Well crap…I did NOT want to resurrect this blog. But unfortunately just 11 months after completing treatment, my cancer is back with a VENGEANCE (say that with a dramatic movie trailer voice). So the start to this particular chapter began down in Tucson during my lovely sister’s wedding. The morning of her wedding as I was reaching over the sink I felt a SEARING pain in my back – pretty much like I was struck by lightening. For the last month I’ve suffered from a progressively worse backache that finally led me to get a MRI on Monday morning.
Let me tell you, when you get a call 15 minutes after you get home from getting a MRI asking you to come back to talk to the doctor in person, that is NOT a good sign. Sure enough, my general practitioner delivered the news that my back pain was caused by f’ing CANCER in my backbone (my L3 vertebrae to be exact) and that the cancer had made a lovely hole in my vertebrae and caused a fracture. So after a call from my oncologist, I went in for a CT scan on Tuesday and a bone scan on Wednesday to get a full picture of how this stupid, evil thing has manifested itself.
And today we have the full story. My breast cancer has metastasized into my bones. And that, my friends, is not so good. It means that the cancer has entered my bloodstream and will just go on attacking various sundry things until scientists come up with a cure for cancer (because the alternative isn’t worth mentioning in my 2.1 blog entry). Right now I have cancer on 5 spots – 3 vertebrae 1 rib and on my pelvis bone. The GOOD news (the silver lining you know I love) is that it has not spread to my lungs, liver or brain which can happen with metastasized breast cancer.
So what now? The plan of attack for the time being is 15 rounds of radiation daily to the L2, L3 and L4 vertebras. That will alleviate the pain in my back and hopefully break down the cancer so it stops attacking that area. The big guns come in the form of two medications I’ll get once a month (by shot – wheeee!). The first is a bone building medication that will help strengthen my bones and reduce the pain and also reduce my risk of developing new bone metastasis. The other is a hormone blocker that will surpress estrogen which my cancer loves like a fat kid loves cake.
Not to end this initial blog entry with a big ole bummer…but to be honest my cancer is not curable and it will not go away. There will be no writing “I’m cancer free!” again. But we’re going to attack this thing with every treatment option that exists as well as (and far more importantly) the love and support from all of you…my family and friends. You know how feisty and tough I can be so I will kick this cancer’s ass and show it who’s boss.
I’ll keep ya’ll updated. In the meantime, I’m going to spoil my gorgeous kid rotten over Xmas and spend every second I can with my wonderful family. Much love to yours…