The latest

Dr G says that we have the ideal doctor-patient relationship. He really listens to me, and I pay attention when he asks me to do something. And then he said he had to give me a hug.

At today's appointment, he asked how I was doing and indeed listened to every complaint about the neuropathy in my feet. I told him I have an opportunity to dance at the end of January, and he said he loves how I set these small goals to achieve.

So he will not put me on any new treatment yet, and even if I go back on chemo, he will avoid the taxanes which gave me this terrible neuropathy. He mentioned carboplatin in passing, but will not make a recommendation yet.

Dr G also prepared a list of all the chemos I've been on (except the CMF in 1999) for Dr Gadi at SCCA, who will give us a second opinion. Dr G wants someone else to talk to about my case, and I heartily agree that he should have someone else to talk to about me. I then picked up a small box with my medical records going back to August 2002: labs, radiology (i.e. scan) reports, surgical reports, lymphedema and other notes from providers. Dr G reviewed this mass of material and says most of it is garbage, but I faithfully dragged it all over to SCCA and left it for Dr Gadi to examine before next week.

Here is my whole cancer treatment history (since mets diagnosis in 2002, and except surgery and radiation):

DRUG             WHEN                              WHY DISCONTINUED

Femara            2002                                  progression

Lupron                |                                     progression

Faslodex              |                                     progression

Tamoxifen           |                                     progression

Arimidex             |                                     progression

Aromasin         2009                                  progression

5FU                4/2009-5/2009              toxicity (neutropenic fever, typhilitis)

Megestrol        6/2009-4/2010                    progression

Abraxane         4/2010-6/2010           toxicity (counts, SOB, progression in liver)

Doxil               6/2010-7/2010          toxicity (hand/foot, mucositis)

Adriamycin      8/2010-10/2010        progression

Faslodex          10/2010-12/2010        progression

Navelbine        1/2011-2/2011            biochemical progression

Gemzar            2/2011-4/2011          counts, biochemical progression

Avastin            5/2011-12/2011

Abraxane         5/2011-11/2011          neurotoxicity

Taxol               12/2011                        neurotoxicity