KnockKnockTX.com

It has been a couple of weeks since I posted an update. This tends to means things are going really well or I am in the hospital too sick to post. In this instance I have been well & busy resting up so I can see David’s baseball games. It is still cold outside and the cold really wears me out.

Last week I took a big whooping shot in the hip (Faslodex) and have struggled with nausea most of the week. I was at clinic yesterday and I saw Dr. Young. My blood counts were good so I was able to get my infusion of Avastin & Zometa. They also gave me an injection of compazine to try & break this nausea cycle. I was able to eat dinner last night, some breakfast this morning and then watch the boys play a game of baseball. I have missed two games this week.

This was a good game to watch it was for the championship of the consolation bracket. It was day time and a bit warmer. David started the game pitching and pitched 5 2/3 innings with 7 strikeouts and no runs. He came out with the score 3-0, runners on the corners and two outs. They brought in Daniel to pitch. He did a great job. The boys had a couple of defensive errors which allowed David’s runners to score. In the end, we tied the game but won on most runners advancing on the bases.

Next week I will see the Cardiologist and will we will get an update on how my heart is healing. We pray it is getting stronger. I continue to struggle with fatigue and shortness of breathe with stairs and exertion. I must be honest; I know God is not through with me here for it is his healing powers that brought me home. I am thankful for everyday he gives me to be here with my family and friends.

I had a visit with my oncology team today. All my lab work looks great. They drew tumor markers at my prior visit and they dropped significantly (good news). We will repeat them at our next visit and see how they are trending. They had been rising consistently which was one of the reasons we changed chemo treatments at Thanksgiving. At least it would be nice to know that the chemo that nearly killed me had a positive impact on my cancer. She could not find the enlarged lymph node that we found at Thanksgiving and the liver was smaller by palpation. All in all a fabulous visit!

Kathe Cooper and I had lunch today at her house. It is so nice to have a change of scenery. We have known each other since the boys were in 2nd grade. They grew up playing baseball together at Blue Raider. Kathe and I worked on the big fundraiser that helped Blue Raider rebuild some of the fields and build the new concession stand with real restrooms. Kathe and I reminisced about the old days and life in general. Before we new it, it was 5 pm. What a great day!

David had his 1st baseball game of the season; it was a scrimmage against Crowley High School. There some confusion with the schedule and we went to their school and their Freshmen came to Southwest. In other words each JV team ended up playing the other schools Freshmen team. We won quite easily. David played 1st and pitched well. It was quite cold and windy. I wore a heavy coat and winter gloves. John and I left after 2 1/2 hours, the boys played 3 hrs. David pitched the last 30 minutes which means we missed seeing David pitch.

The family all got together at Mom & Dad’s to celebrate February birthdays. Dad and I both became a year older. We had an old family favorite: Mexican casserole. Over the past several weeks and months, we have been reminded of our love for each other and the value of having a family. I continue to get stronger everyday.

I met Tammy, Di and Becky for lunch. It was great seeing them. These are three of my friends I’ve have known for 17+ years. I met them all when we worked in the ICU together. I was the brand new baby nurse and they trained me. They still work in the ICU. Tammy and I became the closest. We were both “day weekend warriors” and had kids about the same age. We had plays 1-2 times a week until Ryan started kindergarten. The next year Jennifer and Whitney (her youngest) started kindergarten and this left just David. Tammy and I became involved in the kids school activities and PTA and we got to were we just saw each other at work. I would never trade for those years or all the days working with the weekend warrior gang.

Mom and I visited the cardiologist, Dr. Lander’s today. He is please and amazed with my progress. He said time will tell if the damage to my heart stays as is, progresses or gets better. He usually makes this determination at 4-6 month most incident. He added two more meds for my heart failure. He wants me to start walking 3-4 times a week for an hour. He said if I get too exhausted to break the walk into sessions just as long as I get an hour of walking in.

I can’t believe how much better I feel in a week. Today Mom and I went to clinic. It is my 1st clinic visit since getting out of the hospital. I have tons of questions. We have decided to hold on chemo for a while so I can get stronger and work on my nutrition. I will continue to take Avastin, Zometa and Faslodex. Faslodex is a monthly injection. I received my 1st injection the day I left the hospital. I received my Avastin & Zometa today. Neither of these infusions are chemo but more supportive meds for cancer. Next clinic visit is in two weeks.

Faslodex is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for post-menopausal women with hormone-receptor-positive metastatic breast cancer after other hormonal treatments, such as aromatase inhibitors or tamoxifen have stopped working. ERDs, or estrogen-receptor down regulators, block and break down estrogen receptors. With fewer hormone receptors available, fewer cancer cells receive the signal telling them to grow. This is how ERDs stop or slow down the growth of hormone-receptor-positive breast cancer cells. The only ERD that’s available is Faslodex (chemical name: fulvestrant).