On Wednesday 4/27/11, my Oncologist Dr. David King laid out the plan for my
treatment.
But the coolest thing he did was give us a show-n-tell of the PET/CT Scan.
Remember this is the scan that showed no cancer anywhere else in my body.
On the big screen we walked through all of my body parts, as he highlighted
exactly what the scan was showing. That discomfort in my upper thighs when
I work out, he said looks like a little bursitis or arthritis, who knew!
My doctor did X-rays of my legs and couldn't see anything. As much as I
disliked going through the actual test, the results are unbelievable. The
cost of these tests really need to go down, so everyone can get a head to
toe view of themselves.
So here's the plan: I still need to have another pre-op exam before we
surgically have the Port put in. We are waiting to schedule that until Dr.
Hatfield gives the OK from the latest surgery. The Chemotherapy treatments
will begin May 19 with the drugs Adriamycin (Doxorubicin) and Cytoxan
(Cyclophosphamide). This will be a 4 session infusion over 8 weeks. Then
starting in July the drug Paclitaxel(Taxol/Onxal) will be another 4 session
infusion over 8 weeks. Radiation will follow the Chemotherapy.
(All the drug names are for you Robby.)
I'm also going to participate in a study for patients undergoing
Anthracycline-based Chemotherapy to assess the effectiveness of using
biomarkers to detect and identify cardiotoxicity (heart problems) and be
able to provide immediate treatment. So for just a little of my blood
occasionally, they will watch over my heart (by the way one of my strongest
assets per the doctor) to make sure the chemo doesn't damage it which is
their suspicion. There will be 830 people across the country participating
along with me. Hopefully they learn something to help all women using
this drug.
Friday, April 29, 2011
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Surprise, Surprise!
Surprises in any project are often hard to predict or avoid. Once something unexpected occurs, you take a deep breath, gather all of your facts, make decisions and keep moving forward. That's what I did this week and it's only Tuesday.
I enjoyed Easter Brunch with my family. We even got my 90 year old Dad at the celebration, which was his first outing since he had pneumonia on March 5th and spent 10 days in the hospital and almost a month in rehab. It was good to see him.
I came home after the brunch and felt lousy. I was having sharp pains that I thought might be from the last drain, so I popped another pain pill having not taken any for a week or so. But even with the pain pill, I got very little sleep that night because I was so uncomfortable (did you know there are good movies on between 2:00am and 6:00am, I saw the Proposal, Jurassic Park, and Twister).
Larry and I went to our already scheduled appointment with Dr. Hatfield on Monday 4/25/11 to get the last drain pulled out, and also further inflate the expander. I had high hopes that with the drain out, I would feel better.
That's when the surprise knocked my project sideways.
By the time we arrived at the doctors office, the drain was full when it should not have been, and it was cloudy instead of clear. Both Larry and I were surprised since we had just drained it at 9:00am that morning when it looked fine, and it's was now 1:00 in the afternoon. The surgical area on my front side was also red and hot.
Crap, it was a bacterial infection. The Dr. sent samples off to the lab, and sent us over to Unity Hospital, while she scheduled an Operating Room (OR). She did not want to waste any time to surgically remove the expander, and clean out the area. This unexpected surgery put me back to where we were three weeks ago. One more night in the hospital, a fresh surgical wound, more pain meds and 2 antibiotics. This latest surgery will now delay my reconstruction until after my chemo and radiation therapies are complete, so only then will she start again. A bit of a bummer.
Larry thought he was on a lunch break when he took me to my appointment; needless to say, he never went back to work on Monday.
You know you're been in the hospital just a little to much when the nurses in the OR area know me on sight and by name. I had a nice visit with the surgical staff given I was the only one going in for surgery. Clearly, they don't schedule surgeries at night.
Ok, this was a temporary set back, I'll have to re-set the plan with the Doctors and keep moving forward. On Wednesday, we'll see what the oncologist has to say about this and discuss the scheduled treatment for me.
Keep those thoughts and prayers coming my way, I don't want any other set-backs or surprises.
I enjoyed Easter Brunch with my family. We even got my 90 year old Dad at the celebration, which was his first outing since he had pneumonia on March 5th and spent 10 days in the hospital and almost a month in rehab. It was good to see him.
I came home after the brunch and felt lousy. I was having sharp pains that I thought might be from the last drain, so I popped another pain pill having not taken any for a week or so. But even with the pain pill, I got very little sleep that night because I was so uncomfortable (did you know there are good movies on between 2:00am and 6:00am, I saw the Proposal, Jurassic Park, and Twister).
Larry and I went to our already scheduled appointment with Dr. Hatfield on Monday 4/25/11 to get the last drain pulled out, and also further inflate the expander. I had high hopes that with the drain out, I would feel better.
That's when the surprise knocked my project sideways.
By the time we arrived at the doctors office, the drain was full when it should not have been, and it was cloudy instead of clear. Both Larry and I were surprised since we had just drained it at 9:00am that morning when it looked fine, and it's was now 1:00 in the afternoon. The surgical area on my front side was also red and hot.
Crap, it was a bacterial infection. The Dr. sent samples off to the lab, and sent us over to Unity Hospital, while she scheduled an Operating Room (OR). She did not want to waste any time to surgically remove the expander, and clean out the area. This unexpected surgery put me back to where we were three weeks ago. One more night in the hospital, a fresh surgical wound, more pain meds and 2 antibiotics. This latest surgery will now delay my reconstruction until after my chemo and radiation therapies are complete, so only then will she start again. A bit of a bummer.
Larry thought he was on a lunch break when he took me to my appointment; needless to say, he never went back to work on Monday.
You know you're been in the hospital just a little to much when the nurses in the OR area know me on sight and by name. I had a nice visit with the surgical staff given I was the only one going in for surgery. Clearly, they don't schedule surgeries at night.
Ok, this was a temporary set back, I'll have to re-set the plan with the Doctors and keep moving forward. On Wednesday, we'll see what the oncologist has to say about this and discuss the scheduled treatment for me.
Keep those thoughts and prayers coming my way, I don't want any other set-backs or surprises.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Cathy's Kick-Ass Cancer Crew-Don't forget to sign up for the walk today!
You are invited to join Cathy's Kick-Ass Cancer Crew for the 2011 Susan G. Komen Twin Cities 5K Walk for the Cure.
When: May 8th (Mother's Day)
Meeting Time: Meet our team in front of Sears (Mall of America) 8:15am
*The team leader will pick up all bags for the team and have day of walk.
Walk Time: 9:00am
If you'd like to register please click below. If you're unable to join us, please consider donating to this very important cause.
https://www.active.com/register/index.cfm?event_id=1885008&subevent_id=1394501&team_id=966702
Thanks,
Cathy's Team
When: May 8th (Mother's Day)
Meeting Time: Meet our team in front of Sears (Mall of America) 8:15am
*The team leader will pick up all bags for the team and have day of walk.
Walk Time: 9:00am
If you'd like to register please click below. If you're unable to join us, please consider donating to this very important cause.
https://www.active.com/register/index.cfm?event_id=1885008&subevent_id=1394501&team_id=966702
Thanks,
Cathy's Team
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
All Clear!!!!
Great News!
The doctor just called and the PET/CT from this morning came back completely clear. No cancer found any where else in my body. Alleluia!
The mastectomy and clearing of the lymph nodes got all of the cancer found.
Yippee!
The doctor just called and the PET/CT from this morning came back completely clear. No cancer found any where else in my body. Alleluia!
The mastectomy and clearing of the lymph nodes got all of the cancer found.
Yippee!
Friday, April 15, 2011
Busy Week-Whew!
It's been a busy week back to the surgeons and moving on to the Oncologist.
* Monday: Dr. Caroll Vincent the General Surgeon checked out her handy work, and then went through the final pathology report from the Mastectomy. Lobular Carcinoma, Stage IIIC.
* Wednesday: Dr. David King the Oncologist did a consultation with Larry, Trish, Kelly and me. He confirmed that I have Stage IIIC Lobular Carcinoma. The tumor was just 2.3 cm, but there were 13 positive (cancerous) nodes. Anything over 9 makes the nodes the greatest concern with the possibility of spreading to other parts of my body. In his words, "I'm going to blast you with drugs". Like most cancers, this one is aggressive and fast growing. When I asked if he could tell how long I've had the cancer, his comment was, "you've probably had the bad cells in your body all along, but what triggered them to wake up and start growing and expanding we don't know". "If we knew, we'd stop cancer in its tracks".
* Recommended Treatment: Chemotherapy, Radiation, and Hormonal Therapy in consecutive order probably starting in 3-4 weeks.
* Thursday: Dr. Angela Hatfield, the plastic surgeon she's the lady in charge right now because she's responsible for my healing. She did pull one of my drains, Yahoo! Unfortunately, the second one will probably be another 7-10 days before it's ready to be pulled out. The drain man (Larry), will watch closely, and when the liquid from the drain is less than 30cc in 24 hour period for two days, they will pull it.
* Next Immediate Steps: two more weeks of rest at home for healing with a goal to return to work May 2. During the next two weeks, I've given the doctors the goal (and they have responded) to get all of the tests and procedures done that will be needed before treatment begins. That way when Dr. Hatfield gives the green light, we can start the treatment. So here's what I have to get done: Echo Cardiogram, PET/CT Scan, Drains out, Expander pumped up (this has to be done before I start Chemo), Port Placement Surgery (for easy entry for the Chemo), and get fitted for a temporary prosthesis. Whew!
It's been a whirlwind of doctor's visits, procedures, and tests, but now we know what we are dealing with, and can work through the process. For that I'm grateful.
I want to continue to express my gratitude to those that have personally reached out to me with their stories of courage and hope. I know the fight is long and hard, but with the amazing support group around me, how can I fail? My thanks to everyone.
Cathy
* Monday: Dr. Caroll Vincent the General Surgeon checked out her handy work, and then went through the final pathology report from the Mastectomy. Lobular Carcinoma, Stage IIIC.
* Wednesday: Dr. David King the Oncologist did a consultation with Larry, Trish, Kelly and me. He confirmed that I have Stage IIIC Lobular Carcinoma. The tumor was just 2.3 cm, but there were 13 positive (cancerous) nodes. Anything over 9 makes the nodes the greatest concern with the possibility of spreading to other parts of my body. In his words, "I'm going to blast you with drugs". Like most cancers, this one is aggressive and fast growing. When I asked if he could tell how long I've had the cancer, his comment was, "you've probably had the bad cells in your body all along, but what triggered them to wake up and start growing and expanding we don't know". "If we knew, we'd stop cancer in its tracks".
* Recommended Treatment: Chemotherapy, Radiation, and Hormonal Therapy in consecutive order probably starting in 3-4 weeks.
* Thursday: Dr. Angela Hatfield, the plastic surgeon she's the lady in charge right now because she's responsible for my healing. She did pull one of my drains, Yahoo! Unfortunately, the second one will probably be another 7-10 days before it's ready to be pulled out. The drain man (Larry), will watch closely, and when the liquid from the drain is less than 30cc in 24 hour period for two days, they will pull it.
* Next Immediate Steps: two more weeks of rest at home for healing with a goal to return to work May 2. During the next two weeks, I've given the doctors the goal (and they have responded) to get all of the tests and procedures done that will be needed before treatment begins. That way when Dr. Hatfield gives the green light, we can start the treatment. So here's what I have to get done: Echo Cardiogram, PET/CT Scan, Drains out, Expander pumped up (this has to be done before I start Chemo), Port Placement Surgery (for easy entry for the Chemo), and get fitted for a temporary prosthesis. Whew!
It's been a whirlwind of doctor's visits, procedures, and tests, but now we know what we are dealing with, and can work through the process. For that I'm grateful.
I want to continue to express my gratitude to those that have personally reached out to me with their stories of courage and hope. I know the fight is long and hard, but with the amazing support group around me, how can I fail? My thanks to everyone.
Cathy
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
One Day At A Time (Blog Posted by Cathy)
Surgery did go well last week and my healing is on schedule. I worked my way off the Percocet (pain meds) over the weekend and only take it at night to sleep. The two drains in me are a pain in the butt. I hope to get at least one of them taken out on Thursday when I see the plastic surgeon. She'll take over caring for me as I heal from the surgery.
Yesterday, the pathology reports were in, so the General Surgeon moved up our appointment from Friday to Monday of this week to meet with Larry and me. The good news - the surgeon got all of the tumor and was glad she did an entire mastectomy on the one side. Although one suspicious section was not cancerous, it was a fibrous mass that was attached to the tumor. A lumpectomy of just the tumor would not have gotten that section. Whew, skirted that future risk.
The bad news is that the cancer has metastasized, and was found in 13 of 14 lymph nodes taken.
So we move on to the Oncologist and set the course of treatment going forward. The General Surgeon just got that appointment moved up to Wed of this week instead of next Tuesday. (I hope, I'm not being to pushy, but I figure with each new bit of information there's more discussion needed and why wait.)
More to come in the days ahead.
Cathy
Yesterday, the pathology reports were in, so the General Surgeon moved up our appointment from Friday to Monday of this week to meet with Larry and me. The good news - the surgeon got all of the tumor and was glad she did an entire mastectomy on the one side. Although one suspicious section was not cancerous, it was a fibrous mass that was attached to the tumor. A lumpectomy of just the tumor would not have gotten that section. Whew, skirted that future risk.
The bad news is that the cancer has metastasized, and was found in 13 of 14 lymph nodes taken.
So we move on to the Oncologist and set the course of treatment going forward. The General Surgeon just got that appointment moved up to Wed of this week instead of next Tuesday. (I hope, I'm not being to pushy, but I figure with each new bit of information there's more discussion needed and why wait.)
More to come in the days ahead.
Cathy
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Home Sweet Home
Great News! Mom was released from the hospital yesterday afternoon. The Doc's said that she was the perfect patient. After a nice long nap, she was up and roaring to go. (The Oxy Contin may have helped a bit as well)
We all had a nice dinner together last night and even got in a little Wheel of Fortune. (Yep, that's still on) We have a feeling it's going to be difficult to keep Mom from her active lifestyle these next few weeks. Doctor's orders are no real activity for a month.
Dad has become quite the nurses aid: changing the dressing, emptying the drains(completely gross), and helping Mom get out of bed. Who knew that such simple tasks would cause so much pain.
Mom's follow up appointments will be next week. Thursday with the Cosmetic Surgeon, Dr. Hatfield and Friday with the Surgeon, Dr. Vincent. We should have some clarification as to what the next steps will be.
Before the surgery Mom was having a bit of an out of body experience, meaning that the reality of it all hadn't quite kicked in. She is now saying this is now her story, and the reality of what's happening is starting to sink in. She knows she's just at the beginning of this process, but as always she remains optimistic. As you all know this to be true about her, her glass is always half full.
All the flowers received are beautiful and bring a little bit of Spring into the house. Thanks to everyone for your kind words and messages of support.
Cathy's Team
Larry, Trish, Kelly & Shell
P.S. Don't forget to sign up for join our Walk for the Cure team! (See previous post with links)
We all had a nice dinner together last night and even got in a little Wheel of Fortune. (Yep, that's still on) We have a feeling it's going to be difficult to keep Mom from her active lifestyle these next few weeks. Doctor's orders are no real activity for a month.
Dad has become quite the nurses aid: changing the dressing, emptying the drains(completely gross), and helping Mom get out of bed. Who knew that such simple tasks would cause so much pain.
Mom's follow up appointments will be next week. Thursday with the Cosmetic Surgeon, Dr. Hatfield and Friday with the Surgeon, Dr. Vincent. We should have some clarification as to what the next steps will be.
Before the surgery Mom was having a bit of an out of body experience, meaning that the reality of it all hadn't quite kicked in. She is now saying this is now her story, and the reality of what's happening is starting to sink in. She knows she's just at the beginning of this process, but as always she remains optimistic. As you all know this to be true about her, her glass is always half full.
All the flowers received are beautiful and bring a little bit of Spring into the house. Thanks to everyone for your kind words and messages of support.
Cathy's Team
Larry, Trish, Kelly & Shell
P.S. Don't forget to sign up for join our Walk for the Cure team! (See previous post with links)
Monday, April 4, 2011
Join Cathy's Team-May 8th!
You are invited to join Cathy's Kick-Ass Cancer Crew for 2011 Susan G. Komen Twin Cities Race for the Cure.
You can register for this event and join Cathy's Team below:
https://www.active.com/register/index.cfm?event_id=1885008&subevent_id=1394501&team_id=966702
If you can't walk with us, please feel free to donate to this important cause. http://www.active.com/donate/komentc11/CQFarley
If the link doesn't work when you click on it, please cut paste into your browser.
Again, we appreciate all of your support and hope to see you all Mother's Day morning for the walk in honor of Cathy!
Larry, Trish, Kelly & Shell (Cathy's Team)
You can register for this event and join Cathy's Team below:
https://www.active.com/register/index.cfm?event_id=1885008&subevent_id=1394501&team_id=966702
If you can't walk with us, please feel free to donate to this important cause. http://www.active.com/donate/komentc11/CQFarley
If the link doesn't work when you click on it, please cut paste into your browser.
Again, we appreciate all of your support and hope to see you all Mother's Day morning for the walk in honor of Cathy!
Larry, Trish, Kelly & Shell (Cathy's Team)
Surgery was a Success!
Sigh of relief #1.
We arrived at Unity Hospital ready to roll at 10 am. Surgery was prompt at noon. Dr. Vincent (surgeon) finished at 1:30, and she reported to a waiting crowd that they got it ALL, including a bundle of nodes that were sent off to the pathologist. The prognosis of these will determine the stage of the cancer, and we will hear back on these in a couple of days. Dr. Hatfield (plastic surgeon) finished just before 3 pm and reported that her entire process couldn't have gone smoother. This process will take 4-6 weeks, but step one is complete.
Cathy is now getting settled into her room. She describes her pain as an 8 on the 10 point scale, so the nurses are pumping all sorts of fun pain meds in. "Keep them coming!" she says.
She will be here through the night and will be assessed in the morning on whether she can go home.
We want to thank everyone who sent good vibes and prayers our way. Our mom loved the responses we relayed to her. Please feel free to post messages on here for her. I'm not sure when she will be checking her email/text messages.
Thank you so much for reading,
Cathy's Team (Larry, Trish, Kelly & Shell)
We arrived at Unity Hospital ready to roll at 10 am. Surgery was prompt at noon. Dr. Vincent (surgeon) finished at 1:30, and she reported to a waiting crowd that they got it ALL, including a bundle of nodes that were sent off to the pathologist. The prognosis of these will determine the stage of the cancer, and we will hear back on these in a couple of days. Dr. Hatfield (plastic surgeon) finished just before 3 pm and reported that her entire process couldn't have gone smoother. This process will take 4-6 weeks, but step one is complete.
Cathy is now getting settled into her room. She describes her pain as an 8 on the 10 point scale, so the nurses are pumping all sorts of fun pain meds in. "Keep them coming!" she says.
She will be here through the night and will be assessed in the morning on whether she can go home.
We want to thank everyone who sent good vibes and prayers our way. Our mom loved the responses we relayed to her. Please feel free to post messages on here for her. I'm not sure when she will be checking her email/text messages.
Thank you so much for reading,
Cathy's Team (Larry, Trish, Kelly & Shell)
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Cathy Farley's Breast Cancer Story
Welcome friends & family of Cathy. Cathy went in for a her yearly Mammogram late February 2011 where some abnormal results came back. She was then sent to the Breast Center in Coon Rapids early March 2011 for additional xrays. At that appointment the Radiologist told her that she had a malignant tumor in one of her breasts as well as some iffy spots including within a lymph node on the same side.
Cathy had an ultrasound and biopsies performed a week later that confirmed that the tumor was indeed cancerous. The tumor, lymph node and iffy spots will be removed when they perform a mastectomy on her one breast with reconstruction on April 4, 2011. The cancer hasn't been classified at this point, the staging will occur after the surgery is complete. The staging as well as a thorough Pet scan will allow the Oncologist to recommend the next steps including the most appropriate chemotherapy regimen after Cathy is healed from her surgery.
If anyone can get through this, it's our Mom!
This Google Blog is here to keep you updated on Cathy Farley's battle with breast cancer.
Cathy had an ultrasound and biopsies performed a week later that confirmed that the tumor was indeed cancerous. The tumor, lymph node and iffy spots will be removed when they perform a mastectomy on her one breast with reconstruction on April 4, 2011. The cancer hasn't been classified at this point, the staging will occur after the surgery is complete. The staging as well as a thorough Pet scan will allow the Oncologist to recommend the next steps including the most appropriate chemotherapy regimen after Cathy is healed from her surgery.
If anyone can get through this, it's our Mom!
This Google Blog is here to keep you updated on Cathy Farley's battle with breast cancer.
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