I just had a check-up on 27 Sep 2010, so it is another overdue post.
Okay, it's nearly crunch time now - my marker is not co-operating with me, or maybe I asked for it. It has inched up again to 17 from 15.7 in July.
My onco noticed the new lump above the surgical line and I pointed out the two lumps below the collar bone.
Just my observation, and I may be wrong, but I thought the young male oncos are not very thorough with physical check-ups, probably not too comfortable about the procedure. I wonder if that was one of the reasons why my previous onco switched to colon cancer. Well, I am actually not really bothered by the physical check-ups, given my age and the fact that I have on numerous occasions had trainee doctors young enough to be my children poking me all over during my hospital stays. But then, nowadays, cancer is not limited to young at heart, middle-aged ladies like me and I can understand their apprehension when they have a young pretty female patient.
My onco said the ca marker is still ok, but to me that is not okay. It has been inching up since Jan this year and is the highest since I stopped chemo 2 years ago. Something is not right.
Gosh! My memory is leaking. I can't remember if my onco asked whether I wanted conventional medication. But I think he did because I remembered saying 'no' to something he said. Anyway, he suggested a ctscan before my next appointment in Dec 2010, and added that is if I didn't mind having the contrast or some chemical in my body.
I have fixed the appointment for the ctscan but have not decided if I will go through with it.
For the records, my onco had a male guest with him throughout my appointment. One who did not look like a trainee, but I have no idea why or what he was there for.
Again, I did not mention the pain in the collar bone and in the chest area as the pain had disappeared before my check-up. If I did, my onco might have rushed me for a ctscan and check-up as soon as possible.
Monday, 4 October 2010
Sunday, 3 October 2010
In contemplation
Certain events happened in the past months have made me think hard about my cancer, and I have come up with new realizations.
When I was first diagnosed with cancer, the tumour was 5cm big. As it had spread to the lymph nodes, it was considered as stage 3. Till today, I am convinced that the biopsy caused the cancer to spread to my lymph nodes.
I realized that with grade 3 cells and metastasis to the lymph nodes, the cancer was not completely obliterated. It did not go into remission. It has simply been brought under control.
I have the feeling that it was just hovering around waiting for an opportunity to surface again, which was why a chain of events caused a relapse less than a year after my surgery.
November 2009, an unexpectedly strong verbal attack by an acquaintance left me stunned and fuming mad that 3 days later, 2 small lumps appeared just below the surgical line.
August 2010, I had an altercation with a friend and two days later, one lymph node just below the right collar bone was affected. Another lymph node which had shrunk after I applied energy healing therapy became bigger.
I continued with energy healing therapy on these two lymph nodes and they were showing improvements when about a month ago, my husband got on my nerves that I lost control and the affected lymph nodes became bigger. There was also pain in one spot of the collar bone. Again, the energy healing therapy got rid of the pain.
Of late, I have been mostly feeling tired and I am aware that it is not a good sign.
I must add that I had been busy with other stuff and not having adequate rest. The conditions were just right for the lumps to re-appear.
When I was first diagnosed with cancer, the tumour was 5cm big. As it had spread to the lymph nodes, it was considered as stage 3. Till today, I am convinced that the biopsy caused the cancer to spread to my lymph nodes.
I realized that with grade 3 cells and metastasis to the lymph nodes, the cancer was not completely obliterated. It did not go into remission. It has simply been brought under control.
I have the feeling that it was just hovering around waiting for an opportunity to surface again, which was why a chain of events caused a relapse less than a year after my surgery.
November 2009, an unexpectedly strong verbal attack by an acquaintance left me stunned and fuming mad that 3 days later, 2 small lumps appeared just below the surgical line.
August 2010, I had an altercation with a friend and two days later, one lymph node just below the right collar bone was affected. Another lymph node which had shrunk after I applied energy healing therapy became bigger.
I continued with energy healing therapy on these two lymph nodes and they were showing improvements when about a month ago, my husband got on my nerves that I lost control and the affected lymph nodes became bigger. There was also pain in one spot of the collar bone. Again, the energy healing therapy got rid of the pain.
Of late, I have been mostly feeling tired and I am aware that it is not a good sign.
I must add that I had been busy with other stuff and not having adequate rest. The conditions were just right for the lumps to re-appear.
Saturday, 2 October 2010
Check-up on July 12 2010
This is about my check-up done on July 12 2010, and is long overdue.
My bloodtest done a few days earlier showed my cancer marker (CA15-3) has gone up again. It is now 15.7, up from 14.6 on 19 April 2010.
My previous onco had decided to switch to treating colon cancer. Hmmm.... I wonder why, maybe overwhelmed by the sights of mutilated breasts.
So, I have a new onco again. He is Dr JC, who I understood had just returned from further training.
When I went in, he was going through my casefile. He was rather surprised that I am not on any conventional medications. I mentioned that my previous oncos had wanted to prescribe, but that I had turned them down as I preferred alternative and natural therapies.
When I said no to hormonal therapy, he suggested Zometa. I turned that down too and he commented that I was 'naughty', and asked what I wanted them to do for me. I shrugged and he gave me an appointment in three months.
He asked what therapies I am on. I said ayurvedic herbal brews, some other natural medicine and energy healing therapy (chakra adjustment). He did not think ayurvedic helped much, and that he would agree if it had been tcm as it has a long history. In fact, ayurvedic also has a long history. Can't blame my onco for not knowing that as he and others have been so trained and conditioned to think that conventional is the only way to go that they probably won't even look at alternative medicines.
He also commented that he is of the opinion that the conventional therapy I had was the one that got rid of my cancer, and that had I undergone conventional therapies as recommended after my mastectomy, I would not have had the relapse. He could say whatever he wanted but I was sure I did not agree with his statements. After my mastectomy, I was recommended 4 doses of chemo, plus hormonal therapy in-between, 5 weeks of radiation, 1 year herceptin and 5 years Tamoxifen. I recalled my first medical onco called it 'the whole works' as I was ER+, PR+, HER2+, stage 3 with mets to lymph nodes, and with grade 3 cancer cells.
Even then, my onco could not guarantee that I would not get a relapse, but that it would reduce my risks of a relapse. I was not assured. I am still of the opinion that if I had gone through that, I would have gone down faster and would not have been able to run around like what I am doing now.
My current onco did admit that from my casefile, he had expected to see a sickly looking patient instead of a spritely-looking one like me.
My bloodtest done a few days earlier showed my cancer marker (CA15-3) has gone up again. It is now 15.7, up from 14.6 on 19 April 2010.
My previous onco had decided to switch to treating colon cancer. Hmmm.... I wonder why, maybe overwhelmed by the sights of mutilated breasts.
So, I have a new onco again. He is Dr JC, who I understood had just returned from further training.
When I went in, he was going through my casefile. He was rather surprised that I am not on any conventional medications. I mentioned that my previous oncos had wanted to prescribe, but that I had turned them down as I preferred alternative and natural therapies.
When I said no to hormonal therapy, he suggested Zometa. I turned that down too and he commented that I was 'naughty', and asked what I wanted them to do for me. I shrugged and he gave me an appointment in three months.
He asked what therapies I am on. I said ayurvedic herbal brews, some other natural medicine and energy healing therapy (chakra adjustment). He did not think ayurvedic helped much, and that he would agree if it had been tcm as it has a long history. In fact, ayurvedic also has a long history. Can't blame my onco for not knowing that as he and others have been so trained and conditioned to think that conventional is the only way to go that they probably won't even look at alternative medicines.
He also commented that he is of the opinion that the conventional therapy I had was the one that got rid of my cancer, and that had I undergone conventional therapies as recommended after my mastectomy, I would not have had the relapse. He could say whatever he wanted but I was sure I did not agree with his statements. After my mastectomy, I was recommended 4 doses of chemo, plus hormonal therapy in-between, 5 weeks of radiation, 1 year herceptin and 5 years Tamoxifen. I recalled my first medical onco called it 'the whole works' as I was ER+, PR+, HER2+, stage 3 with mets to lymph nodes, and with grade 3 cancer cells.
Even then, my onco could not guarantee that I would not get a relapse, but that it would reduce my risks of a relapse. I was not assured. I am still of the opinion that if I had gone through that, I would have gone down faster and would not have been able to run around like what I am doing now.
My current onco did admit that from my casefile, he had expected to see a sickly looking patient instead of a spritely-looking one like me.
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