She said her echocardiogram went well on Monday - not a lot to it from the sounds of it. She said dad watched on a screen while she layed (layed? or laid? *brainfart*) however they wanted her and just tried to relax. The tech or whoever said that she had a very photogenic heart (but we all know that :)) and that things looked good. Let's continue with statements such as these, I say!
I now have a 1 1/2 inch thick binder of information I'm collecting. The 2007 and 2011 NCCN standards of care/explanation of treatment (links in the About page) (about 50-60 pgs); A fact sheet on Adjuvant and Neoadjuvant Therapy for Breast Cancer (8 pgs); a fact sheet on Targeted Cancer Therapies (10 pgs) - and then I printed off information about the chemo drugs mom will be taking. She will be taking: Trastuzumab (Herceptin) for the HER2+ protein; Docetaxel (Taxotere); Pertuzumab (Perjeta); and Pegfilgrastim (Neulasta) as the chemo agents (I remembered all of those wicked names except Pegfilgrastim, if that tells you how much I've been reading!). She also has a prescription for Dexamethasone (Decadron), which is a steroid to help prevent/lessen any allergic reactions to the aforementioned drugs that she will be given. She said she also has to go get some over the counter allergy meds (e.g. Claritin). But the whole point of mentioning these are that I have a binder full of information - already - mainly about the chemo drugs. Good lordy! Mom has two 1- 1 1/2 inch binders started on information she's received from doctors and that she's collected so far. We are apparently building a medical library of our own. Which is good, cuz there will be books and what not coming soon to help us more with all of this.
I have some concerns that I'd like to ask Dr. G about - mainly why a biopsy of some sort hasn't been done on the sentinal nodes (lymph nodes). A needle aspiration could be done, that is supposed to be fairly painless and quick, to see if there are cancer cells in the lymph nodes. Mom is considered Stage I, but everything I read puts her at Stage IIA (mainly due to HERS2+ and the size of the tumor). So, more confusion. And Dr. G is planning on doing the sentinal node biopsy AFTER the first round of chemo (the first four infusions - so, in three months) when he does the surgery to remove the tumor. Everything I read says that a test should be done before. I'm worried that doing the biopsy AFTER chemo would tend to show that there's no cancer in those little nodes - but what if there is now? The baseline is shot. I know, I know - I don't often display my oncology degree for all of you to see, but with what I'm reading, I think it's worth questioning. And I will. Just for my own peace of mind. There are things that can be skewed if the pre-treatment work isn't done properly. And I'm not knocking Dr. G at all - I just need an answer to that question so that I don't worry more than I already do that all bases are covered.
I only have a few minutes while on break to throw this information out - but will get an update on here tonight about how she's doing. Mom, I think we should name this little device, since it's going to be a part of you for a while. Or, maybe we shouldn't - I don't want any of us getting attached to the damn thing. Ah! Perfect! Let's call it Myles! (that's my dog's name for those of you who don't know the little bastard).
Reminder to myself:
Look Good Feel Better in December
Post list of meds on About page
Get chemo bag put together this weekend
Share picture of Alec and his independent shaving (you'll love it)
Share story of talking to Alec about grandma having cancer - convo that followed regarding numbers/letters/people and colors
Share funny of song I'm going to put on mom's play list on the tablet
Post email I got today of pumpkins that look...NOT like pumpkins
There's more, but I've forgotten already!
Update later!!