Radiation

I finalized what I will be doing for my radiation plan. I will be having 28 sessions. During each session they will radiate my clavicle and chest wall. This will be done M-F for about 5 minutes a day. One of the girls from the YSC boards came up with an excellent skin care routine for radiation. I plan on following that because radiation can cause skin damage and burning. She recommended the following plan:

RADIATION SKIN CARE

1.  Aloe + Aloe Lotion - AM/After shower
2.  Vitamin E lotion (2x daily)
3. Calendula Lotion -  right after radiation. 
4. Aquaphor or prescription lotion - After home from radiation
5. Aloe + Aloe Lotion - bedtime

That will be the "end" of active treatment for me. I started Tamoxifen about two weeks ago. I have been getting hot flashes as warned by my doctor as a side-effect from taking the new medicine. Other than that, no other noticeable side-effects. I am a little moody at times, but I really think that is due to having to go through this whole crappy experience. Otherwise I am pretty even keeled and optimistic about things.  

I plan on calling my doctor and asking him about Zometa. A few of the girls on the boards are taking this as a preventive measure for bone metastasis, which I never want to even be a possibility, and osteopenenia, which could be a side-effect from chemo. I also want to get a bone density scan, my mom has osteoporosis and I just want to make sure that chemo has not taken a toll on my bones. 

I think that is all for breast cancer news. Things are going good, my reconstruction is settling into place. I will most likely have another surgery to "revise" the reconstruction around December/January of this coming year. My surgeon says its a simple outpatient procedure & I won't need much time off of work. That is good news. I am glad I am getting to the end of this nightmare of a year. 

Mullet

I think my hair grew more in the back overnight again. I have a fluffier mullet. My hair isn't growing back dark brown, its kinda lighter. Then again, I have been dying my hair off and on since I was 15, so who knows what lurked underneath. On the bright side, the top is really starting to grow in. I think I will have enough hair in four more weeks to go without the wig. Thank god. I mean there was a time back in March where I looked a lot like this (just a little happier LOL) :

I woke up today and saw some sprouts up top. I was getting a little scared that I'd look like this in a few weeks.

I could post pics of my beautiful head, but I think Britney's will do the trick. I really do not want bald pictures of me circulating the internet. Sorry lurkers, its just not going to happen. If you are really that desperate to take a peek at my personal freak show, I walk around bald in my house. It has been way too hot to wear the wig and a scarf indoors.

I have been wearing scarves out most days. I can't bear the heat in addition to my 11a, 4p, 7p, and 10p hot flashes (thanks chemo & tamoxifen). Here I come bouncing along, scarf in tow, mullet peaking from underneath, and beads of sweat pooling on my forehead in air conditioned stores. Boy, does that turn a lot of heads. The only people who don't stare at me are the elderly, they actually come up and talk to me. Middle aged women turn their heads and look scared --- yep creeper this could happen to you too, but stop staring before your eyes burn out of the sockets. I swear its like they think I am a walking sign of death to some people, please get a life and get EDUCATED about what cancer really is before you stare at me. I wish I had enough balls to poke them in the foreheads with my fingers - "Cancer is contagious so stop staring."

I found some cute scarfs at Kohls. I think I might buy them online & wear them to work come June 27. I think the wig might have to go into retirement if we are going to have 90 degree + temperatures out here.

Role Model

   As we all know, I am kinda obsessed with fitness and nutrition. I have been an admirer of Jamie Eason, a fitness model, for 6+ years. I have strived over the years to get a physique like hers, but I loved junk food just way too much.
   Unbeknownst to me, Jamie had breast cancer in her early 20s. I learned this about 3 weeks ago. It makes me love her even more, she is a 5+yr survivor and has transformed her body in the process. Her story has given me more hope than I can put into words. I absolutely adore her and in her interviews she seems so down to earth and nice, she has definitely had a hard road to travel. Now, if only I can channel her strength to be everything I can be. :-)

Exchange Surgery

I had my exchange surgery one week ago. I expected a lot more pain, but the pain is bearable. I still have some soreness at my scar-lines and at the revision lines. I am tired, but I know when to rest. The weird thing about this surgery is that I was cleared to drive on Monday. I didn't get drains, just antibiotics and a compression bra. I have been going on slow walks & I really think the walking and staying active has helped with my healing and prevention of a seroma this time around.

When I woke up from surgery, I honestly was pretty disappointed. The implants just looked small and square. Not what I expected FOOBs to be at all. Apparently the implants have to settle in their pockets to get the full effect and swelling needs to go down. Also implants are shaped much different from real boobs. They are wider and rounder, which means it may seem small but the overall "liquid" volume of implants is actually much larger than they appear. Hence, I tried on an old 34 C bra of mine & the cups were too small. The band was too big. I am now a little more excited to find out what I actually fit in and to go for a real bra fitting in 5 weeks.

Now, I have to wear a zip-front sports bra type thing. I got two from under-amour. I went with these before ordering "surgical bras", because I figured they could be re-used again when I can run again in 6 weeks. They seemed to have no preference on the type of sports bra that I got, as long as it wasn't too tight and that I was comfortable and felt supported. I ended up with a size L, I was so surprised that medium squished me! I used to be a size S, so this was a big ego boost too. I will be getting a stage 2 compression bra next Monday at my follow-up appointment. Apparently this is another type of ugly zip front bra that provides compression. I am also going to get a script for surgical bras, because my insurance covers 3-4 bras every 6 months. I might as well take advantage of this too. :-) All in all the surgery was great & I really won't know what the final product looks like for around 2 months. The implants have to settle & I am okay with that. They keep looking better everyday and my clothes fit wonderfully. I finally don't "disappear" in a size S top.

I also started Tamoxifen yesterday. Tamoxifen is an anti-estrogen therapy. I will need to be on Tamoxifen for 5 years. My oncologist said that he wasn't going to even consider removing my ovaries, which some BC girls do, because it puts me at worse risk for cardiac issues and osteoporosis if he does remove them. Also he is not going to use Lupron, to shut down my ovaries, because no studies have been published to show that Lupron + Tamoxifen is anymore effective than Tamoxifen alone. So here is to daily Tamoxifen for 5 years & more hot flashes post Chemo-pause. Tamoxifen will be the most helpful treatment for me...I was 95% Estrogen positive & Tamoxifen is the #1 treatment for that. Wish me luck!

Now onto the next step: Radiation. I have my planning session on Friday, so I will definitely post an update about that soon. I will most likely start Rads on June 20 or the 27th. The end of this journey will be here exactly before I am 27. Perfect Timing!!

Anti-Cancer Summary 2

I wrote about "Anti-Cancer: A New Way of Life," by Dr. David Servan-Schrieber a few months ago. I have always been into nutrition & eating healthy. I found this book to be amazing as the author is a two time Brain Cancer survivor, whom changed his lifestyle habits at his second diagnosis. Someone on my support group boards today posted a list that summarized the foods us Cancer-People should eat. I just wanted to put it on my blog, so you can also be informed.

Green Tea, 3 cups a day : it reduces the growth of new blood vessels needed for tumor growth and metastases.
Olives & Olive Oil: contains phenolic antioxidants & Omega 3 fatty acids. Other great sources of Omega 3 - Salmon/Tilapia, Fish Oil, Flax Seeds, Flax Seed Oil & Chia Seeds
Turmeric:  Helps stimulate apoptosis (death) in cancer cells and inhibit angiogenesis (growth of vessels). 1/4 - 1/2 tsp of turmeric a day mixed with 1/8 tsp of pepper and a table spoon of olive oil. This combo helps your body absorb the benefits of turmeric.
Ginger: protects against certain cancers, it acts against cancer cells. Also helps w/nausea caused by chemo
Cruciform veggies (broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, bok choy, etc): contains I3Cs-dindole-3-carbinols which are powerful anticancer molecules.
Garlic, onions, leeks, shallots : they promote apoptosis in colon, breast & lung cancers and prostate. Regulates blood sugars, this in turn reduces insulin secretion an dIGF and thus the growth of cancer cells.
Veggies & fruit rich in carotenoids (carrots, yams, sweet potatoes, pumpkins, apricots, beets, etc.) - contain vitamin A and lycopene which have the proven capacity to inhibit cell growths of several cancers, stimulate immune cells which then attack tumors
Tomatoes & Tomato sauce: must be cooked, has a whole series of anticancer nutrients, and mix w/olive oil to help your body assimilate the lycopenes.
Mushrooms ( shiitake, maitake, cremini, portobello, oyster....) : contain polysaccharides and lentinian which stimulate the immune cells. Often used in Japan as a complement to chemotherapy to support the immune system.
Rosemary, thyme, oregano, basil and mint: very rich in essential oils of the terpene family and promote apoptosis in cancer cells and reduce their spread by blocking the enzymes needed to invade neighboring tissues. Rosemary is also an anti-inflammatory. Its capacity to enhance the effectiveness of certain chemotherapies.
Parsley and celery: contain apigenin, an anti-inflammatory that promotes apoptosis and blocks angiogenesis.
Seaweed: several varieties of seaweed commonly eaten in Asia contain molecules that slow cancer growth, especially that of breast, prostate, skin and colon cancer. 
Berries (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries and cranberries) : contain elegiac acid and a large number of polyphenols. They stimulate the mechanisms of elimination of carcinogenic substances and inhibit angiogenesis, also promote apoptosis. 
Plums, peaches & nectarines - 'stone fruit' contain as many anticancer agents as berries and are cheaper. A study at University of Texas observed that plum extracts had powerful effects against the growth of breast cancer.
Citrus fruits (oranges, tangerines, limes, lemons & grapefruit) :contain anti-inflammatory flavonoids. Stimulate the detoxification of carcinogens in the liver. Flavonoids in the skin of tangerines penetrate brain cancer cells and facilitate their death by apoptosis. 
Pomegranate Juice & Pomegranates - it has been used in Persian medicine for years. Anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties have been confirmed and has the capacity to substantially reduce the development of prostate cancer (among others) even in it's most aggressive forms). In humans daily consumption of pomegranate juice slows the spread of an established prostate cancer by 67%.
Red Wine & GRAPES:  contains polyphenols including the celebrated resveratrol. These polyphenols are extracted by fermentation. Reservatrol acts on genes that are known to protect healthy cells against aging. Only 1 glass per day, drank with food. Grapes are a better substitution IMO. More than one glass of wine daily, which I like to say weekly, should be avoided. Since drinking too much wine daily may lead to an increase of cancer & addiction.
Dark chocolate- Must be 70% or more. Contains a number of antioxidants, proanthocyandidins and may polyphenols. These molecules slow the growth of cancer and limit angiogenesis. Consume 20 grams a day. Do not eat milk chocolate, mixing dairy w/chocolate cancels the beneficial effects of the molecules of cocoa.
Vitamin D3- reduces the risk of several cancers. Studies published recently have shown positive effects of vitamin D3 on breast cancer, non-small lung cancer, colon cancer and prostate cancer. Our bodies cannot metabolize more than 3,000mcg of Vitamin D3 a day. I stick with 1,000mcg in the AM & another 1,000mcg in the PM. We should be trying to get most of our Vitamin D from REAL food & going outdoors. 
Exercise - Aim for 3 hours a week. I usually get in 6-8hrs a week, but he just recommends walking 30min a day.