I'm a 7 year breast cancer survivor!

Glory to God!  I can officially say that I'm a 7 year breast cancer survivor!  March 14, 2012 is the day I had a mastectomy of my right breast that removed the cancer that was in my body.  That is the day that I use as my cancer free day.  I'm sorry I haven't updated my blog in a few years.  Basically it's because I am enjoying life.  When you are given a diagnosis of cancer your priorities change.  I now take the time to smell the roses.  Tim McGraw's song, "Live Like You Were Dying" about sums it up.  We now go on those vacations that we didn't go on before.  It had been years since we had been to the beach.  We now go every year to the Outer Banks.  We also like to take day trips just traveling around West Virginia where we live seeing all of God's handiwork.  There are so many places in West Virginia that are God's masterpiece.  No wonder we call it Almost Heaven West Virginia.  I'm truly blessed to be where I am today.  

Some may wonder if I'm still seeing my wonderful team of doctors.  Yes, I am, but not as often.  I'm down to seeing my wonderful surgeon twice a year.  I have a yearly mammogram on my left breast.  I see my wonderful oncologist 3 times a year now.  He continues to check my blood tumor marker during my visits.  He watches me like a hawk.  I like to joke that I'm his favorite!  He has told me that I'm his most stubborn patient because I made the decision to only take the Tamoxifen for 5 years instead of the new recommendation that you take it for 10 years.  Last year he wanted me to have a CT Scan of the chest and abdomen.  They found a cyst on my left kidney.  Let's just say from there my wonderful oncologist sent me for test after test to make sure I didn't have kidney cancer.  He said that breast cancer doesn't spread to the kidney's so I knew it wasn't from that from the beginning.  I had a PET Scan that didn't show any cancer anywhere in my body.  I had a Bone Scan that didn't show any cancer anywhere in my body.  He sent me to a Urologist who sent me for a MRI that didn't show any cancer anywhere in my body.  Basically what happened was a lot of people have a small cyst on their kidney that they don't know about because it isn't causing them any problems.  They only find it because of testing that is looking for something else.  Finding it was an accidental finding in my opinion.  My wonderful Urologist followed up with an Ultrasound 6 months later.  Nothing has changed so I will go back again in a few months.  If nothing has changed I was told they will release me.  

So with all of that along with a few other things last year was a really rough year for me mentally.  The day after my last test my precious mom had to be hospitalized.  She was released to my care at my home with advanced COPD.  I took care of my mom for 5 weeks before the Lord took her on to Heaven peacefully in her sleep.  I was not prepared to loose my mom, my best friend and the person who I adored the most in this world.  I am still struggling with her loss, but I do know that I will see her again.  She's safe now and with Jesus and my brother, my grandparents and having a great time.  

I'll try to post a few things that would be of interest to anyone reading this looking for answers of how my breast cancer story connects to theirs.  Not every cancer is the same and not every person goes through the same experiences but for the most part the tests and just general advice of how I dealt with it all might be helpful to others so I will try to pass on what I've learned and hopefully it will help others in the process.  

Angela

 

I forgot to pack it!

 

We went on vacation in July and I forgot to pack the pink box that my prosthesis sleeps in at night when I'm not wearing it!  Yikes!  What is a girl to do?  Well, you improvise and do the best that you can do to try to keep your prosthesis form from looking odd from not being in it's pink box all night.  

 

 Here's what I did.  I left my prosthesis in my bra and I used a hanger to help hold it in shape while it hung in the closet overnight.  It worked out great! 

You can see how I hung it in the picture above.  I'm so glad that I was able to figure out something to do like that because I would have hated to walk around lopsided all week!  Hopefully I won't forget my little pink box the next time, but if I do I know what to do if I have that type of hanger around.

Angela

Blood Tumor Marker Numbers

My oncologist always takes my blood at every appointment for the blood tumor marker test.  I will have to say that this is something that I know very little about except that my blood tumor marker numbers go up and down and never stay at the same number.  I have done so much research on this topic that it blows my mind that there isn't more online about it at all.  I have scoured through breast cancer forums looking for any tips on the subject, but pretty much come up empty handed on the subject.  From what I've read a lot of oncologist don't and won't use the blood test because there are many false positives and false negatives in the test itself.  A few women have mentioned on the forums I've read that their oncologist says that if they drink too much caffeine or eat too much sweet surgery desserts before the test then their numbers will be elevated. 

Last week I had my routine visit with my oncologist.  It has been a good 2 1/2 years since I had my mastectomy surgery and yet I still cry on my way to see the oncologist.  I can't help it!  Cancer is real and going to his office makes it too much of a reality that I somewhat relive this horrible nightmare that I can't seem to wake up from.  Once I'm at his office I'm fine.  More so now because my appointments are in the afternoon which means most people who are receiving chemo have already left for the day.  It is hard to see people receiving chemo.  I'm sorry if that bothers anyone that I said that, but it is very hard to see it when in the back of your mind you are thinking that could be me someday.  You see, I don't want to do chemo. 

A few days after my blood work my oncologist's office called.  That's not good when they call.  They called to tell me my numbers went up again and wanted to know if I want to have a PET Scan.  He is just too cautious!  Which is good and bad all at the same time!  I had CT Scans and bone scans back in October of 2013 when my blood tumor marker number was 33.  They went down to a 26 and last week they were at 29.  I don't think I will do the PET Scan.  I just don't want to do it.  I'm not having any problems.  It makes me feel bad that I don't want to do the test because there are many people out there that are begging to have this test done.  Most people want these tests and can't get them because of their insurance won't pay for the test.  Some need them and can't afford to do it.  I have wonderful insurance that will pay 100% of the test and I don't want the test!  Go figure!  There is a lot of controversial information about the PET Scan that makes me not want to have it done.  Plus, nothing showed up in October.

The controversial information that I've read is that if you move too much before the PET Scan then it can show false results.  After you are injected with the dye from nuclear medicine you are supposed to remain as still as you can in a dark room.  They won't even let you read a book because it can mess up the test just from where you turned a few pages in a book or magazine!  I've also heard that if you have a scratch on your arm it might light up and show a possibility of there being cancer at that location which would result in further testing. 

In my research of the topic of PET Scans I happened upon another blog of a lady who had the PET Scan.  It was a good read and very informational that I am going to recommend that you read it if you are considering a PET Scan for yourself.  Her blog is called:  Breast Cancer?  But Doctor....  I hate pink!  Go HERE to see the post mentioned above.

If anyone has any further information that you would like to share please do so by making a comment.  I would love to hear your input on the subject.

Angela