i had one bump on my head biopsied today and it was all over before i could get tense. of course the 0.5 mg ativan i took helped a lot. dr a, the dermatologist, is so gentle. plus he mixes his lidocaine with sodium bicarbonate which takes away most of the sting. must remember to recommend this to my infusion nurses.
biopsy results take a week but doc said he'd rush the cancer or not? preliminary part. the second piece details what kind of cancer, er/pr status etc. maybe i will get a call by end of the week. if not i see the onc on monday.
i think there is a 10% chance the femara i am taking for the second time is working, will know on friday. if it's not, and the bumps are indeed mets, then on to chemo asap.
someone found a clinical trial for skin mets that's right here in seattle: "A Phase II Study of Topical Imiquimod and Weekly Abraxane for the Treatment of Breast Cancer Cutaneous Metastases". maybe i will qualify.
i hate the waiting. at least my relocated elbow keeps my mind off "scanxiety".
we treated ourselves to ice cream at molly moon's afterwards. 1/2 salted caramel and 1/2 scout mint, topped with hot fudge helped restore my equilibrium.
Showing posts with label biopsy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label biopsy. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Biopsy results -- good news
I saw Dr. G yesterday and the results of the biopsy of the bump on my shoulder blade were benign -- it's nothing. And so, evidently, are the bumps on my head. Nothing.
For nothing, they sure feel like something, but I am not eager to have my head shaved in order to biopsy them. If Dr. Goldberg isn't worried about it, I'm not worried about it.
My CA 27-29 tumor marker came down again last week for the second month in a row. It had been climbing steadily for many months prior. Dr. G was able to show me a graph of my tumor markers and there was a clear spike beginning in June 2008 -- when I began the Megace. So Megace was not my friend and I am glad to have switched treatments.
The recent reduction in tumor markers is due to stopping the Megace. I am going to stay on the toremifene for the time being to give it a chance to work, but it remains to be seen what effect it will have on my cancer.
In the meanwhile, I feel good! What more can one ask for?
For nothing, they sure feel like something, but I am not eager to have my head shaved in order to biopsy them. If Dr. Goldberg isn't worried about it, I'm not worried about it.
My CA 27-29 tumor marker came down again last week for the second month in a row. It had been climbing steadily for many months prior. Dr. G was able to show me a graph of my tumor markers and there was a clear spike beginning in June 2008 -- when I began the Megace. So Megace was not my friend and I am glad to have switched treatments.
The recent reduction in tumor markers is due to stopping the Megace. I am going to stay on the toremifene for the time being to give it a chance to work, but it remains to be seen what effect it will have on my cancer.
In the meanwhile, I feel good! What more can one ask for?
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Bumps on the head
About four weeks ago I noticed two small, round bumps on my head. They didn't itch or hurt but were slightly tender to the touch. Then a bump appeared on my left shoulder blade. Yesterday I had an appointment with Dr. G and lo and behold! A third bump had appeared on my head, overnight.
Dr. G decided to do a punch biopsy of the bump on my left shoulder blade, just in case. He says he doesn't think it's cancer but better safe, etc. He gave me plenty of lidocaine so that nothing hurt, and put a bandaid over the sutures.
Yes, it's possible to have scalp metastases. My friend Josh has several and they trouble him greatly, so much so that his docs recommended treating them with radiation.
We'll wait to see what my biopsy results are. In the meantime Dr. G asked me to re-start the toremifene.
Dr. G decided to do a punch biopsy of the bump on my left shoulder blade, just in case. He says he doesn't think it's cancer but better safe, etc. He gave me plenty of lidocaine so that nothing hurt, and put a bandaid over the sutures.
Yes, it's possible to have scalp metastases. My friend Josh has several and they trouble him greatly, so much so that his docs recommended treating them with radiation.
We'll wait to see what my biopsy results are. In the meantime Dr. G asked me to re-start the toremifene.
Friday, March 6, 2009
The Unringing Phone
They say they're going to call, in a week, on Thursday. So on Thursday you wait. You don't have to wait at home anymore like people did for most of the 20th century, you take your cell with you and take your waiting with you. On Thursday afternoon you leave a message with a machine. Then you leave a message with a person. Then it's Friday and you call again and leave a message with a person. The weekend is coming up, after all.
The new gyne sounded so sincere when she said she'd call. Today's first message-taker said she'd seen my file on the doctor's desk. The next message-taker said she'd give the doctor a message to call me. And, of course, only the doctor is allowed to tell the patient the biopsy results.
If she'd not going to call me, why doesn't she delegate?
Maybe by not calling she thinks she's conveying the message that the biopsy showed nothing, just as she figured. Up until Thursday I wasn't anxious to hear. Because I knew she would call on Thursday.
Her office closes in 45 minutes.
Friday, September 28, 2007
Brandy Interview Slideshow
[i did this quickie slideshow...a bit self-indulgent, but what about this blog isn't, after all? enjoy...or not!]
Sunday, August 5, 2007
Waiting Game
I've gotten a number of emails from friends wondering what the latest is....which is, I'm waiting. The first clear open appointment to receive chemo is August 23rd. My trial nurse, rightfully so, thinks that's too long to wait. So I'm put on a waiting list everyday, which means that any day now, I will get the call to go in and start treatment. She said that last Friday and this Tuesday looked like the best days (Monday, tomorrow, is a holiday here), but I still haven't gotten a call for any day. We're keeping our fingers crossed.
I had another core biopsy on Thursday, so that the cancer agency could have a baseline sample before the chemo starts. This procedure seemed more brutal than the core biopsy I had at Women's Hospital. Two differences I noticed: a scalpel was used to cut into my skin to insert the "needle," which actually looked as big as a screwdriver to me. I didn't notice a scalpel being used the last time, and the needle used last time actually looked like a needle (a long one). I'm not sure if I just didn't notice this the last time, or if the procedure was really different because they need a bigger sample from the tumor. In any case, there was also a lot more blood and tenderness this time around. My friend Emily went with me since Henry had to go to a press conference. Thankfully, her dad is a vet [the kind that doctors animals, not the kind that was in a war], so she was pretty much unfazed (or at least, she appeared to be).
I'm also getting set to see a naturopath as part of a complementary treatment to the chemo. I'm not sure if this is allowed since I'm on a trial, but I will call and ask the nurse tomorrow. My friend Shirley helped me with this, as her brother is a well respected naturopath. I'm very excited, and hope that this is all kosher with the trial. I want to do everything I can to keep my energy at a reasonable level while on chemo, as well as maintain my health as best as possible.
I had another core biopsy on Thursday, so that the cancer agency could have a baseline sample before the chemo starts. This procedure seemed more brutal than the core biopsy I had at Women's Hospital. Two differences I noticed: a scalpel was used to cut into my skin to insert the "needle," which actually looked as big as a screwdriver to me. I didn't notice a scalpel being used the last time, and the needle used last time actually looked like a needle (a long one). I'm not sure if I just didn't notice this the last time, or if the procedure was really different because they need a bigger sample from the tumor. In any case, there was also a lot more blood and tenderness this time around. My friend Emily went with me since Henry had to go to a press conference. Thankfully, her dad is a vet [the kind that doctors animals, not the kind that was in a war], so she was pretty much unfazed (or at least, she appeared to be).
I'm also getting set to see a naturopath as part of a complementary treatment to the chemo. I'm not sure if this is allowed since I'm on a trial, but I will call and ask the nurse tomorrow. My friend Shirley helped me with this, as her brother is a well respected naturopath. I'm very excited, and hope that this is all kosher with the trial. I want to do everything I can to keep my energy at a reasonable level while on chemo, as well as maintain my health as best as possible.
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Me and Cancer--Not a Love Story
How did this all come about? How did I discover the lump of coal in my boobie? One day in March, about four months ago, I felt a little tenderness on what felt like a ridge on my right breast. It bothered me for about a week, and then I went to see my family doctor.
The way the medical system works in Canada is that you go to see your family doctor for everything, and then s/he refers you to a specialist, orders tests, and all that other junk. It doesn't cost the patient anything in most cases, and the doctor just gets paid for your visit.
So I went in, and Dr. H. felt my boob a few times, and said that all he felt was "fullness." I'm not familiar with that medical term, but I guess it was full. Whatever that meant. He said it was nothing, wrote down "benign appearance" on my chart, and told me to come back if it got worse. That was on March 26th.
I went about my business, went to Asia, came back--lump still there. I could still feel it, and it was tender. But one night, there was a shooting pain in my chest where the lump is, and I'm like, really, that can't be normal. In terms of size, it was about the same. So I went in the doctor's a second time in the middle of June.
But Dr. H. wasn't there. Instead, there was a nice lady named Dr. Shintani. She examined me and told me that it was some kind of cyst, probably benign, and she gave me a requisition for an ultrasound. She said they'd probably just drain it and that was it. She also told me that it might take 3 months to get that ultrasound appointment.
Perhaps because of my age, both Dr. H. and Dr. S. weren't so concerned that it was cancer. But at least Dr. S. had enough sense to order me an ultrasound. I still don't know why Dr. H. didn't do that in the first place, OVER THREE MONTHS AGO! It doesn't cost him anything! Argh!
Anyway, luckily, I was able to get an ultrasound appointment in two weeks. So I went in for my ultrasound on July 5th.
I watched the monitor and saw three obvious black blobs--two larger ones near the surface, and one small one deeper down in my breast. The radiologist came in and was concerned. She said that I was going to do a mammogram right away as well.
So I did the mammogram--and then another one, which was more magnified, and that was that. The radiologist, Dr. Gordon, said that the Women's Hospital was booked full for the week, but that she would get me in first thing Monday morning for a core biopsy.
When I got there at my scheduled time, 7:30 am, the center was closed. They didn't open until 8 am! About a couple minutes later, the receptionist walked in, and they were expecting me right away! They basically opened up for my appointment, half an hour early.
While I was getting ready for the biopsy, Dr. Gordon told me that they saw a lump in my lymph node during the mammogram and that she would biopsy that site as well. She froze my armpit and used a regular needle to dig around in there--which didn't feel all that great. Lots of nerves in the pit, so it was kind of uncomfortable even with the freezing.
Then she began the core biopsy. It's like a big needle that they attach a stapler gun type thing to. So she stuck the needle in (after freezing my boob, of course), positioned it according to what she saw on the ultrasound, and fired away. It sounds lile a stapler gun. It was all fine until she went to get the small cyst deep down--the freezing didn't exactly find its way down there, so I felt that one. Ouch.
Three days later, my family doctor called, and I went in and was given the diagnosis, which was pretty vague. I just have cancer. That's all I know.
I have to say that things are moving so much more quickly than they should. Everything has been expedited for me, and I don't know if that's because of my age, or if it's because of my stage (which I don't know right now), or both. So it's nice to get the attention right away, but it also makes me think crazy thoughts, like, "is it that bad?"
I guess I'll find out later this afternoon.
The way the medical system works in Canada is that you go to see your family doctor for everything, and then s/he refers you to a specialist, orders tests, and all that other junk. It doesn't cost the patient anything in most cases, and the doctor just gets paid for your visit.
So I went in, and Dr. H. felt my boob a few times, and said that all he felt was "fullness." I'm not familiar with that medical term, but I guess it was full. Whatever that meant. He said it was nothing, wrote down "benign appearance" on my chart, and told me to come back if it got worse. That was on March 26th.
I went about my business, went to Asia, came back--lump still there. I could still feel it, and it was tender. But one night, there was a shooting pain in my chest where the lump is, and I'm like, really, that can't be normal. In terms of size, it was about the same. So I went in the doctor's a second time in the middle of June.
But Dr. H. wasn't there. Instead, there was a nice lady named Dr. Shintani. She examined me and told me that it was some kind of cyst, probably benign, and she gave me a requisition for an ultrasound. She said they'd probably just drain it and that was it. She also told me that it might take 3 months to get that ultrasound appointment.
Perhaps because of my age, both Dr. H. and Dr. S. weren't so concerned that it was cancer. But at least Dr. S. had enough sense to order me an ultrasound. I still don't know why Dr. H. didn't do that in the first place, OVER THREE MONTHS AGO! It doesn't cost him anything! Argh!
Anyway, luckily, I was able to get an ultrasound appointment in two weeks. So I went in for my ultrasound on July 5th.
I watched the monitor and saw three obvious black blobs--two larger ones near the surface, and one small one deeper down in my breast. The radiologist came in and was concerned. She said that I was going to do a mammogram right away as well.
So I did the mammogram--and then another one, which was more magnified, and that was that. The radiologist, Dr. Gordon, said that the Women's Hospital was booked full for the week, but that she would get me in first thing Monday morning for a core biopsy.
When I got there at my scheduled time, 7:30 am, the center was closed. They didn't open until 8 am! About a couple minutes later, the receptionist walked in, and they were expecting me right away! They basically opened up for my appointment, half an hour early.
While I was getting ready for the biopsy, Dr. Gordon told me that they saw a lump in my lymph node during the mammogram and that she would biopsy that site as well. She froze my armpit and used a regular needle to dig around in there--which didn't feel all that great. Lots of nerves in the pit, so it was kind of uncomfortable even with the freezing.
Then she began the core biopsy. It's like a big needle that they attach a stapler gun type thing to. So she stuck the needle in (after freezing my boob, of course), positioned it according to what she saw on the ultrasound, and fired away. It sounds lile a stapler gun. It was all fine until she went to get the small cyst deep down--the freezing didn't exactly find its way down there, so I felt that one. Ouch.
Three days later, my family doctor called, and I went in and was given the diagnosis, which was pretty vague. I just have cancer. That's all I know.
I have to say that things are moving so much more quickly than they should. Everything has been expedited for me, and I don't know if that's because of my age, or if it's because of my stage (which I don't know right now), or both. So it's nice to get the attention right away, but it also makes me think crazy thoughts, like, "is it that bad?"
I guess I'll find out later this afternoon.
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