My breast cancer journal

Update 2004

Wednesday, November 8, 2000

YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHAW! I am done, done, done!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I took lunch over to the radiology office - a platter of subs, chips and mini-Oreos along with some Thank You! balloons. I am so grateful for the kindness everyone there has shown me. When I arrived there, I was hurt, betrayed, angry, and not really trusting doctors anymore. They made it safe for me to express my feelings, to accept the treatment, and to become a happy participant in my own recovery again. I'm not actually sure that they realize how great a gift that was, because they were just being themselves. That is a very special group of people.

After I dropped their lunch off, I took myself out to lunch and then some shopping. I bought a really cute, summery outfit at deep discount. Then I headed over for my treatment. I sat and gabbed with the other patients, who were all jealous it was my last day. And finally I had my treatment. I was sent off with a survey and an appointment to see Dr. Chen in 4 weeks. I came right home, and I washed all the magic marker off my breast, applied some Aquaphor, and got into more comfortable clothes. Rick and I will dress up and go out for dinner tonight, maybe a movie.
posted by Karen Weber Wednesday, November 8, 2000

Ladies, Take the Tests That Save Lives!
posted by Karen Weber Wednesday, November 8, 2000

Test Can Detect Breast Cancer Before Mammogram - ductal lavage.
posted by Karen Weber Wednesday, November 8, 2000

Komen Foundation Announces the 'Gift of Life'
posted by Karen Weber Wednesday, November 8, 2000

Tuesday, November 7, 2000

Just one more radiation treatment to go!!!!!!!!!!! Yipppeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yesterday, Laurie was touching up the magic marker circle on my breast and I thought she was maybe writing a little bit extra. Sure enough, I get home and she's drawn a happy face in the middle of the circle. Too funny!

I went today to have an eye exam. I just don't feel like my eyes are the same post-chemo as they were pre-chemo. And tamoxifen has been known to cause eye problems, from cataracts to retinal detachment. These side effects are usually associated with higher doses than I take, but given my luck, I figure it's best to go in, establish a baseline and then follow-up annually while I'm taking it. The good news is that my eyes are just getting old, probably given a shove in that direction by chemotherapy. The bad news is that I need reading glasses. The doctor said I could get away without them for another year or so, but I would start to notice more fatigue and experience more headaches if I went that route. He confirmed my feeling that the left eye is weaker than the right. It tires more quickly and has an astigmatism. At any rate, I've picked out a couple of cheap frames and I'll be getting them in a week or so. They recommended a tint for working at the computer, and when I asked what color they would recommend, they said rose! So I'll be looking at the world through rose-colored glasses from now on! I've been accused of that before, but from now on it will be the truth :-)

After the treatment and the eye exam (including dilation), I was more than ready for a nap. But the phone kept ringing and ringing. I finally gave up and got up. One call was from the nurse at our GP's office. She had Rick's results from his check up last week. The good news: his PSA is very low. The bad news: his cholesterol and triglycerides are out of control. He's going to go on Zocor and have a stress echocardiogram. So when I get the go ahead from the radiology oncologist to go on my diet, Rick will join me. We are planning to go mostly plant-based with a lot of fish and a little chicken. I need to do low sodium, and Rick will need to do low sugar and low fat. You know, it's a total drag getting old!
posted by Karen Weber Tuesday, November 7, 2000

BellaOnline: journals - I was interviewed about my journal and featured at this great site for women.
posted by Karen Weber Tuesday, November 7, 2000

There are a couple other things I have to write about. First, Rick and I were talking about my hair Sunday night when a commercial for Pantene came on and promised that if I would just use their product, I would notice the difference in my hair in just 10 days. Rick, of course, didn't miss the opportunity to laugh and joke about that!

Last night, after I had gone to bed, Rick brought in a package off the porch. He woke me up to show it to me. I was willing to let it wait until this morning, but he was like a kid on Christmas Eve and was opening it before I could say anything. It's a lovely basket from an old Internet friend, Simmie, and one of her co-workers. I'm not exactly clear how she found this site, but she did and she sat and read through the whole archive. The gift basket arrived with a very touching letter from her. It was heavily loaded with chocolate along with some herbal teas and a cute plaque about cats. Simmie is a total sweetie. She once drove down from LA to San Diego to pick us up at the airport and drive us to my ortho appointment. What a gal!

Speaking of ortho appointments, I spent a good amount of time yesterday setting up appointments. I made the vision appointment for today, a dental cleaning appointment plus a check on a loose filling (had to wait for approval from my oncologist before I could do this), and a local ortho appointment. I also need to make an appointment to see my surgeon in December and to see my San Diego ortho in Feb when Rick can go with me. I'll see the cardiologist again in January, get tumor markers drawn in January as well, then see my oncologist in early February. I've heard that some patients have a feeling of despair after they complete chemo and radiation, because they aren't actively doing anything about their cancer anymore. When I look at my appointment book, I don't think that's going to be a problem for me. I just can't wait to get back to my normal life where I get up in the morning and wander about the house for hours in my PJs without a single thought in my head about leaving the house. It's going to seem like such a luxury to be able to do that again! (Just so no one gets the wrong idea - I do shower! And I put on clean PJs every morning. And I usually dress in real clothes before Rick gets home. I'm not totally hopeless! Just call before you come over if you want me in clothes!)

I've made arrangements to pick up some goodies to take over to the radiation therapists for their lunch tomorrow. They've been so nice to me through this treatment, I wanted to do something special for them. I was hoping to have it delivered, but that was a no go. So I'm going to have to take them myself -- so everyone pray that the goodies arrive at their intended destination intact!
posted by Karen Weber Tuesday, November 7, 2000

Monday, November 6, 2000

A couple of milestones: I went to church yesterday with no hat and sang with the band. Up until now, I've been concerned that my head might be distracting, but I'm feeling that it looks acceptable now without the hat. No one asked where the hat was, so I'm assuming no one cares. At the end of the service, the pastor mentioned a new addition to our congregation, a beautiful baby named Grace. Well, let me tell you, I've met Grace up close and personal. I was over to her house on Friday and held her and fed her a bottle and tried to burp her without much luck (she just went to sleep). That child has more hair on her head than I'll have come next April. So when Bob mentioned Grace, I just leaned into my microphone and said, "Bob, that child has my hair." Everyone cracked up. She is a gorgeous child, but she must have been growing hair even before she was conceived! Grace is the second baby in our church born in the past few months who has more hair than I do. I think God is having a little laugh on me. Our church is very small. What are the odds that all the babies would have more hair than me? And yet, it happens! That God, he is one funny guy!
posted by Karen Weber Monday, November 6, 2000

Sunday, November 5, 2000

Dietary intervention increases omega-3-omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) ratios in breast and gluteal fat in women with breast cancer - low fat dietary intervention with fish oil can change the fat composition in the breast and act as a preventative to development of breast cancer.
posted by Karen Weber Sunday, November 5, 2000

Clinical use of the pineal hormone melatonin (MLT) in medical oncology.
posted by Karen Weber Sunday, November 5, 2000

Saturday, November 4, 2000

Factsheet 8: Tamoxifen - I've been noticing some increased facial hair over the last week and wondered if it is due to tamoxifen. According to this fact sheet, it probably is. In the same sentence, the fact sheet tells me that some women notice a difference in their singing voices when taking tamoxifen. So maybe I'll become a baritone????
posted by Karen Weber Saturday, November 4, 2000

Dietary Factors and the Survival of Women with Breast Carcinoma
posted by Karen Weber Saturday, November 4, 2000

Friday, November 3, 2000

We are just back from the oncologist. He went over the tumor markers - all normal, which I already knew from the nurse. The bone scan is completely normal except my right knee, and that's because of the multiple surgeries I had on it and the ongoing arthritis. There was a spot on the CT scan that is suspicious, but it was enhanced by the contrast. Typically, a liver met is dark rather than bright on a CT, so the oncologist is very doubtful it's anything to worry about. But... we need to make sure, so he's sending me for an MRI. It may be up to a month before that can be scheduled, so in the meantime, we aren't going to worry. (That includes you, mom!)
posted by Karen Weber Friday, November 3, 2000

NIH Consensus Panel Recommends a Range of Adjuvant Therapies for Women with Breast Cancer
posted by Karen Weber Friday, November 3, 2000

NIH Consensus Statements: 114. Adjuvant Therapy for Breast Cancer
posted by Karen Weber Friday, November 3, 2000

Thursday, November 2, 2000

Blogger has been picking on me this week. It ate my 10/31 entry that I spent over an hour writing, and it hasn't let me log in to enter anything else since then. So I'll try to re-create what I wrote and then let you in on how the boosts are going. I had a lot of fun at radiation on Halloween. I signed in and sat in the waiting area gabbing with the other patients. When it was time for my treatment, I reached into my tote and pulled out my glow-in-the-dark skull mask. Then I sat and waited for Laurie, my radiation therapist, to come and call me in. And I waited, and waited, and waited. After about 10 minutes, Laurie finally stuck her head out the door and I yelled, "Boo!" She totally cracked up. She said she'd been looking through the window for me, but didn't see me. As I went back to the treatment room, everyone laughed as I went past. For my troubles, I got a nice bag of candy and had my last full breast treatment.

After the treatment, I had to get off the table so they could prep it for the booster sim. The sheets of Vigilon that I wear under my breast were on my stomach during the radiation treatment, and they started to fall off when I stood up. So I grabbed them and slapped them on my nipples and said they were pasties. The therapists were laughing, and I was laughing, and the radiation oncologist walked in, and she even laughed. Anyway, then I got on the table and Dr. Chen went looking for my scar. She had a lot of trouble finding it - my scar is so thin, straight, and light that it's hard to find amid the skin wrinkles from the Vigilon and bra. She started drawing one circle, then realized that she wasn't in the right area. So out came an alcohol wipe. Then she made a second try at it. It didn't feel like she was in the right area, and when she said "I'm afraid this is going to include part of your nipple" I knew she was in the wrong zip code. So out came the alcohol wipe again. I told her that if she would give me a mirror, I'd show her exactly where it was. No mirror. So I just showed her by touch where it is, and then she did some palpation of her own and we ended up with a correctly located black magic marker oval about 6" x 4". I checked it, of course, when I got home, and it seems to be centered around the scar.

Once the new artwork was completed, it was time to make the form they use for the boost. A cone was fitted on to my friend, Svinging Sven the Radiation Machine. A light source shines through the cone and onto the breast. The therapist inserted a piece of glass at the end of the cone, then slowly drew an oval on it that matched the oval on my breast. From this, a piece of lead was created with an opening that matches the treatment field represented by the oval on my breast.

When I got home from treatment on Tuesday, I had a lot of soreness in my side and breast. I haven't normally had discomfort directly after treatment, but hoo boy, I wasn't happy on Tuesday. I spent most of Halloween half naked on the couch while Rick doled out candy on the other side of the house. My entire breast was red, too. It normally has only been red in the shower or after I've been in bed under the warm covers for a while. In fact, when I went in for my first boost on Wednesday, the therapists were surprised at how it had gone from normal color to lobster after one treatment. It's faded somewhat today, but it's still pink. Still, I think that having the lymphatic drainage done during radiation has really helped. Other than the burns under the breast where I was abraded during the echocardiogram, I've had remarkably few skin problems, no hardening or fibrosis, only transient swelling, and pain only from the burns. I'm very hopeful that I won't have to do the intensive decongestive treatment so many women have to do following radiation.
posted by Karen Weber Thursday, November 2, 2000

Forgot to mention that I had my weekly meeting with Dr. Chen yesterday even though she'd been in to draw on me the day before. She said that I'm the perkiest patient they've had there in anyone's memory, and that she was glad to see that I wasn't having too much of a problem with fatigue. To tell the truth, I think I'm still experiencing enough recovery from the chemotherapy to more than offset whatever fatigue radiation might be causing. We went over my most recent blood counts. My white blood cells have gone down from middle-of-the-range normal to bargain-basement normal. They should start back up this week. I'm still anemic, but again, not enough that anyone wants to do anything about it. Perhaps I should stop acting so perky, and look as tired as I feel. Seems like the bone marrow that makes red blood cells should be making its recovery later this month. If I'm still low in December, I'll be more insistent about asking for some help with that.

Dr. Chen told me that it will take 2-3 weeks for the toxins to work out of my system and the skin to completely heal. 6-8 weeks to get past the fatigue caused by the radiation. She said that I can start the diet the cardiologist suggested a week or so after I finish treatment. I am so excited to be able to see the end of treatment just around the corner. Just 4 more to go!
posted by Karen Weber Thursday, November 2, 2000

Living Beyond Breast Cancer
posted by Karen Weber Thursday, November 2, 2000

posted by Karen Weber Thursday, November 2, 2000

Book Review -- The Human Side of Cancer: Living with Hope, Coping with Uncertainty by Jimmie C. Holland and Sheldon Lewis
posted by Karen Weber Thursday, November 2, 2000

Repressed Emotions May Hasten Breast Cancer Death
posted by Karen Weber Thursday, November 2, 2000

Five Questions With Joan Kwuon, founder of Artists for Breast Cancer
posted by Karen Weber Thursday, November 2, 2000

Tuesday, October 31, 2000

Returning to Work After Cancer Treatment
posted by Karen Weber Tuesday, October 31, 2000

Early breast cancer treated suboptimally is prone to recurrence
posted by Karen Weber Tuesday, October 31, 2000

Inspire Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Reports Positive Preclinical Results for Novel Therapeutic Approach for Vaginal Dryness
posted by Karen Weber Tuesday, October 31, 2000

Axillary Recurrence Following Conservative Surgery and Radiotherapy in Early Breast Cancer
posted by Karen Weber Tuesday, October 31, 2000

Breast Cancer: Is the Race for a Cure Nearing the Finish Line?
posted by Karen Weber Tuesday, October 31, 2000

Monday, October 30, 2000

OnHealth: The Skinny On High-Fat Diets and Breast Cancer
posted by Karen Weber Monday, October 30, 2000

Just one more full breast radiation treatment to go! Tomorrow I'll get new art work and be able to take the little pieces of tape that cover the magic marker from the simulation to keep them from washing away. Hoooooooooooooooray!

Tonight I'm going to rehearse with the group of survivors here in Phoenix that is recording a breast cancer survivor song. I'm really excited about it. All of the women near me that I thought would car pool with me up into Phoenix have backed out. It's raining here, and us desert rats just don't know what to do when we see rain. I'm trying to talk Rick into going out to dinner and driving up with me. The massage therapist cancelled - she's been sick all day and doesn't want to give it to me - and so I'm hoping he'll be willing to do this. I'd like him to take some pictures.

Did I mention that I have just one more full breast radiation treatment to go? YIIIIIIIIIIPPPPPPPPPEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The rain is bad news for the pool. The next thing that needs to be done is the waterfall, and they can't bring the really heavy rocks back into the yard when the ground is so wet. The man called me today and said that he would come over every day to check on the soil conditions. It can't help that it rained this afternoon, although it really only rained about 10 minutes. Maybe we'll get some good sun tomorrow and the ground will start to dry out.
posted by Karen Weber Monday, October 30, 2000

I am so excited. We just got back from the rehearsal - what a great bunch of women! The music is really uplifting and there was a lot of musical talent in the room. We're going to record the song on Nov. 16th. There will be Phoenix media there documenting it. We've also been asked to appear onstage during an Arizona State University play called "The Left Breast" about breast cancer and at an ACS luncheon. Is this cool or what? We were gabbing between singing, and it turns out that the gal who was standing behind me dances with the gal who did my beautiful henna tattoo. She lives pretty close to us, so we're going to stay in touch even after this is over.

I cannot tell you how fun tonight was! There were a couple other gals there with hair just a few weeks ahead of mine, so I got to see where my hair will be in the next month or so. Rick had a headache and didn't really want to go with me, but he went anyway and he had a good time. He stood up on the staircase and took pictures with everyone's cameras. And he wore a big smile the whole time, until the gal doing the record mentioned that she wants to get families of survivors together later to record "Lean on Me". Then he made a face! I bet my mom would like to be in on that one, though!
posted by Karen Weber Monday, October 30, 2000

Sunday, October 29, 2000

The Breast Cancer Site - please bookmark this page and click daily to donate free mammograms.
posted by Karen Weber Sunday, October 29, 2000

Well, it went great this morning! The solo went fine, and then I gave my testimony as part of the sermon. I was afraid that I might cry, but I didn't. People in the congregation tell me that they cried, though. I got a tape of it to send to my mom and dad. Dad was giving the children's sermon at their church today, and mom was singing in the choir, so they had their own excitement going on.

The only bad thing is that I am totally pooped out. My heart feels so tired. I laid down when we got home and my heart was just pounding away. It took nearly an hour for it to stop. I did fall asleep and sleep about 3 hours. My heart still feels tired in my chest. I hope this is just radiation fatigue and I'll be able to build up my strength when I finish. My pulse goes up at the slightest excuse. I went out to the backyard, walked to the far side (this is a small, city lot), Rick took my picture. I walked back into the couch and my pulse was 110. Mom is concerned that I make sure someone is with me when I start using the pool. That's probably a good idea until we find out what my exercise tolerance is.
posted by Karen Weber Sunday, October 29, 2000

Saturday, October 28, 2000

I've been busy today. First, Rick and I filled out our early ballots and mailed them in. Too many propositions in Arizona for me to handle it at the poll. Then I started preparing for tomorrow. My pastor is wrapping up a series on living a joyful life, and I'm speaking on How to Maintain your Joy in the Midst of Adverse Circumstances. I've only got 5 minutes to speak, so I'll just be hitting the highlights. I'm also singing a short solo in one of the praise songs, so it's a big day. I spent today editing and memorizing.
posted by Karen Weber Saturday, October 28, 2000

Friday, October 27, 2000

CancerFatigue.org - a lot of emphasis on lung cancer, but great resource for fatigue related to any type of cancer.
posted by Karen Weber Friday, October 27, 2000

CancerSource.com
posted by Karen Weber Friday, October 27, 2000

No advantage to screenings for endometrial cancer for patients on Tamoxifen
posted by Karen Weber Friday, October 27, 2000

Melatonin -- The Multi-Benefit Supplement - 20 mg of melatonin taken with tamoxifen causes tumor regression in women with advanced breast cancer.
posted by Karen Weber Friday, October 27, 2000

Battling breast cancer -- a reporter's perspective - if your mammogram is clear but you have other signs of a lump, get a second opinion!
posted by Karen Weber Friday, October 27, 2000

I talked to Gary again today. So far they have drawn blood for tumor markers and done an ultrasound. The word on the ultrasound is good. Next week Gary will have the joy of doing the chest/abdominal CT scan like I had yesterday. Surgery probably not until week after next. Gary still sounds very upbeat, although the reading he's done about the surgeries have been somewhat sobering. One step at a time, Gary. It's the only way to make it through these next few weeks. We are praying for you.

I got a call from the radiation facility this morning saying that the table was broken. They offered me a choice of taking the day off or, if I insisted, they said they would try to squeeze me in once it got up and running again. I told them I'd taken my entire quota of days off, and I wanted to come in if at all possible. They got the table fixed at 3:15 and I was on it at 4. I now have just 8 more treatments left and just 2 more to the full breast. Laurie, my radiation therapist, told me that the boost is so much easier. I'll get to lie on a soft cushion instead of a hard table. And it won't burn the skin nearly as badly as the current regimen is. She said my breast will continue to get red as the effects of the radiation work their way up to the surface of the skin. I had already figured that out. During the week I took off, my armpit blistered, peeled, and completely healed three times over. Anyway, I'm glad to be almost done!
posted by Karen Weber Friday, October 27, 2000

Thursday, October 26, 2000

I wrote a huge long thing here last night and just before I clicked the post button, my computer crashed. Then I had to leave right away for band rehearsal, so I didn't get it reposted. So let me see if I can remember what I said. First, I said that I now have 10 radiation treatments left. As of 8:30 this morning, it will be 9. I've been waiting to get into those single digits before starting a major countdown and I'm almost there. Yippppeeeeeee! Second, the guys came and sprayed the concrete in the big mud pit we had out back. It now looks like a real, honest to goodness pool. Rick says the next thing they'll do is put in the waterfall, possibly this weekend.

Finally, after radiation yesterday I dropped over to the Imaging side of the building to find out if there was anything I needed to know about today's test. And I told them that I had a previous allergic reaction to the contrast used for CTs back in the mid-80s. I walked away with a prescription for 8 steroid pills last night, and 8 this morning plus some benadryl. My allergic reaction in the 80s was relatively slow developing (10-15 minutes) and involved being completely covered by one giant hive. They gave me a HUGE shot of benadryl to stop it from going further and I was babbling incoherently for the next 12 hours. I was hospitalized at the time, so I didn't have to worry about drivers, but it's my understanding that I put on quite a floor show for the nurses when I got back to my room. This is what happens when you make a singer goofy! So, anyway, I found some radiology training material at the UNC website and have been reading it. Here are some of the exciting things I might experience with the contrast today: systemic hypotension (happens to everyone - but I already have low blood pressure so this could be more exciting than usual), myocardial depression (common - the efficiency of the heart muscle is decreased - again, I'm already low, so this could be exciting), and pulmonary edema (swelling of the lungs - not quite as common, but probably expected since I'm on the brink of heart failure already - I expect this might cause some difficulty breathing). Here's a quote from the class material:

"Cardiac effects of contrast media are observed with all intravascular injections of these agents, although
the effects are more important with injections into or near the heart and in patients with compromised cardiac status. Cardiac effects of contrast media probably cause many contrast-related fatalities."

"Effects on the cardiovascular system usually occur following injection into cerebral or coronary arteries and include changes in EKG patterns, premature ventricular and atrial beats and arrhythmias. This is why EKG monitoring is so important in angiography. Contrast injections also cause decreases in blood pressure followed by gradual return to normal pressure. Other effects include cardiac failure, asystole, bradycardia, tachycardia, vasovagal reactions, thrombophlebitis, peripheral vasodilation, shock."

Now doesn't that all sound fun? They were going to shoot this stuff into my port, but since that would take the contrast right into the heart, I'm thinking that may not be such a good idea. I guess I'll let them dig around on my arm to see if they can find a vein. If anyone should like to read the rest of the material here, which includes what history should be taken before administering this stuff and other interesting facts, you can find it here.

Rick is going to take me over to the facility. I'd like it if he could hang around until we know I'm not going to stop breathing from the contrast media, but I don't know if he can do that. A woman from my Bible study will pick me up this afternoon whenever I finish the bone scan. I've packed a bag full of magazines, crossword books, a mystery, and my wireless phone in the hopes of
staving off complete boredom today during the hours where I'm just sitting waiting for radioactivity to settle into my organs and bones. I expect that by the time I'm done today, I will be glowing in the dark even though the radiation people deny it. I think the cats will enjoy that.
posted by Karen Weber Thursday, October 26, 2000

I am home from the tests, and other than being extremely tired, everything went OK. I will write more later.
posted by Karen Weber Thursday, October 26, 2000

Normal bone scan - performed on a woman following lumpectomy.
posted by Karen Weber Thursday, October 26, 2000

What a day! First I swallowed all the pills and then Rick drove me out to the facility where I had my radiation treatment. Nine more to go!!!! Just three to the whole breast. Yippeeee!!!! Although my burns are much, much better, I do have a larger area of irritation. Today I had to use 2 Vigilon pads instead of one. Anyway, that is almost over! Next Wednesday we'll start the boost treatments.

After the radiation, I went across the hall and signed in for the other tests. They gave me a long history form to fill out, then took me back to get the radioactive shot. I asked them to put in a hep lock since I was going to have the CT scan after. The tech got the nurse and she got right into the little vein on the back of my hand. After the tech injected the radioactive stuff, she gave me a large jar of chalky white stuff to drink. About 4 styrofoam coffee cups full. I chugged them down as quickly as possible. Then she gave me an equal amount of the yummy stuff to take out to the waiting room with me.

While I was waiting, I met a wonderful gal who was diagnosed with breast cancer in '92. She had mets a couple years later, was given only a few months to live. She's still around. She's been doing chemo every 2 weeks for the last 4 years (eeek!), but she's hanging in there and planting a garden every year. She went in to have her scan before I did. Then I sat and talked to her sister. She told me that she believes her sister is still alive today because of her positive attitude. I believe that!

Finally it was my turn to go back to the CT scan. It was mostly a boring experience. They used a pre-recorded voice to tell me when to breath or hold my breath. The voice was so perky and pleasant, it just seemed funny. I asked them to check for buried treasure, but the scan turned up no gold doubloons. Darn! My reward for behaving during the CT scan was a 32 oz glass of water to chug. Then I was sent out to the waiting room again. My new friends were gone, so I read some magazines. I brought them myself - the mags in the waiting room at this place are really pitiful.

The nuclear tech had told me to come back at 11:45 even if she didn't come out and call my name. So when 11:45 rolled around, I got up my courage and went through the door by myself. Nobody stopped me, so I found a seat outside the bone scan room and watched the guy before me get his bone scan. When it was my turn, I went in and hopped up on the table. While she was setting me up, the radiologist came in and asked if she'd dismissed the previous patient because he had a lesion on his skull. So they went off looking for him while the scanner started on me. When the nuclear tech came back, she and I shared vertigo experiences. She has had Meniere's disease for 20-some years. Whenever the scanner wasn't over my head, I tried to sneak peeks of the results on the computer screen behind me. Not really knowing what I was looking at, it was hard to tell what it meant but I had to look :-) When it was over, they only wanted X-rays of my right knee, which was completely expected. They have to confirm that the arthritis I reported is really there. Once they had the X-ray I was free to go. A nice woman from my Bible study group came and picked me up. While I waited for her, I sat outside and enjoyed the absolutely perfect weather today. Mid-70s, light breeze, and fluffy clouds. A perfect day.
posted by Karen Weber Thursday, October 26, 2000

Wednesday, October 25, 2000

Post-lumpectomy radiotherapy not associated with increased risk of MI - I am really not enjoying radiation therapy, but it's good to see a study that says I don't have to worry about further damage to my heart.
posted by Karen Weber Wednesday, October 25, 2000

herSource.com - this is a site dedicated to information about breast health.
posted by Karen Weber Wednesday, October 25, 2000

alerts.com will send you an email alert whenever there is news at OnHealth about breast cancer or any other health problem you want. Just click on "Health News from Lifeminders and OnHealth" in the lefthand column and then fill out the form.
posted by Karen Weber Wednesday, October 25, 2000

Tuesday, October 24, 2000

New Scope Could Look Inside Milk Duct For Breast Cancers - I'm not sure how this relates to Dr. Susan Love's new ductal lavage technique, but I think these both represent a great stride forward in early detection and diagnosis.
posted by Karen Weber Tuesday, October 24, 2000

Looking For Breast Cancer In Three Dimensions - 3D ultrasound improves diagnosis. Back when we were deciding on lumpectomy vs. mastectomy, there was some debate about whether I had one tumor or two. If it had been two, the mastectomy would have been the better option. We choose to go with the lumpectomy, and as it turns out, that was a good decision because it was just one very oddly shaped tumor. Having a 3D ultrasound would have helped this process.
posted by Karen Weber Tuesday, October 24, 2000

Radiation boost reduces recurrence of localized breast cancer in young patients
posted by Karen Weber Tuesday, October 24, 2000

A New Type of Breast Reconstruction
posted by Karen Weber Tuesday, October 24, 2000

Alcohol Stimulates Estrogen Receptor Signaling in Human Breast Cancer Cell Lines - why ER+ women should lay off the sauce!
posted by Karen Weber Tuesday, October 24, 2000

Jefferson study shows women with very early breast cancer and an inherited breast cancer gene at greater risk for second breast cancers - the risks of undertreatment with DCIS and BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations.
posted by Karen Weber Tuesday, October 24, 2000

Breast-cancer survivor finds therapy in song - just talked to this gal and am set up to do the recording session with her next month. Very exciting!!!!!!
posted by Karen Weber Tuesday, October 24, 2000

Just got a call from my brother-in-law. Yesterday he heard the dreaded words: You've got cancer. It's in the colon, and they believe they have gotten it early. But they are doing staging tests now, and he'll have surgery to remove the tumor. Once they've done that, he'll know for sure what stage he is in. Just sent off a bunch of links for him to read while making treatment decisions. Ironically, I've just been re-reading the first month of my own journal and remembering what a confusing time it is just after you hear those words. Gary, my prayers are with you.
posted by Karen Weber Tuesday, October 24, 2000

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4. Quotation Depot
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6. Triviacs - coming soon
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