July has brought with it lots of emotion as the memories of last year come flooding back. This time last year I'd just had the biopsy and had a 10 day wait to find out the results - I was PFTWHFTB and Ian was being his usual optimistic self.
BANG the diagnosis: Grade 3 23mm invasive ductal carcinoma
Unfortunately for me, despite the successful surgery, after numerous retests my cancer was diagnosed borderline HER2 positive (it had an over expression of the human epidermal growth factor) and so I then had to have 18 weeks of chemotherapy in order that I could also have trastuzumab (Herceptin) which is every 3 weeks by injection for 1 year. Herceptin sticks to the HER2 protein and prevents the epidermal growth factor from entering cancer cells and therefore hopefully preventing the breast cancer cells from growing in a way that the body cannot control. However, the downside to Herceptin is that it can also decrease the heart's pumping ability, although this is supposedly reversible once off the drug.
My body has coped incredibly with all the poisons that it’s been subjected to and I waltzed through radiotherapy virtually without any effects. So I was pretty sure Herceptin would be a breeze too and certainly I felt pretty good until the palpitations started and I put these down to stress, but ..........
BANG the diagnosis: Grade 3 23mm invasive ductal carcinoma
Unfortunately for me, despite the successful surgery, after numerous retests my cancer was diagnosed borderline HER2 positive (it had an over expression of the human epidermal growth factor) and so I then had to have 18 weeks of chemotherapy in order that I could also have trastuzumab (Herceptin) which is every 3 weeks by injection for 1 year. Herceptin sticks to the HER2 protein and prevents the epidermal growth factor from entering cancer cells and therefore hopefully preventing the breast cancer cells from growing in a way that the body cannot control. However, the downside to Herceptin is that it can also decrease the heart's pumping ability, although this is supposedly reversible once off the drug.
My body has coped incredibly with all the poisons that it’s been subjected to and I waltzed through radiotherapy virtually without any effects. So I was pretty sure Herceptin would be a breeze too and certainly I felt pretty good until the palpitations started and I put these down to stress, but ..........
Regular ECGs are done to monitor my heart and apparently the last one I had end May showed that the LVEF
(left ventricle ejection function) had dropped to 51% – which is below the 55-70% "normal" range. So another ECG next week and then a meeting with Onco the following week. According to the nurse who did last Friday's injection, Herceptin is stopped if you go down to 50% (the Galton Unit nurses are normally very careful what they say - apart from the student who stated I was on Herceptin because my cancer was incurable 😈😈😈😈😈- and I don't think she realised what my last scan was otherwise she probably would have kept that nugget to herself.
So we’ll have to see what Onco says although I’m pretty sure if it was a serious problem she wouldn’t have left it 2 months for a repeat ECG. And if Herceptin does have to be stopped early then at least I’ve had 6+ months worth and actually there are trials being done which suggest that is as effective as 12 months. Anyway, I can do nothing but wait and trust in Onco - as always.
So we’ll have to see what Onco says although I’m pretty sure if it was a serious problem she wouldn’t have left it 2 months for a repeat ECG. And if Herceptin does have to be stopped early then at least I’ve had 6+ months worth and actually there are trials being done which suggest that is as effective as 12 months. Anyway, I can do nothing but wait and trust in Onco - as always.
I'm due to see God the Surgeon mid September and knew that he would be arranging a mammogram sometime before then. Whilst I was at the Medway last Friday, I popped into the Breast Care Unit to find out if it would be done there; I know all mammographers are well trained but somehow I would prefer the first one to be done in a specialist environment, rather than a portacabin in a car park somewhere. They confirmed it should be done at the Unit and surely enough the following day the appointment came through for early August, so not too long to wait. It’s so stupid as there is
no reason for me to worry and having had all the drugs over the last year, my
odds should be better than anyone’s. 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
There has been a lot going on in our lives for the last year; diagnosis, treatment, dreadful events for family and friends to cope with, my Mum going into residential care and now selling her flat and I seem to be in a constant state of anxiety. The tiniest things get totally blown out of proportion in my mind and I spend days, and often nights, with my stomach knotted up with worry and the tears flow easily 😢
I really am so lucky my lump was found and so grateful for all that has been done so that a year on I am still here (sadly I know of those that didn't make this milestone) but there remains this constant nagging worry I’m
never going to get off the treatment wheel, be it cancer or now heart related.
