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.

Only One Chemo to Go! (Click here)

I seem to be a bit slow on the posting of updates lately!  But I am happy to report that I had my 5th chemo on Tuesday - and that means only one more chemo to go! Hooray (then surgery and then radiation, but let's just celebrate that chemo is coming to an end)! 

I never seem to sleep very well the night before chemo because I am taking steroids before, during and after. So I was running on empty when I got to the SB Cancer Cancer as I only had gotten about three hours of sleep.  So the bad news is that I was a bit loopy during some of my chemo (it is always a bit unnerving to feel that you aren't quite in control of your body).  In particular, when they give me my benadryl,  I can feel a wave of tiredness and disequilibrium set it.  And I think that due to the fact that I had so little sleep the night before, my benadryl infusion put me into a totally spacey place (I was checking email during this time - some of which have completely disappeared!).  The Center nutritionist came by to see me during my chemo which was great - but I was all loopy.  As I spoke with her, I could feel myself stopping mid-sentence, loosing my train of thought, or saying things that were slightly nonsensical!  Maybe this is also just a bit of the chemo brain that you hear people get.  This was not pleasant, but it all passed.  I just thought, thank goodness, that I haven't had this experience every time! And even if this happens during my next (LAST!) chemo, well, it will be OK, because it is my LAST chemo! I wore my pink wig to chemo, which seems to make people at the Cancer Center (including me) smile.  It is hard to be in a sour mood when you have neon pink hair on your head. I think that we have even convinced my oncologist, Dr. Kass to wear one for Halloween!  I think that the pink will suit him nicely. We just have to figure out what to do with the mustache.  :)

Meeting with Dr. Kass before heading into chemo.

I am happy to report that my mom and dad are here with me for two weeks.  My kitchen fairy is back! Yahoo! It has been wonderful to rely upon their support this week.  My mom went with me to chemo on Tuesday and kept me company.  We have put my dad on chopping duty in the kitchen (mom cleans the veggies, he chops, they cook, I eat - sounds pretty good for me, no?!).  Chris arrives on Friday for a one week visit - which is great because this is the longest we have gone without seeing each other since 2007 (pre-engagment)! 

As I mentioned in my last blog update, my treatment seems to be going well. My MRI showed no dye uptake into my tumors - which means that they are essentially gone (or almost gone!). So we couldn't ask for better news at this stage.  So my attempt to be a superstar patient may be paying off!  With that in mind I have not tossed my green juice and run off to Crushcakes for a mini red velvet - rather I am doing my best to stick to my cancer-fighting diet (low sugar, no alcohol, no caffeine, no dairy, lots of greens and plants and some animals - organic whenever possible).  I have to say that I am looking forward to seeing what the heck my body is going to crave once I finish my cancer treatment! I have a feeling that desserts aren't going to appeal very much, but am pretty sure that I will want to enjoy a glass of wine every now and then! A nice, full-bodied red...yum!

I was extremely tired yesterday so watched the movie, Iris, about the philosopher and writer Iris Murdoch.  It was a beautiful film that I definitely recommend and I have just started reading her novel, To The Sea, To The Sea.  I have made it through quite a few books, so will try and post a list of recommendations at some point...

I also wanted to share an article that Jenny Lee posted awhile back, which Chris sent to me - The Moral Bucket List.  It rather nicely encapsulates some of that thoughts that went through my head when I found out I had cancer (actually, I thought about this stuff even before I had cancer, but finding out that you have cancer brings a new intensity to these kinds of musings).  This article reminded me of the importance of gratitude for all of the good things in my life and that a life worth living is one that is full of honesty, love and meaningful realtionships.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/12/opinion/sunday/david-brooks-the-moral-bucket-list.html?mwrsm=Email

Thank you friends for helping me stay grounded, focused and grateful.

x
Jodi

Thinking of wonder woman and her magic bracelets as I go to chemo!

My incredible shrinking tumors...(click here)

Hello Friends,

I wanted to share a bit of GOOD NEWS! I went in for an MRI on Monday so that they could see how well my tumors are responding to the chemo and....It looks like I am having a great response!  My oncologist is very happy with the results and says that it is possible that my tumors may completely disappear by the time I go in for surgery (yes, even if it all disappears, I will still have to have surgery).  But the responsiveness of my tumors to the chemo is very encouraging news!  I go in to see Dr. Kass on Friday so that we can review the images together.  Then, I head over to have a consultation with my surgeon, Dr. Grafton. Hopefully, we can set a tentative date for my surgery. 

My beautiful electronic flowers from Gale!

Everything else is going fine. I am feeling pretty good this week. Santa Barbara is warm and lovely.  I had two wonderful friends visit - first Adrianna and then later in the week Eric. They both brought lots of smiles to my face!

My next chemo (chemo 5) is one week from today...Thank you everyone for all of your love and support - it has undoubtedly played a role in my tumor shrinkage (I bet you have never been thanked for that before)!

xoxo
Jodi 

Yummy healthy lunch! Think of me when you eat your greens!

Chemo Countdown...(Click here)

Well it has been almost one week since Chemo 4.  As you know, my chemo 4 was pushed back one week due to my platelet count being only 80.  We were a little worried about that, but decided that we should just say, hey, this is a bonus week where I get to feel a bit better... and I did enjoy the week - it was great to have more energy than usual. 

I was very nervous when I went in for my labs for chemo 4 (take two) - if you ask Chris, he will let you know that I was a bit grumpy as well, but would you believe that when my labs came back they showed that my count was 240!! So my platelets went from 80 to 240.  A normal level is from 160 up.  I saw on the lab report that they even had the lab recheck my count to reconfirm that my count was indeed 240!  The nurses said that one week can make that big of a difference, but I think I am just back to being a superstar patient!

I was really thankful to Carolyn for being my buddy at chemo 4 (take two) last week.  She picked me up and even carried the infamous blue and pink ice chest!  Now that they know that I don't have any bad reactions to my drugs, they can administer some of the drips a bit faster.  We were in at 10am and then out around 2pm.  This is much better than the previous in at 9am and out at 3:30 or 4pm!

I do feel like this last round of chemo has slowed me down more that the previous few rounds. I suppose that there is some cumulative effect.  I seem to have more fatigue than usual and my tummy is slightly more unsettled, but nothing unbearable.  I have actually stayed home all day today to rest and take it easy (but I did sit outside on the patio and get a few minutes of beautiful Santa Barbara sun!).  And I am so thankful for the support I have received over the past two weeks.  A number of friends have had me over for dinner this week (Ted & Stef, Cami & Mindy, and Debbie and Paul) - I REALLY appreciated this since my motivation to cook was pretty low - and of course my spirits were raised by spending time with such lovely friends!  Actually, I really scored this past week, because Martha also brought me over some chicken soup early in the week and I was able to enjoy dinner out at Carlito's later in the week with Martha and Tim (I just want to say that I looked particularly questionable that night as I hadn't slept well and had a really crappy day - my eyes were VERY red and puffy - I think I truly looked like a cancer patient that night - but I made it out and nobody turned in terror when they saw the wig lady with scary eyes!).  Many thanks to Martha and Tim for treating me to a much-needed night out of the house!

I have decided to start a chemo countdown - since I am now over the chemo "hump' so to speak. I have just two chemos left (June 23 and July 14th)! Hooray! That means in 36
 days I will finish up my main chemo.  I say main chemo because one of my drugs - Herceptin (which targets Her-2 positive breast cancer which is what I have) - will have to continue to be administered to me every three weeks for about 9 more months.  Luckily there are few side effects from Herceptin so it should be a much easier regimen.  But, we need things to celebrate along this rather long journey - so we celebrate 36 days until I finish my main chemo! Chris gets here on July 3rd so we may have to have a little pre-party! 

Even though I am feeling slightly off, I am trying to get my regular exercise in (I can't bear to lose my hair and my muscle mass!). So I am doing my best to stay somewhat in shape.  I even told Chris that I will ride bikes with him when I get back to London (in the parks, not on those crazy streets!).

To close out this entry, I want to recognize my friend Mindy. She is a brave, brave lady. She is the first person to accept my generous offer (or challenge?) to try my stinky Chinese tea!  I think that the photos here capture that - like fine wine, it is an acquired taste...Go Mindy!

"Hey Cami, get a photo of this, Mindy is up for trying the stinky tea!"

"You are gonna like this!"

"OK, this looks pretty, um, well gross..."

"WOW! That is crazy stuff! Will I ever get rid of this taste on my tongue?"

"The things I do for my friends!"

Chemo 4: Take Two!

Hello Friends,

Tomorrow is Chemo 4 - so cross fingers that "Take Two" goes better than "Take One"! I have tried to look at the positive side of the one-week delay.  Having a week where I feel relatively good has been nice and as Grandma Anderson says, "Why complain? Is doesn't do any good"!  So on that note, I wanted to say that both of my grandmas are a real inspiration (and hopefully evidence that I have a good 50 more years of living to do)!  Granny Maben is a breast cancer survivor and is 96 years young (this picture was taken this week) - doesn't she look great?! And Grandma Anderson is 94 and still has a green thumb growing flowers and even tomatoes (can you see the twinkle in her eyes?).  You go grandmas!! 

Granny Maben looking good this week!

Grandma Anderson with me a few years ago.

I have had a good week, green juice, smoothies, walks with friends and a visit from my dad - so hopefully those pesky platelets have risen far above 100 so that I can get my full cocktail of drugs tomorrow. :)  Give me drugs...I need drugs!

Our yummy soup!

Cooking Thai soup for me!

During my dad's visit last week he did a number of great house projects for us (friends here in Santa Barbara you will be happy to know that our doorbell now works - hooray!). He made me some nice dinners as well!  And finally you get the promised photo of my bald head!  I am working on a small tan for my scalp so that I can go out bald once in awhile if I want to (without blinding anyone).

Like father like daughter.

This will be a short entry as I am tired and hoping that I can get some sleep tonight.

As you can see even the wee ones are doing their part to make me smile and laugh - so thanks again to everyone for all of your love, I know that it is helping shrink my tumors!

Hugs,

Jodi

Silly Charlotte making me laugh! Well done little Charlotte!