Posts

Onwards

Image
We saw the oncologist for a followup this past week. Since suppressing estrogen with Letrozole increases risk of osteoporosis, I am going to start treatment with  zoledronic acid  this coming Thursday. The drug slows down bone loss. I'll be getting it by IV for 15 minutes every 6 months for 3 years. The doctor said that of the available types of bisphosphonate drugs, this one is the best option when you have the resources and staff available to administer the IV. The most common side effect is flu-like symptoms (aches and pains) for the day or so after treatment. The doctor said taking acetaminophen and cetirizine helps to ease the pain. I will also need to make sure I get enough calcium and vitamin D daily. Continuing to exercise and do strength training to maintain bone density is also recommended. My current oncologist asked if she could give me a hug since my assigned oncologist will return from maternity leave in February. I was glad to get the hug, and I'l...
Read more

A year in the life

Image
 October 31 marks 1 year since I was diagnosed with breast cancer. It's been quite the month. As I've told a few co-workers, easing back into work has gone pretty well, and the rest of the month has been crazy. My manager and team has been very supportive and it's been nice to connect with my co-workers. I have a few clear tasks that don't have looming deadline pressure, and I'm not on full-time hours until December. And as I dip my toes into things, I'm gradually remembering some of the small details about how the tools work that I had forgotten. The rest of October included: The TTC cancelling my CNIB-issued (CNIB=Canadian National Institute for the Blind) transit pass at the start of October with no warning or explanation for the cancellation. There's a 3-week lead time on getting a new pass, so I just picked it up this week. Starting back at work at 30% hours. This triggered a generic process to cancel my benefits since part-time workers below 50% don...
Read more

Back to work in Oct

I'll be starting work Oct 7, working part-time and gradually increasing hours each week for 8 weeks so that I'm back full-time in December. The first month will be fully at home. It still holds true that I don't miss working, but I do miss a bunch of my colleagues. I had a follow up with the radiologist yesterday. He's happy with how well I've recovered so far. I'm still supposed to take extra care with the skin for at least another 3 months (moisturize, avoid a lot of sun exposure). I'll have a checkup with the oncology nurses on Oct 1 and plan to ask them what kind of monitoring schedule I can expect going forward after I see my oncologist in Dec. I also discovered a Toronto massage therapist who also has extensive research experience in neurobiology. She specializes in post-surgical care, cancer patients (including specific breast cancer knowledge), and musicians. She provided a great massage and some tips for both managing neuropathy and easing remainin...
Read more

Making a decision in the absence of evidence

I had a check in with oncology yesterday, 2 weeks after starting the oral chemo drug (abemaciclib).  Those 2 weeks sucked.  My nickname for the drug is Abomination*. My stomach was unsettled all the time, but no nausea. After 9 doses (morning of day 5), I had diarrhea twice in quick succession and stomach aches. Then diarrhea again every 4 days after that - and each time it was worse. When I had my checkup with the oncology nurses, they said my symptoms were considered "mild" (my worst day would be classified as grade 2 diarrhea, 4-6 times a day that resolves in 24h). They asked the doctor for guidance though, because my white blood cell count was low and I had requested a dose reduction so that I wouldn't feel sick all the time. The oncologist came by and provided the following info: From a medical standpoint, my symptoms are "mild" and if I stayed on the medication the standard medical guidance would be to just deal with the symptoms. But if the symptoms affec...
Read more

Meds, prep, and dessert

Image
On the upside, I'm feeling better than I was a month ago. On the downside, cancer meds with more side effects are in my future. I've been taking letrozole for just over a month. So far there haven't been any significant changes in blood pressure and I haven't noticed any new side effects - though it can take a few months for side effects to be noticeable. I'm trying to make sure I get a good amount of calcium in my diet, and I've started going back to Pink Studio for dance classes. I'll start taking  abemaciclib later this month (the targeted breast cancer drug). I'll be on the drug for 2 years. My oncologist says that the most common side effects are diarrhea and fatigue. It also lowers the number of white blood cells. I am sad and grumpy about all of these things because I feel like I've gotten some energy back and am facing the possibility of having some of it taken away again. But I also know that if the side effects are bad enough that I want t...
Read more

Post-radiation treatment

Image
I had a followup appointment with an oncologist that is taking on my regular oncologist's patients during mat leave. My partner and I really liked this doctor - she's caring, explains the reasoning and data behind her recommendations, is candid, and thoughtfully answered our questions. I've been pretty happy with all the doctors who have provided me with care during cancer treatment, but this particular doctor stands out. Bloodwork has confirmed that I'm post-menopausal, so I will be taking letrozole as the anti-hormonal pill starting on Monday when I'm meeting with the oncology nurses. I'll be taking it for 10 years. Based on my oncologist's plan, we are also going to try an additional medication (monarchE) later on to help reduce risk of cancer recurrence. It's currently prescribed for metastatic cancer patients to keep metastasis at bay, but there isn't evidence yet that it increases survivability. Side effects tend to be worse, so the plan is to...
Read more

Art and green spaces

Image
If you look at Sunnybrook hospital on Google Maps , you'll notice that it's right next to Sunnybrook Park. And if you zoom out on the map, you'll see that Sunnybrook Park is connected to a larger set of parks. Many of the green spaces in the area intersect with Bayview Ave, the major street on the west side of the hospital. I have a lot of memories tied to places along Bayview Ave and the green spaces around them. You can use this map list to follow along with the examples that I describe below. My mom worked as a nurse at the St. John's Rehab campus of Sunnybrook hospital. My mom got me my first job there working for the hospital kitchen when I was 14. I loved walking along the tree-lined driveway to the front doors of the hospital. As a child, my family would visit Edwards Gardens, which is just north of Sunnybrook Park. We wandered, played, and fed the wildlife back when I didn't know it was a bad idea. In fact, it's now illegal to feed wildlife anywhere in...
Read more