I met with my team which includes oncologist, plastic surgeon, and oncology surgeon everything is healing well and they are all blown away on how well things look. Expanders were placed to hold the space for reconstruction in the near future. Expanders symbolize an implant. The difference is, the plastic surgeon fills the explanders with fluid until I am comfortable with the size. Fills are done every 2 weeks. I’ve only completed 2 because I’m just comfortable where I am. Buttoning a button down shirt is life! The fills don’t hurt it’s actually pretty amazing how this stuff works.
After meeting with my oncologist she’s decided to do radiation to seal the deal. To just burn off anything that could of been left behind. And to make sure the cancer doesn’t return. Remember, I have inflammatory breast cancer it grows fast and quickly—very aggressive. I will need 33 rounds of radiation. Radiation is given daily, 5 days a week and it takes approximately 30 minutes. I decided to do radiation in Houma simply because driving to Nola every day alone is too much for me. Besides, the mileage on my car would be wild! I met with radiation oncologist in Houma weeks ago and treatment will begin this week. I completed my trial run today. They do a practice run to make sure all your measurements on your body is right so that the machine can be calculated to you to give the radiation. The radiation dr did fully warn me that I will burn and my last 8 sessions will be rough. I’m sure he said he was gonna try to kill me (just joking). However, he told me my skin will change, my breast will shrink, my skin will have discoloration, sore throat because the radiation goes right under the clavical. Not looking forward to this process at all. Chemo, I could have Nick besides me. Radiation I’m in a room alone being told how to breathe by a robot. Holding my breath for 30 seconds is hard too.
Along with radiation I must do Herceptin every month for 10 months. This is what I go to the chemo room for. Here’s my hormone results to my cancer and what it means. ESTROGENE NEGATIVE. PROGESTERONE POSITIVE. HER2 POSITIVE.
Hormone status of breast cancers includes:
- Estrogen receptor (ER) positive. The cells of this type of breast cancer have receptors that allow them to use the hormone estrogen to grow. Treatment with anti-estrogen hormone (endocrine) therapy can block the growth of the cancer cells.
- Progesterone receptor (PR) positive. This type of breast cancer is sensitive to progesterone, and the cells have receptors that allow them to use this hormone to grow. Treatment with endocrine therapy blocks the growth of the cancer cells.
- HER2 gene. Cancer cells that have too many copies of the HER2 gene (HER2-positive cancers) produce too much of the growth-promoting protein called HER2. Targeted therapy drugs are available to shut down the HER2 protein, thus slowing the growth and killing these cancer cells.
To treat the HER 2 positive I must do the immunotherapy with herceptin monthly. To treat progesterone I have to take letrozole which is an oral chemo drug. Daily for 10 years. Yes, 10 years. The side effects with this drug is scary. Heart attack, which is why I’m suppose to take an aspirin a day. It weakens the bones which I already have from chemo so it’ll get worse. The weakness right now is being addressed in physical therapy. Along with the tightness under my arm and numbness. That’s caused from the lymph nodes being removed during surgery. I started letrozole today. Radiation is delayed tomorrow due to my expander shifting. I’ll see my plastic surgeon tomorrow to see if she can adjust it without surgery. If so, my first radiation will be Wednesday.
This treatment seems like a lot but I’m doing ok adjusting to all of this. Because the other side of it isn’t so interesting to me. I must just follow doctor’s orders. I bounce from appointment to appointment, phone calls, messages on my portal, medication dosage, etc.
It’s difficult to accept that I am cancer free when I’m continuing treatment. I still see the cancer. The hair loss, the chemo bloatness, breast removal, loss of eyelashes, etc. The mirror still terrifies me. But, my life was spared for what reason I’m not sure yet but I will figure it out.
Thanks for reading! I’ll update soon. ❤️❤️💞🥊
