Dec 13 2022

December 13, 2022

Published by at 11:01 am under Uncategorized

It has been kind of a whirlwind week. Here are some bullet points from my current medical diary.

  1. Last Wednesday, 12-7-22, I was to have my next round of immunotherapy/chemo. The doctor went over my last PET scan (from November 30) and did say they there are some spots in my liver again. Nothing like my liver was before and there are more spots in my bones. He decided that he may need to change me to another drug called Xeloda (which is a pill and may not make my hair fall out) and we are waiting still today for insurance approval. So I did not have any treatment last week.
  2. Another reason for no treatment was my heart did not appear to be pumping or squeezing properly. This can happen from chemo treatments. So this past Friday, I had a video visit with a cardiologist. He said my last echocardiogram may have been either done wrong or read wrong. So tomorrow, 12-14-22, I will be going to have another one. This result will play into what drugs I will be on going forward.
  3. My cancer numbers are up slightly that refer to the liver. My Alkaline phosphatase are up and the aligns with the spread in my bones.
  4. My cancer Dr does want me to go see the breast cancer specialist at Magee Hospital downtown Pittsburgh. The next available appointment was March 2023 and then while the staff was on the phone with their office they had a cancellation and a slot opened up on Dec 27th. The breast cancer specialist was just at a Texas health meeting where cancer drug trials are discussed. So by seeing her, I may be able to find out about some other options.
  5. When I had last visited the breast cancer specialist, it was suggested that I could go on a pill, that is an estrogen blocker called Tamoxifen. I was on it for a year after my first diagnosis and treatment in 2010. I did get the side effects of Uterine tumors and it was a bit painful. This drug also can cause cancer. I had told the BC specialist that I did not want to be on that pill again, one reason being it can cause cancer. She said “But you already have cancer”. I did not like that answer.
  6. My cancer Dr and the BC Specialist have also suggested going back the the faslodex shots in my butt. I said “no way”. The side effects are crazy. My hip cracked, numbness and pain in my back side were just a few things. I believe I still have the numbness in areas and my last shot was September 2020.
  7. I am still going to the wound center in Cranberry Twp, about Avery 7-10 days. The hole my my leg (below my right knee) is getting smaller. I have nerve pain that I believe is coming from the wound even though the wound is betting better. The nerve pain in my right light has been very bad and I have been seeing my Primary Care Dr about drugs to control it. There are times that I can barely walk and my leg feels like it will collapse. When I rest my leg and am on the pain pills, I look and feel fairly normal.
  8. Last week, I harvested my first batch of broccoli sprouts. Recently, I stumbled upon information on sprouting. It is really great for your health and some sprouts are very anti-cancer. Sulphoraphane is a key nutrient in broccoli sprouts and highly anti-cancer for breast cancer. Research for yourself. It is so easy to grow sprouts too!
  9. Last week I also got my first hair cut since I got my head shaved in July 2021. It feels good to have my hair growing back again (for now). I have always been a long hair person.
  10. The strange thing with all these medical issues is that a few days before I was to have chemo again, I was feeling less fatigued and more energetic that I had felt all year. I could focus more than I had been able to all year and got things done that should have been done a while ago. Even just simple house tasks. There was really no reason for me to feel this way with the test results. I had not even started the sprouts yet.

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