For example, for a while, I was going around telling people that I had "Stage 3" breast cancer. Well, that wasn't true. I have "Stage 2" cancer but the tumors are "Grade 3."
What the Stage 2 thing means (as you read this, consider the source: I am sure I am bungling this information some way or another) is that I did have lump of SOME size (2.5 cm NOT 3.0 or 2.9 as previously reported - are you getting the picture? So many errors!) but I did NOT have any cancer in my lymph nodes.
As for the Grade 3 - basically, this means that the cancer is AS invasive and aggressive as it gets. Because anyone who is an "expert" at anything is an egomaniac (you can decide for yourself if this is a fact or an opinion) they all have different systems with different names for grading cancer.
However, I am quite sure that they would all rise together in unity to agree that I had some REAL aggressive cancer - I don't think anyone would dispute that.
But it gets even more complicated, or worse, depending on how you want to look at it. My cancer was also making copies at a fever pitch of "Her-2/neu"which is an oncogene, a protein, a growth hormone... (again, consider the source: I really have no idea of what I am talking about) which means that my 2.5cm lump was growing FAST FAST FAST.
So why I am bothering to tell all of you this?
Until I met with the oncologist, I thought I had maybe a 1% chance that there was still some cancer in my body. It turns out that the numbers are quite different. Because the tumor was so aggressive, there is a much greater chance that some rogue cancer cell busted out and is still roaming around, looking for a new place to set up camp. So, it turns out that the whole chemo/radiation thing is much more than just an insurance policy. Which, on some twisted level, makes me feel better about the whole heavy medication thing.
Just to give you an idea of the numbers, I have about a 45% chance of recurrence if I DON'T do all the nasty stuff. The chemo/radiation/hormone therapy should drop that number down to a 10% chance of recurrence.
So, on to my medication schedule. I will start chemo on Thursday, Jan. 5. They will give me Adriamycin and Cytoxin (the AC regimen) intravenously on that day, and then 3 more times, every 3 weeks. So, that whole regimen lasts 12 weeks. Then on the same schedule (4 times, every 3 weeks) they will give me Taxol and Herceptin. I also start radiation treatment around then. There is more after that, but not all of it has been completely decided, so we will just stick with reporting on the first six months of treatment for now.
My hair is likely to fall out around Jan. 20. Thus, I have made arrangements with two lovely hairdressers "Miss Sophie" and "Miss Morgan" who have a long, albeit checkered history of cutting hair, mostly their own. I decided that someone should give them a chance to cut someone's hair and NOT get a "time out" or their allowance pulled. Stay tuned, as I am hoping to have this event at a local hair salon on a Saturday night or Sunday afternoon.
Now this may sound ridiculous, but I am trying to find some lab mice who would like some of my hair for their nests. I was reading this book "Her-2" which is all about the making of Herceptin (a relatively new drug that I am slated to benefit from) and I started feeling REALLY sorry for all of those sweet little lab mice who unwillingly give their lives for people like me. So, if anyone knows anyone who has a lab and little white mice that might want some extra nesting material, let me know!
In other news, I AM going to Colorado from Dec. 21-30 to ski, see family,and play Euchre and Monopoly until late in the night.
Enjoy the holidays!
Carolyn