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NEDenise · 06-07-2013, 05:48 AM

Okay...
Important things first...as an avid Phillies fan (Major League Baseball), I know all about rebuilding. We've gone from winning the World Series to 'snatching defeat from the jaws of victory' nearly every night, in less than 5 years!

Next important thing...I have always envied people who can add a 'y' to their names! There's no good way to do that with Denise. There have been one or two people who have tested out Neecie on me...but it just doesn't suit. All my brothers and sisters have names that can (and do) add that y...Bobby, Mikey, heck Sally doesn't even get a choice...
Even my own kids get Johnny and Benji here at home. My Mom's name was Dolores, and she hated when family called her Dolly...but I thought it was cool. So the y thing works for me, gals!

Third important thing...I'm going to have to check out the Web for a footy. The sporting goods store clerk here looked at me like I had two heads...then tried to sell me a rugby ball. The nerve!

And now...the smackdown update...

Those of you who have had an echocardiogram can attest...they usually take about 30 minutes. Because of all the scar tissue from my recon, and because I'm part of a study to track the cardio-toxicity of Herceptin treatment...my echos often take an hour. Yesterday, my study took 2 and a half hours! Because of these demon steroids, there is so much fluid packed on my body that it kept reflecting all the soundwaves! They literally could not get images of my heart through all the interference.
Now...this is not to say that I am "heart-less"...they did locate the old ticker eventually...they just had to inject little reflective bubbles into my bloodstream...then re-do each part of the scan. Very Star Trek!

In the end...the results were worth waiting for! My EF was a solid 55%! Woo Hoo! And wait for this, my friends! When I went upstairs for my vitamin H...I weighed in on the same scale they had used on Monday...and have I lost 5 of those pesky pounds I had packed on! I guess my body has finally realized that the steroids are tapering and is releasing some of that fluid I've been lugging around! Yay! Hooray! Five down...45 to go...but hey! At least I'm going in the right direction again! It also had the happy effect of reminding me that MOST of this extra weight is merely water...I won't have to spend months on the exercise bike to get rid of it! Very encouraging, indeed!

Scheduled my 6 month scans of chest, abdomen and pelvis for June 20th...MRI of brain will likely a few weeks later. Truly not expecting anything to light up on the June 20 scans. My body had been "clean" for well over a year...and I haven't had any break from treatment.

I just need that brain MRI to show the necrosis (that's what those tumor board folks call the goo) is/was re-absorbed...and nothing new has popped up to cause trouble. Not quite ready to speculate on that one yet...still cautiously optimistic though.

So much heartbreak here among our friends lately...praying for all of you...
Thanks for checking up on my smackdown progress
With love
Denise

06-07-2013, 05:48 AM	#17
NEDenise Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Philly Suburbs Posts: 1,709	Re: Steroid Smackdown Round 3! Okay... Important things first...as an avid Phillies fan (Major League Baseball), I know all about rebuilding. We've gone from winning the World Series to 'snatching defeat from the jaws of victory' nearly every night, in less than 5 years! Next important thing...I have always envied people who can add a 'y' to their names! There's no good way to do that with Denise. There have been one or two people who have tested out Neecie on me...but it just doesn't suit. All my brothers and sisters have names that can (and do) add that y...Bobby, Mikey, heck Sally doesn't even get a choice... Even my own kids get Johnny and Benji here at home. My Mom's name was Dolores, and she hated when family called her Dolly...but I thought it was cool. So the y thing works for me, gals! Third important thing...I'm going to have to check out the Web for a footy. The sporting goods store clerk here looked at me like I had two heads...then tried to sell me a rugby ball. The nerve! And now...the smackdown update... Those of you who have had an echocardiogram can attest...they usually take about 30 minutes. Because of all the scar tissue from my recon, and because I'm part of a study to track the cardio-toxicity of Herceptin treatment...my echos often take an hour. Yesterday, my study took 2 and a half hours! Because of these demon steroids, there is so much fluid packed on my body that it kept reflecting all the soundwaves! They literally could not get images of my heart through all the interference. Now...this is not to say that I am "heart-less"...they did locate the old ticker eventually...they just had to inject little reflective bubbles into my bloodstream...then re-do each part of the scan. Very Star Trek! In the end...the results were worth waiting for! My EF was a solid 55%! Woo Hoo! And wait for this, my friends! When I went upstairs for my vitamin H...I weighed in on the same scale they had used on Monday...and have I lost 5 of those pesky pounds I had packed on! I guess my body has finally realized that the steroids are tapering and is releasing some of that fluid I've been lugging around! Yay! Hooray! Five down...45 to go...but hey! At least I'm going in the right direction again! It also had the happy effect of reminding me that MOST of this extra weight is merely water...I won't have to spend months on the exercise bike to get rid of it! Very encouraging, indeed! Scheduled my 6 month scans of chest, abdomen and pelvis for June 20th...MRI of brain will likely a few weeks later. Truly not expecting anything to light up on the June 20 scans. My body had been "clean" for well over a year...and I haven't had any break from treatment. I just need that brain MRI to show the necrosis (that's what those tumor board folks call the goo) is/was re-absorbed...and nothing new has popped up to cause trouble. Not quite ready to speculate on that one yet...still cautiously optimistic though. So much heartbreak here among our friends lately...praying for all of you... Thanks for checking up on my smackdown progress With love Denise