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.