[TiffanyS]

Thanks everyone. I’ve been trying to keep busy, and not think about it, but right now, I’m just counting down the days until next Tuesday when my doctor can examine the area herself. I know that Perjeta can cause pimples, but what are the chances that a pimple would pop up right beside where one of my masses used to be. The area were the mass used to be is red and a little caved-in, due to radiation, and the pimple is right beside the red, caved-in area. The good news is, the pimple hasn’t gotten any bigger since I noticed it on Christmas day, but it hasn’t gotten any smaller either. I hope my doctor sends me for an ultrasound, so that we can determine what it is for sure.

What really worries me is that this is how my first recurrence occurred. I noticed two “pimples” on my scar-line after chemo number two, which I showed to my doctor’s resident while at the clinic for chemo number three, and he told me that they were scar tissue. When a third pimple showed up after chemo number four, I showed my doctor’s fellow, and he also told me it was scar tissue. I then found out, two days before finishing radiation, and these pimples were not scar tissue, but where, in fact, cancer! If my radiation oncologist, who also thought the pimples were scar tissue, hadn’t been on vacation, we may not have figured out that the cancer had come back. It was my last appointment, and the doctor covering for my radiation oncologist examined me and decided to biopsy the area. That’s how we found out that I had a recurrence. Everyone else thought the pimples where scar tissue, but he knew better. I’m hoping that it’s just a pimple, but, if it’s not, at least we caught it early this time. I’m hoping once I’m back on chemo, that it will go away. The downside is, this will probably mean that I’ll have to get more chemo treatments than originally planned. I’m supposed to get three to four more treatments, but if the cancer has come back, I may need more. I have to admit that I’m not happy about getting chemo again after a four week break. The neuropathy in my feet has been so mild, that I sometimes forget about it, and I haven’t had a foot spasm in weeks. I still have shortness of breath though, due to my red blood count being low. I’ve been told that there is a needle they can give me to bring my red blood count up, and I’m going to ask my doctor about it when I see her next week.

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12/15 – First mammogram
01/16 – Second mammogram and ultrasound.
01/16 – Meet surgeon and go for third mammogram, second ultrasound and biopsy. Surgeon confirms cancer in left breast and lymph nodes and sets surgery date.
01/16 – Chest scan and bone scan done– all looks good.
02/16 – Surgery - left breast mastectomy and 16 lymph nodes removed (8 had cancer).
02/16 – CT scan done – small nodules on lung but Doctor advises it’s normal. They will continue to monitor just in case.
03/16 – Meet radiation oncologist and find out results of Pathology Report. I’m told that I have locally advanced breast cancer, based on the size of my tumour (7 cm!) and the fact that they found cancer cells in eight lymph nodes. I’m also told that I’m HER 2 positive, with high levels of estrogen and progesterone and that my cancer is stage 3, grade 2.
03/16 – Meet oncologist and am told that my cancer is actually grade 3, and that I should have done chemo before surgery. Too late now!
03/16 – Start first of six doses of chemo (Carboplatin and Docetaxal) and Herceptin (for one year).
04/16 – Have port put in.
04/16 – Get second dose of chemo, but Docetaxal is left out due to liver enzymes being high. I was unable to get a full dose of Docetaxal after my first treatment.
06/16 – Finished chemo! One month off and then I start radiation.
06/16 – Start Tamoxifen.
07/16 – First radiation treatment – 24 more to go!
08/16 – Went for Genetic Testing to see if I have the BRCA gene. Tested negative for BRCA I and II
08/16 – Radiation oncologist biopsies “scar tissue” on my scar.
08/16 – I am told that I have a “local recurrence” and need to have rush surgery.
09/16 – Meet surgeon who advises that I need to meet with a plastic surgeon, as they will need to do a skin graft to close me up after surgery.
09/16 – Go for rush ultrasound, bone scan, breast MRI and CT scan.
09/16 – Meet plastic surgeon and all looks good. A surgery date is set for October 4.
09/16 – Meet oncologist who advises that the ultrasound and bone scan results look good, and that MRI shows three small masses at surgery site, but lymph nodes are clear. Still awaiting the results of the CT scan, but we are positive it will look good.
09/16 – Get a call from my oncologist, who advises that CT scan shows small spots on my lungs, and a large lymph node in the middle of my chest. This means the cancer has spread! She looks into getting me funded for TDM1 and cancels my surgery.
10/16 – Meet oncologist, who advises that I have to take Perjeta before I can take TDM1. I start Perjeta/Herceptin every three weeks for an indefinite amount of time, and Taxol, which I will take two weeks in a row with one week off and then two weeks in a row for 8-16 treatments.
10/16 – Stop Tamoxifen.
10/16 – Meet surgeon, who reviews my CT scan and advises that the spots on my lungs may not be cancer, and that he doesn’t see a lymph node in my chest. He thinks it’s a spot on my lung. I’m feeling very confused! He advises that my oncologist doesn’t want me to have surgery to remove the three small masses on my scar line, as she wants to use them as a way to determine if the treatment is working. He advises that if they have not shrunk in 6 months, he will revisit surgery.
10/16 – CEA blood test to determine Tumour markers. Results were normal (2.7). My doctor advises that this could mean two things: (1) that the treatment is working, and the tumours are shrinking, or (2), that I'm one of those people who never get elevated CEA levels. Given that some people never get an elevated CEA level, this test doesn’t seem very accurate to me! Asked for PET scan, but am told I don’t qualify.
10/16 – Brain MRI – NED!
11/16 - CA-15-30 blood test – Tumour markers are normal at 19.
11/16 – Second CEA blood test – Tumours markers are still normal at 1.6
11/16 – Second CA-15-30 bloot test – Tumour markers are still normal at 19
11/16 – Develop lymphedema and have to wear a sleeve
12/16 – CT Scan shows that the tumors on my lungs and the lymph node in the middle of my chest are shrinking. Also, the small masses along my scar line are no longer visible. This means the medication is working!
12/16 – Small “pimple” shows up where old tumour was located. Scared it’s a cancer recurrence.