Aaaahhh! 4 days away from Breast Cancer!

Marty and I headed south to Anna Maria Island and the Harrington House B&B last Sunday. We had a lovely gulf-front second floor room with a huge open porch overlooking the gulf. We came home yesterday afternoon all rested and relaxed.

Here is how the days went: AM - wonderful B&B breakfast with fabulous homemade breads - coffee on the porch and reading - PM - dip in the pool - hang around the pool and read - drink a cold beer maybe or just water - afternoon nap- Evening - shower - head out to one of Anna Maria's 5 star restaurants - chow down and head back - look at the moon and the stars - to bed.

Nothing like 4 days/nights doing pretty much nothing. I didn't think about BC during the day but I still dreamed about it. Ugh.

So back to reality and the colonoscopy biopsy found no cancer. Great, I guess but what's up with the diarrhea? So the gastro called in an Rx. I went to pick it up today and insurance won't pay for it (my cost=750.00). ARGHH! Looked up the drug online and it is used for people with ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. But the real kicker is, it has sulfa in it. I AM ALLERGIC TO SULFA AND EVERY DOCTOR I HAVE KNOWS THAT!!!!

So what I want to know is:
Whose job is it to check the drug allergies in my chart before calling in a prescription? Whose ass would have been fired when I ended up in the ER after taking one of those pills? Whose insurance would have had to pay for a hospital stay to treat me? Who would have had to sue to cover all the extra expenses? Who HATES the whole tort thing but would have had no alternative?

The moral of the story is: TRUST NO ONE! And be sure to read all contra-indications on any medicine you are prescribed. BTW, After I left a rather ascerbic message around 11AM yesterday, the nurse practitioner called me back at 4:30 PM and said he would prescribe another drug. She told me what it was and I told her I would check it out and get back to her. Needless to say I am very wary of anything they prescribe. I checked it out and it is a steroid. Not wanting to take steroids (steroids for diarrhea? steroids make me GET diarrhea!) so I made an appointment with my PCP. He is on vacation so I can't get in until the 30th.

So I am hanging loose for the weekend then Gyn Wednesday then Birmingham that evening. Back to town late Thursday. On the road again and it feels great!

Thank the Lord that's done with!

It is true what they say about colonoscopies...the prep is worse than the act. But remind me not to let them schedule the stupid thing for noon (or later). While sitting in the waiting room, I was ready to rip off some one's arm and start gnawing. I was SOOOOO hungry. I had not had solid food in 43 hours at that point. And jello and broth doesn't exactly cut it in the hunger-slaking department.


Anyway, they were running behind. Nice. Finally went in around 1. By the time we got home, I was still shaky from the anesthesia so I settled for some toast and chicken noodle soup. Nectar of the Gods! Had to take a nap and really didn't feel 'normal' until the next day but boy oh boy did I make for lost time in the eating department. I ate everything I could lay my hands on.

On Sunday, I did run to Publix and picked up some Jello. At least I could chew it and pretend it was food. I will NEVER eat Jello again.

So the verdict after the test is 'everything looks fine'. Not what I wanted to hear but he did take biopsies. Should have results some time next week. We will be on vacation and all that stuff can just wait until we are back.

So Tuesday I had a DEXA (bone) scan. I asked for it since the onc wants me on Arimidex. In fact, he wrote the Rx already. I didn't fill it yet and might not ever fill it. Jury is still out. I see a holistic GYN on the 25th. She worked with a friend of a friend with breast cancer and helped her regulate her hormones. If she can help me with that, I am good to go and no 'A' needed. Fingers crossed. While I REALLY don't want to take that poison, I REALLY don't want the breast cancer to come back. I am sort of of the position that at my age, it's all about quality of life and not so much quantity.

Prep Day - Uggghh!

Ok, the directions say to take 4 dulcolax at noon then start drinking the stuff at 3. Well, I want to go see the band and they play from 2-7:30 so I took the laxatives at 9:30. Started drinking the stuff at 10:45. Ugh. Double ugh. I drank the entire half gallon. YUCK! Made me gag, as 64 ounces of liquid is about my total liquid intake for 4 days!

The stuff really does work, though. I will be clean as a whistle. The bad thing is the actual procedure isn't until noon (I have to be there at 11). It is now 2:30 and I am STARVING!!! (Done with the bathroom, but starving). They told me clear liquids from midnight last night and nothing after midnight tonight. I already drank a can of chicken broth. Didn't even touch how hungry I am.

The surgery center did tell me beer qualifies as a clear liquid. Maybe after I get two or three in me, I won't mind being so hungry. Hey, just saw that jello is on the OK to eat list. On my way to Publix. At least I can chew and pretend it is filling me up.

No Cancer Dreams!

Last night was the first night I had NO cancer dreams!! Could this mean that life AC (after cancer) is beginning?

So after my day spent with the vampires, I had to head to TIA for a trip to visit a prospect in Birmingham. It's a cool town but this was a quick in/out trip. So the plane was supposed to leave at 6:50 and arrive at 7:30 (they are Central time). We board (plane was 15 minutes late) and then sit there for 2 hours. Nice. Finally get to Birmingham at 9:45. By the time I got the car and drove to the hotel, it was 10:30 (11:30 for me). I am starving but it's too late. I crash.

Up in early AM and chowed down on the breakfast. Then off to prospect who is supposed to be 4 blocks from hotel. I allow 30 minutes to get there to be on the safe side. Can't find it. Call salesman (he drove in) only to find my address is a satellite office. Back to hotel business center and Google maps. Off I go. Fortunately, it is only 10 minutes away. Whew. Ended up 25 minutes late. HATE to be late.

Back at the airport for a 5PM flight. Supposed to get into TIA at 7:30. We board...and sit...and sit...and sit. Finally we take off and land at 9:30. Home by 10. So I had two 12 hour+ days in a row. Ugh.

But yesterday was great. We went to the marina and joined friends Betsy and Tom on their boat. We motored over to Gulfport and docked. They were having their Art Walk (first Friday) so we walked around, listened to different bands then had dinner at Backfin Blue. LOVE their crabcakes. Then back to their condo for Key Lime Pie then home. A great evening.

Tonight is GreenFlash at the Porpoise Pub then tomorrow is....

Prep for the colonoscopy. UGHHH! The doc was going to make me drink a GALLON of that stuff but I put my foot down and said:
'Look, I weigh 110 lbs. I have had diarrhea for 4 months. If I drink all of that you will be visiting me in the hospital Sunday afternoon.' Mind you, a gallon is what they give a 300 lb person to drink!!!

He relented and said 1/2 gallon. Right. I am doing a quart, maybe. That will be plenty. So the center called me up to remind me and to tell me clear liquid diet Sunday, nothing after midnight. Marty's band is at Jimmy B's 2-7:30 so I asked her if beer was a clear liquid. She said yes but to overdo it. So I am doing the clean-out in the morning then heading to Jimmy B's around 4. Should be mostly OK by then.

Marty is taking me to the center. The stupid thing isn't until 11. I will be VERY thirsty by then.

A Day with Vampires

So I showed up at the onc's office at 9:30 to be greeted by his crew of attractive female vampires. First they weigh you then they blood pressure and temp you then they bite you (I mean stick you). Only one tube this time. Then I hung out and waited for the onc. This one is easy on the eyes also. He came and we discussed me taking Arimidex, which I really don't want to do but it can help me prevent recurrence so... anyway, I asked him to test my estrogen, etc levels and he agreed. I about fell on the floor! Really didn't expect that.

So he gave me the scrip, along with one for Ambien (having problems sleeping) and off I went. While paying the copay, the vampire came out and said she needed another tube. ARGHHH! I had a demo in 20 minutes so I told her I would have to come back.

Did the demo and back I went. She tried to bite me in the same vein. No dice. So on to another. That one worked. 15 minutes later, I'm gone.

Finishing up interview questions then off to the airport and Birmingham for a meeting tomorrow.

The good news is: I do not have to see the vampires until November. YAY!

A post from Dr. Vincent Tuohy - Cleveland Clinic

I am proposing a national initiative to develop a vaccine program that protects us against adult diseases like breast, prostate, ovarian, and colon cancer in the same way we were protected as children against polio and measles. We have a giant and obvious hole in our health care by facing adult life with no protection against these hideous, and in my opinion, totally preventable diseases through prophylactic vaccination. I am trying to make people aware of this enormous deficiency in our health care and have recently published results from my lab program showing feasibility in mice for developing a safe and effective prophylactic breast cancer vaccine.

This study simply represents a first step and is clearly prototypic and embryonic. However, I think it is feasible to develop such a vaccine for women. If we can do it in mice why can't we do it in women? The single best way (and maybe the only way) to reduce healthcare costs long-term is to dramatically reduce the incidence o f these diseases. The childhood vaccination program provides the instruction manual on how to get rid of diseases, and we simply must apply the same principles to continue vaccination against adult diseases. It is necessary that we do this as a society, that we take the next big step and continue moving forward until we have vaccines that prevent these horrific illnesses.

First, we have to believe it is possible then we need the will, determination, commitment, and resources. Breast cancer is a true and real terrorist amongst us that takes our mothers, wives, sisters, daughters, and friends. It is time for us as a people to prevent this disease because prevention is the cure. Thanks to this discussion group for contacting me. I wish you all good health and much hope.

Doctor day - Ugh!

OK, doctor number one was the easy on the eyes radio oncologist. Remember the one with the arrogant, 'I am God" attitude? Anyway, he is really good so I went. I was thinking this would be the last one, because he doesn't need to do anything to me again, right? I guess I was wrong. I have to go back a month after my one bad boob mammogram in October (which they scheduled for me). I have a both boob mammo in April then the one boob in November. I guess this is the new normal.

So he takes a look and says "You got great cosmetic results!" and I am like, "What, did you think I would end up with a fried boob and a char-grilled nipple?". Anyway, I am glad to see what I thought would be the last of him but it's not to be...yet.

Then on to the gastroenterologist. This is the guy I had when I woke up in St Pete General (after having an emergency perforated ulcer surgery) and there he was. I didn't even know where I was let alone who this dude was. Anyway, I went to him every three months for a year to make sure the ulcer was under control. He told me I would have to take Nexium for life and I told him NFW! I do not have a problem with my stomach. I GAVE myself the ulcer by taking 20 Advil a day for 4 months. I did take it for a year to make sure I healed up OK. After that, I reluctantly let him talk me into an endoscopy to take a look at the ulcer to be sure it was healed and gone. No prob. Then he tries to talk me into a colonoscopy and I was outta there so fast, I broke the speed of sound.

So, today I go to him because my PCP tested my stool and blood to try and find out what my diarrhea is all about. He wanted me to have a colonoscopy. I went to see the dude, albeit reluctantly. So fortunately for me I saw my friend Kas and she said they will have 110lb me drink a gallon of the stuff and that is the SAME amount they had her 220lb husband drink. NFW!! I asked him about that and I said, listen, I have had diarrhea for 4 months. If I drink all that, I will be in the hospital. So he agreed to a half gallon. Right. Maybe a quart. SO these guys don't snooze because they know you will back out so I am headed there next Monday. Ugh.

Having cancer is a PITA.