Manifestation

[CarolineC]

Hi,

I will post under an existing thread I started, but I want to share some news.

In my September CT scan I was surprised to find that the adrenal mass (didn't know I had one) had enlarged and was invading the kidney. I have posted before about having bad reactions to the contrast dye for months after a scan and after September's the whites of my eyes went red and I was shaking with blood pressure problems for months. I spoke with a nutritionist at InspireHealth who recommended I take 1/4 tsp good quality sea salt in my food and drink all day and after about a month my bp was better and an achiness in my lower back that I'd had for 1 1/2 years (starting after my first post chemo scan) went away. Unfortunately my Herceptin treatment was delayed at that time because my ejection fraction went down. That was in Oct/Nov.

In January I had another CT scan but didn't have the oral contrast, "only" the IV that showed the adrenal gland had still grown but the central calcification was stable. The progression into the kidney was mildly progressed. The nutritionist recommended certain things for my liver and adrenals and I also have implemented things from a book on adrenal fatigue.

On March 31 I had an MRI without contrast or an injection of an anti-spasmodic to slow my innards for imaging. I looked up the injection and it stated that it could cause tachycardia and painful red eye with possible loss of vision and to seek medical attention if this happened, and to be careful if you have glaucoma. Well, in 2007 I almost lost my eyesight because of narrow angle glaucoma. Before I was to have my scan I talked to the nurses and explained how I didn't want the injection because of the info I had read. They asked what symptoms I had and I explained I had heart racing, pain in my head and almost lost my sight. Didn't get the injection. Yay!

On April 1 I had my appointment with my rad onc because he was the one to kindly order the MRI. I drove 3 1/2 hours away to have the MRI and to see him. I was very scared before I saw him and didn't know what to expect. My way of coping is to always expect the worst, because when I have expected the best I have always been crushed when it's bad news.

I deliberated about having my head in my hands looking down while he told me the news, but I kept my head up.

He said the adrenal gland has grown....1 mm in 2 1/2 months, the central calcification is looking like necrosis and the kidney progression is the same. I think that's what he said, I'm trying to get the report and it's taking a while.

So I see this as good news. My only concern is my TMs have been rising and I am in still in severe pain. My Herceptin was delayed again in Feb and I think my sternum is acting up big time. I've only had one reloading and two regular infusions since the delayed one and each time I get slighter better, but I am very frustrated. I was stable in my sternum, not healed, and my treatment was delayed twice. On top of that, I had an appt with my onc at a BC Cancer Agency and she said they don't delay metastatic breast cancer patients based on fluctuations in their echos.

I just have to hope that I will heal but it's very hard when I spend most of my time on the couch with a heating pad or going to massage to alleviate the pain.

Anyway, each day whether I mumble it or say it clearly I state "Every day in every way I am getting better and better and stronger and stronger" and at least in one part of my body maybe it's finally becoming a manifestation.