#faslodex

I did no exercise.

I got an Apple Watch 11 on Saturday and it won’t connect to my data/cellular plan. I’ve spoken to 3 different people. It worked for 5 minutes and then stopped again - of course just after the technician hung up. So now, I’m waiting for another call. If they can’t fix it, I’m done. It’s getting returned. I’ve already spent way too much time on this.

Health Update:

My oncologist thinks the oral chemotherapy isn’t working at all anymore. I’m getting switched to the new treatment. It’s a targeted therapy called capivasertib along with fulvestrant.

Fulvestrant is a shot that is administered into both butt cheeks - right into the ass muscles. Apparently, it’s slow and painful. Good times. My labs are showing that I’m post-menopausal but I still need this once a month to clean up any extra estrogen that my body may be making (in adrenal glands, fat tissue, etc). Capivasertib is an AKT inhibitor that comes in a pill form. This is my last opportunity to get treatment via pill. Apparently, it gives everyone the diabeetush (said like Wilford Brimley). So I need to test my blood sugar levels at home consistently and follow a diabetic diet. It can also give a horrible rash that’s only treatable by steroids. A lot of women also complain of the runs and nausea/barfing. Awesome stuff.

My oncologist doesn’t feel super hopeful with this drug. He certainly didn’t set me up to have high expectations. I started to feel scared and said maybe I should just continue for a few more months on the capecetabine to make sure. His reply: “It’s not going to start magically working for you, again.“

I’m glad he’s direct and doesn’t beat around the bush… but still. That was hard to hear.

Favourable results tend be with people who go on capivasertib sooner than later. So it’s better to switch as soon as possible. My oncologist has scheduled follow up scans for the end of January. I’m also getting my Zometa (bone strengthener) IV infusion next month after having an additional 3 month hiatus (6 month break in total). I took a break because I got more pain when it’s supposed to help with pain. Now, I’m wondering if the pain is from progression. I’ll soon find out.

If Capivasertib doesn’t work, I’m back in the chair getting IV treatment for the rest of my life.

I will lose my hair.

I will look like a sick person.

This is will be my third line of treatment. Each line tends to get weaker results. Naturally, I’m stressed and worried. I’ve been an absolute sad-sack all day. I’m allowing myself some time to be miserable.

Tomorrow, I aim to switch to a hopeful mindset.

Here’s my “positive thinking” pep-talk…

Maybe, this is my “third time’s a charm” and will be my cure. We never know what’s going to happen with this disease. I’ve seen women come back from the brink and then suddenly go into NED (no evidence of disease) after a decade+ of IV treatments. Not only do they recover, some go back to work, travel, get married and live their life like a “normal” person. It’s like they truly got a second chance. It’s completely bizarre but amazing.

I was diagnosed metastatic 4 years, 7 months and 2 days ago. When I was first diagnosed, I said my goal was to make it to 50. Now, my goal is to be cured by 50. So if this next treatment doesn’t work, then maybe it’s just not the drug to get me into remission. There’s at least 2 decent IV treatment contenders that have worked for thousands of people that I can try after this. I don’t want to lose my hair but it’s a small price to pay if it gives me more time. Besides, everyone said I looked great bald! Ha. Ha. Regardless, I didn’t exactly love being bald so I’ll just have to look into some fun wigs. Also, one of the IV drugs will likely give me great skin. lol. I know this because when I went through chemo the first time, everyone kept complimenting me on my skin (plus it completely cured my psoriasis).

Anyway, I’m getting ahead of myself thinking about IV chemo but for me, I like to think ahead about the “what ifs” and worst case scenarios. It gives me a sense of control. As small as it is.

I did have a discussion with ChatGPT to make sure I was making the right choice. It seemed to think it was the best decision. I’d like to think I can trust a robot that knows all the information in the world (provided on the Internet). lol.

So that’s it. I should be getting a call this week about when to get my butt shots and meds. I imagine I’ll be starting next week. In the meantime, I’ll be continuing to stay busy.

Tomorrow, I have a cram-packed day.

First thing in the morning I’ll be talking to the Art Therapist so I can dump all this onto her and then I’ll get to paint. lol.

New Story has been published on https://enzaime.com/scan-treat-repeat/

Scan, Treat, Repeat

For some of you, this post may be a little dry. However, I wanted to share my experience, process and treatments to give you an idea of what a person with metastatic breast cancer goes through every couple/few weeks. It’s referred to as “scan, treat, repeat” (Source: Metastatic Breast Cancer Network, MBCN.org) .

Waiting for test results can be agony. I had a biopsy on the lump I found under my right arm pit. I didn’t think the lump was anything serious, and then I got the call. My breast surgeon said they had found a malignancy. I remember saying to her, ” I have cancer? ” she replied, “Yes, you have breast cancer.” What happens next after hearing these words? More tests of course. When you’re diagnosed with cancer, many diagnostic tests are performed and then treatments are performed.

In my situation, a mammogram and ultra sound were performed. The mammogram found the original source of cancer in my right breast. The ultra sound confirmed lymph node involvement. Then the treatment began, first with surgery to remove the tumor in my breast and lymph nodes.

The very tiny, yet aggressive tumor was removed as well as 42 cancerous lymph nodes. I’ve been told that was a lot of lymph nodes. I think I should be in the Guinness Book of World records! I was diagnosed with Invasive Ductile Carcinoma, Stage III, ER/PR +

Cancer staging involves the extent of the cancer in the body. It’s based on whether the cancer is invasive or non-invasive, the size of the tumor, and whether lymph nodes are involved. Staging helps determine treatment options and prognosis. Zero through four are the numbers used in staging. I was diagnosed Stage III because of my lymph node involvement.

After this surgery, I had treatments of chemotherapy and radiation, and my tests consisted of alternating a mammogram and a breast MRI every six months. I went through three years of this routine. How I dreaded the MRI because it’s hard for me to lay still!

When cancer spreads outside of your breast to other organs such as liver, bones, lung, or brain, the process is known as metastasis. Metastatic cancer is also known as Stage IV breast cancer or advanced cancer. Although the cancer has invaded other organs, it is sill considered and treated as breast cancer. Early stage breast cancer can be cured, metastatic can not (Source: Metastatic Breast Cancer Network, MBCN.org).

I’m Stage IV now because my cancer has spread to my liver and bones. I received another six months of chemotherapy, and am currently receiving Zometa for my bones, and Faslodex for my hormone therapy.

My testing now is quite different than what I had been receiving after my first diagnosis! Now I’m in a constant cycle of “scan, treat, repeat”, because Stage IV is metastatic cancer and there is no cure, but it is treatable. The goal is to extend life expectancy and/or maintain quality of life.

The scan process is a long and tiring day. I’m very fortunate to have a great circle of friends. They help by picking up my son from school and taking him to/from his drum lessons, while I’m getting scans or receiving treatments. What a HUGE help and piece of mind that they are so willing to help!!! You know who you are……THANK YOU!

Every two or three months I head into Dana Farber Cancer Institute, in Boston, early in the morning. The first stop is Radiology where I’m given an oral contrast to drink one hour before I get CT scans of my chest and abdomen. I also receive an intravenous contrast during the scans. While drinking the contrast I head over to Nuclear Medicine. There, I’m injected with a radioactive substance called a tracer for my bone scan. Then, it’s back to a Radiology for the CT scans.

After the CT scans are done, I head back to Nuclear Medicine to have the bone scan, followed by a Brain MRI. I’ve found that Ativan is wonderful to take about an hour before the MRI, because it helps me relax. I wish I knew about this when I was getting the breast MRI’s!

As I mentioned previously, these tests are done every two or three months. I meet with my oncologist two days later to discuss results and decide what treatments I will have next. I have to admit those two days before I meet with my doctor are nerve racking.

New Story has been published on https://enzaime.com/hot-stuff/

Hot Stuff

Some of you may know the feeling….your face starts to feel hot, the feeling spreads to your chest, and then you start to sweat. You are having a hot flash!

Most women go through menopause naturally, and experience hot flashes gradually. Some women will be forced into menopause due to surgery or chemotherapy, which can bring on hot flashes instantly. Women who take medications to prevent recurrence of breast cancer have the worst hot flashes known to womankind! I know this personally, and so do many of my friends.

You may have heard of the drug, Tamoxifen. This was the first drug I took after chemo to prevent a cancer recurrence. I woke up the same time every night sweating, and hot as hell. I was up for a while after having the hot flash, or what some like to call night sweats. I had a hard time falling back to sleep. During the day, I had around 50 hot flashes a day. I kid you not! I asked my oncologist to take me off Tamoxifen.

I tried two different drugs known as aromatase inhibitors, which work differently then Tamoxifen. Tomoxifen blocks estrogen in the body. Some breast cancers are estrogen receptive, meaning the cancer feeds off the estrogen.

Aromatase inhibitors stop an enzyme called aromatase from changing other hormones into estrogen, lowering estrogen levels in the body (source: American Cancer Society).

I tried Femarra first. I still had hot flashes day and night, and terrible joint pain. Next, was Aromasin. Same side effects as the Femarra, but more tolerable.

After three years on these drugs, my body was adjusting nicely, and the hot flashes started to subside, especially during the day. Happy, happy, joy, joy! Well, that didn’t last long.

Once I started chemotherapy again, those nasty flashes came back with a vengeance. Ugh! I am now taking a drug called Faslodex, for my anti-estrogen therapy. I thought the hot flashes and night sweats were pretty awful when I was on the previous medications. They are no match compared to the Faslodex.

My oncologist tells me the hot flashes are a good thing. It means my body is metabolizing the medication. This makes me feel better about being on Faslodex.

I am pretty fortunate to have warning signs (sometimes) before a hot flash begins. I will get very thirsty, or I will feel very nervous. Then, FOOSH…..that damn hot feeling begins and the sweating starts . Sometimes my face and chest will turn a lovely shade of red.

There are some meds available for patients with estrogen receptive positive breast cancer. Most are anti-depressants. I tried one a few years back. I am a happy, hyper, outgoing person. When I started the drug, it changed my personality. I stayed on it for three days. That was enough.

Whether you get hot flashes naturally, or due to medications or surgery, they are a pain the ass. They interrupt our sleep, make us change our clothing and makes us feel uncomfortable around others.

If you would like to share how you control your hot flashes, I and I am sure others would be very interested.

For me, I always make sure to have a nice iced cold water with lemon with me at all times. At bed time, I sleep with the central AC, a ceiling fan and a table fan on my night stand next to my iced water. Even with all that I still wake up hot and sweaty.

Covers on, covers off……the story of my night life!

Anti Estrogen Steroids Powder Fulvestrant Fulvestrant Details

CAS: 129453-61-8 Synonyms: FASLODEX Chemical Name: (7a,17b)-7-[9-[(4,4,5,5,5-Pentafluoropentyl)sulfinyl]nonyl]estra-1,3,5(10)-triene-3,17-diol Molecular Fomular: C32H47F5O3S Molecular Weight: 606.77 Density: 1.201 g/cm3 Melting Point: 104-106°C Boiling Point: 674.8 °C at 760 mmHg Appearance: white powder Usage: Antineoplastic (hormonal)

Bone and tooth loss from metastatic cancer makes it hard to smile sometimes.

My chemo – probably the Xgeva – made me throw a cap off of my right canine tooth today.  My tooth, ground to a nub by my dentist in Miami 15 years ago, now sits between an incisor and the tooth that kicked all this dentistry off so many years ago. I would cover my mouth because the discoloration that no amount of bonding would cover showed through. Prior to the magnificent new smile my dentist…

AstraZeneca Faslodex disetujui FDA untuk Indikasi Baru Kanker Payu Dara

AstraZeneca Faslodex disetujui FDA untuk Indikasi Baru Kanker Payu Dara. AstraZeneca telah menerima persetujuan dari Food and Drug Administration (FDA) untuk indikasi baru dari Faslodex (fulvestrant) untuk mengobati wanita dengan hormon reseptor-positif (HR +), faktor pertumbuhan epidermal reseptor manusia 2 negatif (HER2-) atau metastasis kanker payudara (metastatic breast cancer/MBC). Di…