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

Drain Baby Drain (Click here)

Lunch with mom in SB (and dad who is behind the camera)!

It has been two and a half weeks since my surgery.  My recovery is going well.  Chris was here for the first three days after my surgery and then my parents came for about a week and a half.  My friend Adrianna also made it down to help me out last night.  I have been most thankful for all of the support and good spirits! 

I still need to be quite careful when using my right arm (no reaching overhead or carrying heavy items etc.).  The numbness that I had quite a lot of on the back of my upper right arm and into my armpit is mostly gone now.  The downside of this is that I can feel a bit more soreness across the surgery site, but it is not too bad.  I do still have a drain (the tube is inserted into my lower armpit) with a nice long cord that has what looks like a squeezable plastic grenade at the end (which you can see a photo of in my last blog post).  I was told that most people have it in for 1-2 weeks, but some people get it out after as little as five days.  So I figured I would have it out within a week - tops - but now two and one half weeks later I have found out that it isn't uncommon to have it for three weeks! Who knew that one woman could produce so much liquid (and some sort of perplexing gunk that is evidently normal, and managed to clog my drain at one point!).  So here I am with what my mom and I have now affectionately named, my "drain baby".  You see, it is often pinned under my clothes giving the appearance of a small baby bump.  We even drew a happy face on it, but the ink has now worn off...

I am slowly emerging from the chemo fog (hooray!).  I am feeling clearer headed and more myself.  Funny how going through chemo I prepared myself for the worst, and then when it wasn't as bad as anticipated, I felt relieved.  But now looking back, I can say wow, that was pretty intense!  It was sort of like having a low grade cold or flu, and now it is so exciting to start getting my energy back!  I am feeling very thankful for this. 

I start physical therapy next week and also have a consultation with my radiologist.  Hopefully, I will start my radiation in about two weeks.  It lasts 6.5 weeks, so I need to get this show on the road so that I make it back to London in time for Thanksgiving!  Radiation will be everyday - Monday through Friday, but the sessions are short (about 15 minutes).  Everyone says that after chemo and surgery radiation is pretty easy stuff, but I don't want to take that for granted!  You know, it is like when you go for a super long hike and you are just about to return to the trail head and you relax a bit too much and then your tired legs trip over something!  So, I still need to do some more research to figure out how to best prepare myself for this next phase of treatment.  Let me know if you have any advice...

Waverly, Amelyse and Quincy presenting my poster which they made with Harper and Phoebe!

Friends and family continue to be wonderfully supportive - as is illustrated by the beautiful get well poster Cami and Mindy's girls made for me! It is now proudly displayed in our entryway! 

I  want to extend an open invitation to anyone who would like to do the Cancer Center of Santa Barbara Walk/Run fundraiser with me on October 11th.  Chris will even be here that weekend to walk the 5K with me!  More info is here: http://www.kintera.org/faf/home/default.asp?ievent=1124081.

My other exciting news is that my hair is starting to grow back! In a few more weeks I should be rocking the GI Jane buzz cut look...I will do my best to provide a photo!

Sending all of my thanks for everyone's continuing love and support during my treatment!

xx
Jodi

My wonderful husband in California. 

My mentor, Ph.D. advisor, friend and cancer patient compatriot - the divine Dr. Lena Astin!

Please send Lena healing wishes...

Post-Surgery Results Are In! (Click here)

It has been a busy three weeks!  Chris and I ran around to a number of medical appointments when he first arrived, including a consultation with the renowned breast surgeon Dr. Armando Giuliano at Cedars Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles. We did this in order to get a second opinion on if in fact a lumpectomy was a reasonable option for me.  He confirmed that yes, absolutely it was, but that he would recommend doing a level 1 and 2 lymph node dissection for me since it was determined that I had initially had cancer in my lymph node! We thought that I only needed a sentinel node biopsy, so we were a bit taken aback.  But after consulting with our Santa Barbara surgeon, we decided to go ahead and have my right axilla lymph nodes removed even though the chances of my getting lymphedema would be greater than if I just has a sentinel node biopsy.  But this seemed the best bet to prevent cancer recurring in my lymph nodes. So we decided upon our plan - a lumpectomy with a level 1 and 2 lymph node dissection.

My surgery took place on Wednesday in Santa Barbara and all went well - or according to my surgeon after the surgery - even better than she expected.  All of the doctors and nurses at the surgery center were great.  The procedure took about two hours and I was in recovery.  Chris was by my side as soon as I woke up - and before we knew it we were on our way home. 

Post-surgery recovery. Perhaps the last time that you will see Chris with more hair than me!

OK, sort of gross, but this is my drain - my newest fashion accessory!

There hasn't been too much pain, more discomfort than anything.  I do have a handy little drain in my armpit at the moment and will have it for about another 4 days (what a brilliant fashion statement - no?).   However, everything seems to be healing up well.  I do have some numbness in the back of my armpit and upper arm, but this is fairly common and the hope is that it will fade and disappear in the coming days.  Hopefully, my drain will be removed in about 4 days.

I also have to say that my husband has been wonderful.  I am so thankful for his love and support (and his being able to help me with all of the interesting things one needs help with during cancer treatment!). 

Chris cooking, cleaning and taking care of me.

SAVING THE BEST NEWS FOR LAST...The Pathology Report!

Just this evening we received a phone call from my surgeon saying that the pathologist's report was in and they found NO cancer in my tissue!  Hooray!  We couldn't be happier right now!  This was the news we were hoping for.  Our 6th anniversary is on August 29th - and we celebrated last week by spending one night at the beautiful Ojai Valley Inn and Spa. But now we are ready for more celebrating - so we are on our way to Paradise Cafe for dinner.  Chris and I will celebrate being cancer-free, our 6th anniversary, and feeling grateful that we might just have beat this cancer thing!

View from our room in Ojai.

Early Anniversary Celebration in Ojai!

We still have radiation to get through, but for now we are heading out to enjoy this beautiful evening in Santa Barbara!  Thank you all for your kind and healing wishes. I felt, and continue to feel, overwhelmed by the love and support everyone has shown me.

With love and graditude,

Jodi 

Big Chemo Wrap-up & Upcoming Surgery (Click here)

Now that my 6 main chemo sessions are over (hooray!), I thought it would be a good idea to capture some thoughts and reflections on the whole process. This is partly because, as mentioned in an earlier blog entry, my chemo regimen – for Her2/Estrogen/Progesterone positive breast cancer – is one that up to 50% of women in treatment are unable to complete.  I feel so lucky that I was not only able to complete my 6 chemo treatments but that, after my 4^th chemo, my MRI showed that my two main tumors and the stuff in my lymph nodes looks to have disappeared (we won’t know for sure if this is true until we get back the pathology reports from my surgery, but we are crossing fingers that no cancer remains)!

Still bald...

How I survived chemo:

-       Exercised nearly every day (from a ½ hour walk to two hours of yoga (on a few occasions!), I am getting exercise nearly every day – which research shows helps treatment.  Even if I was feeling a bit off, I always felt better after a short walk.

-       Took one, 4 mg pill of Zofran every morning with breakfast and then one with dinner.  My friend David said it was a good idea to take this anti-nausea medication from the beginning (a pre-emptive strike!), before you start to feel sick. I think that this was great advice! I had some nausea and tummy issues, but it was all manageable.

-       Took Chinese herbs to help strengthen immune system, boost appetite and reduce side effects, such as nausea.  

-       Used TheraTears eye drops 6-8 times a day during the week of chemo to reduce eye irritation and complications.  Used eye drops 2-3 times a day rest of time (some people end up with clogged tear ducts due to the chemo working its way out of your body). Thank you Dr. Taguchi for this advice!

Nails post-chemo.

-       Put hands and feet in ice water during the Taxotere infusion to reduce impact on nails (I didn’t loose any nails, or have them turn brown – see photo). I also sucked on ice chips during the Taxotere infusion to reduce appearance of mouth sores. I only had one small mouth sore during my first chemo treatment.  Thank you again to Dr. Taguchi for this advice!

-       Used a baking soda mouth wash 1-3 times a day, again to avoid mouth sores.

-       Therapeutic yoga classes for relaxation – very helpful in settling my mind and keeping my body from getting too stiff! Thank you Cheri Clampett for developing and teaching such nurturing yoga classes at the SB Cancer Center!

-       Went to healing touch sessions at the SB Cancer Center and had a few reiki sessions.  These sessions are energy sessions, to open up chakras/getting your chi flowing. I know, my friends in London are thinking – you crazy Californians! But I have to say that I felt better after every session.

-        Read the book Radical Remission to think about all of the lifestyle tools available to me to get rid of my cancer (this is where the inspiration for my green juice came from)! 

-       Tightened up my diet – VERY low sugar (no cakes, fruit juices, cookies, cereals with high sugar etc.).  I think this has also helped prevent dental decay which can be a problem when you go through chemo.  Read labels, you would be surprised how much sugar is added to many foods!

Lunch!

-       No caffeine (the idea of coffee or green tea would turn my tummy!); I drank organic ginger tea, or three ginger tea almost every morning and for an afternoon treat, sometimes had iced chai masala tea (decaffeinated)
- Stay hydrated! Lots of water (and sometimes water with a bit of pure cranberry juice to take about the metallic taste caused by chemo).

-       No alcohol (took a few unsatisfying sips but that was it!).  I knew that my pancreas and liver were under enough strain trying to cope with my chemo.
-    Tried to eat only organic food, and hormone and antibiotic-free meat.

-       No dairy products! I learned that dairy is an inflammatory so cut it out of my diet. I really think that this helped reduce my tummy issues.

-       Used the Cancer Fighting Cookbook for food ideas, tried to keep a very heavily plant-based diet (including beans, rice, eggs, oatmeal, lots of broccoli and vegetables, salads, nuts and seeds etc.).

-       Green juice 2-3 times a week (kale, cabbage, spinach, carrots, lemon, celery, fresh ginger, apple, parsley).

-       Fruit smoothie 2-3 times a week (banana, strawberries, blueberries etc.)

-       Every night before going to sleep, I would think about all that I was thankful for, do some deep breathing, and try to visualize my cancer disappearing.

-       Trying to laugh and smile as much as possible.

-       Appreciating every message of support and care that I received from friends and family!  Feeling loved and supported really does lift the spirits and help produce feelings of strength.

My surgery is confirmed for August 18^th here in Santa Barbara. I will be having a lumpectomy (they will be taking out roughly a ball of tissue that measures 3 cm in diameter) and they will be doing a level 1 and 2 lymph node dissection.  Send me all of the healing wishes and anti-lymphedema thoughts you can muster up! 

I go in for my first, Herceptin only infusion on Tuesday.   I am also happy to report that Chris is now with me in SB.  He is here for 3 weeks!  It is nice to have him by my side, visiting doctors and making decisions about my treatment.  Skype is great, but it will never beat the real thing! I am also thankful that Chris will be here for my surgery on the 18th.  

So life in my cancer-cation marches on!

I hope that you are all having wonderful summers, and that you are stopping to smell the flowers!

With love,

Jodi

Chemo 6: Take Two!

Hello Friends,

I head back to the infusion room for Chemo 6 tomorrow. My fabulous friend Carolyn will be accompanying me -  hooray Carolyn!

Last Friday I was able to have a lovely experience. I was invited by Cheri, the amazing teacher of the Cancer Center's restorative yoga classes to be a model in a yoga video with her.  Cheri teaches classes on Friday at the Cancer Center.  I have been to a number of these incredibly relaxing and centering classes and I have even been able to bring my mom and Chris to a few classes.  I can't say enough good things about restorative yoga - I always leave class feeling healthier, happier and calmer.  It is truly a healing experience.  Cheri, who is also a cancer survivor,  is much loved in our community.  In addition to teaching and training in Santa Barbara, she travels around the U.S. helping Cancer Centers set up yoga programs and training their instructors.  When she asked me if I would be a volunteer model for two 40 minute videos - I said I would love to!  I was tickled that she would ask me.  I thought, this is all great stuff - I get to do two classes with Cheri in a beautiful setting overlooking the beach and I will have these special videos that I can access when I return to London via the Yoga Anytime website (https://www.yogaanytime.com ).   Cheri also recorded a short Q&A with me and another breast cancer patient.  As you will see in the photos, I went sans wig!  The video will be up in around 6 weeks (I will let you know when it is up).  A benefit of having my chemo pushed back an extra week, was that I felt really good on the Friday when we taped the videos!

Yes, that is the ocean in the window and that is me looking very relaxed!

With the divine Cheri Clampett and Francine a breast cancer compatriot. 

My big-hearted mom...As many of you may know, my mom loves making greeting cards for people. Yes, she has a computer program and custom makes incredibly sweet and thoughtful cards! Those of us who have been lucky enough to get one of her cards know how special they are! And it looks like she also has a knack for poetry.  She wrote me quite the little poem in anticipation of chemo 6 - which I want to share with you because, well, I think it needs to be shared (I love how she uses graphics as well!!  It brought a happy little tear to my eye.  

CHEERING YOU ON!         

Twas the last day of Chemo

And all through the town

Everyone knows this cancer's going down

You've drank all that green juice 

Had no chocolate brown mousse   (or red velvet cupcakes!) 

You're fought a great battle, done every thing right

 Had a great team of doctors be there morning through night

Friends who love and support you

And family too

We all know you'll do great when it comes to ACT II  

Thank you mom and everyone for cheering me on!  Almost time for ACT II (surgery is tentatively scheduled for the week of August 17th). 

Love,

Jodi

 

Return of the Low Platelets! (Click here)

Dear All,

Well, I was not allowed in the chemo club today due to low platelets! They were at 79 (and 100 is the minimum that they want you to have).  So my last chemo will be one week from today - and trust me there is no way that I am walking out without my drug fix next time!  :)  I am not too fussed about the delay as my response to treatment has been so strong thus far (you can't really complain when your tumors disappear after your fourth chemo!).

After my appointment with Dr. Kass this morning, I went to the infusion room so that they could inspect my arm veins to make sure that I have accommodating veins for my chemo next week (e.g. some nice big fat ones!).  They said that my veins looked fine for the administration of chemo.  But to help expand them they will apply some heat next week - to which I replied - "oh, so I get the fancy heat treatment for my last round of chemo - it will be just like going to the spa".  Maybe I should bring some cucumbers for my eyes?

I want to end with a sweet story.  Per multiple requests, I did have on my neon pink wig today.  I also had my fabulous friend Regina by my side with the infamous blue and pink ice cooler in tow.  As I entered the infusion room to speak with the nurses, a very sweet man said to me, "Well, I am sorry you are here, but I am glad you are here because at my last chemo you had the brightest smile that just lit up the room.  So, I am sorry you have to be here, but it was awfully nice to see that radiant smile".  To which I replied, "If we put a pink wig on you, you too would have the big smile, smiling is just unavoidable when you are wearing a neon pink wig"! I think that this is a great reminder that even something that may seem small and insignificant - like a smile - can really make a difference to others.  So go out and flash some smiles around today. If you need help with this, pick up a neon pink wig that should give you the push you need!

OK, now I really am ending this post - with two pictures I received that made me smile this week:

Laura and Roger's beautiful baby girl Polly! Could she be any sweeter?

Fabulous UC alumni running the British 10K in London to raise money for study abroad student scholarships!

 Thanks everyone for all of your support!

x
Jodi

At Long Last - Chemo 6! (click here)

So I have decided that a good way to think about my cancer treatment is to think of it as a (very, very long) play:

Act 1 - Chemotherapy
Act 2 - Surgery
Act 3 - Radiation
Act 4 - Herceptin infusions (Herceptin will continue every three weeks until first week in March 2016)
Act 5 - Tamoxifen (or some similar estrogen inhibitor for 5-10 years)

As long as my blood tests come back OK on Monday, my last chemo will be on Tuesday! So let's all cross fingers (or hold thumbs as you would say in South Africa!) that my blood cooperates...If all goes according to plan, Act 1 will be finished on Tuesday (followed by two weeks or so of feeling sort of crappy during the "intermission").  But hey, it is the last one so I will power through!  The twist in this act is that I had some problems with my port-a-cath (see photo below).  The upper incision never seemed to heal properly and on Friday, I thought that I could see my line in the upper incision.  So I went by my surgeon's office on Friday to ask her to look at it.  Guess what? I was indeed seeing my line! Evidently this is very dangerous as it can lead to infection and sepsis.  So my surgeon, Dr. Grafton said, "right this needs to come out now - as in right now".  So she had me go into one of their consultation rooms and boom, within 30 minutes she had removed my port-a-cath.  I can only say that I can't imagine having had such amazing access to my surgeon at UCLA (I found Dr. Grafton in her office on a Friday at lunchtime and within 1/2 hour Dr. Grafton had sorted me out!).

My port - when it was intact.

 I have had two consult-

ations with Dr. Grafton and felt totally confident in her taking such immediate steps to remove my port (again I probably would have had somebody I had never met do this if it was at UCLA).  Chris and I agree that we have made the right decision to have my cancer treatment in Santa Barbara.  Since having my port removed on Friday, I have been taking my temperature and so far it is still normal so hopefully, I am infection and sepsis free! I go in to see a nurse tomorrow to make sure everything looks OK.  I have to say that it does feel good to have my port out! The down side is that I have to have my infusions in a vein now (a bit more uncomfortable and can cause problems with your veins).  But it does feel good to have that little purple port out!

Dr. Grafton and her nurse - after removing my port.

Here is what lived in my chest and neck for 3 and 1/2 months!

My parents were here visiting for two weeks at the end of June which was great. We had a wonderful night at Cami's where she treated us to some delicious chilli (thanks Cami!).  Mom and dad took good care of me during their visit! I even got them to do a bit of exercise while they were here (as you can see in the photos below)!  And of course they enjoyed a very healthy diet while here.  :)

Go Mom!

Go Dad!

 Chris was here with me for the past week which was great! We enjoyed the simple things like getting to have breakfast together - and making green juice! But we also fit in a few outings: An Amos Lee & David Gray concert at the Santa Barbara Bowl with Debbie and Paul (it is one of the most beautiful outdoor concert venues I have ever been to!), dinner at the Plow and Angel at the well-known San Ysidro Ranch in Montecito with our lovely friends Tim and Martha, and an information session on lymphedema (one of the requisite medical outings)!

Thank you Tim and Martha for all of your support!

At the San Ysidro Ranch with Chris.

I have saved the best news for last...I had a dye MRI a few weeks ago and they found that there was no dye update in the MRI.  As you may know, the cancerous tumors take in dye - and thus show up on the dye MRI.  So the fact that there was NO dye uptake (and this was before my fifth chemo) is absolutely amazing!  This does not guarantee that all of my cancer is gone (there can be micro-cancers), but it does mean that I may have had a complete pathological response.  HOORAY! I was then sent in for a mammogram, while Chris was here, to check for DCIS (pre-cancerous  - microcalcifications) - and I appear to be clear here as well.  HOORAY!  So hopefully, this means I will have a lumpectomy instead of the mastectomy that we had thought I would have to have.  This is a great ending to Act 1! 

Thank you all for all of your love and support! I really do believe that it has made (and will continue to make) a big impact on the success of my treatment.  As a side note, some people have asked me if I still need to have surgery and radiation, since my tumors appear to be gone, and the answer is yes. The surgeon will be taking samples of tissue to ensure that I don't have any micro-cancers that could turn into new tumors.  The radiation will help ensure that any remaining micro-cancers are destroyed.  So we will all have to sit through Acts 2-5!  But I promise to do my best to make the upcoming Acts powerfully successful...

x

Jodi

Our walk at Hendry's Beach.