Bone Scan Aftermath

While I was training for the Iron Girl, I noticed that my knees really hurt while I was running (or rather, attempting to run). And some runner friends suggested that it was my shoes, or my lack of training, but none of those felt like the real answer. As it turned out, I ended up walking the run portion of the triathlon, and I survived.

But I was having some major pain and couldn't really figure out why.

At the end of August, I went to the next of my "every 4 month" appointments and mentioned this joint pain (and other symptoms) to my oncologist. Who kinda laughed while saying, "well, duh." Because all of the symptoms that I'm sitting in her office complaining about are all listed side effects of Anastrozole, which is the med that I'm taking every day instead of Tamoxifen. 

(For those that haven't heard me tell the story, Tamoxifen was making me insane. Actually, certifiably insane. Wanting to run people over with my car and I'd get away with it insane. I stopped taking it cold turkey after six months and DEMANDED she give me something else. Hence, how I ended up on Anastrozole).

Now, I am so far into this process that I don't actually look up most things online, especially side effects of medicines that I'm supposed to take. Tamoxifen was making me crazy and Anastrozole didn't. Enough said. I could live with almost anything else. But once she had said this I did go home and look up all the side effects. WOW, what a list. And YES, this is pretty much how I feel. Super.

Serious side effects:

• sudden numbness or weakness, especially on one side of the body;
• sudden severe headache, confusion, problems with vision, speech, or balance;
• a bone fracture;
• swollen glands;
• feeling short of breath;
• nausea, upper stomach pain, itching, loss of appetite, dark urine, clay-colored stools, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes);
• swelling in your hands or feet; or
• severe skin reaction -- fever, sore throat, swelling in your face or tongue, burning in your eyes, skin pain, followed by a red or purple skin rash that spreads (especially in the face or upper body) and causes blistering and peeling.
• Less serious side effects may include:

Less serious side effects:

• numbness, tingling, cold feeling, or weakness in your hand or wrist;
• problems with your fingers while gripping;
• hot flashes;
• joint pain or stiffness;
• depression, mood changes, sleep problems (insomnia);
• cough, sore throat;
• thinning hair;
• mild nausea, vomiting; or
• back pain, bone pain.

Again, super.

So, the doctor decides that I need a bone scan because of the risk of osteoporosis in patients on Anastrozole. Can I just say, EASIEST scan EVER. Why can't everything be like that?!

And, I just received the results of the scan. Which probably should not have surprised me. Because it's bad. OSTEOPOROSIS...to such a degree that calcium and vitamin D are "not going to make a dent." So now I get to have a twice a year infusion of some drug that will hopefully counteract the bone loss. Yippee, more infusions. 

And I will start these in January because they are, of course, EXPENSIVE. And I'd like to at least get one of them covered by insurance per year. Good times, indeed.

Cancer...the gift that keeps on giving...

Iron Girl 2014

(Why yes, I'm back...and trying to catch up with my posts via backdating. So, while it is actually May, 2015, I'm pretending that I wrote this after it actually happened. Just to keep the timeline intact).

Throughout this process I had a few "goals" of things that I wanted to do when I was FINISHED with all the doctors and hospitals and scans and treatments. Events that were marked on the calendar, which I would get a little closer to each day. One of those things was the Iron Girl sprint triathlon. 

I admittedly registered only a few months after my last active treatment/surgery, with the "no worries, I'll get in shape for it later" mentality. And it's possible that I suckered some friends into joining me.

So, if you ever want the Procrastinator's Guide to Sprint Triathlon Training, I'm your gal! Because 3 weeks before the event, I was seriously wondering if I was going to be able to pull this off. I had quickly determined that I would be walking the "run" portion as my knees just were not up to the task. But...I also have a pathological fear of the water...and cannot actually swim. Hmmm, how in the world did I think I was going to pull off an open-water swim, even if it was only 1/4 of a mile. (Or maybe it was 1/3 of a mile. I forget at this point...any distance at all was pretty frightening).

Well, long story short, I completed the Iron Girl triathlon!!! And I'll not post here how I managed to actually stay afloat since it miiiiiight have been a rule violation. Shhhh, it's our secret.

But I owe an immense THANK YOU to my friends who jumped into the ring with me. And talked me down from the ledge when I had not one, but two, panic attacks during the swim. In the end I can say that it was FUN! And I completed it with very little training, so I promise you that you can too! I cried just a little when I crossed the finish line could hear the announcer/DJ guy say, "Shauna Yusko, you're about to finish your first Iron Girl triathlon. And you're a cancer survivor. WAY TO GO!" I get a little teary now just typing this. 

Training bike ride to see if we could do the 12 mile distance without dying. Now, we picked the hottest day of the year I think to attempt it, but we survived. This picture, however, was taken before we started...you wouldn't have wanted to see the "after" photo.

It's getting real! Race bib pick up!

YAY! We finished! Here's to friends who come back to the finish line to watch you cross!

Relay for Life!

This past weekend I participated in Relay For Life by leading Team Stupid Cancer.

IT WAS AN INCREDIBLE EXPERIENCE!

I had never done a RFL event before so I had no idea what to expect. And it's possible that I wasn't the world's best team captain. But I am so grateful for the friends and family that joined the team. And everyone that stopped by to say "Hello" during the event.

This post would be incredibly long if I wrote about everything, but I just want to include the highlights:

Girl child and some of her friends joined the team! 

Teen boy came to visit and walk some laps with his mom. And he didn't die.

Team Stupid Cancer was AWESOME! We raised over $3,500!

Yeah to Lynn who stayed the entire time with me!

Yeah to Shay who came at 3AM and walked through the early morning hours!

Awesome friends who came and walked an hour here and there, or stayed for awhile and put in MANY laps. Next year, we will track our laps walked better.

The luminaria ceremony was incredible! I wish I'd known just how moving it would be. I would've made sure that my whole team was there to experience it. And my friend Senator Andy Hill was the guest speaker for the ceremony so it felt even more special to me.

There was entertainment throughout the event, including a beauty pageant...where the guys did their best imitation of beauty queens. One of the teens I've known since he was very young participated in the event. It was so much fun to watch!

I felt loved all weekend because friends who were not participating kept stopping by to do a lap to two (or more), bring beverages and snacks, and just say hi and cheer us on. THANK YOU!

My survivor friends were out in force!!! Hooray to all of us! Keep up the fight!

Feeling like you missed out? Oh, you did. But not to worry. I will definitely be doing this again, and my goal is to have a HUGE team next year. You can join us!

Thank you to all of you that donated to the cause!

TFIOS

Yesterday, I went to see The Fault in our Stars (TFIOS) movie with a friend. The date had been circled on my calendar ever since the movie release date was announced. I am a HUGE fan of John Green (the author of the book which the movie is based on)...like HUUUUUUGE! As in, I actually have a crush on John Green. I love all his books and read TFIOS long before I was diagnosed with cancer. 

But after my diagnosis, I realized that TFIOS really resonated with me as being honest and real. And so, I forced everyone I knew to read it also. Not because it's a "cancer book" but because it's a story that you can get wrapped up in and relate to, that happens to portray being sick in a pretty accurate light.

I could talk ad nauseum about the book, but I wanted to share my thoughts on the movie watching experience. EVERYONE that went to see it was posting on Facebook about how they CRIED AND CRIED and how sad it was and to bring your Kleenex. And because I am an emotional disaster anyway, I was prepared for a variety of reactions.

But here's the thing that's interesting to me. I didn't cry. I'm not even sure that I teared up. 

Now, don't get me wrong, when I first read the book years ago, I bawled. Because there's just so much to be happy and sad about in that book and when you reach the end, you've become so invested emotionally that there really is no other option.

But I didn't cry during the movie. And while that seems weird to me, it also kinda makes sense. Because I've lived that story now. And I've cried so many tears for myself during the two years I've been fighting and all the treatments that I went through, I guess there's just not a whole lot left.

And while I was scared that I might have a PTSD panic attack seeing the movie visualized, it didn't happen. I was just glad to BE THERE! And watch one of my all-time favorite books become immortalized on film in an incredible way.

Did I mention I love John Green?

MRI

I promised you that I'd keep you posted when the MRI results came in...

Last Friday, I had my MRI (a Friday before a Holiday weekend...good job planning that. Haven't I learned not to do that???). Then I went out of town to present seminars to librarians on the East Coast. 

Back at school on Thursday and Friday of this week, and it dawns on me that I haven't received any phone call with the results yet. Uh oh, is that a good sign or a bad sign? With my luck, you just never know!

Well, the call just came in and the results are...CLEAR! Holy crap! Good news on a Friday? What the heck am I going to do with myself?!

So, everything "looks good" and I've been deemed "good to go" until August (when the next round of scans and blood work are due).

I'll take it! Now time to enjoy the weekend...and the summer ahead!

Relay for Life next weekend! I'm very excited!