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Beating Breast Cancer

SOME NERVE…

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Hi all,

Thanks for keeping in touch and reaching out to see how I’m doing. Most of you see my updates on Facebook and Twitter (@DebCote) and comment there, but some people who aren’t on social media were wondering what I’m up to since I’ve been quiet here.  So I figured it’s time for a quick update.

The good news is I feel ok most days and being off Tamoxifen has been amazing. I am no longer being woken up by awful charley horses in the middle of the night or jumping out of my seat at work to walk off a painfully clenched hamstring youtube mp3 for free.

As you saw in my last post, I’m now taking a new pill, anastrozole, which is a different estrogen blocker than Tamoxifen. Anastrozole is usually given to post-menopausal women to block estrogen, but since I’m pre-menopausal, I have to get a shot every month to shut down my ovaries.  You can read quickly about that enjoyable process here in my last blog post called WORTH A SHOT.

I won’t bore you with the biology and medical mumbo jumbo (super technical term there, I know) but spoiler alert ladies: once your ovaries shut down your body still produces estrogen skype kostenlos downloaden für android. So the anastrozole is helping to block that since my breast cancer was having a good old time feeding off the estrogen my body was producing. If you remember I was “triple positive” which means I was estrogen/progesterone/HER2 positive.  I did the year of antibody infusions to kick the HER2 to the curb, now I’m getting the monthly shot and taking this new pill which blocks an enzyme in my body that is involved in estrogen production, therefore blocking the estrogen any cancer cells would like to party with.

The new pill is definitely better than Tamoxifen…but…yes, here comes the BUT.  I feel like I’m 95 years old. The biggest side effect from anastrozole…aside from the hot flashes from being pushed into menopause…is the awful joint pain and bone aches steam workshop inhalte herunterladen. If I’m sitting for a bit and stand up, it takes a few minutes for everything to loosen up so I can walk without looking like I just willy-nilly tried to run the Boston Marathon. It’s mostly in my feet, ankles and knees. If I’m walking around for awhile, it’s less noticeable, but to say I’m hobbling around when I first get up is an understatement herunterladen. The easiest way to help you understand, is that it feels a lot like bad flu aches. But it never goes away.

Although it is really uncomfortable, I’m trying to push through and keep moving and exercising. I started running a bit since it’s been pretty nice out. I start off very slowly and eventually pick up a little speed. It’s a far cry from what I’m used to being able to do, but I’m squeezing in a little bit here and a little bit there to try to be as healthy as possible kann man bei amazon prime downloaden.

And since I was doing mostly running, I figured why not try a 5K!  I “ran” the Asbury Park 5K a few weeks ago. The race photographer caught a picture of me and if you didn’t know I was a participant in the race, you would think I was working Secret Service.

You be the judge:

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It was good to have a goal and finish it, no matter how I looked or felt, at least I accomplished it.

The only other thing that is really bugging me is that in the past few weeks, when I raise my left arm, my fingers get numb. Almost like I slept wrong on them or they “fell asleep.” When I put my arm down, it mostly goes away fs17 kostenlos herunterladen.

During my last follow-up with my oncologist she said since this was my surgery side, it is possible that scar tissue from the lymph node surgery is bothering a nerve.  Or it could be a nerve issue in my neck area that is completely unrelated. Either way, it’s most likely some nerve that is being aggravated and the only way to tell is to get a couple of MRI’s and then go from there.  Not sure what the fix is after we figure it out, but hopefully it’s not too invasive gratis ebooksen forum.

So this month I will be at Case Del Sloan a couple more times than usual and getting the MRI’s done to see if it’s from surgery, or just a random new development.

In the meantime, my apartment is still full of post it note reminders, since I think I have a little bit of chemo brain left over.  I’m doing things like locking myself out of the apartment, forgetting to water plants or leave a light on for Nick when I leave for work youtube video herunterladen apple.  Not sure if that is chemo brain remnants or something new from menopause, of which forgetfulness is definitely a symptom.

But as a friend who had his own bout with cancer years ago said, “There can be so much left-over from dealing with cancer…it’s hard to sort out.”

That’s for sure. Almost every day from diagnoses in December of 2015 until now, I wonder if every new thing is related to breast cancer or the treatment for it.  You can’t not think that, no matter how hard you try.

In short, breast cancer is obnoxious, life invading and really does have SOME NERVE. 

Beating Breast Cancer

WRAPPING UP…

3 Comments

Hi all,

Hope everyone is doing ok and having a happy holiday season! Thanks for all the check-ins, I really appreciate it.  Since I had a clear mammogram the end of October, a lot of you thought I was done with treatment and have asked what, if anything, is next.

The short answer is I’m still at it. I know, it feels like it’s never going to end, but I’m just taking it one day at a time until April when I will officially be done bixby. Because I was triple positive (estrogen, progesterone and HER2) I am now on a daily estrogen blocker (Tamoxifen) and still getting HER2 antibody infusions to block the HER2. I get these every 3 weeks. I started these while getting Taxol in April and the treatment goes for a full year.  I am expected to be on Tamoxifen for 10 years or until my oncologist switches it out for another drug 3d modelle zum herunterladen.

The antibody infusions take a few hours at Sloan when all is said and done and there’s a couple of side effects with it that can linger but it’s nothing compared to chemo.  Also, the 3 weeks in between infusions has given me time to get back to a semi-normal schedule with work and life.  And in such a busy time of the year, it’s nice to be able to go to a Christmas party, shop or spend my evenings wrapping up presents and relaxing and not commuting home from the upper east side of NYC download kodi voor mac.

But I am not only wrapping up presents, I’m also wrapping up a bunch of necessary doctor’s appointments I have had to push off because I spent a full year over at Casa del Sloan.

Prior to my diagnosis I was pretty vigilant about getting my annual exams, so once I had some time I needed to get back on track.  As I wrote a couple blogs ago, I went for the biggee, my follow-up yearly mammogram dropbox download zip file too large. Luckily it came back clear, so that was  relief. Mammogram, check!

And because chemo sidelines your immune system, I wasn’t able to get my teeth cleaned. I went right before I started chemo in February and was finally cleared to get them done again. Dentist, check!

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Then I had to do the annual gyno. Sorry guys this part’s not for you, but ladies, you know the deal. I totally wanted to skip this, but it had been a year and one of the big concerns when someone has breast cancer is that they can also develop ovarian cancer.  The doctor said everything appeared fine, but the lab results will be back in about a week. Gyno, check!

And finally, I had to see a dermatologist for a “full body scan” to make sure no skin cancer was lurking or starting amazon cd kaufen mp3 herunterladen. It is a good thing to do anyway, but also good after radiation to check the skin around the area that was exposed. The doctor looked me over head to toe and said all looked good. Dermatologist, check!

It was a tiring, busy end to the year but a necessary one so I can jump into 2017 with just a few months left at Sloan. I can concentrate on getting through the rest of my breast cancer treatments and not have to worry about anything else for a while tasten handy herunterladen.

So as your own 2016 is wrapping up, please make sure to take the time to make your annual appointments and get your screenings done. No one is immune to having their life hijacked by a deadly disease and as with anything, the sooner you catch it, the easier it is to get through it and kick it.

After all, as you’re sitting there wrapping those new sweaters, video games, bottles of booze and the “shoot, I didn’t know they were coming” extra candles, remember, the best gift you can give your family and friends – is you income tax return 2017.

Merry Christmas everyone and I wish you all a healthy, Happy New Year!

Beating Breast Cancer

THANKS FOR GIVING…

6 Comments

Hi all,

Happy Thanksgiving! Hope you are enjoying being around family and friends and counting your blessings as you over stuff yourself with turkey and all the trimmings logic for free.

And since this is a time of giving thanks, I wanted to use this day and space to say a heartfelt thank you to all of you who have helped me along on my journey youtube wiedergabelisten downloaden.  There is no way to name everyone and everything that was done for me,  but you know who you are and what you did. Somehow saying “thank you” doesn’t seem like enough, but until I see all of you in person, I hope this message gets to you and you know how grateful I am for having you in my corner 3d passed download.

Since the very first day I started treatment, the outpouring of love and support was overwhelming. Calls, cards, texts, emails, blog posts and Facebook mentions continued to roll in for months and months download mahjong game.

Some of you sent flowers, a plant, or snack and wine baskets. Others had local restaurants deliver food when shopping or cooking was too much. There were deliveries of chocolates from a local chocolatier who doesn’t normally deliver, but who had lost loved ones to cancer, so they made an exception and always handed me that special box with a warm, understanding smile candy crush soda saga.
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There were so many gifts like books, healing crystals and oils, adult coloring books, a beautiful angel figurine, a Christmas ornament, bracelets with special meanings or special energy, personalized t-shirts, a beautiful homemade quilt, a homemade fleece blanket,  Red Sox gear, various hats, money, cupcakes, cookies, fun and inspiring magnets, lotions, the much needed Starbuck’s and Dunkin Donuts gift cards, a fun measuring spoon, candy tins, DVD’s, a puzzle, get well drawings from your kids, a spa gift card and a FitBit for when I feel well enough to get back into working out excel formeln herunterladen.

And each time something showed up it was a huge mood booster and it felt like a big hug coming in so many different forms.

Then there were those of you who called asking about doing a fundraiser, or had me backstage after a show for a hug, high five and eyelash check, or who posted on your own blog inspiring messages from your followers so I could see them free video download youtube. There are those of you who came to chemo even though it meant spending hours at the facility, or drove to NJ to help out or just visit.  And you prayed for me, included me in prayer chains and sent only positive energy. You called to offer a pep talk, just at the right time or sent me inspiring memes over the internet or lightened my load at work when I was in the thick of it. These things I will never forget as I continue on this wild ride of fighting every day to stay healthy.

So on all days, but especially on Thanksgiving, I would like to say to all of you reading this, in whatever capacity you stood by me, in whatever way you spent a part of your own life helping me with mine, quite simply…thanks for giving.

Beating Breast Cancer, Life in General

THE COST OF LIVING…

40 Comments

Hello all,

Thanks again to everyone who emailed, called or texted to check in, I really appreciate it.  I can’t wait to be able to report back that I’m feeling great and have no issues or side effects.  That may not be until well after radiation sometime in the fall, but eventually it will be here so I appreciate you all even asking, knowing the response may not always be good news.

So Friday’s infusion was number 8 of 12 Taxol’s.  I only have 4 more left and I will be done with chemo July 1.   When that’s done I will be moving on to 5 weeks of daily radiation while simultaneously going every 3 weeks for the Herceptin/Perjeta antibody infusions which will go until April of 2017 simon's cat game for free.  There will be some side effects with that but not nearly what you get with AC & Taxol and I’m looking forward to having the weeks in between to recover from whatever does come along.

As I’ve gone through the 4 months so far of chemo there have been many challenges and I’ve had a lot of time to think about the whole process. On bad days when it gets to me I often wonder if it’s worth putting your body and spirit through all of this. There is no way to go over all a breast cancer diagnosis and chemo entails and all it robs you of, but when you get diagnosed and it’s a certain kind and a certain stage, you really have no choice and need the chemo Playstation 4 is not possible.

But it definitely comes with a cost.

Throughout this whole process I have seen claims going through on my insurance for $30,000+ here, $16,000+ there, $6,000+ here, and dozens and dozens of others in the thousands and high hundreds – and we are still going.  I am happy to report that I have great health insurance through work, but just to keep things in perspective, even with the insurance, so far I’m already out of pocket close to $6,000. That’s split between the big ticket deductibles and all the incidentals along the way. I have no idea how people without insurance get through it netflix tv download mobile phone.

Some random costs in addition to medical bills are hotel rooms close to the hospital when you get a 6am call time for surgery, the cost of a good wig, different hats, the trial hats that don’t work with the wig, specific make-up so you don’t look sick when you go out, trial over the counter meds that you find out don’t work so you buy other over the counter meds you need to  take most days to combat chemo symptoms. No nose hairs? Nasal drip allergy meds. Chemo dehydrated eyes? Pricey lubricant drops. Bone and joint pain? Extra strength pain meds.  And on and on.

There’s the days you have absolutely no stamina so rushing from subway to subway to commute home isn’t going to work so there’s Ubers and taxi costs herunterladen.  No energy to grocery shop, cook or clean equals too many take out dinners. There’s more, but that gives you an idea.

And each time I spend my money on those things, it goes right through me. No one would ever choose to spend their money on cancer.

But in dealing with this whole diagnosis I’ve realized you just don’t pay for it in dollars and cents. You also pay in ways that affect you physically, mentally and emotionally.  Here’s just some things that are popping into my head now.

You pay by:

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Missing several family gatherings, parties and an important visit to an ailing grandmother because you can’t make the 4 hour drive home the day after sitting through chemo bauhaus schriftart herunterladen.

Bruising from needle sticks for IVs that take a couple weeks to go away.  Or the small cut you get in the worst place that won’t heal because you are now anemic from the chemo.

Hours you lose trekking to doctor’s appointments and lab visits. In addition to spending 6-8 hours on Friday getting infusions, I just had a rushed appointment to one of Sloan’s GI doctors for help with digestive issues due to chemo. I have to have another echo this week because the meds I’m getting can cause heart issues and my oncologist wants me to get my heart checked again how can I online from share.  The week after that I have a consult with the radiation oncologist.  Then I’m back at Sloan the next day for another big infusion day.  All this is time I’d much rather be spending on anything else.

You pay in emotional ways like feeling bad you can only work a couple days a week and a lot less hours while you wait for the random side effects to lesson and you know your coworkers are putting in 12-14 hour days and totally overloaded.  Television news in a massive political season, anyone?

Or feeling guilty because you see your partner or company bored to tears because you’re not doing anything fun for the start of summer holiday eis am stiel kostenlos downloaden.  Or because you’re spending yet another night in and don’t want to make plans to go to dinner with friends because you know you won’t make it through without having stomach issues from the effects of chemo, no matter how much medication you take.

You pay for it in frustration when your doctor tells you to absolutely stay out of the sun when summer is your favorite season, the beach your favorite place and diving through waves your favorite seasonal pastime.

Or not being able to workout with any kind of intensity because of random, daily side effects or being too tired and then seeing all your friends on Facebook posting their physical accomplishments, looking and feeling great apple itunes downloaden windows 10.  Or sitting on your balcony and seeing everyone with headphones in, jogging past your building or all sweaty coming out of a kickboxing class.

Or seeing people out for drinks with friends and you haven’t had a drink with your friends in forever because you don’t want to deal with being even more dehydrated and it makes you feel sick.

You pay with a lack of sleep because you have to drink so much water and other fluids to combat the dehydration from chemo and you’re up several times a night to go to the bathroom.

The list could go on and on but I’d have to sign up for another blog to post then all. So what keeps me going?  What makes going through chemo and all the above even the tiniest bit tolerable skype downloaden op macbook?

Because in the end I know the price I’m paying will eventually be worth it, since after all, it’s the cost of actually living.