Never thought I’d want to be a breast cancer survivor

On Friday I went to a meeting – in person – without a mask. I realized that it has been the first time in at least 4 months that I have been in a room with people without both them and me wearing a mask. When I went through cancer the first time, I didn’t…

On Thursday we made our way into Halifax for my radiation marking appointment. When I arrived at check in, there was a distinct lack of information. The person at reception showed me where to change and told me where to wait after I was finished changing – however, she didn’t tell me how I needed…

After much waiting during the day, my oncologist finally called. He said that next time I should go about my day normally, and if I miss his call he will call back – he makes sure he gets everyone who is scheduled for a phone consult. That is good to know. We talked about next…

Fifty percent was a number thrown out there, related to recurrence after a regional recurrence. This was the first time someone threw a number out there and it had me unsettled. When I meet with my oncologist next week, I will talk to him more about prognosis. I’ve done some research, and 50% is on…

The main purpose of our trip to Halifax last week was to consult with the radiation oncologist about radiation therapy. While we were waiting, I picked up a copy of all the various handouts they give when you are having radiation therapy. They provided some really useful information specific to having radiation therapy at the…

In my post from Tuesday, I mentioned that the radiation oncologist had ordered a head CT. This is to check to ensure there is no cancer in my brain – which is one of the places breast cancer likes to metastasize to. I’m amused that I can write that so nonchalantly without any emotion. I…

Yesterday, I summarized the key points from our trip to Halifax to see the radiation oncologist. There were many different things discussed in that consultation and in my blog post that require further explanation. The first topic I want to address is lymphedema. Since I already have lymphedema on my right side, the oncologist informed…

Went up to Halifax today to have a consult with the radiation oncologist. I was expecting to be told that they recommended wide spectrum prophylactic radiation for four to six weeks – which would be a more typical treatment regime for someone on original diagnosis who had a lumpectomy and positive lymph nodes. That isn’t…

For me, it looks like the year will be ending with a whimper. I feel like this last dose of TC was stronger than previous doses. It is certainly hitting me harder. I think I got lucky the last two cycles and came to expect it to not be too bad. What is making this…

First, an update. After experiencing stress dreams, I left a message for my oncologist to inquire about the next steps and mentioned that I had not yet heard about a radiation oncology appointment. The following day, I had an appointment with the local General Practitioner Oncologist (GPO), which they referred to as a toxicity appointment,…
