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Category: My Pink Journey

My Journey Update

Cindy12 Comments

It’s been a while since I’ve posted about my pink journey here so I figured I’d do an update. I am one month out now from the completion of radiation treatments. My skin is healing nicely and I don’t have any real issues with my skin now other than being dark on my shoulder in the radiation field. I also have been dealing with my muscles tightening up in my arm and hand on the radiation side. I continue to do stretching exercises to try and relieve that situation.

I started taking Tamoxifen today which I’m a bit concerned about this drug therapy but I know it is necessary as my cancer tumor was estrogen positive and I have to make sure I don’t feed my cancer. I am concerned about all the side effects with Tamoxifen but I am reminded that this whole thing is out of my hands. I need to leave it all in the healing hands of our Lord.

So overall I’m doing pretty good and just wanted to let everyone know how I am doing. My hair is growing back but at a very sloooow rate. My hair has always been fine so all this chemo hasn’t been good for my hair. But it is growing and I hope by Christmas to have a little “do” that I can display so I don’t have to continue the knit hat and ball cap routine.

More later, until then thank you everyone for all your wonderful warm thoughts and prayers.
Cindy

Radiation is Finished!

Cindy30 Comments

My radiation is finished today. I completed 33 treatments of radiation for breast cancer including the boosts. I post a picture of fireworks as an illustration of celebration but it’s also how hot of some of my skin feels. The worst of my skin is my shoulder blade area and under my arm. Recall your nastiest sunburn and that might help you understand how red and raw my skin is in places. I’m told these areas are typically the worst for breast radiation patients.

But it’s over! I can now begin to recover. Tomorrow I don’t have to drive 100 miles for treatment and then go to work. Tomorrow I don’t have to get into that radiation fry pan again. Tomorrow my skin can begin to heal. For all these things, I thank God and am happy that I have turned another corner on my pink journey. There is light at the end of my tunnel and I’m almost there.

My Fire

Cindy21 Comments

I post a picture of fire to represent how my radiation feels today. It’s like a fire under my arm and especially under my armpit. I have one more full breast radiation treatment on Monday and then I have my boost. The boost is just radiation to my tumor bed so my armpit will get a break — Yahoo. I need this break so much and will be very happy to be done with my radiation a week from Monday. Until then, please be patient with me as I haven’t been able to do much crocheting lately and haven’t had any new recycled patterns to share with you this week.

Rest assured, God willing, I will be back soon and in full health to post more free patterns very soon.

MUGA Scan & Rads

Cindy10 Comments

Sometimes I am just amazed at all the new words and cancer lingo that I have picked up in this pink journey of mine. If you are not familiar with a MUGA (MUltiple Gated Acquisition) scan, it is a nuclear medicine test to evaluate the function of the heart ventricles. Specifically it is used to test my left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) rate of blood. This test is used to monitor my heart’s overall function while taking the cancer drug Herceptin. While Herceptin is an excellent drug to fight the HER2+ cancer cells, it can affect ones heart function and in some cases cause serious heart damage.

In May, I had a baseline MUGA scan done before I started Herceptin. My baseline score was 55. A normal score is between 50-80. My treatment plan has me scheduled to take Herceptin for a full year. So having a beginning score of only 55 made me very nervous. Many people’s scores are reduced as they continue on Herceptin and if you have too low of a score, you may have to stop Herceptin or cut back on your treatments. Because it is a wonder drug for breast cancer patients who are HER2 positive like me, I was really anxious to have my first MUGA done since I started Herceptin.

I am thrilled to share that my recent MUGA score was 61.9. I am so happy and relieved to know that my heart is functioning well and that my score was actually higher than the baseline one. So that means for now, I am tolerating the Herceptin well and it’s not causing any damage to my heart.

One other update to share is that my radiation or rads as we call it in the cancer lingo world, is going well. On Thursday, I will be halfway done with my treatments. My skin has just a mild pink look which is similar to a sunburn. I am using my gel cream twice daily and so far my skin is holding up.

Anyway that’s all the MUGA and rads news I have to share. Now I’m off to work on a new recycled tote bag project that I’m trying to get done. I’ll be back to share it soon, until then — Happy Green Crafting to all!

My Radiation Road

Cindy6 Comments

Well, this week I’m officially on the radiation roadway. On Monday, I had my simulation where the radiology tech walks you through a sample treatment procedure and shows you all the machines. I also had my form made. It’s a big blue pillow that is filled with bead-like material which is similar to a bean bag chair. The pillow is big and starts about at my mid back and goes up passed my head. You lay down on it to shape your head and body into the pillow and put your arms up above your head just like you will do for each radiation treatment. The radiology technician then sucks the air out of the form, leaving it shaped firmly just to fit your body. The form is used for me to lay down upon now for each radiation treatment. The idea is that I will be in the exact same position each time and this form helps the techs place me precisely the same for each treatment. I had x-rays and a CT scan done for the doctor to do all the necessary calculations for my treatments.

I returned on Wednesday once all the calculations were completed.