[TiffanyS]

I went to the hospital yesterday for treatment, and I got some good news! I noticed on the weekend that one of the red marks on my scar, where one of the masses is located, was getting smaller. I pointed this out to the Fellow I met at the hospital today, and he gave me a physical exam. He told me that he could no longer feel any of the masses along my scar, and that he thinks that they are gone. This means that the Perjeta is working!

I have also been experiencing chest congestion on and off for about five weeks now, and I developed a bit of a cough last Monday. The doctor told me that the congestion is probably caused by the cancer in the lymph nodes in my chest. He said that lymph nodes are harder to treat, and that it will take longer for the medication to treat this area. That being said, since the Perjeta seems to be working in regard to the masses on my scar, there's no reason it won't eventually work in regard to the lymph nodes. I guess we will just have to wait and see.

I also got clarification as to when I will be able to stop taking Taxol. When I first started treatment, I was told that I would need between eight and 16 doses of Taxol. As I'm getting Taxol two weeks in a row, with a week off, and then two weeks in a row, I was counting every chemo treatment as a dose. Apparently, I was wrong, and the two doses of taxol I get in a row are considered one treatment. This means that even though I've had five doses of Taxol to date, I'm only considered to have had three treatments. This means I won't be done with Taxol until mid-January. The good news is, I will probably only need six doses of Taxol, and not eight to 16 as originally suggested. I will also get a break from Taxol during the holidays as the clinic is closed from Dec 24 until the new year. My chemo side effects are still minimal, however, I am starting to experience more side-effects. I have been getting shortness of breath on and off over the last two weeks, and I have to slow down when I am walking or else I can't breathe. I have also developed neuropathy in my hands and feet again, although it is worse in my feet. My doctor recommended acupuncture, and I have an appointment next week. Hopefully it helps. I also noticed over the weekend that my hair is falling out again. So far, I haven't lost a lot of hair, and I'm trying not to touch it or wash it often, in an attempt to keep it. My doctor said I shouldn't lose it all, and that it should only thin out. I hope that she is right.

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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, 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.
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 ultrasound and bone scan 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 on, one off 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 cancerous, 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-15-3 blood test – Tumour markers are normal at 19.
11/16 – CT Scan scheduled for November 22. I can’t wait to find out if the Perjeta is working!