44 and Finished with Herceptin! (click here)

My nurses for my last Herceptin treatment!

Dear Friends, 

Truly the last 4 months have flown by since I returned home!  I am back into the swing of things at work and enjoying it.  And spring seems to have finally sprung here in London!  Flowers are in bloom and the temperature is edging up ever so slowly.

London Walking Tour for my B-Day.

Chris and I have managed a few afternoons in our garden - trying to tame all things overgrown! We are also fitting in lots of time with friends in London.  For my 44th birthday we went on a London walking tour with some friends which was great fun!  And for dinner we went to a new spot, Timbers, a South African inspired restaurant on the Thames River - just across from the Tate Modern Museum. 

 The day after my birthday I had my last Herceptin treatment! Hooray! I have now finished my full year of Herceptin.  I felt a bit more emotional than I expected, and found it to be perhaps a bit anti-climatic, but am ever so happy to be finished with infusions! 

'Sometimes a Door Closes and a Window Opens'

The day after my final chemo, my friend Kerryn and I had a day out to celebrate - visiting an art fair. Of course I had to buy something in celebration of finishing my cancer treatment - see painting on the right. I thought that the title of the painting was quite appropriate.  Kerryn and I capped the day with a lovely dinner followed by a distinctly tedious play - Waste at the National Theatre.  I chose it and Karen endured it!   All in all, it was a fabulous way to celebrate my post-treatment life!

Chris enjoying a sandwich during my last treatment!

We are keeping an eye on the US elections - I have survived cancer - but don't know if I could survive Donald Trump as President! As my friend Linda, who is an American ex-pat living in China said to me, these are trying times for us ex-pats.  Americans have always done some crazy things that are hard to explain, but seriously, how can you explain or defend the popularity of Trump!?

Chris and I are looking forward to a trip back to California at the end of April! I will have a follow-up appointment with the wonderful Dr. Kass at the SB Cancer Center and hopefully we will get to catch up with lots of friends in SB before we both head down south to work (me to UCLA and Chris to a firm meeting in Southern California).

Birthday dinner at Timbers.

In some ways the past year seems a big blur, it is hard to believe that one year ago I was just one chemo session into my treatment plan.  I have saved all of the cards and notes that were sent to me by friends and family in Santa Barbara and plan to read through them when we are back in SB later this month.  I also have saved the emails I received and periodically look at them, it is a powerful reminder of all that I have to be thankful for!

Now that I am settled back into life in London, I am thinking of writing a short book on making it through cancer treatment...I am writing this in my blog because if I put it out there I know that I will feel greater motivation to actually produce something! More updates to come!

Happy spring everyone!  Get out there and plant some flowers and enjoy life!

Beautiful flowers sent by Debbie from Santa Barbara - with our painting of SB behind. A bit of SB love in London!

Final Chemo is Approaching: March 9th!

Dear Friends,

Walking across the Common to Chemo no. 15!

I have been a very bad blogger over the past 2 months!  Somehow settling back into London, starting at a new cancer center and going back to work seems to have taken every spare moment - and a lot of energy!  But life in London is good and every day I continue to feel stronger and more myself.  Looking back to late November, when I first returned to London, I can honestly say that I am feeling much stronger and more energetic.  I just have to sometimes remind myself that it takes a bit of time to cleanse one's self of chemo drugs and recover from radiotherapy (I still  have my therapy "tan lines", but they are nearly gone!).

St. Sulpice in Paris.

Lunch in Paris!

I had the one year anniversary of my cancer diagnosis on February 27th.  It is hard to believe that a whole year has passed since finding out that I had cancer.  I can vividly remember the sense of disbelief and thinking, maybe this is a bad dream that I will wake up from!  I think I celebrated this one year milestone rather in style - I was in Paris working.  We had a Global Forum (a series of events - which I help coordinate for UCLA in Europe).  The UCLA Chancellor Gene Block gave a talk on circadian rhythms - very relevant for those who travel frequently in different time zones!  It was a lovely evening and then Chris and I had dinner with my fabulous colleagues - Matthew and Deborah, the UCLA Chancellor and the Dean of the UCLA Anderson Business School.  So it was this wonderful sense, of being on the other side of cancer treatment, feeling back in the game, and getting on with life!

Happy One Year Diagnosis Anniversary!

Beautiful flower display in Paris.

The weekend before Paris, we were in Geneva (again for a UCLA Global Forum).  Chris and I were able to spend a day sightseeing on the Saturday before heading back to London. It was my first trip outside of the UK since returning home and it felt so good to see a new city!

Fun in Geneva with my handsome husband!

Next week - I have two big events - my birthday and my last chemo (no. 17)!  Last year, since I was diagnosed with cancer just before my birthday, I joked with people that "this is the crappiest birthday present ever!",  But this year I can say that finishing chemo and having my health back is the best birthday present ever (yes, even better than a red velvet cupcake...)! Thank you to my friends and family for giving me so much to be thankful for - and for having so much to look forward to!

My lovely friend Kerryn - my buddy for chemo no. 16!

Still trying to eat healthy!

Happy Christmas & New Year!

It has been exactly one month since my last blog post!  I thought that I would turn this into a Christmas greeting as Chris and I have been very busy over the past three + weeks since I returned to London (and I am using the "cancer card" as my excuse for not sending out proper holiday cards)!  So instead, I am going for the holiday blog post.

It has been quite a year!  My cancer diagnosis at the end of February almost seems a lifetime ago.  As I settle back into life in London, I continue to feel extreme gratitude that my treatment went so well.  As I look back on 2015, I am thankful for so very much - my wonderful friends and family who have all been so supportive - the fabulous doctors, nurses, technicians,  and physical therapist who treated me in Santa Barbara - a wonderful nurse navigator and dietitian at the Cancer Center - and restorative yoga!

My first day of tamoxifen.

I am now a patient at the Cancer Centre of London, a private clinic here in Wimbledon.  I had my first herceptin treatment last week and all seemed to go fine. I will continue with these infusions every three weeks until early March.  I have also started taking tamoxifen - the drug that suppresses estrogen production which will help decrease the likelihood of recurrence for me since my breast cancer was so very strongly estrogen positive.

The Cancer Centre of London.

Chris with me at the Cancer Centre.

I am also back to work with the University of California in London - and it is wonderful to be getting back into the swing of things.  As you can see in the photo above, my hair is growing back - and I now look like I may have chosen a pixie cut (which is nicer than the chemo-couture bald look I had for so many months)! I have had a few people even tell me I should keep my hair short.  Actually, it is the perfect haircut for windy and rainy London - no hair in my face, no frizz, no need for styling.  Who knew?!

A profile on my yoga teacher Cheri Clampett in the Cancer Center Newsletter.

Chris and I are spending our first Christmas in London in 6 years!  We are just feeling so happy to be together and to have a few days to relax with each other (cancer treatment can be rather draining)!  As I look ahead to 2016, I feel excited about so much - getting back in shape, doing a bit of traveling to fun places with Chris, improving my cooking, and enjoying friends and family.  This whole crazy cancer journey has only further emphasized for me the power of love, hope and kindness.  Cancer reminds you that you really can't take anything for granted in life.

So for 2016, I hope to leave the cancer behind, but not forgotten.  I take with me, the tremendous support and care I was given and will endeavor to give back some of the love, hope and kindness I have received from all of you!  I hope that 2016 will bring all of you new adventures, lots of laughter and hopefully a little bit of happy dancing!

My first walk back in Wimbledon (left) and my last walk in Santa Barbara before returning to London (right).

My Cancer-cation Comes to a Close...

Celebrating my last day of radiation and Darian's 20th cancer free year!

My cancer-cation is fast coming to a close.   I finished radiation one week ago and all seems to have gone well.  Hooray!  My “sunburn” is already fading and I am really enjoying a new morning routine that does not include laying on a hard plastic table and having a machine send radiation into my body!  The “bulls eye” stickers that they stuck on my breast to target my final 8 doses of radiation have even fallen off - it is nice to no longer think of a dart board when I see my chest in the mirror!

A few days after finishing radiation I was able to fit in a  short visit to see my 96 year-old grandmother, Aunt Leona and Uncle Nick.  My mom and I traveled together to Nevada and it was so nice to get to see everyone.  I am now back in Santa Barbara until Thanksgiving and then fly back to London on Friday.  I am looking forward to sharing Thanksgiving with friends Debbie and Paul and their son Ryan here in SB.  I am even hoping to fit in a short Thanksgiving beach walk as well! 

I had my final SB chemo today and ended the day with a beautiful walk with friends Dr. Michael Young and Dr. Yonie Harris - two people I really admire and who were mentors during my years in Student Affairs at UCSB.   Looking ahead, I am hoping that all will go smoothly with my transition to care in London.  It will be a tall order for the infusion nurses in London to deliver the level of care I received from the SB Cancer Center!

Keeping up with MDY!

Enjoying time with Yonie a fab walking partner of mine!

I was able to gather some of my dear Santa Barbara friends together at the Paradise Cafe after I finished radiation.  I still can’t really put into words the tremendous gratitude I feel for the love and support I have received from all of my friends around the world.  I wish that I could thank each and every one of you in person!

Enjoying food and friends at the Paradise Cafe!

While all has gone well with my treatment in Santa Barbara and I “show no signs of disease” (hooray!)  I will still need to finish my course of treatment in London which will include Herceptin infusions (every three weeks) through the end of February and then beginning the drug Tamoxifen (an estrogen crushing drug) which I am evidently supposed to take for 10 years!  But I can honestly say that I am breathing a sigh of relief, knowing that the bulk of my treatment is now behind me! 


I continue to do my best to exercise every day and am looking forward to continuing to increase my fitness level when I get back to London (Chris and I are gearing up for cold weather walks and runs!). I also wanted to mention that the restorative yoga video that I did with Cheri Clampett is now up on Yoga Anytime (along with a short interview).
 You can have a free 30 day trial by using the password: Clampett.

With new friends in the Cancer Center Well-Fit Program.

I plan to keep up my blog for the remainder of my treatment. Would you believe that I have had more than 3000 hits on my blog??!! They can't all be my mom...can they?  :)   In fact some of you have told me that you have shared my blog with friends who have (unfortunately) been diagnosed with breast cancer.  If anything that I have written over the past nine months might be of service to others in their quest to beat cancer - then I am that much happier to have recorded some of the ups and downs of this crazy experience.  As a wonderful friend  told Chris and me back in March - this whole experience is a journey and it will change you.  She was right.  I do think it has stimulated new perspectives and a keener appreciation of what truly brings happiness.  And it has even had a permanent impact on my diet (would you believe that I still haven’t had a red velvet cupcake since March?!).

On a daily basis, I feel so very thankful for all that I have in my life - the love and support of friends and family and my health!  So thank you for all of your encouragement. You will hear from me again once I am on the other side of the pond!

xx
Jodi

With friends David, Spencer and Darian - fellow cancer survivors!

Cancer Burns

Dear Friends,

A lovely dinner with Auntie Mary, Mom and Regina.

Everyday I feel a bit stronger and more myself.  I am steadily making my way through radiation treatment.  I have just 10 more radiation sessions to go - I finish on November 13th.  I have treatment every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday - with a break at the weekend.  I am also in a well-fit class for cancer patients at the Santa Barbara Athletic Club two days a week and going to physical therapy two days a week.  So I am staying busy!

The radiation therapy staff have been great and the treatments effective - as is evidenced by a solidly red square of skin - it runs from my right collarbone into my armpit and then down below my right breast and then into the center of my chest.  It is a little itchy, swollen and sore, but I am hanging in there.  It is not nearly as challenging as chemo!  My tips for getting through radiation include:  using Miaderm lotion (specifically designed for radiation patients) a few times a day, Elta melting moisturizer and then when you get really red and itchy, 1% hydro-cortisone (the petroleum based version seems to be more soothing than a creme base).  I will spare you the photos of my red skin!

Chris looking dashing in pink!

Our friend Stefani and her son Luke joined us on the walk!

Chris was here in early October and we enjoyed participating in the Cancer Center of Santa Barbara's 5k walk.  Thank you to everyone who supported us in the walk! We ended up raising $4000 for the Cancer Center (I was one of the top 5 fundraisers - thanks to all of you!). As promised, since I made my fundraising target Chris put on the pink wig!

Darian was also walking in honor of our friend Spencer!

My friend Darian - another cancer survivor!

I also enjoyed a great visit with my mom and Great Aunt Mary in mid-October.  It was so nice to have their company (and help)! 

It is hard to believe that I will be back in London in one month.  The excessively hot weather we are having in Santa Barbara is actually making me feel pretty OK about returning to London for the winter!  Hmmm, will I say that after a few days of cold rainy weather you ask?? Well, I do think I will still be saying that I am happy to be home (but may be less enthusiastic about the temperature)!

The interview and therapeutic yoga video I did with the amazing Cheri Clampett is now up on the Yoga Anytime website.  There is also a 15 minute interview that she did with me and Francine, a fellow breast cancer survivor.  I think that you can view a short bit of the videos without joining Yoga Anytime. Actually, they have a wonderful selection of videos and I am looking forward to using these yoga videos when I return to London.

Finally, I was terribly saddened to learn that my dear friend and mentor Lena Astin passed away earlier this week.  She was a fellow cancer patient, who was battling pancreatic cancer.  Lena was a very special person to me.  I had the good fortune of having Lena as my Ph.D. advisor at UCLA and she was one of the first people I contacted when I found out that I had breast cancer.  She was a true trailblazer, a nationally recognized scholar in higher education, a change maker, and visionary.  She led with great intellect, unbelievable warmth and good humor.  She saw so many possibilities for change and acted upon them.  She was a phenomenal woman and I will be eternally grateful for the time I had with her. 

My last visit with Lena and Sandy in Malibu.

Radiation Countdown & Chris with Pink Hair! (Click Here)

My fabulous friend Regina, my chemo date and also a breast cancer survivor!

As most of you know, Chris and I, along with some wonderful friends, are going to do a 5k walk to raise money for the Cancer Center of Santa Barbara on Sunday, October 11th! This is exciting for a few reasons:  (1) Chris and I will be in the same city (I am telling you, remember to appreciate what seem like little things in life,  such as seeing your husband every day!),  (2) We are both fit enough to walk 5k,  (3) We get to help support a Center that does amazing work for the community, and  (4) If I meet my goal of raising $2500, Chris has agreed to wear a pink wig for the walk!  I promise to post pictures of Chris sporting the neon pink wig on my blog!  To help make sure that Chris wears the pink wig (and that we support the Cancer Center!) please click here:  I want to see Chris with pink hair!

I have had my first 4 radiation sessions - so 4 down and 30 to go.   I am including a photo of the type of machine they use so that you have an idea of where I am spending a bit of my time every day! I go to treatments everyday Monday - Friday.  However, the treatments are very fast, taking only about 10 minutes - and part of that time is used to properly position me on the table.  You can't feel a thing, you just hear the machine make some clicking noises.  It is a bit eerie to lay on the table, hear a few noises, have the machine move around a bit and then be told that you are done.  The therapists who do all of the work delivering the treatments have all been wonderful.  I am crossing fingers that this part of my treatment goes as well as the previous bits. 

I have also been going to physical therapy 2-3 times a week to try and get full mobility back in my right arm.  I have made great progress and am doing exercises every day to strengthen and stretch my muscles.  I learned from my physical therapist that when you have surgery it is good to massage the incision site to help prevent scars from staying lumpy.  I am also going to the Cancer Center's Well Fit classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays and doing a lot of (very light!) weights to build more muscle.  The class is small, with about 10 people, all of whom are in treatment or recently finished treatment.  It is a super nice group.  I seem to be getting some form of exercise just about every day...

You are never to old for your first cappuccino!

I was able to fit in a visit after surgery and before radiation started to see family up in Washington State.  I even took my 94 year-old grandma to a cute coffee shop where she tried her first cappuccino!  She said, "now I understand why Jake (my younger brother) likes expensive coffee!"  After I finish my radiation, I will be going to visit my other grandmother who is 96 years-old - and a breast cancer survivor!

My "little" brother Jake with Grandma and me.

My last bit of news, is that on November 27th I will be flying back to the UK (as long as all goes according to plan)!  I am so thankful for all of the good care I have had here in Santa Barbara - from family, friends and medical staff.  However, I am looking forward to returning to my adopted home, reuniting with friends there, and seeing my husband's smiling (albeit sometimes groggy) face every morning - and I am especially excited for the breakfast in bed that I am sure he is planning for me! :)

So Long Drain Baby - Hello Tattoos! (Click Here)

Goodbye drain baby!

I don't know what you have heard about having a tube stuck in your armpit, but it just isn't as much fun as they make it out to be in the brochures! As I mentioned in my last post, I thought that my drain baby would be out within a week, but that was not to be.  I had it for 3.5 weeks!  So I think that I carried that darn drain baby to full term.  Do I miss it now that it is gone you might ask? Well, I do have fond memories of using a cute little zebra striped hat (that Kerryn and Jason sent me) to hold the drain baby on top of my head (I put it under the hat) while I showered (because you can't let the drain baby dangle on a tube that is attached to your body by only a few stitches).  So if you can imagine a tube coming out of my armpit, and then heading up into a nylon zebra hat (which by the way looks like it has small ears if you don't tuck the edges in), well you can't really help but laugh.  Or at least I couldn't help but laugh!  Drain baby did its job, at this point I haven't had any issues with excessive fluid build-up.

However, I do appear to have acquired a seroma in my armpit - the lymph node surgical site.  I didn't expect this, but cancer treatment likes to keep you on your toes.  A seroma is essentially a lump of built-up fluid and even though it is full of fluid, it feels more like a rock! The effect is that I feel like I have something sort of stuck in my armpit (like clothing - but it is just the seroma). The good news is that it does appear to be getting better!

Thank you Chris, Sally and Charlotte for fitting me into your California vacation!

I am now in physical therapy with the goal of regaining full mobility of my shoulder and this seems to be working a treat.  Tomorrow will be my fourth physical therapy appointment and the difference in my mobility from just 6 days ago is huge!  It is very exciting to get movement back - and to do things like: 1) put my shirt on head first instead of legs first (I stepped into my clothing - even shirts - when I had my tube in and 2) enjoy a full stretch with my hands over my head when I wake up in the morning (oh, the things we take for granted until we lose them!).  My arm mobility is especially important because I need to keep my arm over my head for an extended period of time during my upcoming radiation treatment.

My hair is growing back!

I go in for my radiotherapy prep appointment tomorrow.  They will give me a few small tattoos so that they know where to line up the radiation beams during my treatment and will put me in the machine to determine what settings they will use for me. Who would have thought that this is how I would get my first tattoo!

I have signed up for the Cancer Center of Santa Barbara Walk on October 11th! In addition to Chris joining me - Mindy, Stefani, and Yonie will be doing the walk as well! The Cancer Center provides wonderfully comprehensive treatment and I hope that my friends might make a modest donation - even $5 or $10 will help ensure that the Cancer Center can continue to provide the care that has helped me get to where I am in my treatment, to others who might need it in the future.

Anniversary flowers from Chris!

If all goes according to plan, I will be back in London in just about two months! Just in time for Winter! I think it will be the best Winter I have ever had in London.

Again all my thanks to friends and family and the medical staff who have helped me make it through my treatment thus far.  Now I just have to get through my 6.5 weeks of radiation...Then comes the party!

xo
Jodi