My Third "Boob"

After my son's birthday party, I grimaced or something and Eddie asked me what was wrong. So I told him that I had a lot of pain under my armpit, then I let him feel it. His response, "That feels like a boob." which I found kinda amusing because I had been thinking to myself that I could start calling it my third boob.

You see, ya gotta keep a sense of humor when it comes to cancer!

Anyway, I had a visit with my oncologist, Dr. K., today. I told him about the increased pain and doubling my pain pills as well as how my trip to Alaska went in terms of balancing the nausea against the pain. I also called the nurse with the UW clinical trial about what they might suggest. The nurse talked to one of their doctors and the answer was to do a biopsy. The UW nurse was concerned about the purple coloring that covers almost half of swollen area.

My acupuncturist says that Chinese medicine would say the purple is stagnant blood. This supports my theory that my increased pain, which started up a few days after my last Herceptin treatment, might be due to Herceptin getting stuck in my armpit.

Dr. K. said that the purple might be caused by the creation of new blood vessels, so the cancer is creating it's own blood supply.

Either way, this is not an optimal situation.

In the end, Dr. K. Decided to do a skin punch biopsy, so he did the procedure in the exam room. I let one of his newer nurses observe the procedure. When you get to this point, you lose any modesty in medical settings. I figure people need to learn the ropes, too.

Anyway, Dr. K. also brought in Dr. McG., my radiation oncologist, to look over the site. The bottom line is that Dr. K. thinks that the cancer is in my skin there. That kinda accounts for the red streaks that are moving up toward my collar bone. Hence, the biopsy. And the reason to bring in the radiation oncologist. I may be in for radiation again.

But I may have to wait until November, after I end my participation in the clinical trial. I will know more after we get the biopsy results. And Dr. K. will confer with the UW docs.

So, hopefully, sometime in the next few months, I will no longer have a third boob!

Back Home

I arrived back home yesterday from Alaska.  The last few days I was there, I didn't have great internet access, so I wasn't able to blog.

Overall, it was a good trip. I learned a lot - some in casual conversation with my cousin and with others so I didn't write it down (but maybe that's best as it was political) - and had four good interviews.  I went to Unalakleet, a place I had never visited before.  I have to say that this village (around 842 people) was, on the whole, fairly healthy compared to a couple of other villages I've been in.   There was a lot of construction going on - they were building a seawall (in case of coastal erosion) and paving the roads. Lots of people were fishing, for themselves and when they got enough for themselves, they also did some commercial fishing.  People were berry picking, too.  Blueberries and salmonberries (also known as cloud berries).  Nome had lots of blueberries, too, but hardly any salmonberries. 

The people in Unalakleet were very friendly, too. I went to the Peace on Earth pizza place for dinner on my first night, and while walking home, a lady (D.) on a 4-wheeler stopped and said, "are you Deanna?" and I said "Yes I was" and she said that someone on facebook told her to say hi to me.  Then, D. said,  "Do you want to come to my house?  I'm going to have dry fish, seal oil, and sura (willow leaves)."  Even though I already ate, I said, "Sure!"  I'm not stupid, you never turn down niqipiaq (Eskimo food or "real food") when it's offered to you.

D. spoiled me.  We ate dried salmon (humpies), miziGaq (seal oil) sura, tugiyuq (sea lovage), masu (Eskimo potato), plus maktak (whale blubber, which I never got used to) and a couple of other things. Mmmm mmmm good!

It was really nice visiting with D.  She talked to a lot of elder ladies about skin sewing and is trying to pass this skill down to the younger generations. She is also really interested in archival documents and photographs - she had even heard of Father Bernard Hubbard, the "Glacier Priest", who took lots of pictures on King Island and about 20 hours of film, from 1937-38. 

The next day, I went to Peace on Earth (free wirelesss internet) for lunch and then I got hold of an elder to interview - she brought me some dry fish, too.  At Peace on Earth, about 12 military guys were waiting for their pizza - Air Force, Army, and National Guard troops, who were doing some training, I think, in their helicopters.  They flew in for pizza and then wanted to fish a little bit before moving on.  (I thought it was ironic to be sitting at a place called "Peace on Earth" with military guys.)

After the interview with the elder, I went to D.'s for dinner - she prepared fresh caught trout and also king salmon and halibut, with a salad, andfresh baked bread.  Yum!!


The next day, I was to have an early morning interview, but I think my interviewee forgot.  I went back to bed to sleep in.  I've been sleeping a lot - I think the pain meds make me drowsy. After lunch, I interviewed another board member and then went to visit the President of Bering Straits Native Corporation - who then invited me over for dinner. 


Both talks went well, then I went to dinner and afterwards, T. (the President) and his wife (R.) took me for a drive on the only roads around Unalakleet.  That was cool.  Saw where there used to be an old Air Force base, that was decommissioned in 1984 (? or was it 1976?).  There was a nice view down into the Unalakleet valley. 


The next morning, I visited T. again - got a second more substantial breakfast - and then back to D.'s house to pick up dry fish (she wanted to send me home with some).  Then, I flew back to Anchorage.


The only thing that marred my trip was the pain and/or nausea that I had.  I started a pain medication just prior to my trip - the swollen lymph nodes under my left armpit started giving me constant pain - and for a day or so, I ended up with nausea, just prior to flying to Unalakleet.   I think I had too much caffeine (diet pepsi) and maybe not enough food.  I started getting nauseous on Monday afternoon (had visited an elder whose house reeked of cigarette smoke) and I couldn't shake it the whole rest of Monday and even the next morning, I felt nauseous.  So, I made sure I ate lots of bread, less caffeine, and then was able to fly to Unalakleet.


But by Thursday/Friday, the pain pills weren't working as well.  I would take one and it would work until about 5 hours after taking it - I could take it every 6 hours.  But I started feeling constant pain about an hour after taking it.   By the time my cousin picked me up in Anchorage, the pain was really bothering me, so after dinner, she took me to  the Alaska Native Medical Center's Emergency Room.  In the end, they said I could double my dose of the pain medication, Ultram (tramadol) (or start taking a narcotic) and I could take Tylenol in-between times if I needed it. 


I had an early flight home on Saturday - I felt okay, just tired, so I slept most of the trip.  Made sure I ate breakfast.  But by the time my folks picked me up, I was nauseous again from the pain pills.


I spent most of my time yesterday resting, dozing, and just eating small amounts.  The nausea is mostly gone as long as I keep some food in my belly.  I slept about 9 hours last night and then got up and had breakfast.  I picked up my son from his dad's (yay - soooo good to see him!  I really missed him!!) this morning.  But now I'm tired again. 


I think with the pain pills that I need to take a double dose, then six hours later, a single dose, then a double, then a single.  For now, that seems to work.  The double dose keeps the pain away and then the single dose kinda keeps it away but I get less nausea. 


I'm supposed to have Herceptin tomorrow, but I think that that triggered the increased pain, so I'm going to cancel tomorrow until I see Dr. K on Tuesday.  I'm already tired of the pain.  The swelling isn't going down. Something's got to give . . .

A New Symptom?

Yesterday was my son's "Wipe-out Kids' Edition" Birthday Party.  I will write another post about that adventure.  But it was quite warm out (about 96 degrees) and I was in the heat from about 12noon or so until about 6:00pm.  Eddie's party was from 2-4pm, but then some friends stayed to hang out in the shade.

But last night, I took a cool bath to wash off dirt and sweat and I noticed that the area around my right groin was swollen.  It was raised about a half inch from normal.  The whole swollen area was about 4-5 inches long and 2-3 inches wide.  It felt a little squishy so I presume it was fluid/lymphedema. 

Dang.  Lymphedema?  In my groin?  My only guess is that the lymphedema which is in my right scapula area (around the shoulder blade) had migrated down to the groin via gravity but was not able to drain for whatever reason.

So, I stimulated the lymph nodes around the groin and did some squats and stretches in an attempt to move the lymph in that area.  By this morning, the swelling is down quite a bit, but I can still tell it's there.  That area is now somewhat tender. 

Also, the last few nights, I have not been able to get comfortable when it comes time for bed.  The swollen lymph nodes in my left armpit kinda throb with pain.  When I pay attention, it's almost continuous.  I started taking an extra dose of Tylenol about mid-day - before I only had 2 extra-strength Tylenol in the morning and 2 at night. 

I had a Herceptin treatment on Monday. My guess is that maybe, just maybe, the extra pain is caused by blockage in the lymph system, causing most of the Herceptin to kinda pool in the area of my armpit and upper arm.  Dr. S from UW said that a lot of the t-cells (Herminator-2) cells are congregating in the lymph nodes there since my injections go in that left arm.  It makes sense that the Herceptin would do the same since my Herceptin goes in that arm as well.  That's my interpretation anyway.

I'm calling my oncologist, Dr. K., tomorrow and will report on the lymph in the groin and also the pain in the left armpit and see what he says.  I may ask for a prescription for pain pills and will also make sure that it's okay to travel.  I am supposed to leave for Alaska on Tuesday for an 11-day trip.  I choose this time to go because Eddie is going back east with his dad. 

I'm really going to miss him.  I wish he wasn't going to be gone for that long.

Lymph Node Update and Camano Island

Before I head out to Camano Island and my next visit to UW, I wanted to report on the status of my lymph nodes.  They are still swollen and it *may* be slightly smaller.  Hard to tell.  I still have a handful of those other little nodules around the swollen area.  So, mainly, no real changes.

I have my next appointment at UW on Thursday the 15th.  I will have a CT scan and a booster vaccine.  I guess I'll know more after I get the results of the CT scan.

The good news is that Eddie and I leave tomorrow morning, after his swimming lesson, to head north to Camano Island (no, not north to Alaska - that's later this month), which is one of the San Juan Islands, located about an hour and a half north of Seattle.  We will stay with the mom and stepdad of one of my friends from high school, C.  C. and I worked together at Tastee Treet back in the day.  We figured it had been 28 years since we saw each other - and were lucky enough to reconnect on Facebook.  C. is an ovarian cancer survivor and her mom had breast cancer five years ago.

C. brought her boat (for skiing and crabbing) with her, to park at her mom's house.  We plan to go out on the boat, enjoy C.'s cooking (she owns her own restaurant in Tehachipi, CA), and chill out.  C.'s mom and step dad have a wii and C's stepdad has a Harley and said he'd give Eddie a ride if he wanted.

I  am sooooo looking forward to it!

Saw My Oncologist's NP today

I saw my oncologist's nurse practitioner today, to ask about the other little nodules I have near the swollen lymph nodes.  H. thought that they were also part of the lymph system and that they were swollen because of "congestion" or as a kind of spillover from the larger nodes.

H. measured the swollen nodes, took a picture of them and then just asked how I was doing otherwise, and what the plan was in the near future.

As far as I know, it's stay the course with Herceptin, until I'm done with the major portion of the clnical trial.  If the caner is not under control yet, then Dr. S from UW thought of maybe starting Avastin.  But, in the meantime, all I'm doing is waiting to see what's happened after "hermination" (the t-cell infusions).

I do think that the swelling in the lymph nodes has gone down a little bit.

I also had an echocardiogram today.  No news yet - I presume I'll get a report next week some time.

No other news, really.  Have a great 4th of July!

Another Herceptin Treatment and Softball News

I had another Herceptin treatment.  We'll see how this affects my lymph nodes.  The nurse felt the small nodules and wasn't sure what to tell me - I emailed the UW nurse and will see what she replies.  I meant to call Dr. K today and see what he says .. . The nurse thought my guess that they were also swollen nodes was as good a guess as any. 

In other news, my team won our game last night, 19-3, I think.  I was 1 for 2 with a walk. 

I haven't been on my feet as much the last few days, which means that the plantar faciitis isn't as bad as it was. I'm also massaging it every night and trying to stretch my achilles as much as possible. 

Also, attended some meetings on our new Native American Cultural Center on campus.  The plans are looking really really cool!  Not sure when they will break ground for it - sometime next year.

The weather was really gorgeous all week-end - even as high as about 85 or 86 yesterday - and today in the low 70s.  As long as it's sunny, I'm enjoying it!

Lymph Nodes Spawning New Nodules?

Yesterday, on my way to softball, I felt around behind the swollen lymph nodes - I have some swelling that's behind my shoulder (maybe the latissimus dorsi area?).  And discovered about 5 or 6 smaller (maybe half a centimeter) nodules surrounding the larger swollen lymph nodes.

What the heck?

My guess is that these are all regular lymph nodes that are also inflamed because the fight between the Herminator-2 cells and the cancer cells is going on there.  Call it a skirmish on the outskirts of a bigger battle . . .

I'll call one of the study doctors on Monday and see what she says . . . maybe even my own oncologist as well. 

Lymph Nodes Update - and Cleaning My Office

My lymph nodes on the left side are still swollen and tender.  But nothing more or less than they've been the last week.  Dr. K called me on Sunday, while I was playing softball, to ask me how I was doing.  I'm doing fine.  As well as can be expected.  I get tired, but that doesn't seem unusual.  I'm still fairly active during the day. 

I have been dealing with what I think is plantar fasciitis.  I've chatted about it with both my physical therapist and my acupuncturist and they've given me some exercises and other tips to help.  Not sure if it's caused by my Chacos or by wearing the Keens all winter and walking without enough arch support.  My acupuncturist said that it is caused by the fascia not having enough fluids - and in general, a lot of my tissues are drier than usual because of the treatments. I do drink a lot of water every day - so it's not a matter of not getting enough fluids in my body - it's more that the fluids aren't getting to where they need to go. 

In work news, I haven't been doing much actual work - but have been cleaning and reorganizing my office.  I took out a couple of big desks and replaced them with narrower tables and another filing cabinet.  B. is helping me - and she's great!  I think I'm getting closer . . . once it's done, then I can turn my head to some actual work.  Because then I can actually find whatever it is I need!  LOL

In other news, I have been slowly getting back into dating again ... I have one coming up this week-end.  At the very least, this guy and I share a love for the Oregon coast.  I have no expectations . . . I figure this may take time.  I figure I don't really need a man.  It would just be nice.  I'm happy being single.  I love my life.  Sharing it with someone would be a bonus.  I will say that I'm very up front about my cancer status on my profile .. . something as big as having metastatic breast cancer is not something you spring on someone later. 

Well, off to enjoy the sun!

UW Clinical Trial - Visit 7 Today

I'm off to Seattle again today, in order to get my t-cells.  My brother, Scotty, and Eddie are going with me.  I may drop them off at the Seattle Center before my appointment and they can either take a cab to meet me at the UW or I will pick them up before heading to our hotel, which is near Safeco Field this time. 

No other big news to report.  My swollen lymph nodes are still feeling a little painful and tender.  The other day, when my physical therapist gripped that arm in order to stretch the muscles, she grabbed the underside of my upper left arm (around the triceps area) and, wow, that hurt!  It was really tender and kinda burned!  I'll be glad when that swelling goes down.

Other than that, I've been keeping busy with Eddie.  First, this last week-end, I dug a mud-pit in preparation for Eddie's birthday party which is called "Eddie's Wipe Out: Kids Edition Birthday Party".  We will have a variety of obstacles that kids will have to go through - this mud hazard, a water hazard, and a couple of others, with maybe jello or whipped cream!  : ) 

That was Eddie in his mud pit.  : )

Then, I went on a couple of field trips with Eddie during his last week of school.  That included one to the local pool:

Yesterday was Eddie's last day of school.  Yay!  From now on, we get to sleep in!  Well, at least until September. 

I'll let everyone know how things go.

Tumor Marker News - Status Quo? & T-cell Naming Contest

Last Thursday, I had blood drawn to measure my blood chemistry and tumor markers. In the end, I am not really sure how to interpret them - one stayed the same, the other went up, my lymph nodes, which seemed to shrink a little, are about the same. So, when I told my parents last night, my dad's response was "status quo". So, yes, maybe it is status quo - no worse, but no better either.

Here are the numbers:

Here's the CA15-3.

Sept 2007 - 23 U/mL
Jan 2008 - 31 U/mL
Mar 2008 - 36 U/mL
June 2008 - 23 U/mL (started radiation that month)
Aug 2008 - 18 U/mL (week of August 4th)
Sept 2008 - 14.5 U/mL YAAAAAAY!!!
Oct 1 2008 - 19.6 U/mL
Oct 31 2008 - 15.3 U/mL
Nov 28 2008 - 19.5 U/mL
Dec 30 2008 - 16.0 U/mL
Jan 22 2009 - 15.4 U/mL
Mar 2 2009 - 17.8 U/mL
Apr 8 2009 - 19.6 U/mL
May 5 2009 - 18.4 U/mL
June 4 2009 - 19.7 U/mL
July 2 2009 - 22.1 U/mL
Aug 3 2009 - 29.7 U/mL
August 31 2009 - 31.9 U/mL
Oct 3 2009 - 38.7 U/mL
Nov 2 2009 - 36.4 U/mL
Nov 30 2009 - 38.5 U/mL
Dec 28 2009 - 37.5 U/mL
Jan 25 2010 - 33.8 U/mL
Mar 8 2010 - 30.9 U/mL
Apr 22 2010 - 30.0 U/mL

I'll post the CEA numbers. Anything 3.8 and under is "normal".

CEA
1/2008 - 1.2 ng/mL
3/2008 - 0.9 ng/mL
6/2008 - 1.0 ng/mL
8/2008 - 1.1 ng/mL (need to double check this number, but it was in that 0.9 to 1.2 range)
9/2008 - 0.5 ng/mL
10/2008 - 0.9 ng/mL
10/31/2008 - 1.2 ng/mL
11/28/2008 - 1.2 ng/mL
12/30/2008 - 1.1 ng/mL
3/2/2009 - 1.4 ng/mL
4/8/2009 - 1.6 ng/mL
5/5/2009 - 1.9 ng/mL
6/4/2009 - 3.0 ng/mL
7/2/2009 - 3.7 ng/mL
8/3/2009 - 4.2 ng/mL
8/31/2009 - 5.1 ng/mL
10/2/2009 - 5.7 ng/mL (or was it 5.8?)
11/2/2009 - 7.6 ng/mL
11/30/2009 - 10.5 ng/mL
12/28/2009 - 13.2 ng/mL
3/8/2010 - 22.9 ng/mL
4/22/2010 - 28.9 ng/mL

My colleague, S., thought that maybe the CA15-3 was giving me reliable news, while my oncologist, last month, thought that the CEA was giving me better news. Dr. K (my oncologist) thought that if you look at the tumor markers in association with my lymph nodes, that might give us a good picture of what's going on. Since the lymph nodes are about the same, then maybe we can assume that things are about the same.

Remember that the CEA measures the amount of "cancer embryonic antigen" - which is basically the amount of dead cancer cells (as I understand it) in your blood. The problem is that they don't know whether it's measuring dead cancer cells that have died as part of their normal life cycle or whether they are dead cancer cells from cancer treatment. There is some research (which I think I posted at some point) that suggests that a "spike" in the CEA, especially after starting a new treatment, is an indication that the treatment is working. Dr. K said, however, that the lymph nodes often start shrinking on their own if a treatment is working. But I'm also thinking that the swollen lymph nodes is the body's way of keeping cancer cells from going elsewhere throughout the body - it's like when you have strep or something, your throat lymph nodes are swollen because they are catching/corralling the bacteria (dead bacteria?). So, might my lymph nodes be swollen because they are catching the dead cancer cells coming off the lungs from the treatment? Or are those cancer cells in my lymph nodes alive? Inquiring minds want to know.

Unfortunately, I don't think anyone in the medical field really knows what's going on in cases like mine. This is when cancer treatment becomes more of an art than a science.

I'm okay with the status quo. I'm not going to get too up in arms about it. I'll wait until June when I get my super-duper-Her2+-cancer-seeking t-cells (white blood cells) back as part of the UW clinical trial. The wikipedia article (which I think I posted) said that a man who got his t-cells back had his tumors disappear within 8 weeks after the t-cell infusion. I think I need to come up with a name for those super-duper-Her2+-cancer-seeking t-cells. Anyone got any ideas? That's it. I'll have a contest. I'll send someone either a colored mandala or I'll create one just for you to whoever I judge to be the winner (and/or I'll post it on Facebook and see which one gets the votes).

Hmmm. I like that idea! : ) Can anyone come up with a good nickname for these super-duper t-cells? You have until midnight on May 2 (next Sunday). (I'm going away for a week-end symposium retreat for work from April 30-May 2). I'll judge the entries on May 3rd. Fun!

A good few days - with some Herceptin side effects

I had my latest Herceptin treatment on Thursday - and felt fairly good the rest of the day. Maybe a little bit of tiredness but not the eye-droopy fatigue I've felt before. I went into my office and printed some stuff off to work at home (not that I've touched it).

Friday, I went on an all-day fieldtrip with Eddie's class. We went to the State Capitol in Salem, then the Mission Mill Museum, and then the Pioneer Cemetery. We walked up to the top of the tower - where they have this huge golden statue of a "pioneer" which can be seen for miles. It was pretty cool but over 100 steps up. We had lunch in the plaza in front of the Capitol.

Mission Mill was interesting but rather than teaching kids about how mills used to work and how wool was made, she kept whizzing the kids through the exhibits (we had a "task-mistress" for a tour guide who kept saying, "okay, we're power walking!" - followed by a really brisk walk to the next exhibit where she'd start talking before we all got there. Then, since the people at the back didn't hear the beginning, we didn't know what she was explaining! That's not a good tour guide - that's giving the tour but not paying attention to your audience, which my students in folklore know is a crucial part of any kind of oral performance. Some of the parents, including me, would salute behind her back - mean, I know, but criminy!)

Then, after a snack, we went to Pioneer Cemetery and saw the headstones for people who died over 100 years ago - some as early as the 1850s, maybe 1845. Eddie had fun because he and the other boys started chasing the girls. : )

Then, we got back to Corvallis around 5pm. I had a great time visiting with the other parents (there were 8 of us and 14 kids). We got caught up, joked, helped some with the kiddos, and just enjoyed the day. We had high clouds, but by the end of the day, it was in the low 60s with some sun peeking out here and there.

By the time I got home, I was really tired. Took it easy by watching TV in my bed. My feet were achey from all the walking.

Yesterday, one of my friends from UAF was in town - she'd come down here to interview a few people in Salem and Portland, then went to Newport to visit an old friend of hers, and we spent a few hours hanging out. We went to Farmer's Market (with my folks and Eddie), then the New Morning Bakery for lunch, and then K. and I went to Fitton Green for a short hike. It was chilly up top with a stiff wind. We got back into town and I showed her all the flowering rhododendrons around the MU Quad and then Central Park, and then we stopped at Trader Joe's - she had to pick up some stuff for a friend. And, then she was off to the airport. It was great to visit with her - it's been a couple of years since I've last seen her. I love hanging with old friends!

I was tired again yesterday evening - just took it easy again watching movies.

Today? I got a good night's sleep - we may go to Home Depot to get supplies for a side shed, I want to grout my mosaic, I need to go to softball practice and sign the roster - I might go for a walk with a colleague. So a full day is in store, putzing around, doing errands, etc. It's supposed to be 70 and sunny. Got to get out and enjoy myself!

Overall, I haven't quite the fatigue I had with previous treatments. I'm still tired, but not the droopy-eyed fatigue. I still have the swollen lymph nodes - I thought there had been some decrease in the swelling last week, but now it's about the same. I'll call tomorrow for my tumor marker results from the other day. I credit the new herbs that Brodie gave me - they do seem to help with my energy level.

Happy Sunday!

Swollen Lymph Nodes

So, y'all know that I have swollen lymph nodes in my left armpit. It's hard for me to tell if they have grown or have shrunk or not. My doctor, yesterday, (yep I had an appointment with Dr. K) said that he can't really tell, either, so he measured the swollen area with a caliper. I think he measured it to be 7cm.

I've been using my right hand. It seems that a few weeks ago, I could cup the whole area with my hand - from finger tip to the heel of my wrist. Then after physical therapy and acupuncture, it seemed to shrink so that the whole swollen area is only from the tip to the base of my fingers. I haven't had as much tingling lately either or any numbness in the palm of my hand.

So, what have I been doing for it? Stretching exercises, physical therapy, acupuncture, and ibuprofen. I also practice qigong a few times a week.

Today, I had physical therapy. I think that it's made a difference in terms of loosening up scar tissue and giving me more range of motion in my right arm. L, my PT, also worked more on the area around the swelling. She stretched the tissue around there - almost like encouraging the lymph to flow around better.

I swear that makes a difference. It seems smaller this afternoon. It feels less firm and more fluid.

Yay! (But note "seems" - it's hard to really tell.)

Travel Fund Donations and Cording/Lymph Node News

I heard today from the local cancer center - and on Monday from the national American Cancer Society - that I will receive $1100 from the local cancer center (for train/gas and food) and four free hotel stays for the first four visits. This plus the $200 Alaska Airlines gift certificate rounds out the total donations to about $2100. We are still waiting to here from the local chapter of ACS about whether or not there is a "gas card" available as well.

Thank you to everyone who is supporting my travel in this way - or if you have supported the ACS in the past with donations. It is very much appreciated!

In other news, I saw my physical therapist on Monday. She did some great stretches on my right shoulder (maybe some impingement but definitely some capsular contraction) and also stretched my left arm to help with the cording under my left arm pit.

She reports that the experts aren't quite sure what it is - and as Daria noted in her post - it's also referred to as Axillary Web Syndrome. It has something to do with the lymph channels causing the tissue to seize up in a cord - or something like that. She said that in the literature, it usually relieves itself but in the meantime, it could get more painful. The best thing to do is to stretch it - or get rid of what's causing the cording in the first place.

So, I had an appointment with my oncologist's physician assistant/nurse on Tuesday to ask about options for getting rid of the swelling in the lymph nodes. My colleague thought that maybe a fine needle aspiration would do the trick. In the end, they say they don't like to do it - that it's probably a mass rather than fluid and they are afraid of cancer getting into the skin since the needle is going through the skin. She did say that I can start taking an NSAID to help with swelling and that it would be okay to have the physical therapist move some of the fluid around the area to encourage the lymph nodes to drain using massage. She was going to call my physical therapist and tell her that that was okay. I am getting a back-up of lymph fluid on my upper left arm - it's becoming a little tender to the touch. So, stretching, ibuprofen, and some massage for now.

In other news, the fatigue has lifted. I feel normal today for the first time in over a week. The fatigue started lifting toward the end of last week, but then the time change messed up the length of time I could sleep, so I was tired. Finally got a bit caught up last night. Good thing, too, because there is a lot going on with work - applications for this or that opportunity for funds to keep momentum going on various projects. Whew.

"Cording"

Last Wednesday, I saw a physical therapist, primarily to increase range of motion in my right shoulder, to get some stretching exercises for the right shoulder and my left armpit, and to increase strength in my core (from the release of the TRAM flap).

One thing she commented on was that the swollen lymph nodes in my left arm pit have created "cording", which is like a hardened cord that can be helped with stretching. So, my therapist (who I worked with 20 years ago, around the time I started my graduate program in anthropology), stretched that area. It was painful, but now I'm mindful ti keep stretching.

Then, I remembered that Daria, at Living with Cancer, mentioned cording last summer. Apparently, this can be a side effect from chemo treatments; I would argue that it's a side effect from the swollen lymph nodes as well.

I see my physical therapist again tomorrow - and will ask her for more information about cording.

Brookings, Oregon

My family (my folks, my two brothers, and Eddie) and I are in Brookings, Oregon, this weekend. Brookings is almost as far south as you can get on Hwy. 101, before you get to California.

We got here on Friday afternoon - and it was raining! We had sun, though, shining through the clouds from Reedsport to Gold Beach. Today, it was dry and we saw sun here and there. We are staying near the mouth of the Winchuk River. (I made a silly rhyme: How much chuck can a winchuk win if a winchuk could win chuck? LOL) We crossed the river and then walked south down the beach . . . and made it ALL the way to California! Hee hee. It's about 0.8 miles away. It was a nice walk and I picked up pieces of interesting driftwood, rocks, and shells. I love the beach - it makes me feel relaxed and calm and also it energizes me. It makes me happy!

This past week was busy - long (for me) days at work, Eddie's Valentine's Day party, and then preparing for this trip. I had a couple of appointments (as usual) and on Thursday, found out the results of my echocardiogram: normal heart function with an LVEF (left ventricular ejection fraction) of 55, in the normal range. So, now I just wait to hear if I'm eligible for the UW trial.

That left armpit with the swollen lymph nodes has been a little more painful again, which means it's swelling.

I'm realizing lately that I might not be able to play volleyball much - maybe not anymore, but at least for the foreseeable future. It's a combination of potentially getting rib fractures (they've been a little more tender since playing volleyball last week) and fatigue. I think the swollen lymph nodes won't always be a problem like they are now. That makes me a little sad, to realize that cancer has taken away this activity that used to be a lot of fun; I just need to replace that with more walks on the beach, I think! Maybe not playing volleyball is a little inevitable: I'm older now and not as limber and I might have been tired anyway in the evening.

Tomorrow, we're going to head down into California and go hiking among the redwoods. I also want to get another walk on the beach.

I have a fun picture to post - but I'll get it there tomorrow. I'm tired! The long drive yesterday, watching the opening ceremonies for the Olympics, and the walk into California has me tired! Oh, we went to a local gathering today - the Art and Chocolate Festival.

I'm glad I'm here - I just need to get to bed early tonight and relax! Have a great week-end everyone!

No News is Good News

I've been silent the past few days. Part of it is that I really don't have any new news to report. I'm having an echocardiogram tomorrow - mostly because we need to monitor my heart due to Herceptin and Tykerb and I haven't had one for over 18 months - and partly because this is the last step before they determine eligibility for the UW immunotherapy trial.

I've also been silent because I have been fatigued in the evenings. Part of that is certainly due to my treatment but part is because . . . I've stayed up past 11pm the past couple of nights, watching TV and working or playing on the computer. Bad habit. My goal is to get to sleep by 10:30 or 11pm so I can get that extra hour.

Trying to work on small projects at work - I have an interview later this morning and then a lunch meeting. We're going to grab some soup over at the library - it's a fundraiser for Linn Benton Food Share and the staff brought in homemade soups. Mmm mmm good.

I finished my taxes last night and submitted them - I'm getting a few hundred more than I expected, which will go toward paying off my car, but also a little mini-vacation to the southern Oregon Coast next week-end. Eddie has a 5-day week-end so we're taking advantage of it!

Plus, I got a bit more on my insurance reimbursement for acupuncture than I expected - they also paid for herbs. I called them to make sure it wasn't a mistake and the person who helped me said not to worry - I may not get the herbs reimbursed next time. It depends on how the person processing the claim codes it.

We've sold about $200 worth of things on Craigslist - we meaning me and my family. We're selling all the furniture we don't need. It's enough to allow Dad to buy wood to make raised beds for the garden. We still have a lot of stuff in the garage to sell . . . but gradually, we're getting more and more room in there.

My swollen lymph nodes are no longer shrinking. They seemed to shrink a little bit (maybe from 5cm to 4cm). I'm just happy with the thought that they did shrink and I hope that my next Herceptin treatment shrinks them further!

Otherwise, I'm doing well. Tired, but in good spirits. I can walk around and see things sprouting everywhere. We're having an El Nino year, which accounts for our warmer than normal winter. Things are sprouting and blooming several weeks early. No complaints!

Weekend News

Actually, there isn't much to report. Just continuing to clean and organize in the house. I finished filing away my papers; I cleaned out about four years of Eddie's school and art work and only kept the best; organized the storage under his loft bed more; figured out what pictures to hang on my walls and which on Eddie's, etc.

Yesterday, I had more pain under that left armpit, where the swollen lymph nodes are. Any time I raised my arm up or out, it seems like it would pull on whatever tissue fibers are there and I'd feel a sharp pain that went up the back of my arm a bit. That pain now seems worse than what's going on the right rib area. I also seem to have a bit more lower back pain - and whether that's due to having to sleep on my back more or this new chair that I sit in in the living room or whether it's all the slouching on the floor as I go through papers . .. probably a combination of all three.

I had a good night's sleep last night, though, and things don't ache as much today as yesterday. I'm still not sure what my plan is for the day - need to finish hanging a couple of pictures and lord knows I should work on my fellowship application. I really want to go look around at furniture stores to come up with a solution for Eddie's loft bed. We'll see what I come up with!

I'll pick up Eddie later today. I wanted him to stay with me tonight because I will be accepting the Phyllis Lee Award tomorrow at OSU, during the Martin Luther King Jr. Peace Breakfast. I'll write some more about it tomorrow. I just wanted Eddie to see me receiving this award - my folks and my brother will also attend. Happy Sunday everyone!

Daily Update

Today was Eddie's first day at school. Apparently, it was uneventful, although Eddie said the day was "really long" and he was tired.

As for me, after an early dentist appointment (last week, part of a filling fell out; now I have to get a crown), I went to my office.

And, worked on that article.

Yes, you heard me. I actually had a full day to work on that article. I worked on it all yesterday evening while watching America's Got Talent. I'm really close to being done. And, while it was due last Thurs, the editors contacted me last night (they are in New Zealand) and wondered if I would be able to get it in ASAP. I replied that I could get it to them in 24 hours. I still have a few more hours to finish it up. Yay!

In other news, I seem to be having this kinda low-lying headache. It's not bad enough to take any pain reliever, but bad enough for me to notice. I'll see if it continues.

Last week, when I saw my oncologist's physician assistant, she examined the lymph nodes under my left arm. One has been swollen for several months and the CT scan in July estimated it to be about 2cm. When she palpated it, she thought it was only 1-1.5 cm. It's getting harder for me to find it - I checked it last Thursday and then again yesterday and today. It may only be 1cm.

I'd complained to my acupuncturist two weeks ago that the area under my left arm felt swollen and that when I rested my arm against my body, I could feel that area. So, she gave me a different Chinese herb (called Viola 12) to use. This particular herb is good against swollen lymph nodes and lung tumors, among other things. She said that another patient of hers with melanoma responded to it. So, I've been on Viola 12 for two weeks.

And, I've been on Femara since last Friday. Perhaps between the two of them, they are reducing the lymph nodes, which means that perhaps they are working against the lung tumors. One can only hope, right? I'll keep you posted.