She got the hint and shrunk a little, wahooooo! She is still very much there, but at least we are seeing progress. As I met with my doctor this week I was curious as to how much she had grown/shrunk, here are the data:
August 4cm x 4cm
September 6cm x 5cm...what?!?!
October 4cm x 5.5cm
There you have it; looks like the lupron is working, however we are still waiting for my estrogen levels to drop. The last time they checked it was 440, and we want it down to 30. Wowza! It's a good thing I am friends with several post-menopausal women who can give me pointers. That's a big drop but we are hopeful it will happen within the next few weeks. The side effects still haven't been too bad, but will get worse as they dry up my estrogen production and my ovaries are shut down. When I am to that point I will start another hormonal therapy in supplement to the lupron, in the form of a pill. This drug is only effective in post-menopausal women, which is why I have not started it yet. Keep your fingers crossed that this drug will work, at least for a while. It is typically effective for about one to two years before your body stops responding. At that point I have other options, but we'll cross that bridge when it comes.
Thank you for your prayers, thoughts, phone calls and visits. It is nice to know that people care and that I have such an amazing support system. I feel peace in my life right now regarding my health. I don't know how things are going to turn out, but I have faith that God will take care of me. Like I have said before, my life is in God's hands; the best place to be.
Saturday, October 27, 2012
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Big Momma Doesn't Take a Hint
I am sorry to announce that big momma is growing (the tumor in my breast). I found out last week and am actually at the Huntsman Center right now waiting for yet another bone and CT scan. For some reason they scheduled them a couple of hours apart, so I figured this would be perfect blog-updating time.
I haven't had any symptoms other than fatigue, which has been my constant companion these days, so I wouldn't have guessed anything was wrong. Apparently the tamoxifen (estrogen blocker) just wasn't enough for my estrogen producing body. I had two options placed before me: chemo or lupron. Before diving back into my weekly dose of poison, I would wanted to try something different, so I chose the latter.
Lupron is a shot I will receive, in my hip, once every 3 months that will put me into short-term menopause. In other words, my body will not produce any estrogen for big momma to feed off of. Along with the shot I will continue taking tamoxifen or another hormonal therapy in the form of a shot or pill. This treatment can, and hopefully will, shrink the tumor. I will be on it as long as it is effective and the side effects (hot flashes, bone weakness, and mood changes to name a few) are tolerable. When/if it stops working then my options are chemo or clinical trials.
With everything that has happened, I feel peace. I am not afraid. I have found that the only times I do not feel peace are when I let my own fears override what I feel and know deep down. I know that my life is in God's hands and whatever happens is His will. Sometimes it is difficult to accept what He has planned for me, but then I remember He knows the end from the beginning and I am more safe following His path than my own. From talking with friends and family, I don't know how I would handle this situation if I were on the other end of things. I have found it much easier to go through something firsthand than to watch someone you love suffer. Thank you to all who have been a support through all of this. I am simply awkward and don't know what to say when it comes to comforting people in these kinds of situations, so thank you. I know this is bad news, but don't worry; I am happy and moving forward! Keep praying that God's will be done, and I know we will all have an easier time dealing with whatever comes next.
p.s. If it is any consolation, I got a fortune cookie last night at a friends wedding that said, "You will live a long and prosperous life." Those Chinese sure know what they're talking about.
I haven't had any symptoms other than fatigue, which has been my constant companion these days, so I wouldn't have guessed anything was wrong. Apparently the tamoxifen (estrogen blocker) just wasn't enough for my estrogen producing body. I had two options placed before me: chemo or lupron. Before diving back into my weekly dose of poison, I would wanted to try something different, so I chose the latter.
Lupron is a shot I will receive, in my hip, once every 3 months that will put me into short-term menopause. In other words, my body will not produce any estrogen for big momma to feed off of. Along with the shot I will continue taking tamoxifen or another hormonal therapy in the form of a shot or pill. This treatment can, and hopefully will, shrink the tumor. I will be on it as long as it is effective and the side effects (hot flashes, bone weakness, and mood changes to name a few) are tolerable. When/if it stops working then my options are chemo or clinical trials.
With everything that has happened, I feel peace. I am not afraid. I have found that the only times I do not feel peace are when I let my own fears override what I feel and know deep down. I know that my life is in God's hands and whatever happens is His will. Sometimes it is difficult to accept what He has planned for me, but then I remember He knows the end from the beginning and I am more safe following His path than my own. From talking with friends and family, I don't know how I would handle this situation if I were on the other end of things. I have found it much easier to go through something firsthand than to watch someone you love suffer. Thank you to all who have been a support through all of this. I am simply awkward and don't know what to say when it comes to comforting people in these kinds of situations, so thank you. I know this is bad news, but don't worry; I am happy and moving forward! Keep praying that God's will be done, and I know we will all have an easier time dealing with whatever comes next.
p.s. If it is any consolation, I got a fortune cookie last night at a friends wedding that said, "You will live a long and prosperous life." Those Chinese sure know what they're talking about.
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