It was a full morning at the cancer center. First, an appointment with my oncologist followed by my monthly treatment. We discussed my current status, including my recent tumor markers and PET/CT scan. After rising tumor markers for a few months, this time they leveled off. I am very happy about that, of course. The PET/CT scan confirms that all is stable with no cause for excitement. I am very happy about that, as well. My husband and I had such a good discussion with my oncologist and Sherri, the newest member of our team since Dr. Mehta’s oncology nurse retired a few months ago. I was glad to see that Sherri is still smiling, even after my appointment with my usual list of questions and comments. I must say that no matter when I have had a meeting with my oncologist, I leave feeling uplifted, even in the face of bad news. She has a marvelous way of counteracting the brutal truth and frightening aspects of this diagnosis with a forthright delivery. Her personal charm doesn’t hurt, either.
It appears that Faslodex® is continuing to work for me, and I am ecstatic. It seems to be as kind a treatment as I could have, with side effects being much less onerous than other treatments. Probably the most significant side effect is the five- to seven-day fatigue following treatment. Nausea, some diarrhea and a general malaise are a bit annoying but not much worse. The injection sites (one on each hip) can be a bit sore or itchy for the 24 hours following treatment, but even that is something that, at times, can be annoying is not a big problem for me. As I have discovered, massaging the site following the treatment does seem to help the medication disperse, and that, in turn, eases the soreness and itching.
It was a day for a tour jeté, if only in my mind.
Daily dose of awareness
Dense breast tissue is receiving attention as another important risk factor. Some states have established guidelines for informing patients who have dense breast tissue according to a tiered classification. At this time there is no standard for such classification.
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© 2004–2011 Donna Peach. All rights reserved.
Donna Peach 