Funny (peculiar)

Now I know why they give this chemo once a week for two weeks. I feel just enough better this morning that I can handle another dose later today. However, I predict that the queasiness, fatigue and perhaps even a slight increase in neuropathy will continue. I imagine that I will be on the sofa a fair amount of time next week.

I'll be sure to have the staff check my blood pressure both before and after I get the eribulin. More news later....

Eribulin dose one follow up

Friday was fine. Although I took a nap, we went to dinner at a friend's home.

On Saturday I went to synagogue but really crashed in the afternoon. My nap was followed by some nausea that the Aloxi didn't relieve. Turns out my old prescription of ondonsetran (Zofran) was 18 months out of date, so it didn't provide much relief either. I've since had that scrip refilled. Ginger ale did the trick.

Dunava had an all-day retreat/workshop on Sunday which I very badly wanted to attend. I dragged myself out the door early and managed to sing with everyone for about six hours. We started at 10:30 AM, took a break for lunch and another short break for dessert, and I finally turned to toast at 5 PM. The rest of them continued on for maybe another hour. It amazes me that even on chemo, I am keeping up with these women, a couple of whom are 20 years younger than I am!

Dunava is preparing to record a second CD of all Bulgarian music and this was a chance to start on a monster huge piece. We got almost all the way through it in the one day, leaving one short section and the coda still to learn.

Today was filled with doctors. Because the health insurance company only pays for the eribulin as a monotherapy, meaning it can't be given with another drug, I had to schedule the Avastin for another day. Plus Avastin is given every other week. Eribulin is given once a week for two weeks in a row and then the third week is off. On the day after the second eribulin dose I also go in for a shot of Neulasta, a white cell builder. You can see this leaves me tethered to a chemo chair just about every week.

For instance, this first cycle is:

Thursday, Oct 11 Eribulin 1
Monday, Oct 15 Avastin 1
Thursday, Oct 18 Eribulin 2
Friday, Oct 19 Neulasta
Monday, Oct 29 Avastin 2

The Avastin may also be giving me high blood pressure. Dr G and his staff monitored me for a bit and he decided to add a diuretic to my meds for the next month. The diuretic will relieve pressure on shortness of breath (which I don't have) and edema (swelling in hands and feet).

I also met my new specialty dentist today who I like very much. I spent 90 minutes with her and I think she'll be a keeper health provider.

I came home, started a pot roast, and took a major nap. The nap was restorative, the pot roast was delicious, and I'm looking forward to a good night's sleep.

Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness Day.

I found this on Facebook today from METAvivor Research and Support Inc.

Today, Oct 13, is Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness Day. Here are a few facts to share when you are soliciting support for the MBC cause.

1) 30% of all breast cancer patients metastasize -- even stage 0 patients can and do metastasize. 

2) Breast cancer patients can metastasize 20 and more years after their original breast cancer. 

3) Metastatic breast cancer is the only breast cancer that is fatal -- 97-99% of all metastatic breast cancer patients succumb to the disease. 

4) Average survival after metastasis is roughly 2 years. 

5) According to the American Cancer Society website, only 15% of these patients are alive 5 years after diagnosis.

6) Only 2-5% of research funds in the western world go toward research for ANY stage IV cancer. 

6) Roughly 40,000 Americans die annually of the disease ... that is 110 every day. 

7) Why do some people metastasize while other do not? Forget all the "feel good" myths you have been told. The truth is this: It is sheer luck ... either good luck or bad luck ... and that's the plain, honest truth of the matter.

So, when are we getting a cure?

PS You can see a METAvivor video here.

First day after new chemotherapy

I'm feeling more than okay today. I slept well with the help of Ativan then walked the dog, trimmed some berry bushes, made dessert for Sunday's Dunava retreat, did a load of laundry and ran the dishwasher.

Right now I plan to take a nap and later go to Shabbat dinner at a friend's home. That seems pretty much like a normal day to me!

Maybe it's the Decadron.....

Halaven

I had my first dose of Halaven today. It was given with premeds of Decadron (steroid) and Aloxi for nausea. I continue the Decadron at 12mg per day for three days starting the day after chemo. The Aloxi is supposed to deal with nausea for 72 hours.

I'll post more as the days proceed.

New chemo

Tomorrow I start my new treatment, Halaven (eribulin). I also found a good article on WebMD called Breast Cancer Drug Eribulin Extends Survival.

Halaven was very recently studied in metastatic breast cancer and approved by the FDA. I am most worried about the side effect of my peripheral neuropathy worsening, when it has improved so much over the past ten months but hasn't completely resolved. You can be sure I will keep Dr G posted if I develop more numbness in my feet!

Other side effects include the usual: low white (82%) and/or red cell counts (58%), fatigue (54%), nausea (35%) etc. 45% had hair loss, but this is the least of my concerns. I've been bald before...

Here's hoping for a highly effective and very tolerable treatment.

The end of the holidays

Today is the last day of the annual round of Jewish holidays. From Rosh Hashanah (two days) through Yom Kippur (one really long day) to Sukkot (two days at the beginning and two days at the end of the week), it's a lot of praying, singing, and eating.

I'm glad I've had the energy to cook, pray, eat and socialize for these few weeks. Our annual sukkah party was a lot of fun. More than 40 people showed up and we got a couple of photos with just about everyone. The Seattle weather has cooperated and it's been unfailingly sunny for weeks on end.

Now i'm ready to take down the sukkah, clean up the yard and start a cover crop in my raised garden beds. On to the rains!

Scan results and new plan

The results of yesterday's scans show I have one new tiny brain met (3mm), two slightly larger liver mets,  and my tumor marker went up a few points. The Afinitor+Aromasin+Faslodex+Avastin combo appears to have stopped working. 

Dr G wants to stop the Afinitor, start me on eribulin (Halaven) and continue the Aromasin, Faslodex and Avastin. His thinking is that my cancer responded well to taxanes, except for the eventual neuropathy. Eribulin works in the same way as taxanes, hopefully without that toxicity.

Eribulin is given via IV push or five minute infusion, two weeks on and one week off in a 21 day cycle with the usual chemo side effects. Avastin is given every other week. It appears I will be tethered to the chemo chair for a while. Hopefully I can try to coordinate the schedules. Eribulin is a newish drug, recently approved for metastatic breast cancer.

More later, as I process this latest bump in my personal cancer merry-go-round. 

Just when I had gotten used to having hair again!

Bob was snuggling with me when I took this pic.

Our sukkah

Isn't it beautiful?

Free haircuts for B Ca survivors

Okay, this is one "pink" thing I can get behind - a free haircut for breast cancer survivors at JC Penney. Thanks to the Cheap Bastard's Guide to Seattle for this tip. (I only hope they don't make you prove that you had breast cancer by asking to see your scars...)

JC Penney will also make a $1donation for the first 50,000 cuts to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Now that's the way to go -- support survivors, women currently in treatment, and give money to research.