank you, all, for your support and love.

Onward.

November Update

I'm sorry that my absence from posting has caused concern to some of my blog followers. There has really been very little news to report. I am about to begin Cycle 7 of chemo infusion treatments. So far, have had 18 IV infusions in addition to the oral study drug.

Thankfully, side effects are not bad enough to keep me from teaching piano, playing gigs, and singing. Some tummy upset and general fatigue come and go, but I do my best to slog through those times. Having NO hair -- anywhere!! -- is just plain weird. I was forewarned about the head-hair loss and have adapted with wigs and hats. But it's kind of freaky having no eye lashes, no eyebrows, and no NOSE HAIRS!  I find it rather amusing to pinch my nostrils together and they just stay stuck in that configuration for several seconds. Gotta find humor where we can, ay?

My cough is almost totally under control, thanks to understanding the effects of acid reflux. The voice is not totally recovered, but I am happy to report that I am back to doing some singing.

Next scan is scheduled for November 15. Let's hope it shows positive results.

Looking forward to accompanying my grandson Jacob and his family to see a Penn State hockey game this Friday -- in honor of his 10th birthday!

xoxox to all....

Scan Results

Went in for blood work this a.m. in preparation for another week of chemo. I was anticipating seeing my oncologist in two days to discuss results of last week's scan. But my study coordinator stated that the doc wanted to see me prior to my next chemo treatment, just in case we needed to change the protocol based on scan results. So in the late a.m., I was squeezed into my oncologist's schedule.

The report showed improvement (i.e., reduction in size of tumors) in several areas: breast tissue (original tumor site), lymph, and liver. All of those areas show little, if any, tumor presence. No new growth. There were still anomalies in some areas of the bone.... in scapula (no change from before) and in the lower spine (no change). A new "shadow" appeared on a rib fairly close to the original tumor area. I had felt some soreness there earlier in the summer, which had dissipated. But there now appears to be "activity" there. I had felt that I had bruised that area when doing some gardening a couple of months ago. The doc said that inflammation due to injury often looks the same as cancer activity on a scan; so it is possible that this area might not be cancer at all, but the result of inflammation due to bruising. Let's hope that is the case!

All in all, the news I got today was good. We are sticking with the present chemo protocol, especially since I am tolerating it pretty well. Cancer blood markers were drawn today; I will have results of those on Wednesday when I begin Treatment I of Cycle 6 of chemo.

Onward.

Scanning the Horizon

This will be a quickie post, just to check in.

I am chugging along with treatment and, so far, it's fairly tolerable. Last week marked end of Cycle #4. I have now had 12 infusions of chemo along with oral study drug. I will have results at my next oncology appointment... September 14.

This coming Thursday (September 8), I will have another full-body scan. My last scan (in July) did not really show any improvement, except for some change in right lymph nodes. I am not thrilled with having so many scans, but alas, I am now on this bus and I am not the driver.

So let's try to enjoy the ride!

"What you eat....

....could EAT YOU!"

This is another take on that famous bumper-sticker phrase: "You are what you eat."

Those of you who have been following this blog know that, in addition to the cancer that is trying to get me down, I have been suffering from a chronic cough that has been exacerbated by speaking. The voice has also been adversely affected, preventing me from doing solo vocal work. It's been a real bummer.

But after learning of LPR (laryngopharyngeal reflux) from my friend Carol, who has suffered vocal problems from this condition, I began to more carefully monitor what I was eating and drinking. The results have been dramatic. I have totally cut out coffee, wine, beer and most (but not all) teas from my diet. I have also learned which foods are alkaline and which are acidic; the goal is to "drop acid" (fun pun!). I am also drinking a ton of water and sipping apple cider vinegar mixed with honey and warm water throughout the day. Eating large meals is a no-no, especially close to bedtime.

The result of my dietary changes is that the cough, although not totally gone, is significantly less frequent. I am able to speak for long periods and do some brief snippets of singing with little or no coughing.  I hope that, in time, my cough-ravaged voice will heal. After over a year of suffering with this, the relief I am feeling is monumental!

So.... hey out there.... if you know anyone who has a chronic cough, consider an acidic diet and acid reflux as a source of the problem. I cannot believe I suffered with this for so long and no medical professional seemed to have the answer. I have discovered that there are, indeed, doctors who know about this, but you have to know who those smart ones are.... alas.

Sidebar comment about chemo treatments: I am in the middle of a treatment-free week. I seem to be tolerating everything pretty well, thank goodness. Next Wednesday begins 10th chemo treatment.

Life in the Wig Room

Translation: "the wig room" is the place where chemo patients gather for weekly chemo infusions.

I have now been "in treatment" for almost 10 weeks. The first few weeks were a bit of an adjustment. There was some nausea and stomach upset, and a dizzy, loopy feeling -- almost felt like a constant hangover. After the first round of treatment (3 weeks), I experienced some relief from adverse symptoms with help from my mistletoe doc who changed my supplementation to alleviate side effects. This helped immensely!

The biggest problem I had was with a huge dose of Benadryl given in a pre-chemo cocktail with every infusion. I found that I simply could not tolerate the intense groggy stupor from the Benadryl; then, as it wore off, I experienced a hyper-jittery state that prevented me from having a peaceful night's sleep. So every Wednesday afternoon, I was in a fog-like state and every Wednesday night, I lay awake all night long; hence, Thursday was spent in a state of total sleep deprivation. The Benadryl is given only as a prophylactic drug in case of allergic reaction to the chemo. I finally convinced my doc to reduce the Benadryl dosage.... and then, when even that didn't seem to help much.... to eliminate it completely. It has made a huge difference in my ability to function every Wednesday and Thursday of treatment weeks. I never displayed an allergic reaction to the chemo, thank goodness. So "bye bye Benadryl!"

A follow-up scan was administered on July 13. It showed no advancement of the cancer and possible reduction of a lymph node tumor. Because I am on an additional study drug, scans will be pretty frequent. I found out that the study I am on requires most patients to be in treatment for at least six 3-week cycles -- that's essentially 6 months' time. Some patients are in treatment for a year or more.

I still experience some days of fatigue. But for the most part, I am tolerating the treatment pretty well.
Hair is not totally gone; but after having a buzz cut and now looking like a white-haired chicken, hats and wigs are standard apparel.

I am grateful that I am still able to play a lot of church gigs and teach piano. Making music is key to my survival. Singing is still problematic but progress is being made; will save that story for another posting.

Thanks, as always, to friends who send emails and cards to let me know you are "out there" and thinking of me. It really does matter -- so very much.

"I get by.....

. . . with a little help from my friends."

This post is a thank you note. To my friends. Wonderful, supportive, email-writing, card-sending, well-wishing friends. Three such friends responded to my (previously posted) clarion call for help about the dratted cough that is plaguing me.

My ole college roomie and buddy Carol (Wolf-o), who is a professional vocalist (opera in Pittsburgh), shared some very valuable info about vocal issues she has had; she wondered if perhaps my cough and subsequent voice problems might be related to what she has uncovered about her own problem. Not only did she give me a physician reference, but she shared many links to sites about .... ready? it's long.... laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR, for short). I could give all the boring details about this, but if you are really interested, just look it up on-line, and you'll find plenty. Bottom line is.... it seems that this condition can often contribute to a chronic cough. Which I have, doggone-it!

Another old pal, Juliann (Jules),  synchronistically as Carol was emailing me, sent along a plethora of links to information about LPR and many other articles and medical sites related to chronic cough. Wow, Jules, you really did a huge search for me!

And then my out-law "sistuh" Peggy messaged to me the name of a good vocal doc right near me in Chevy Chase. Thanks, Pegs!

So thanks to "a little help from my friends," I may be making some headway in the cough department. More to come on this later as progress is made -- hope, hope.

 Another pillar of support deserves a shout out: my singing buddy Cindi. When I knew I had to pick out a wig, I knew who to call for selection advice; Cindi was at the wig store in a heartbeat.
She is a rock of support; best of all, she can see the humor and irony in every dark situation and can bring you around to the lighter side. A couple weekends ago, she treated me to dinner and pulled out a present: an adult coloring book entitled "Hello, My Name is Cancer" (picture a large name tag, like the kind you'd where to a conference). It is absolutely hilarious! If you google the title, you'll find a site that describes the book and shows sample pages. This book will keep me laughing my way through chemo treatments.

So thank you, Beatles, for that wonderful song. And thank you friends. With your help, I can always "get by."