Wrapping up the week, means bringing everyone up to date on the newest in my cancer stuff, but this time it's a lot of good things. I spent a good part of the day at the various clinics yesterday. I had my radiation therapy at 9:00 am, then checked at the hospital for my lost vest and hat (no luck there, unfortunately), and then I wandered over to the Breast Center for my 11:00 am meeting with Dr Perez. He was running right on time, so I sat in the waiting room on my phone with a lovely cup of chamomile tea to drink. At 11:00 I was called back into the consulting side of the complex.
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Dr Domingo Perez was fabulous. I feel so very fortunate in my cancer team members. I have complete confidence in each of them. |
Dr Perez was fabulous, I liked him immediately. It turns out he knows my little pharmacy, and the coffee shop that is next door to my shop. He lives in my suburb! I do hope I run into him at the grocery store or some such time/place. He was an absolutely lovely man who spent a solid hour with me explaining why I don't need chemo therapy and what type of cancer I really have.
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He was using the white board extensively during his discussion with me. The information he gave started in the upper right corner, went down the board to the full bottom, then worked up to the graph on the upper left. His assistant was typing a summary of everything he said to be attached to My Chart, and I've got that printout plus the photo of the white board to refer to. |
It was his decision, based on my various test results that the usual sequence of (1) Surgery, (2) Chemo, (3) Radiation and (4) Endocrine Therapy would not work. We've crossed Chemo off the list because my tests say with my "ovotype" it is not needed. Therefore, we're concentrating on the Radiation, which I'm currently doing and Endocrine Therapy, i.e., medication/drugs.
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| Tamoxifen (on the right) actually blocks the cells from accepting cancer. It can increase the chances of uterine cancer, but since I have had a hysterectomy, that won't come into play at all. It might cause cataracts and a fatty liver. I can take it for five years before being reassessed. |
Before my surgery, my levels of adrenal fat were extremely high, but after the surgery they've dropped precipitously, to extremely low. That indicates to him, that I would be better served with a drug that isn't an Aronatase Inhibitor. That means I wouldn't be well served by Anastrozole, Letrozole or Exemestane (and I can eliminate the joint pain that usually accompanies those drugs).
He recommended that I go onto Tamoxifen - a receptor blocker which is a bit easier on my body. One of the major drawbacks of Tamoxifen is possible blood clots during periods of inactivity, so I need to remain active. I'll have to take breaks from the computer now and again and move around, but I can easily do that. He did warn me that if I was taking any LONG flights (like to Hawaii, or Europe, or Egypt) that I contact him first and he'd prescribe a blood thinner for me to take for the flight to and from. He would go over the specific instructions for that when I needed it.
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There is a distinct link between breast cancer and bone density, and my bone density is crap. We'll be keeping a close eye on it while I'm dealing with the cancer and afterward, when I'm on the Tamoxifen. |
On the plus side, Tamoxifen is excellent for bone density, so my Endocrinologist will be delighted to team it up with the Prolia I'm already taking twice annually. The tumor iteslf had a 5% Ki-67 rating, which is excellent for the treatment he recommended, and played into his choice strongly. So, I'm picking up my Tamoxifen on Monday and will be starting that as soon as I'm finished with Radiation therapy. I'm actually thrilled with this turn of events. If I had to have a tumor, at least it is a type that will allow and encourage me to live the active life I prefer.
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I'm actually looking forward to my corned beef and cabbage tomorrow. I enjoy cabbage, and I love corned beef (if it's cooked well). I'm sure we'll have a lovely meal or two. |
So, have a great weekend. I have my "Irish" dinner to prepare, and I'm looking forward to it. All in all, things are looking up. I'll be back on Monday. Be kind, hug your friends and pets, and have a great weekend. Slava Ukraini.
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