23 September 2014

Monday, Round 1

Thank you God.
I thank everyone  you for all your continued prayers.
I've a long road ahead but I could not do it without so much love and prayer around me.
So far my only side effect from the first round has been fatigue.  I seem to be sleeping a lot. I do hope that improves.
Next Round is on Monday. Every Monday after that for a total of 12. Thats with the Taxol. And there's more after that, but these first six cycles are about as far out as my mind will take me. But as for visualizing this tumor shrinking away, that I think of, ad infinitum.
Please keep praying. 
"Where there are two or more gather in my name, there I am with them." ~Matthew 18:20
🌹

21 September 2014

Eve of Battle

Tomorrow I start the Taxol chemotherapy.

My specific prayer is that this battle I was so frightened to take on accomplishes shrinking down this tumor smaller and smaller for a successful lumpectomy in the not to distant future.

Having now pulled strength from God and His Son Christ who died for even me, and knowing the love from so many of my immediate and extended family's prayers, best and good friends' prayers and positive thoughts, victory over breast cancer is and shall be my outcome.

Please keep praying, y'all. I feel all of them.

17 September 2014

Oncologist Tomorrow

Will find out chemo schedule. Twelve weeks of Hell already on the calendar. Stay tuned for specific day for systemic ruination of my immune system, which was half ruined already.

16 September 2014

Half Sick of Shadows Already

John W Waterhouse is undoubtedly my favorite of all of the Pre-Raphaelite artists. This piece is "Half Sick Of Shadows, The Lady of Shalott," painted in 1888. The scene was inspired by Alfred Lord Tennyson's Victorian ballad of the same name, written in 1833. 

Her story told by Tennyson is beautiful, yet bitter-sweet, ranging with emotions most can relate to. At the time of this posting, I was doing that very thing: Reflection. 

Waterhouse painted many oils from the Ballad's stanzas. This is just one of them.


Cancer Demons Haunting




Woo hoo! Saw the Talking Doc today (my psychiatrist) and he's prescribed me some magic meds to help me with these demon nights to
A) keep me from throwing myself off a building
B) Randomly peeling my skin off by single layers
C) Going more mad than I already have
D) All of the above
E) Ripping this fucking port-cath out of my chest.

Addendum

My surgeon and his nurses told me this wouldn't hurt once this device was implanted.

Now I will tell you MY truth. This HURTS.

Yes, this is  just DAY 1, but I can't turn my neck to the left without pain, or to the right without irritation; it is painful on the right side of both my neck and throat to swallow; my right collar bone hurts expecially where the port was embedded; I cannot raise up without help from laying down; and, I cannot eat politely because I am right-handed.

There will be no sugar-coating from me. And since I am not so good with getting the feelings said out loud, you will find my truth,  MY reality in my words here.
 
Cancer sucks.

15 September 2014

14 September 2014

Prayers Please?

Surgery tomorrow morning for the porta-cath.
I HATE THIS.

Baggage

I don't want surgery tomorrow.
I don't want chemotherapy, ever.
But the good little girl inside me says I will disappoint everybody if I don't follow the cancer treatment protocol.

How sick is that?

Painting: St. Eulilia by JW Waterhouse, 1885.

Demonical Insomnia

Sunday morning, 4:15 am: I've been asleep for less 3 hours. Sleep evades me something terrible. And this is when my evil Demons really rage. Here's how they haunted me in this morning's early darkness:

So far, my intent to "fight" cancer feels like it is killing me by stresses more than anything else. (See my post "Eventually, I Had No Home" for the details on my stress.)

My sense of dread toward the coming chemo-poison is indescribably overwhelming.

The treatment, the chemo I don't want, where everyone keeps telling me "everything is going be ok", or "it isn't as bas as it used to be"  pisses me off. If you haven't been chemo'd, STFU.

The next year(s) of my life isn't going to make me better. I have G*d-damned cancer. But time I spend forward will succeed to portray a euphemistic message to others that will span from "She'll beat this!" to "Well, she's in a better place now."

Forgive me. Cancer sucks.

Painting: "Ophelia" by Alexandre Cabanel 1883

13 September 2014

Water.

Today, now that we have a little more knowledge about my path going forward, I am leaving what has been an amazing view from the Nassau Bay Hilton. 

Bodies of Water are my secret serenity, my peace, my tranquility, and helps to provide my worldly perspective. The Seas and Oceans are part of my soul.

 'Near the sea, we forget to count the days.' ~Anne Morrow Lindbergh

12 September 2014

What Y'all Are Prayin' About. Thank you.

On the Kubler-Ross DABDA Model*, this post MIGHT mean I'm moving from and/or in and/or out of the anger stage into the acceptance stage. 

I reserve the right to move in and out of the anger stage, possibly at random.


Triple Negative Breast Cancer 

(TNBC)

F41c0d95376f012b39ebe5f90f4ba3c5
{http://www.nationalbreastcancer.org/triple-negative-breast-cancer}

What is Triple Negative Breast Cancer?

A diagnosis of triple negative breast cancer means that the three most common types of receptors known to fuel most breast cancer growth–estrogen, progesterone, and the HER-2/neu gene– are not present in the cancer tumor.  This means that the breast cancer cells have tested negative for hormone epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER-2), estrogen receptors (ER), and progesterone receptors (PR).  Since the tumor cells lack the necessary receptors, common treatments like hormone therapy and drugs that target estrogen, progesterone, and HER-2 are ineffective. Using chemotherapy to treat triple negative breast cancer is still an effective option. In fact, triple negative breast cancer may respond even better to chemotherapy in the earlier stages than many other forms of cancer.



breast cancer triple negative cell

breast cancer triple negative percentage

Who is at risk for Triple Negative Breast Cancer?

Triple negative breast cancer occurs in about 10-20% of diagnosed breast cancers and is more likely to affect younger people, African Americans, Hispanics, and/or those with a BRCA1 gene mutation.


 

WHAT IS THE PROGNOSIS FOR TRIPLE NEGATIVE BREAST CANCER?

Triple negative breast cancer can be more aggressive and difficult to treat.  Also, the cancer is more likely to spread and recur.  The stage of breast cancer and the grade of the tumor will influence your prognosis.


*Kubler-Ross Model:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%C3%BCbler-Ross_model

10 September 2014

By God, Scotland, YES!

History. ..HUGE History...is coming!

Éire ar mo intinn!

Cheers, Daddy :)

To Everything, Turn, Turn Turn.

Today sucked. So instead of being angry and mean, I am turning to my favorite boik in the Old Testament: Ecclesiastes. Here's a chapter wherein you'll likely find some words a bit familiar.

Ecclesiastes 3:1
Texts & Writings
The Complete Jewish Bible with
Kohelet - Ecclesiastes - Chapter 3
1. Everything has an appointed season, and there is a time for every matter under the heaven.   א. לַכֹּל זְמָן וְעֵת לְכָל חֵפֶץ תַּחַת הַשָּׁמָיִם:
2. A time to give birth and a time to die; a time to plant and a time to uproot that which is planted.   ב. עֵת לָלֶדֶת וְעֵת לָמוּת עֵת לָטַעַת וְעֵת לַעֲקוֹר נָטוּעַ:
3. A time to kill and a time to heal; a time to break and a time to build.   ג. עֵת לַהֲרוֹג וְעֵת לִרְפּוֹא עֵת לִפְרוֹץ וְעֵת לִבְנוֹת:
4. A time to weep and a time to laugh; a time of wailing and a time of dancing.   ד. עֵת לִבְכּוֹת וְעֵת לִשְׂחוֹק עֵת סְפוֹד וְעֵת רְקוֹד:
5. A time to cast stones and a time to gather stones; a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing.   ה. עֵת לְהַשְׁלִיךְ אֲבָנִים וְעֵת כְּנוֹס אֲבָנִים עֵת לַחֲבוֹק וְעֵת לִרְחֹק מֵחַבֵּק:
6. A time to seek and a time to lose; a time to keep and a time to cast away.   ו. עֵת לְבַקֵּשׁ וְעֵת לְאַבֵּד עֵת לִשְׁמוֹר וְעֵת לְהַשְׁלִיךְ:
7. A time to rend and a time to sew; a time to be silent and a time to speak.   ז. עֵת לִקְרוֹעַ וְעֵת לִתְפּוֹר עֵת לַחֲשׁוֹת וְעֵת לְדַבֵּר:
8. A time to love and a time to hate; a time for war and a time for peace.   ח. עֵת לֶאֱהֹב וְעֵת לִשְׂנֹא עֵת מִלְחָמָה וְעֵת שָׁלוֹם:
9. What profit has the one who works in that which he toils?   ט. מַה יִּתְרוֹן הָעוֹשֶׂה בַּאֲשֶׁר הוּא עָמֵל:
10. I have seen the occupation that God gave to the sons of men with which to occupy themselves.   י. רָאִיתִי אֶת הָעִנְיָן אֲשֶׁר נָתַן אֱלֹהִים לִבְנֵי הָאָדָם לַעֲנוֹת בּוֹ:
11. He has made everything beautiful in its time; also the [wisdom of] the world He put into their hearts, save that man should not find the deed which God did, from beginning to end.   יא. אֶת הַכֹּל עָשָׂה יָפֶה בְעִתּוֹ גַּם אֶת הָעֹלָם נָתַן בְּלִבָּם מִבְּלִי אֲשֶׁר לֹא יִמְצָא הָאָדָם אֶת הַמַּעֲשֶׂה אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה הָאֱלֹהִים מֵרֹאשׁ וְעַד סוֹף:
12. I knew that there is nothing better for them but to rejoice and to do good during his lifetime.   יב. יָדַעְתִּי כִּי אֵין טוֹב בָּם כִּי אִם לִשְׂמוֹחַ וְלַעֲשׂוֹת טוֹב בְּחַיָּיו:
13. And also, every man who eats and drinks and enjoys what is good in all his toil, it is a gift of God.   יג. וְגַם כָּל הָאָדָם שֶׁיֹּאכַל וְשָׁתָה וְרָאָה טוֹב בְּכָל עֲמָלוֹ מַתַּת אֱלֹהִים הִיא:
14. I knew that everything that God made, that will be forever; we cannot add to it, nor can we subtract from it; and God made it so that they fear Him.   יד. יָדַעְתִּי כִּי כָּל אֲשֶׁר יַעֲשֶׂה הָאֱלֹהִים הוּא יִהְיֶה לְעוֹלָם עָלָיו אֵין לְהוֹסִיף וּמִמֶּנּוּ אֵין לִגְרוֹעַ וְהָאֱלֹהִים עָשָׂה שֶׁיִּרְאוּ מִלְּפָנָיו:
15. That which was is already [done], and that which is [destined] to be, already was, and God seeks the pursued.   טו. מַה שֶּׁהָיָה כְּבָר הוּא וַאֲשֶׁר לִהְיוֹת כְּבָר הָיָה וְהָאֱלֹהִים יְבַקֵּשׁ אֶת נִרְדָּף:

The Byrds - "Turn! Turn! Turn!" - 2/5/66: http://youtu.be/iUT4QpHcWGI

Selfish Thoughts... and scant grattitude too.

More bloodwork and Xrays today. I'm declared surgically fit for my *Porta-Cath surgery on Monday.
*What's a Porta-Cath you ask? I'll provide more details tomorrow after my *Porta-Cath training!

Today: three different fascilities, paperwork, redundant paperwork, I NEED YOUR INSURANCE CARD AND I.D, and thank you, your Co-pay for cancer is $40 $30 $20 so lather, rinse, repeat.

Here's  where I'll be "selfish." I kept thinking this: How less stressful this would all be if I could just naturally live out the time left God would let me have.

But let's not be too negative shall we?

Things today I am grateful for ~
1. a lot of people love me and are praying for me, that means everything.
2. Thank GOD and Dr. Adrienne I got a tranquilizer scrip so tonight I might actually sleep.

*Porta-Cath? WTF??? Who the hell is this story even about? I hate this. Violently so.

09 September 2014

Please don't think me rude, but
I REALLY DON'T WANT TO TALK (OUTLOUD) ABOUT IT RIGHT NOW




It's not you. 
Really. 
It's me.

So, I've joined a fantastic community on BreastCancer.org.
I am having great difficulty talking about what is happening to me in any other emotion than anger. But here is where I've got some great support already and I really do want to share. A sampling of one conversation:
Posted on: Sep 7, 2014 09:08PM
LoriGirlTexas wrote:
I have Stage 2 Triple Negative Grade 3 Tumor. Docs say chemo before surgery is a must. I was trying to refuse chemo because I have had health battles for two decades in a horrible marriage that I had finally decided to get out of. So, in the last two years, so much has turned around for me and my health. My Fibromyalgia (and all the fun that goes with THAT) has been in remission for almost a year. I'm on a great eating program that has addressed and helped inflammation and arthritis issues (dropped 20 lbs!) I've got a good regimen going for my anxiety and depression, and I started my own business, having some success with it just out of the gate.
Now I am supposed to put massive amounts of poison in my body and feel like crap for the next 6 months before I can even have this stupid tumor removed.
I am TERRIFIED of chemotherapy. I have felt so good for such a short time. I can't see myself willing to do it. All my family, even my sons, who are 18 and 21, want me to follow this "recovery" protocol. I just can't.
Lor

Sep 7, 2014 09:15PM alexgram wrote:
I'm so sorry Lori that you're a member of this group that no one wants to be part of.  As you can see from my bio, I also have triple neg breast cancer.  I hate to say 'don't be afraid of chemo'.  Can you tell us what specifically terrifies you about doing chemo.  That might help. 
[Dx 7/1999, ILC, 2cm, Stage IIb, Grade 1, ER+/PR+, HER2-Dx 10/2011, IBC, Stage IV, Grade 3, ER-/PR-, HER2-Surgery 07/01/1999 Lumpectomy (Right)Radiation Therapy 07/31/1999 ExternalSurgery 07/01/2000 Prophylactic Ovary Removal (Both)Targeted Therapy 11/01/2011 AvastinChemotherapy 11/05/2011 AbraxaneSurgery 05/05/2012 Mastectomy (Right); Lymph Node Removal: Sentinel Lymph Node Dissection, Axillary Lymph Node Dissection (Right)Radiation Therapy 04/15/2013 ExternalChemotherapy 03/01/2014 Abraxane]

Sep 7, 2014 10:03PM LoriGirlTexas wrote:
Here is a pretty accurate list of what runs through my head:
- The quality of my life will become horrible, again
-  I think my depression will get worse (it already has)
-  I think chemo won't really work
- I think the cancer will come back
- I have no confidence that the doctors see me as an individual
- I think ultimately with my weakened immune system that the chemo will kill me.
And everyone tells me "Oh, MD Anderson is the best!" which is where I am to be treated. The oncologist I saw coerced me into saying yes but I didn't meant it. Sad
Thank you for being there to read this.

Sep 7, 2014 11:09PM alexgram wrote:
One fear that I can speak to personally is the fear that chemo won't work.  In my case, I had chemo before surgery.  I knew within two infusions that my cancer was diminishing because I could see it leaving my skin.  After 3 rounds it was nearly all gone per the ultrasounds the surgeon was doing.  I hope you have the same experience as I did (assuming you do chemo) because it definitely worked for me.
I did start antidepressants after being diagnosed and I have not been depressed once it reached full effectiveness.
As far as dying from the effects of chemo, from my experience, we triple negatives should be afraid of dying from the cancer.  My surgeon told me that if I did not treat my triple negative cancer, he thought I'd last about a year.  Right now, it's been 2 years and 11 months and I'm NED (no evidence of disease).
My advice:  talk to your cancer team about your fears.  You might be surprised at what they'll tell you.  And post here, by all means. 



 

08 September 2014

Calendar of Events Updated: 9/12/14

This is not a nightmare.
This is a horror movie. 


* Monday, Sept 15, 7:00 AM Porta-Cath surgery
First, the "Port" gets surgically implanted under my skin
to make sticking me less painful(??)
Then, they're putting the "Cath" into my jugular vein.
I'm told this doesn't go into my heart.
Yes, I'm that stupid.
__________________________________

* Thursday, Sept 18, 8:00 AM Blood work; 
8:45 AM Consult w/oncologist about starting chemotherapy.

Why is this person smiling?
Oh I know why!
Because that's not a real person.







Fortunately! I see my shrink on Tuesday! Because I am going full-throttle 
out of my freaking mind.

Dark Matter

I know why Robin Williams took his life.

You see, I believe to him the thought of death was more comforting than the thought of having Parkinsons Disease.

While I obviously do not know precisely what was in Mr. Williams' had, I believe I understand the (ir) rationality.

I have to start chemotherapy next week for breast cancer. The thought of it TERRFIES me, literally. I do not want to do it.

The thought of death is more comforting to me than the thought of chemotherapy.

I have many people who love me and have surrounded me with prayer; I am so grateful. So while I still feel going to God seems so much better, I am going to try to fight my fear.

Fuck cancer.


04 September 2014

Oncology Day


A word I have used more in the past 3 weeks than my entire life, I finally meet her today.
This was this morning's sunrise over Clear Lake. God is Beautiful.

02 September 2014

A Cowboy Story!

Beautiful.

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=3fc_1409689100

Play Chess All Day!
Hold his Sock Tip!



"O Fortuna" is a medieval poem written in Latin early in the 13th century. It is one of the most widely recognized pieces of musuc to date, as it is often placed in films, commercials, and video games during powerful scenes, such as this one in the 1981 John Boorman film Excalibur.
As part of the collection known as the "Carmina Burana," "O Fortuna" is a lament about fate, fortune, and the personification of luck. In 1935–36, "O Fortuna" was set to music by German composer Carl Orff as a part of "Fortuna Imperatrix Mundi", the opening and closing movement of his cantata "Carmina Burana," first staged by the Frankfurt Opera on 8 June 1937.
 
I don't care how cultured you aren't, this here version is very funny. 
(Scroll down for the real words, in both Latin and English)




Gregorian does an amazing remix you can watch right HERE
LATIN:
O Fortuna
velut luna
statu variabilis,
semper crescis
aut decrescis;
vita detestabilis
nunc obdurat
et tunc curat
ludo mentis aciem,
egestatem,
potestatem
dissolvit ut glaciem.
Sors immanis
et inanis,
rota tu volubilis,
status malus,
vana salus
semper dissolubilis,
obumbrata
et velata
michi quoque niteris;
nunc per ludum
dorsum nudum
fero tui sceleris.
Sors salutis
et virtutis
michi nunc contraria,
est affectus
et defectus
semper in angaria.
Hac in hora
sine mora
corde pulsum tangite;
quod per sortem
sternit fortem,
mecum omnes plangite!

ENGLISH:
O Fortuna: ,
like the moon
you are changeable,
ever waxing
and waning;
hateful life
first oppresses
and then soothes
as the sharp mind takes it;
poverty
and power
it melts them like ice.
Fate – monstrous
and empty,
you whirling wheel,
you are malevolent,
well-being is vain
and always fades to nothing,
shadowed
and veiled
you plague me too;
now through the game
I bring my bare back
to your villainy.
Fate – in health
and virtue –
is against me,
driven on
and weighted down,
always enslaved.
So at this hour
without delay
pluck the vibrating strings;
since Fate
strikes down the strong man,
everyone weep with me!

Let Me Know What You Think!

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