A Clinical Trial: It's just something that happened along the way

 

In a matter of a few weeks, I have traveled all over my Hundred Acre Woods.  I started with a specific mission...meet my medical team and identify a plan for treatment.  Pretty simple, right?  Well, during my journey, a detour was suggested, a newly formed clinical trial. 

Christopher and I visited with the oncologist in charge of the trial, Dr. Denise Yardley and gathered some basic facts.  This is a very small trial that has recently started in Tennessee and potentially has minimal side effects.  The research is with a drug Repraxin, particularly looking at its ability to suppress stem cell reproduction and prevent future mastication of breast cancer.  The trial involves taking biopsies at the beginning and end of the trial, frequent blood draws and taking 2 pills 3 times a day for 21 days...all leading up to my surgery.

Honestly there is probably no benefit from this trial for me, at least not immediately.  However, if this drug acts as they expect there could be future benefits related to a reemergence of cancer as well as benefits for other women who journey down this path in the future.  Just call me a medical pioneer!  (I laughed out loud as I typed that...but for the moment it sounds good.)

Rabbit once told Pooh, "I don't see much sense in that."  Pooh agreed, "No there isn't.  It's just something that happened along the way."  I totally get that.  This clinical trial was not part of my plan but for me this unplanned opportunity is about doing something while I wait and more importantly about giving back to the those who researched drugs/treatment options years ago. 

Oh Bother...

A Blog? Really?

I never once thought I would have a blog.  I live a pretty simple life...work full time, care for my family and just do everyday things.  But then out of nowhere something happened that drastically changed all of that. Those simple, everyday things became more meaningful and all of the sudden I had a story to tell (or at least I think I do).

So, here goes...

On July 7, I found a lump in my breast that I knew was not normal.  I saw my PCP on the 9th and the journey I never expected began.  After a series of mammograms, ultrasounds and biopsies, my doctor called me back into his office on July 15, 2014 and told me I had cancer.

What?  Cancer?  I could not believe what I was hearing.  As he spoke to my husband, Christopher, and me,  I didn't comprehend much of what he said.  All I could do was think about my life and why this was so very wrong.  I mean, I am only 42.  I have more living to do.

The days following my diagnosis have been extremely full and busy with seeing numerous doctors and developing a plan for my treatment. This blog will allow me to share my journey with the many people I am blessed to have in my life.

But before I get down to the nitty gritty of my illness, I will start with an explanation on the title of this site, a play on words.  Winnie the Pooh has always been a favorite of mine since I was a child and while cancer is no laughing matter, humor goes a long way when it comes to coping and healing.  So we start with Heffalumps and Woozles, the "bad guys" Pooh envisions stealing his honey.  The accompanying song says they are "very confuzle and sly.  They come in every shape and size" and goes on to caution " be a very wary bear".  Seems to sum up cancer for me.

While this song is taken from the Walt Disney version of Winnie the Pooh, the works of A.A. Milne are full of references that help put life in perspective.  Pooh and his friends in the Hundred Acre Wood use their experiences to teach us many life lessons in a very basic manner.  Now more than ever, I need this simplicity as I seek to find and share the meaning of this unexpected turn in my life.

Welcome to EVIL LUMPS AND WOOZLES!

Meet my Medical Team

There is quite a supporting cast in my Hundred Acre Wood.  And when you get stuck in a tough place, sometimes it takes all of them to pull you through.  A whole team of medical providers will be overseeing my treatment.  For those of you wanting to know exactly who they are, here is the list:

Dr. Michael Mertens (Primary care doctor)

Dr. Laura Dunbar (Surgeon/Breast Specialist):  Saint Thomas Midtown

Dr. Brian Hemphill (Medical Oncologist): Tennessee Oncology at Summitt

Dr. Brad Cohen (Radiation Oncologist):  Summitt

Christopher and I have spent many, many hours at doctor visits over the past two weeks.  Meeting with each of these individuals, asking questions and gathering information.  We feel confident in each of them and believe they will provide me with the best possible medical care.  More about them later.  

Think. Think. Think.

Like Pooh I have been sitting and thinking quite a bit since my diagnosis.

Thinking about what all this means.
Thinking how this impacts everyone around me.
Thinking about my own life.
Thinking about the future.
Thinking about the people I love the most.

Receiving a cancer diagnosis is the ultimate paradigm shift.  Suddenly you see things differently.  As I shared in my initial entry, I plan to use this blog to share my journey but before we get started I thought it best to give you a recap of the facts I have to this point.  So for bears of very little brain, medically speaking, I will simplify this and bring you up to speed.

First let's focus on the cancer itself:  While I am young (I like when my doctor's call me young), I do not appear to have an aggressive cancer.  In fact the oncologist told me I have the slow growing cancer of a 70 year old.  My cancer is strongly ER and PR positive and is HER2 negative.  It is moderately invasive as cancer cells have been identified in a lymph node biopsied under my arm.  It is tentatively graded as 2B.

Now for a VERY simple explanation...the ER/PR positive indicate that the hormones, estrogen and progesterone in my body feed my cancer.  To suppress this fueling of future cancer, I will take tamoxifen for the next 5 years.  The HER2 status basically relates to the slow growing status of the cancer.  I am told I have the "good cancer"! Based on the situation, I will take that.

The grading of the cancer cannot be finalized until surgery but for now it appears to be 2B.  Which was based on 2 factors:  The size of the tumor in my breast being around 2.5 cm and at least one enlarged lymph node having cancer cells present.  The current plan is to have a lumpectomy to remove the tumor and then further investigate the lymph nodes, removing only what is necessary.  My surgery is scheduled for August 21.  (No time has been set yet.)

Surgery is pending one final test. We are awaiting results of the BCRA genetic testing which was conducted due to my young age.  If I test positive,  there is a mutation in the BCRA gene which indicates that I am at a significantly higher risk for breast cancer and ovarian cancer and its  reoccurrence.  Therefore, instead of lumpectomy, a double mastectomy would be needed.  And I won't go into more detail than that...I believe these results will be negative but will share more once they come in if they are not.

Now to the treatment:  Roughly six weeks after my surgery I will start 4 months of chemo which I hear is going to be pretty tough.    The chemo regimen will consist of 2 months of Adriamycin, aka the "Red Devil", along with Cytoxin, followed by 2 months of Taxol. Chemo will be followed by 6 weeks of radiation.

I know treatment is part of the process but it leaves me thinking again.

Thinking what I will look like without hair
Thinking how my hair will look when it grows back
Thinking that my husband is about to have more hair than me and that is not fair
Thinking about all the help I will need
Thinking that I am scared
Thinking of the large celebration I plan to have when I am cancer free!

So, that's where we are.  Facing the reality and appreciating those by my side.