Tuesday 28 April 2015

Red energy, rollercoasters and bright spots - Round 6 is in.

Round 6 is done - uneventful except for a welcome visit from Dr. Brown to just chat during infusion.  Quite cool.  It was the "light" version again (no Carboplatin) but the very good news was the Heart MRI last week showed improvement from the previous one - enough that my cardiologist took me off the heart med and next MRI will be in three months.  Hard to say how much, but I certainly know that all the "red energy" I received from all of you definitely helped.  I also think the Calgary Flames' success in Round 1 of the playoffs added a nice spoonful too ;)

The go forward health plan is not as toxic as it has been but certainly not quiet.  I continue Herceptin IV infusions every three weeks for the rest of the calendar year to reduce the risk of recurrence given my tumour was HER2 positive.  As well, I'll start some pill form hormone treatment in a month for up to 5 years, determined by the results of a bone density test that I wil do in the coming weeks.  Neither of those should give me much trouble side effect wise, but I will see as I often seem to discover the rare and unusual ;) I will revisit wound care next week a couple of times too to have them look at my feet issues as well as my never-endingly open neck wound.  The neck will be a factor in my appointment next Friday when I see the plastics doctor again to see what plan if any he suggests for reconstruction.  Tomorrow I see my eye specialist about some vision changes I've had in past weeks -probably related to the various meds, and hopefully reversible once they go away but of course you never know.  So combined with the known grey days coming up the calendar actually looks pretty full!  But the upside is I know once the grey starts to lift it won't be just for a couple weeks, it will continue to a brighter fuller state :)

The other very very bright things to focus on happen in June and July - two incredibly generous friends and collegues of mine who own a house in Maui offered me some time in June when they aren't there, so (start the car!) I will be heading back to continue my vacation in between my Herceptin infusions.  Mom will accompany me and then Dad will join us after about a week. And to fully recover my annual vacations that I missed from the chemo schedule, Colleen is able to join Mom and I for the first week and we'll do Vegas Maui style.  Take that chemo! Compliments of Shannon, Laura and their families.  July will include my return to previous 4 day work (been doing the every three week routine) which makes me feel more normal again, but the real perk of July will be possession of my new condo which has been being built since I purchased last summer!  Yvette and her dogs Monty and Isaac have truly been wonderful roommates (and friends) over this unexpected fourth cancer journey, but just as they will be moving into new digs in July, I am very excited about my new place having seen it again over the past few weeks.

So with the June and July light to look forward to, combined with lots of visits and great time with friends and family during the good days of round 5,  as well as the VIP care I get at mom and dad's, I am ready to get the next week or so overwith (watching playoff hockey will also help that go by!) and will deal with the next phase of stuff as it comes. I even think a game of golf might happen soon as well.  It was 27 degrees and sunny today - almost 6 months since I found out about this unwelcome turn in the life rollercoaster - so I take it as a sign of things to come. As always cancer throws a spotlight on things in a different way, and I come out a little different - maybe stronger, maybe older, mayber wiser - each time. Just like everyone does with all challenges, in whatever form and unexpected time they come in.

As always I know that my ability to ride these turns and loops of the rollercoaster without throwing up every time or falling out entirely is due to the love and energy I am so fortunate to have around me from people far and wide.  And specifically in the past few weeks, the red love and energy.  Never able to say how much it all means to me, but Mahalo for now ;)

Tricia

Photos include love from Lucy in grey days, checking out my new condo progress and the last infusion of Taxotere this morning






Tuesday 7 April 2015

Heart, Feet and Moments

Good news - round 5 is in the blood.  Bad news - only had 2 of the 3 drugs in the protocol.  Seems my heart MRI showing decline, combined with increasing pain and skin deterioriation in my feet (possibly related to the peripheral neuropathy aka numbness from the drugs but not for certain) made my doctors decide to hold back carboplatin for this round.  I hate taking away of the weapons in this fight, but I suppose the risk of heart failure is not a measly contendor either.  The doctors says carbo is the least effective of the 3, so I'm trying to imagine that I still have a machine gun, high-powered sniper rifle, I just had to drop the handgun strapped to my back calf to make it over the next hill.

The medical theme for this round was definitely heart and feet - my low blood pressure and fast heart rate continued even after the fluid I got with round 4 chemo, and the cardio team didn't like it combined with my decline in the MRI.  So they suggested I get a blood pressure machine for home and monitor those.  Costo to the rescue for $60 you get a good quality one and there wasn't any improvement so they stopped the cardio med I was taking to help protect my heart altogether.  I ramped up water intake and by around day 12 the BP was a bit higher and pulse a bit lower.  Then Friday I started a new heart med that seems to be helping lower my pulse (haven't had a pulse below 100 since flesh-eating disease in 2006 so it's quite amazing) and my blood pressure is behaving the past two days just in time for round 5.  My feet have been getting worse with pain and redness in various spots - been trying all sorts of remedies including some good ideas from friends but that is a concern if the issues become permanent.  And finally I've noticed some vision changes so going to have that checked out - hard to say if it's the multitude of meds but also like to see so will get the specialist's viewpoint.  Kind of feel like I shoud sing my own version of "Head and Shoulders, Knees and Toes" like "Eyes and Heart and Feet and Toes" but perhaps that's inspired by the cool rendition of the former song by Adam Levine impersonating Frank Sinatra when he was on Jimmy Fallon recently - seriously check it out - two other songs he does are pretty mind-blowing and funny.

In the life theme, I continued living pretty fully despite the complex themes above.  I managed to get to my Provincial Cancer Advisory council meetings at the end of week 2, which confirmed that one of the reasons I am still ticking is for the value I can add for generations in the future to make this path disappear or get smoother for them.  I added some value at PwC last week doing some more global project work. I also fit in several lunches, dinners and fun visits with friends, was happy to celebrate my roommate's engagement :) and enjoyed some amazing care packages, cards and flowers sent by friends from afar.  Even started some painting - I'm planning to resurrect one of my passions by creating some tangible positive outputs during this unexpected time.

Speaking of resurrection, Easter and its reminder of new beginnings was timely just before I headed to Tom Baker yesterday morning for bloodwork for round 5 - colouring eggs with the boys Friday, visiting Ryan's hospice (or the pad as he called it) with Tasha and Talyn to mark a surreal 5 years since the end of his human journey Saturday, and a delicious meal with Brandon and Jacqui's with everyone including Lucy Easter Sunday was a perfect use of my "best days" and a reminder that life and the moments now I can still enjoy, and everyone can enjoy despite whatever shape our challenges continue to come in, are spectacular and kind of the whole point.

So Happy Easter, enjoy more moments, and as I know (and am thankful for) you will continue sending me prayers/energy/thoughts - just visualize a bit of red while you do so - my heart and I would appreciate it;) Cheers