December 5, 2006 ~ My NEWEST News, pretty darn sweet

I just realized it has almost been a month since I wrote something.  How so NOT me.  Jeez, my mind has been reeling.  So much going on and preparing for the holidays and all. Not enough time. 

To make it short, I had a great time on my visit with Wes last month and I am leaving on Thursday to go back till Monday.  So you might assume it all went well, or you should assume.  Even though I am one to never assume.  Anyway he made me laugh, he made me smile and he made me care. I can see myself so falling for him. And I can’t wait to jump in his arms again.

Now as for the GREAT news.  Saw my doctor yesterday and things are looking extremely well.  My tumor marker numbers have continued to fall and are only 17 away from the norm for an average person.  Remember they were close to 800 10 months ago.  They are now 47.  And it appears what cancer cells were in my bone marrow have been destroyed by my white blood cells.  My WBC count has risen back to the average range for a healthy person. Hemoglobin has risen and doing its job too. Just as all my blood work and test revealed the same average numbers.

Bigger news, the Doc could no longer detect the tumor in my breast.  Given it was originally the size of half an egg.  Big difference. The only thing you can feel now is a hardening where the scar tissue (from the two biopsies) attached itself to the inner skin causing an indentation/dimpling effect on the exterior.  My left breast is still smaller then my right one, but if I can beat this I will have them both reconstructed to some beautiful boobs.  For the time being that bothers me and makes me self conscious but hey it’s better then not having a breast there at all.  No mastectomy. No lymph nodes can be detected anymore either.  Still no fluid build up has returned to my lungs or pelvic area. No pain in my spine or ribs.  And all this with no narcotics or pain meds. Been handling the monthly Zometa therapies with no pain meds either. Blew the doctors mind when I told her I stopped taking the pains meds in October, and still take nothing. My right hip pain had moved down to the top portion of my right leg last month.  It was very painful, almost to the point it was at the beginning.  It really had an effect on my muscles in the part of my upper thigh as well.  Did a lot of running around when up visiting with Wes.  I pushed myself and just dealt with the pain.  As I told him, anything is better then not being able to walk at all. Got  home rested for a few days and like over night the pain subsided in my hip and leg.   It has remained to be that way ever since.  Yes there is still a little pain, but nothing like it was.  My gangsta walk is not so bad now.  But we have noticed there is still a slight limp and the Doc thinks it is from bone damage from the cancer, making my stride uneven. I start Physical Therapy next Thursday to see if that will help, strengthening the muscles and something with the tendons. Obviously all the walking I did with Wes, helped. So I am willing and wanting to push myself harder.  Most people probably would not even notice the limp most of the time now, but I know it’s there and want to overcome it.

So we stay on course with my current treatment and my own diet changes and supplements.  My oncologist said what ever I am doing, keep doing and maybe try an even stricter diet regiment.  She said I have done it this far, take it a little further.  See the cancer meds have made me gain some weight. Which of course I hate.  She said that is normally not something that can be helped.  But since I am doing better and feel just about as good as you and the next guy who does not have cancer, I can try to take it further. She said research has shown if I can find a way to keep my weight in check it helps the body fight breast cancer better.  She contributes much of my success thus far to my nutritional efforts. Most women at this stage  normally gain more weight then I have.  So I will attempt more exercise and a stricter diet and see how that goes.

I don’t see her again till March.  Just go into the Chemo clinic once a month for the Zometa.  Get my next blood work and Lupron shot the end of Feb.  I will also have my next PET scan the end of Feb.  That will be a 6 month interval from the last one and she expects it to show major changes.  

Feb 14th, will actually be the one year anniversary of my diagnosis.  How sweet would it be to find out on my March visit that my cancer is in remission.  Please pray for that.  Now I am not counting on it, because then I might be let down but I can still pray and hope.  They did tell me at some point the cancer will stop reacting to the meds by building up a resistance, but I figured if I can get it into remission before then, I am good.  After all the doctors never expected me to be where I am now.  They just did not know who they were dealing with. 

I know this was all sporadic and all over the place.  I was just writing as stuff came to mind.  I need to get back to decorating.  I have a 10 foot tree sitting in my living room waiting on lights and ornaments.