Xeloda and Tykerb for my Brain Metastases
A week ago my long awaited Xeloda and Tykerb arrived in the mail, so I could start my new regimen. I have had some friends have some great responses to Xeloda recently (most aren’t also on Tykerb), so I am super hopeful and nervous that I am hopeful. Hope gets you out of bed in the morning on some days – and I have needed some of that. The brain metastases and winter threw me into a depression. This isn’t abnormal...
Insomniac
My brain is working overtime, which is exactly what it shouldn’t be doing. My tumor counts came back stable (not what I was expecting, I really wish they would come back in time for my appointments!), so I started to second guess the Xeloda/Tykerb decision. Most of the second guessing has been happening at 3:00 AM. My brain running over and over, what if this is the wrong choice? What if my body becomes unstable? What if I have...
Mike Responds for National Caregivers Month
I read a lovely post that Ann had her husband write for National Caregivers Month (November) and thought I would have Mike do a written interview to close out the month (since he is my day to day caregiver). I have family and friends who bust their chops to all help Mike, which is awesome. So you all should have celebrated the entire month of November, sorry I am forgetting to tell you until the last day. <3 I sent Mike the...
Counting my Spoons Before They are Hatched
So… Mike’s insurance company from his newer job called yesterday and told me that they have this special program where they will pull my cancer hospital into network. I was like “yay, whoa, that is super awesome because I have no idea how long we can figure out how to do this whole COBRA thing to keep my insurance, whether or not it is really going to make financial sense in the long run.” Having my secondary...
The Queen Reigns On
I always say I am side effect queen. I get the rarest, stupidest “you will never get this in a million years” side effects. See ONJ after 3 infusions of Zometa. Saturday I woke up with pain in my chest. I knew this could be a side effect from Affinitor, so I trudged through the day. Took my meds and figured “eh, mild chest pain – pfttt.” Until later on in the evening when I was dizzy, couldn’t...
Picture This: More Support for Advanced Breast Cancer
This past week has been a whirlwind. Literally and figuratively, the world has been spinning around me as I have been battling nausea to the Nth degree and there is a huge windstorm outside right now shaking the house so hard that I may go build a blanket fort and go hide in it with the dogs. For protection, you know… Some of my girlfriend’s and I fulfilled the slumber party of #TheMandiList, my friend was able to arrange...