Visit with My Doc

I had a check-up with my oncologist today, Dr. K. It went pretty well. I told him about my trip last week to Norway. There's something I haven't shared with my readers yet because this opportunity that was discussed while in Norway is only an idea right now and may not go anywhere, but the fact that the idea was discussed is very exciting and I shared it with him. He could tell that I was pleased and his reply was something like, "it's heartwarming to hear something good after all the bad news that you get when you have cancer".

I asked him about whether or not it's unusual for someone to have low tumor markers like this for as many months as I have. The quick answer is that every case of cancer is different, so it's hard to make any generalizations. However, he did say that lobular cancers, which was what my first cancer was and it's assumed that my second bout was the same kind of cancer (although I'm not sure that was ever verified) tend to be more unpredictable. Lobular cancers also tend to be estrogen-positive and they also tend to metastasize to the skin and the bone. So, in that sense, my cancer is acting predictable. He feels, though, that since I'm doing well, I should just continue doing what I'm doing in terms of taking the Tykerb (err, um, sure) and getting the Zometa injections (they keep my bones strong).

I then asked him if there would ever be a day when I don't have to take any of these drugs and his reply was that I probably would have to continue taking drugs for the rest of my life. There are several new ones coming out, but since I'm doing well on Tykerb (ahem) at the moment, there's no need to switch up anything with my treatment.

I then told him about my theory about sleep. I said that Tykerb does interrupt my sleep - I don't fall into a deep sleep, which is needed for good immune system function. When I don't take Tykerb, I sleep much better (I still woke up a couple of times in the night while I was off the Tykerb). So, my immune system is not able to fight off cancer because I'm not sleeping well, which then creates the need for me to continue taking Tykerb. He seemed intrigued with that idea and said he'd file the information away for a few more months. I think we may reconsider things in August, when I've had a full year with the low tumor markers.

In the meantime, I will have a CT scan soon just to see how things are going and I will see him again in two months. I also have my next zometa treatment next week and will have my tumor markers measured again.

It's still my goal to be NED (no evidence of disease). And, then I plan not to ever deal with this disease in my body for the rest of my life. I'm making as many changes as I can to make sure of that!

Home again

A huge thanks to Scott - who drove us all the way to my house from Seattle last night. This, after having been traveling from our hotel in Bergen for 20 hours. We left Bergen about 8am (midnight west coast time) and didn't really have many problems from there. However, we had a four hour scheduled layover in Copenhagen - but then our flight was delayed for another hour and a half. We finally got into Seattle about 7:25pm. Then we went through customs and all that. We probably got on the road about 8pm and got to my house about 12:30pm.

I'm tired. And, yes, I'm feeling jet-lagged. Scott drove the whole way. I told him I'd try, but I kept nodding off to sleep, so he pushed through all by himself. I would've stopped in a hotel, for sure.

But the trip was quite successful. I engaged in a lot of networking - talking to some of the movers and shakers in Artic science circles. I met a lot of new folks and there were a few other people that I had a chance to talk to again, including some folks at NSF and someone I met through NSF, and then one of my former professor's students was there - Beth and I coauthored a paper that will come out sometime in the next year - and we had a chance to visit and get caught up.

Scott and I loved Bergen. Granted it was expensive (salmon and boiled potatoes with 2 beers each was over $100), but the people were very very nice. The taxi driver from the airport to our hotel told us about the history and then waited in the parking lot to make sure we were at the right hotel. Then, the lady at the hotel gave us a "better" room that looked out over the harbor/wharf since we were going to be there for a few days. Generally, folks were friendly and helpful and most spoke English. I loved the city - it was very "human-sized" in that we could walk where we needed to in the City Centre. We would've loved to stay longer - hmm, an idea for my next sabbatical?

Well, it's time to see about doing something with my son ... I think we're going to see Monsters vs. Aliens today!

I'm in Bergen!

So, Scott and I arrived in Bergen yesterday afternoon. We were both really tired. We checked into our hotel, took a shower, found dinner, and then came back to the hotel and fell asleep by about 9:30pm. We slept in until 8:30am Bergen time, and then had breakfast and decided to wander around. We had a great day. It rained yesterday and through the night, but we ended up with mostly sun all day. It was chilly, though. We took the funicular (a kind of cable car) to the top of Mt. Floien today and wandered around the hilltop. Parts of it were still covered in snow. Things are just now blooming here - dwarf irises, some daffodils, and crocuses. It was a beautiful day. I think I got a bit of wind burn on my face. It feels okay now, but earlier today, it was red.

Tomorrow, the conference starts. I may be at the conference all day - maybe not so much on Wednesday. I hope to spend more time wandering around.

This evening, we went to a place called the "Harbour Cafe" and had dinner and a beer or two and found out that our wait staff were from Italy and Morocco, originally. The two guys from Italy were married to a Norwegian (who he met in Florida) and Kenya. They've both worked in the states, Dubai, and now Norway. Both of them say that they don't like Bergen so much - it's way too cold for them. They're both from Sicily. It was fun chatting with them.

Well, I need to get settled in ... gotta get up in about 8 hours! Yikes! I think my body is still on West Coast time!

The Fever Strikes Again

Eddie walked in this morning with tears forming in his eyes. He said, "I'm really really cold". Poor guy. He was bundled up in a sweatshirt and a coat over that and his hood on. So, I cuddled up with him, tried to get him a bit warmer and then took his temperature. It was 101.2 with one thermometer and 101.8 with the other.

He doesn't have any other complaints - no headaches, no stomachache, no sore throat. My mom checked to see if he had a rash - nothing there. He finished his course of antibiotics a week ago. Not sure if we should take him in again to see if he needs more. Hard to tell with everything that's going around.

So, he's home with my folks and I'm at work. Gotta get a bunch of grading done. And, some other administrative stuff. Organizing a lecture series and a nomination for an incoming grad student. I'm getting there, though!

Two days and I start my trip to Norway - yay! I need the break!

Random Thoughts

I've haven't been blogging much lately - I was busy last week with guests and this week is Finals Week, so am busy with grading and a myriad other administrative tasks like recommendation letters, information requests from various committees, etc.

I won't be blogging much next week, either, because I will be in Bergen, Norway! I leave Sat evening and Scott is coming with me. We arrive Sunday afternoon and I presume we'll be wiped out by that time. Monday the 23rd is free, so we'll get a chance to wander around and then I'll have meetings from the 24th to the 26th. It'll be cool there, as they are at a little higher latitude than I am. I think temps should be in the mid-40s. But a change of pace will be really nice.

I'm feeling pretty well. My abdomen is still a bit tight, but other people aren't able to observe it as I stand fairly straight. If I twist, I can feel it. I'm still having to wear pants that are loose in the waist as my abdominal scar is still tender. Too many of my pants (which have been made to fit low in the waist) hit that scar, so I'm still debating how to handle it for Norway.

Two weeks post-surgery, I started taking Tykerb again and my face broke out - all over my chin and around my nose. Sigh. So, I went off it for a few days and then tried again and it broke out all over again. I went off it for a week and it cleared up. I also noticed that when I was off Tykerb I slept soo much better. I started it again on Sunday - my face is still clear, but my sleep has been disturbed and my hot flashes have been worse.

I'm debating about whether or not I should continue taking Tykerb. I know what my doc might say. My thinking is that I am doing pretty well at the moment, with low tumor markers and decent energy. Wouldn't it be better to go off it and if (and I think it's a big IF) I had a relapse, then I could go on it again and it would be more effective? When I mentioned this reasoning to my colleague, his reply was that while that might work for antiobiotics, Tykerb works differently. The belief is that Tykerb is keeping everything under control and that if I discontinue, the cancer will come back with a vengeance.

So, I started it again. I also painted my bedroom (pics will be posted sometime), and even one week later, I still got headaches. That reminded me of my carcinogenic mattress (I believe that that chemical pillowtop mattress caused my cancer to mutate and then spread to my bones and my skin), so I thought that it would be nice to have the extra insurance of the Tykerb.

But yesterday, after talking to my acupuncturist, I think that I may stay off Tykerb and not tell my oncologist and just see what happens. After all, I was off it for a month and my markers were fine. I just think that my body might be better able to fight any cancer better if I can get a good night's sleep. In other words, I think that Tykerb helps keep cancer in check, but at the cost of my sleep. Now that I'm getting stronger and rebuilding my immune system (from a Chinese medicine perspective), sleep might serve me better than Tykerb. In other words, maybe Tykerb is creating a vicious cycle in which it interrupts my sleep (waking every two hours and then having more hotflashes at night), so my body is not able to heal itself and fight off cancer, thus creating the need for more Tykerb.

I also figure that I've done or am doing lots of other things that help my body fight cancer. First, I had my ovaries removed and both of my breast cancers were estrogen positive. I also take a five-mushroom blend in pill form - three of them have been scientifically proven to be effective against cancer. I also take melatonin and as I mentioned in an earlier post, melatonin has been effective against tumor cells in mice. One of the student groups looked at light pollution and how there seems to be a correlation with cancer - they also mention that blind women have lower than average rates of breast cancer. These women don't perceive light and so their bodies are able to produce the melatonin they need for a good night's sleep. I also take turmeric which has been found to be antiinflammatory as well as effective against melanoma, a skin cancer. Turmeric helps with things like arthritis. I don't feel any ill effects from any of those herbs and I sleep better. And, I practice qi gong, still, which helps keep me centered and calm, not stressed out. That helps my immune system. As does coloring mandalas.

I've also been reading a book by Andrew Weil entitled "Spontaneous Healing". He states that by the time cancer has developed in a person's body, it means that that person's immune system has broken down. He's a proponent for doing things that build up the immune system again. Getting a good night's sleep is an important part of building one's immune system. Western medicine tends to clobber disease and illness over the head, but as it's doing that, it's clobbering the immune system as well. It's a fine balance.

So, I'm gonna experiment. It's my body, after all. I figure that I get monthly checks of my tumor markers and if they start creeping up, then it's back to Tykerb. I promise.

Aargh!

The past few days have been . . . challenging. I have had to deal with difficult people at work. I just got an email from someone that has me just wanting to cuss up a storm . . . but I can't. I have to be professional. I can't talk about it too openly. Part of it just has to do with the nature of my job. I'm trying to let go of it and take deep breaths and just realize that it goes with the territory. Because otherwise, all else is pretty good in my world. I just had to get it off my chest . . .

NOTE: I'm writing this two hours later and one of the situations that had me frustrated earlier has been resolved. I'm exhausted now, though. I will say that grading is one of the most unpleasant tasks that I do in my job. That and attend multiple meetings in which nothing ever seems to get done.

Pics from Clara's visit

Hello everyone! I've been busy these past few days and haven't had a chance to blog. As I mentioned in my last post, my cousin Clara and her family were here visiting. On Saturday night, I think, Clara took this picture of all of us Kingstons and Trumps. It was kinda fun!

Also, on Friday night, Clara took a picture of me cooking dinner!



Yes, don't fall over backward! I actually COOKED! And, it was tasty! (Granted, it was easy, too, just brown some hamburger and warm up chili for Kingston-style tostadas!)

It was a good visit! I've stayed with Clara quite a few times, so it was nice to be able to reciprocate!