Breast Cancer Information

This information was taken from the Breast Cancer Society of Canada website:

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among Canadian women and its cause is unknown.

In 2008,

...an estimated 22,400 Canadian women will be diagnosed with breast cancer and 5,300 will die from it.

...approximately 431 Canadian women will be diagnosed with breast cancer weekly and 102 will not survive it.

...1 in 9 women is expected to develop breast cancer during her lifetime (age 90) and one in 28 will die from it.

...it is expected that 170 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer and 50 will die from it.

...Breast cancer death rates have declined in all ages combined and in every age group since the mid 1990s.

Source: Canadian Cancer Society / National Cancer Institute of Canada; Canadian Cancer Statistics 2008, Toronto, Canada

The Sandwich

The low level nausea will not let up ....

We went for a long drive and when we stopped for gas, I went into the store and looked at some sandwiches but nothing appealed to me. When D went in to pay for the gas, he picked up a roast beef and cheese sandwich. He ate half and I wolfed down the other half ... it's funny when someone else buys a snack it's always more appealing.

Slept 12 hours straight last night ... still feel like more.

Plantars Wart ... A Definite Maybe

Well I got in to see my family doctor to discuss my sore hoofy. When I went in to the clinic, I asked for a mask. The receptionist said ... “Why are you coughing?”... I said, “No, I’m on chemo.” When the nurse took me in the room, she asked ... “Why the mask?” I said, “I’m on chemo. I’m concerned about H1N1.”

Anyways, I saw the doctor. She looked at my foot and said ... “You have a wart.” But to confirm, she’d have to take a scalpel and take off a layer to see underneath. I said, “I had chemo last week and my white blood cells are probably at zero right now.” After some discussion we decided not to touch that little devil right now.

I mentioned to her I’m arranging to see my dentist at the end of the month to have my teeth cleaned and checked. Between the dentist and the oncologist, we figured it best I go on oral antibiotics for a short time and delay chemo for one week during that cycle. We just can’t risk an infection. So I’m going to coordinate another visit with my family doctor so she can slice into my little wart friend. Maybe put a little liquid nitrogen on it.

So what do I do about my little friend if in fact it is a wart? The doctor recommended I try any of the over the counter wart products out there however I should first check with my oncologist as to the safest way for me to use these products.

Any treatments no matter how minor revolve around my white blood cycle counts and the risk of infection.

Fluid In The Lungs

At my last oncologist visit, we talked a bit about the fluid in my lungs. Each CT scan shows an increase of fluid. Most of it is in my right lung which is my mastectomy side and the side I had radiation in 2001. The doctor feels the fluid retention is caused by the chemotherapy and not the cancer.

So our options are to stop chemotherapy or drain the fluid. Apparently, draining the fluid only lasts a month or two before it comes back. Also, when you do the draining procedure there are a few drawbacks. Every time you poke around in there you create scar tissue which then creates other pockets of fluid which you then have to drain.

So how does fluid in the lungs affect me? Well, when I lie down or get up from lying down or shift positions when lying down, I cough a few times. The fluid shifts and irritates the lung. My breathing is a bit more labored. I do notice the cough is getting deeper sounding too. For sleeping, the doctor recommended I stack some extra pillows at my head to incline me a bit more.

Each time I see the oncologist she taps regions of my back and the sound changes pitch with the level of fluid in my lungs. I’m not sure when a decision has to be made as to our next move.

Sore Spot On Foot Bottom

The weekend has come and gone. I've had a shower and with a clean set of clothes ... I'm feeling good.

Saturday I felt something unusual and painful on the bottom of my left foot. I asked my husband to look at it. He says I have a better idea ... I'll take a picture of it and zoom in big time. The picture showed a small round calloused area with a pin hole in the center. Hopefully it's something simple like a sliver. Since I've been on Taxotere, I've been experiencing Hand Foot Syndrome which numbs the bottom of my feet. So if I did step on something and didn't feel it ... that would be why.

I called the research nurse at the Cancer Institute to ask her advice and she said have a doctor look at it but make sure to stress to them .... that I had chemo last week and that the white blood cells are at the lowest.

Next step is trying to get in to see my family doctor ... that is a challenge in itself ... anyways, I called the appointments desk and she said to call back tomorrow as the doctor may extend her hours for the day. I've got my fingers crossed I get in.

Call me a fraidy cat ... but when you're immune system is compromised, you never know.

Doing O.K.

Even though I didn’t post much the last couple of day, I must admit I was doing pretty well. It’s been hot here by my standards ... 30C/86F. I know some of the bloggers are giggling at these temperatures ... I’m sure they are thinking ... that is hardly warm. Anyways, we’ve been going out and sitting at my fav outdoor cafes for a cold pop or coffee and muffin. We drove through the park and even stopped to lie down on a blanket under a big shady tree.

Saturday which is usually my worst day of the cycle turned out O.K. I ended up having a couple of naps during the day which really helped. Besides my stomach giving me grief and some other minor issues ... I did pretty well.

Thou last night with the heat, we decided to sleep downstairs which didn’t really agree with me. I was chilled, got a head ache and ended up with intense dreams and therefore a rough sleep. I think, coming off those darn steroids always gives me weird dreams. Oh well ... still not bad, considering.

I know the worst is over and now I can focus on build up some strength.

A Little Inspirational Video

Cancer Fighter Awards 2009 Update

For an update on the top-rated cancer nonprofits in the GreatNonprofit’s Cancer Fighter Awards (www.greatnonprofits.org/cancer).

There are awards for different sized nonprofits and different regions. Winners will get recognition on GreatNonprofits, PlanetCancer and on GuideStar.

Contest ends July 30th.

Taking It Easy

We went out for coffee at an outdoor cafe which seems to be my favorite thing to do these days. I wore a short sleeve T-shirt with the PICC line sleeve cover hanging out. I just wish it wasn’t medical white but it was really no big deal. We had our dog Daisy with us which attracted a lot of friendly conversation.

A couple of cups of coffee later and about 1.5 hours later we decided to call it quits when the temperature hit 25°C/77°F. We were sitting in the shade but I started getting flushed so it was time to go.

Thanks to ANBCAmazon's advice from My Fight Against Triple Negative Breast Cancer, last night’s sleep was only slightly broken up. She reminded me to take Ativan to help combat the effects of the steroids. It worked last night and I hope it works tonight too.

Seems my stomach has settled down … I’m being very careful of what I eat.