Skip to main content

More Tests

Herceptin, the drug that attacks the HER2 cells, can cause heart failure. Only 1-2% is permanent, but doctors want to take precautions just in case. I was diagnosed with Mitral Valve Prolapse in 1988 after my last child was born, so my oncologist wanted to be extra careful.


(Mitral Valve Prolapse is when one of the heart valves does not close properly between each beat. This may cause the valve to leak blood back into the heart after it has pumped it out. It is usually not very serious, but it is important to not get an infection above your heart. An infection will contaminate your blood and can cause it to leak back through the problem valve into the heart. Contaminated blood in your heart can be dangerous. This is why it is important to make sure that your teeth, for instance, are healthy.)


Therefore, on Wednesday, September 6 I had an echocardiogram (ECG) to make sure my heart would be able to handle the Herceptin infusions. The cardiologist delivered some great news. My heart was perfect, and there was no evidence of Mitral Valve Prolapse! My heart looks perfect! Apparently many women were misdiagnosed with this in the 1980s. I was either now of them, or it had miraculously gone away.


Mammograms and ultrasounds catch many problems, but not everything. Because of the nature of my tumor I needed an MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) to get a clearer picture of the size and placement. We also needed to find out if any of the cancer cells had spread to the lymph nodes. The MRI was scheduled for Friday, September 8. I am a little claustrophobic, and knowing I had to lie completely still in a small tunnel for 45 minutes scared me.


A nurse inserted an IV in my arm for the contrast to go through. This is basically color that helps blood vessels, organs, and soft tissue show up more easily in the imaging.


Surprisingly, the technician had me lie on my stomach in the MRI machine. That was a good thing since I have vertigo and am not able to lie flat on my back without getting dizzy and potentially vomit. I’m sure the technician was happy he didn’t have to clean up after me.


The machine was just wide enough, and open on both ends so that my claustrophobia did not cause problems. However, it was not easy to lie still for 45 minutes. My breastbone hurt from pressing on a bar that was placed between my breasts. Happy thoughts and singing uplifting music in my head helped.


MRI machines are VERY loud, even when you wear the earplugs provided, but the worst part was when they injected the contrast. I knew when that happened, because there was a chemical smell and taste partway through. It was a little nauseating. Will ask the technician if I am allowed to place Vicks mentholatum in my nostrils next time to see if that helps.


The images showed my tumor was larger than initially thought. Instead of 1.6 centimeters at the longest, it is 2.7 cm (about .95 inches). They also found another, smaller round mass within 1 cm of the larger one. This is 3 millimeters (less than .12 in). The good news is that my lymph nodes look clear; but because the totality of the tumors is larger than 2 cm (about .79 in) my oncologist modified the original treatment plan. This will be explained in the next blog post. 


Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Second Post-Treatment Checkup - still NED!

My last cancer treatment was December 17, 2024. It was a relief to be finished and not have to go to the cancer center every three weeks. Three months later, March 17, 2025, I had my first post-treatment appointment with the oncologist. At that point it had not been enough time for me to process everything yet, and my brain was not back to functioning completely (it is still not fully normal), so I was happy to see my wonderful doctor and have my blood drawn without having to stay for an infusion. The tests all looked good. Craig retired in February and we had been thinking about what to do. Our children are grown and have their own families. They all live a few hours from us. We love them enormously and love spending time with them, but felt we needed some time to ease into retirement. We had been talking about serving a mission for our church and thought this would be a perfect time. My oncologist gave her approval, so in the beginning of May we got off an airplane in Vientiane, Lao ...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Long Tail of Chemo

Eleven weeks after my last infusion of Kadcyla my body still seems to think I am still receiving treatments. Some of the side effects still occur about the same time they did when I was getting treatments. They are not as severe, and do not last as long, but they happen almost like clockwork. My energy level is pretty much back to how it was pre-cancer. Sleeping has never been one of my superpowers, but it got worse when I started getting the infusions. It is sometimes difficult to fall asleep, and sleeping beyond 6:30 in the morning is late for me. Even though I try hard, my body very rarely lets me nap.  The brain fog is almost gone. It feels terrific to be almost back to my normal self. Not having so much brain fog so nice, but it also means my obnoxious self comes out more frequently. Now Craig must deal with me not agreeing with him all the time again. On the good side, I am better able to control my temper. It is easier to keep myself from getting angry and frustrated. The mi...
Post a Comment
Read more

Mental Health

Chemotherapy is not the only source of forgetfulness and overall decline in mental health. Pretty much everything related to cancer can cause stress and poor mental health, from suspicion or diagnosis to life after treatment. I am still in the treatment phase, but hear from those who have completed theirs, that the potential of cancer returning is stressful. Especially when it is time for a checkup with the doctor. During treatments you depend on others for your physical as well as mental needs. This is not easy. Most of us want to be independent, and when you are not, it is difficult mentally. You feel very much out of control. Children who are abused learn to distance themselves psychologically to protect themselves. It is something I am familiar with. Getting treated for cancer is not abuse, but you feel out of control in both instances. I am not able to use the same technique to distance myself from the cancer. It is always with me. I cannot remove myself from it, even temporarily....
Post a Comment
Read more