I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season! I spent some great quality time with my family and friends over Christmas. I had radiation treatment on Christmas Eve, but was able to have Christmas Day off. It was really nice to have a break from the daily radiation treatments. I also received a great gift this holiday season- my hair is starting to GROW BACK! My last chemo treatment was on November 5th and now I have some peach fuzz on the top of my head. I wasn't sure when my hair was going to grow back, so I'm sure you can imagine my excitement, plus it is soo soft!
Also on Christmas Eve I did an interview with a marathon runner in training for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Team in Training. Sean Cook is training to run a marathon in Paris next year. Sean is traveling all across the country and is talking to people impacted by blood cancers. Sean and I talked about my fight with Lymphoma. I'll be putting our interview up on my blog in the coming days. Then after talking to people across the country Sean will be compiling all of his interviews for a documentary. You can check out Sean's progress at www.trainingacrossamerica.com
As far as my radiation treatments, it took a few days, but now I'm beginning to notice some of the side effects. For instance, I can feel my saliva become thicker and heavier. I thought there was a back-up of mucus in the back of my throat, making it hard to swallow, but the doctor told me today that my saliva is becoming thicker to compensate for my salivary gland. My throat is also very scratchy and I can tell I have dry mouth, so my doctor is really stressing to me that I need to make sure I keep hydrated. So I'm trying to listen to my doctor's advice and already today I've been drinking a lot more water and tea. I can already tell the water really helps with the dry mouth and makes it easier to swallow. Hopefully I can keep up the water intake.
Time to get some rest.
Danielle
Monday, December 28, 2009
Friday, December 18, 2009
2nd Day of Radiation
Today was my second day of radiation and I was very happy my sister came with me. We made the trip to Westwood more of a fun outing, rather than strictly a medical visit. The day seemed a little brighter when we got a little shopping and food in, along with the radiation treatment. Having a little fun made the rush hour traffic in the morning a little bit more bearable.
After the radiation I did notice the right side of my jaw start to hurt. My jaw on the right side feels sore, almost like a bruise from being hit. I have also noticed I do feel more tired. After both yesterday's and today's radiation I noticed an increase in fatigue. However, my throat hasn't started to hurt yet and my skin still feels normal. I'm hoping I can push the sore throat back as long as possible. Now I have two days of rest until my next radiation appointment on Monday.
Danielle
After the radiation I did notice the right side of my jaw start to hurt. My jaw on the right side feels sore, almost like a bruise from being hit. I have also noticed I do feel more tired. After both yesterday's and today's radiation I noticed an increase in fatigue. However, my throat hasn't started to hurt yet and my skin still feels normal. I'm hoping I can push the sore throat back as long as possible. Now I have two days of rest until my next radiation appointment on Monday.
Danielle
Thursday, December 17, 2009
First Day of Radiation
Today was my first day of radiation. On the whole I would say everything went very well. I was so happy because my mom, dad and sister all went with me to UCLA to meet with my doctor and be with me during my first radiation treatment. It was really nice to have my family by my side. In a medical environment like UCLA, many things seem strange and unfamiliar, so to have my family there was a nice source of reassurance.
So at first I met with my oncology doctor for a check-up. She didn't notice any new bumps in any of my other lymph nodes, which is great. Actually the longest part about the appointment was the wait time. We waited for an hour just to see the doctor-wow! Good thing we didn't have any other place we needed to be. So the next time I will see her for another check-up will be in the beginning of February.
Then it was time for my radiation. Everything went how we had practiced yesterday. I think the whole thing took about 25 minutes. It was pretty loud, but not uncomfortable. The radiation beams themselves didn't hurt. Really the most uncomfortable part about the radiation was the mask I had to wear over my face and upper body. Sometimes I would get a little nervous being soo confined, so I would count to 10 to try and distract myself. It was strange being in that large room by myself with all that radiation equipment, but I tired my best to stay relaxed. I think as the days go by I will get more comfortable with the whole process.
Now once again tomorrow I will be heading back to UCLA for my next radiation treatment. I must say though I feel a huge sense of relief knowing that now I am finally starting the next phase of my fight. YAY the process is underway-One down, a few more to go! I so glad the ball is moving once again.
Danielle
So at first I met with my oncology doctor for a check-up. She didn't notice any new bumps in any of my other lymph nodes, which is great. Actually the longest part about the appointment was the wait time. We waited for an hour just to see the doctor-wow! Good thing we didn't have any other place we needed to be. So the next time I will see her for another check-up will be in the beginning of February.
Then it was time for my radiation. Everything went how we had practiced yesterday. I think the whole thing took about 25 minutes. It was pretty loud, but not uncomfortable. The radiation beams themselves didn't hurt. Really the most uncomfortable part about the radiation was the mask I had to wear over my face and upper body. Sometimes I would get a little nervous being soo confined, so I would count to 10 to try and distract myself. It was strange being in that large room by myself with all that radiation equipment, but I tired my best to stay relaxed. I think as the days go by I will get more comfortable with the whole process.
Now once again tomorrow I will be heading back to UCLA for my next radiation treatment. I must say though I feel a huge sense of relief knowing that now I am finally starting the next phase of my fight. YAY the process is underway-One down, a few more to go! I so glad the ball is moving once again.
Danielle
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
The Dry Run
Today I went to the doctor's office for my dry run of my radiation treatment. I arrived at the doctor's office a little early because I wasn't sure about the morning rush hour traffic. I ended up waiting for an hour to see the radiation technicians, but hey, at least I wasn't late. Once I was called, the radiation technicians showed me where I would be going each time for my treatment. I got to finally see the room where I will be receiving the radiation. The room looks like your standard hospital room, but with a bed and a large machine right in the middle. I was surprised to see just how big the radiation machine really is! I guess it makes sense since pieces of the machine rotate around my body, and the radiation beams come at my tonsil from 9 different angles.
The radiation technicians then wanted to make sure all the beams were situated in the correct positions, so I laid down on the bed and they did a trial run, with no real radiation beams of course. I had to wear that mask I made the other week, and boy was that uncomfortable. The mask fits so tightly around my face and shoulders that I got claustrophobic a few times. The mask is so tight that I can't even open and close my eyes or even move my lips. So as you can imagine being that confined for any period of time is a little discomforting. During the test I noticed each piece of the machine rotated around my body and made different loud noises at various positions. The good news though is the test went correctly and it didn't take too long. The actually radiation (starting tomorrow) will be longer, but at least I know a little of what I can expect for the real thing.
After the dry run I then met with one of the clinic's nurses. The nurse took my blood and explained some of the side effects I will be experiencing from the radiation. Two side effects that we talked about were fatigue and skin damage to my face and neck. Often times radiation patients will experience emotional, mental and physical fatigue from the treatment. The nurse says the best way for me to handle the fatigue is to take naps and rest when I feel tired- seems pretty basic to me. She also says the radiation beams can cause itching, redness, and irritation to my skin, almost like a really bad sunburn. She gave me some products to try during my treatment and told me I should apply them to my face and neck about 3 times a day.
So tomorrow is the big day when I'll actually be starting my radiation treatment. I'll be meeting with my oncologist first and then in the afternoon I'll be receiving my first radiation treatment. I'm little nervous, but I do feel better after today's dry run. At least now I know where to go and what the room and the machine look like. I'm curious to see when I'll start to feel some of the side effects from the radiation. I think I won't notice them until a little later, but I'm not sure. I'll make sure to keep track.
Danielle
The radiation technicians then wanted to make sure all the beams were situated in the correct positions, so I laid down on the bed and they did a trial run, with no real radiation beams of course. I had to wear that mask I made the other week, and boy was that uncomfortable. The mask fits so tightly around my face and shoulders that I got claustrophobic a few times. The mask is so tight that I can't even open and close my eyes or even move my lips. So as you can imagine being that confined for any period of time is a little discomforting. During the test I noticed each piece of the machine rotated around my body and made different loud noises at various positions. The good news though is the test went correctly and it didn't take too long. The actually radiation (starting tomorrow) will be longer, but at least I know a little of what I can expect for the real thing.
After the dry run I then met with one of the clinic's nurses. The nurse took my blood and explained some of the side effects I will be experiencing from the radiation. Two side effects that we talked about were fatigue and skin damage to my face and neck. Often times radiation patients will experience emotional, mental and physical fatigue from the treatment. The nurse says the best way for me to handle the fatigue is to take naps and rest when I feel tired- seems pretty basic to me. She also says the radiation beams can cause itching, redness, and irritation to my skin, almost like a really bad sunburn. She gave me some products to try during my treatment and told me I should apply them to my face and neck about 3 times a day.
So tomorrow is the big day when I'll actually be starting my radiation treatment. I'll be meeting with my oncologist first and then in the afternoon I'll be receiving my first radiation treatment. I'm little nervous, but I do feel better after today's dry run. At least now I know where to go and what the room and the machine look like. I'm curious to see when I'll start to feel some of the side effects from the radiation. I think I won't notice them until a little later, but I'm not sure. I'll make sure to keep track.
Danielle
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Waiting to Begin Radiation
Over the past few days I have been waiting to begin my radiation treatment. Last week I went in to see the doctors and was fitted for my radiation mask. Now over the past few days the doctors and nurses have been coming up with my radiation treatment plan. It has been a little frustrating during this waiting period because I am so anxious to beat this cancer. My original plan was to be completely done with my cancer fight around the first of 2010, but now it doesn't seem like my plan is going to happen.
However, I'm remaining positive and I'm trying to keep an upbeat attitude about the radiation. A part of me is eager to learn about this type of treatment for Cancer, but another part of me is scared of the unknown. At least at this point with the chemotherapy I kind of knew what to expect, since I have already completely four sessions. But now I have never had radiation before and I don't know what to expect. I don't know how my body is going to react to the radiation and I don't know if it is going to work. I'm scared that the Cancer won't be gone and I'll have to do this whole process over. But of course with anything new the first experience can be a bit frightening, and I'm keeping an open mind.
Tomorrow I will be going to UCLA for a dry run of the radiation, and on Thursday I will be actually starting the process. I hope everything goes smoothly!
Danielle
However, I'm remaining positive and I'm trying to keep an upbeat attitude about the radiation. A part of me is eager to learn about this type of treatment for Cancer, but another part of me is scared of the unknown. At least at this point with the chemotherapy I kind of knew what to expect, since I have already completely four sessions. But now I have never had radiation before and I don't know what to expect. I don't know how my body is going to react to the radiation and I don't know if it is going to work. I'm scared that the Cancer won't be gone and I'll have to do this whole process over. But of course with anything new the first experience can be a bit frightening, and I'm keeping an open mind.
Tomorrow I will be going to UCLA for a dry run of the radiation, and on Thursday I will be actually starting the process. I hope everything goes smoothly!
Danielle
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Radiation Mask
Yesterday I had my CT stimulation appointment with my radiation team at UCLA. The CT scan is the first step in planning my radiation therapy treatment. When I first arrived for my appointment the radiation team created a mask for me to wear during my treatments. The mask will help me to maintain my position while laying down for my daily treatments, since even the slightest movement could result in big consequences. In order to make the mask the radiation team used a plastic mold. They put the plastic under hot water and then laid it over my face and chest. While the plastic was drying, it molded to my body's form.
As the plastic was drying the radiation team also performed a CT Scan (computed tomography). The scan will help the doctors plan my radiation therapy treatment by providing them with computer generated images of my mouth and head. Now all I have to do is wait for the doctor and nurses to plan my radiation therapy treatment. I guess the doctor told me this phase could take up to 1-2 weeks.
Once the treatment plan is complete, a verification simulation is performed on the treatment machine called a linear accelerator (LINAC). Using x-ray imaging, the radiation therapists will make sure the plan will be delivered accurately. My verification simulation is scheduled for Wednesday the 16th, bright and early at 8:30am!! Then my first treatment is scheduled for Thursday the 17th at 2:30pm, and for the next 20 business days my life will include daily trips to UCLA for my radiation therapy. At this point all I can do is keep a positive outlook, and I know I'm half way done in my fight against cancer.
Danielle
As the plastic was drying the radiation team also performed a CT Scan (computed tomography). The scan will help the doctors plan my radiation therapy treatment by providing them with computer generated images of my mouth and head. Now all I have to do is wait for the doctor and nurses to plan my radiation therapy treatment. I guess the doctor told me this phase could take up to 1-2 weeks.
Once the treatment plan is complete, a verification simulation is performed on the treatment machine called a linear accelerator (LINAC). Using x-ray imaging, the radiation therapists will make sure the plan will be delivered accurately. My verification simulation is scheduled for Wednesday the 16th, bright and early at 8:30am!! Then my first treatment is scheduled for Thursday the 17th at 2:30pm, and for the next 20 business days my life will include daily trips to UCLA for my radiation therapy. At this point all I can do is keep a positive outlook, and I know I'm half way done in my fight against cancer.
Danielle
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Hopefully Making a Difference
The purpose of my blog is to help others. I hope by telling my story I can help anyone out there who may be fighting cancer or any other major illness. My goal is to also help family members or friends who may have someone in their life that is fighting a major illness. Hopefully by telling my story of my fight against cancer I can provide some sort of comfort. And just tonight I received some sort of sign that I'm fulfilling my purpose.
I was so excited to hear from one follower from Canada who ran across my blog just recently. Hearing her story is an inspiration to me and gives me courage to continue what I have done with this blog. I would like to share her email with you now:
12-08-09, 10:38pm
"Hi Danielle,
Random late-night-I-have-cancer freakout lead me to some Internet searching and I stumbled onto your blog. I can't help but see some similarities between us. You are a news anchor- I am a communication studies student. You are a brunette- I am a brunette. You have cell-b lymphoma- I have cell-b lymphoma, but most importantly: you are a strong positive fighter- and that is exactly what I hope to be.
One big difference is that you've had it for a few months and I was just diagnosed this past week.
When I first started reading I smiled and then I started to cry, not because it made me sad or scared but because it made me incredibly happy to see someone with the same attitude that I have. Seeing your journey makes me feel better. I feel like it is preparing me for what I am up against and I appreciate that.
It is rare for me to contact someone like this. But I like that you are putting yourself out there and it made me want to do the same.
I am not sure if you will respond, but I just wanted you to know that what you are doing IS making a difference.
Emily Branton
21 years old
Wallaceburg, Ontario, Canada"
I was so excited to hear from one follower from Canada who ran across my blog just recently. Hearing her story is an inspiration to me and gives me courage to continue what I have done with this blog. I would like to share her email with you now:
12-08-09, 10:38pm
"Hi Danielle,
Random late-night-I-have-cancer freakout lead me to some Internet searching and I stumbled onto your blog. I can't help but see some similarities between us. You are a news anchor- I am a communication studies student. You are a brunette- I am a brunette. You have cell-b lymphoma- I have cell-b lymphoma, but most importantly: you are a strong positive fighter- and that is exactly what I hope to be.
One big difference is that you've had it for a few months and I was just diagnosed this past week.
When I first started reading I smiled and then I started to cry, not because it made me sad or scared but because it made me incredibly happy to see someone with the same attitude that I have. Seeing your journey makes me feel better. I feel like it is preparing me for what I am up against and I appreciate that.
It is rare for me to contact someone like this. But I like that you are putting yourself out there and it made me want to do the same.
I am not sure if you will respond, but I just wanted you to know that what you are doing IS making a difference.
Emily Branton
21 years old
Wallaceburg, Ontario, Canada"
Dentist Approval
Before I can start radiation, my doctor wanted me to meet with a Dentist. So yesterday I met with a dentist at UCLA to review my teeth. The appointment took THREE HOURS, but I'm happy to say everything looks good with my teeth. I guess since I will be receiving radiation through my mouth and jaw, it is important to first make sure no dental work is needed before the radiation begins. The dentist says my teeth look strong and healthy, but once I begin the radiation it will be imperative that I keep up my good dental hygiene.
The dentist says there are some side effects from the radiation that I will have to keep in mind for the rest of my life. The first side effect is the increase risk of osteo radio necrosis (ORN). ORN is a problem with bone healing that can occur in people who receive high doses of radiation, especially to the jaw. If the jaw bone is exposed, it can have a hard time healing itself and can become infected. This complication can occur after dental surgery or teeth extraction. The dentist says often times when someone has ORN their jaw bone is removed and a different bone is used to replace the jaw bone. This sounds like a terribly painful condition and I hope I never have to deal with it! The dentist says my best defense is to make sure all of my future dentists know ahead of time that I am a patient with an increase risk of ORN.
Another side effect from the radiation will be damage to my salivary gland. My teeth will be at an increase risk of developing cavities because I will not have enough saliva to protect them. I never knew this, but saliva is actually one of the best defenders when it comes to protecting our teeth from cavities. So of course I will have to make sure I brush and floss well; I guess no slacking off for me!! In addition, since I won't have as much saliva, I will also have a dry mouth. The dentist says the best thing I can do to help with the dry mouth is to always carry water around with me. The water will relieve some of the dry mouth and will help to keep away cavities.
Finally the other major consequence for my teeth from the radiation is it will take longer for my body to heal sores and cuts in my mouth. I'm sure you have noticed that each time you get a cut in your mouth it generally heals faster than that same cut if you had it somewhere else on your body. The dentist says our mouths can heal these types of cuts faster, but after the radiation my ability to heal mouth sores quickly will be gone. So I guess I will just have to find a way to be patient with those pesky, but very painful mouth sores once I begin my radiation treatment.
Also during the dentist appointment the dentist took xrays of my teeth, did teeth impressions, and gave me fluoride trays. The fluoride trays will help protect my teeth from cavities by providing an extra layer of protection. Every night now for the rest of my life I will have to wear these trays for five minutes right before going to bed. By keeping the fluoride on my teeth overnight, I'll be providing an extra layer of defense for my teeth. I guess just another step to add in my nightly bedtime routine!
Who would have ever thought cancer could have such a big impact on your teeth. I never would have thought the two would even be related. Just another learning experience in my fight against cancer.
Danielle
The dentist says there are some side effects from the radiation that I will have to keep in mind for the rest of my life. The first side effect is the increase risk of osteo radio necrosis (ORN). ORN is a problem with bone healing that can occur in people who receive high doses of radiation, especially to the jaw. If the jaw bone is exposed, it can have a hard time healing itself and can become infected. This complication can occur after dental surgery or teeth extraction. The dentist says often times when someone has ORN their jaw bone is removed and a different bone is used to replace the jaw bone. This sounds like a terribly painful condition and I hope I never have to deal with it! The dentist says my best defense is to make sure all of my future dentists know ahead of time that I am a patient with an increase risk of ORN.
Another side effect from the radiation will be damage to my salivary gland. My teeth will be at an increase risk of developing cavities because I will not have enough saliva to protect them. I never knew this, but saliva is actually one of the best defenders when it comes to protecting our teeth from cavities. So of course I will have to make sure I brush and floss well; I guess no slacking off for me!! In addition, since I won't have as much saliva, I will also have a dry mouth. The dentist says the best thing I can do to help with the dry mouth is to always carry water around with me. The water will relieve some of the dry mouth and will help to keep away cavities.
Finally the other major consequence for my teeth from the radiation is it will take longer for my body to heal sores and cuts in my mouth. I'm sure you have noticed that each time you get a cut in your mouth it generally heals faster than that same cut if you had it somewhere else on your body. The dentist says our mouths can heal these types of cuts faster, but after the radiation my ability to heal mouth sores quickly will be gone. So I guess I will just have to find a way to be patient with those pesky, but very painful mouth sores once I begin my radiation treatment.
Also during the dentist appointment the dentist took xrays of my teeth, did teeth impressions, and gave me fluoride trays. The fluoride trays will help protect my teeth from cavities by providing an extra layer of protection. Every night now for the rest of my life I will have to wear these trays for five minutes right before going to bed. By keeping the fluoride on my teeth overnight, I'll be providing an extra layer of defense for my teeth. I guess just another step to add in my nightly bedtime routine!
Who would have ever thought cancer could have such a big impact on your teeth. I never would have thought the two would even be related. Just another learning experience in my fight against cancer.
Danielle
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
A Long Day
Wow, what a long and crazy day. My mom and I were at the doctor's office for four hours, and that doesn't include the time driving to and from Westwood. I understand UCLA is a busy place, but boy did it take forever to meet with the doctor. Plus on top of that scheduling my next appointments were so difficult because there were no immediate openings. So the earliest I could schedule any appointment was for next Wednesday, a whole week away. Very frustrating! Especially since I want to begin radiation as soon as possible! I hate just waiting around.
So today I met with the radiologist specialist and his team to talk about my radiation treatment schedule. The doctor says the schedule would include 20 business days of radiation therapy, everyday Monday through Friday. The radiation would be targeted at my right tonsil and lower jaw gland. The doctor says the radiation would kill any cancer cells that might still be located around my tonsils and would prevent any lymphoma from growing back in that area. Some of the side effects from the radiation would be a sore throat, a sore jaw, dry mouth, damage to my saliva gland, an increase risk of cavities, and exhaustion. Plus in my case it will be very annoying to have to drive down to Westwood everyday, especially since I live 40 minutes away in no traffic. However at this point, the radiation treatment might be the only option to avoid anymore damage to my heart. And don't worry I won't be radioactive!!
However, there are some concerns I have with the radiation therapy. For one thing I'm afraid it will not do as good of a job preventing new cancer cells from developing throughout my body. Since the radiation is targeted at my tonsils, the rest of my body doesn't receive that same protection. While with the chemo, my entire body receives the medication and therefore that protection. But I guess in my case my oncology doctor is pretty sure I should be alright, especially since we caught the cancer early, and since the doctors removed most of the lymphoma during my tonsillectomy. I do really trust this doctor and think, hopefully, it might actually be a good thing for my body to switch treatments.
Now I just have to get through the waiting part. I am so ready to just be done with this cancer that I really need to stay focused. After today's appointment I got the feeling that I was starting all over again in my fight against cancer, and that is really annoying. But I just have to remember that yes I'm starting a new type of treatment, but it doesn't mean I'm not close to winning the battle!
Danielle
So today I met with the radiologist specialist and his team to talk about my radiation treatment schedule. The doctor says the schedule would include 20 business days of radiation therapy, everyday Monday through Friday. The radiation would be targeted at my right tonsil and lower jaw gland. The doctor says the radiation would kill any cancer cells that might still be located around my tonsils and would prevent any lymphoma from growing back in that area. Some of the side effects from the radiation would be a sore throat, a sore jaw, dry mouth, damage to my saliva gland, an increase risk of cavities, and exhaustion. Plus in my case it will be very annoying to have to drive down to Westwood everyday, especially since I live 40 minutes away in no traffic. However at this point, the radiation treatment might be the only option to avoid anymore damage to my heart. And don't worry I won't be radioactive!!
However, there are some concerns I have with the radiation therapy. For one thing I'm afraid it will not do as good of a job preventing new cancer cells from developing throughout my body. Since the radiation is targeted at my tonsils, the rest of my body doesn't receive that same protection. While with the chemo, my entire body receives the medication and therefore that protection. But I guess in my case my oncology doctor is pretty sure I should be alright, especially since we caught the cancer early, and since the doctors removed most of the lymphoma during my tonsillectomy. I do really trust this doctor and think, hopefully, it might actually be a good thing for my body to switch treatments.
Now I just have to get through the waiting part. I am so ready to just be done with this cancer that I really need to stay focused. After today's appointment I got the feeling that I was starting all over again in my fight against cancer, and that is really annoying. But I just have to remember that yes I'm starting a new type of treatment, but it doesn't mean I'm not close to winning the battle!
Danielle
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
A Change in Plans
Thank-you everyone for the good thoughts and wishes; they mean so much to me! Today has been a crazy day. My "well-documented plan" on how to fight this cancer has turned on its head. I will no longer be finishing my cancer treatment with my two scheduled chemotherapy appointments, but I will instead be starting radiation.
Today I went to my cardiologist in Santa Monica and she conducted a stress test. I had never done a stress test before, so I was a little nervous about what to expect. Plus on top of that, I was really anxious because I didn't want to hear bad news. So what the nurses and doctor did for the stress test is measure my ejection fraction, or in medical terms, known as my "EF." Your ejection fraction is the amount of blood pumped out of your heart to the rest of your body. A good ejection fraction consists of a good heart squeeze, which is really what the doctor was concerned about in regards to me. During my last heart echo scan the doctors noticed my heart squeeze was not as strong as it should be, and that is a direct result of the Adriamycin in the R-CHOP of chemotherapy. So before the doctors could give me another dose of the chemo, they first wanted to make sure my heart could handle it.
First the nurse hooked me up to an echocardiograph and put heart monitors all over my chest. She then did an ultra sound of my heart and took pictures of my heart squeezing blood to the rest of my body. I then got on a treadmill with all the monitors and walked at increasing speeds and elevation. After every three minutes the treadmill would get faster and harder. Once my heart rate hit between 167 and 190, about after 8 minutes, I then got off of the treadmill and the nurses began monitoring and taking pictures of my heart once again.
After the test the doctor looked at the before and after pictures and determined that indeed my ejection fraction is lower than normal for a woman my age. So we have direct evidence that the chemo is hurting my heart. However, at this point the doctor says I shouldn't be too worried, and that hopefully I'll be fine. She is just worried that more Adriamycin could result in congestive heart failure in the future. So she plans to re-check me in three months to monitor my heart's progress. Hopefully with no Adriamycin in my body my heart will get better.
But then what do we do about the cancer? This question is of course a problem, since I still have two more chemo treatments left. So I then drove over to my oncology doctor in Westwood to get her opinion. After hearing about my heart she didn't feel comfortable giving me another dose of chemotherapy, and thought administering radiation would be a better idea, especially since I have already received four chemo treatments. My doctor says through the radiation I will still be fighting the cancer, but not injuring my heart anymore. So tomorrow afternoon I am meeting with a radiologist to plan out my radiation treatment schedule and discuss some of the side effects from the radiation.
I must admit I am a little nervous and scared about this new development. I liked having a plan, and I'm noticing that medical changes are kind of scary. At least with the chemo I knew what to "kind-of" expect and was just beginning to understand how my body reacts to the medicine. Now with the radiation it will be everyday and I don't know what to expect. It is almost like starting over, were the uncertainty of the situation is a little daunting at times. However, there are good things about the radiation- for one thing I won't have to get poked all the time! My hands will finally get a break from all of those IVs. Plus now my hair will start to slowly grow back. So as I start this new journey I'm staying positive and I know now than ever that I will beat this cancer!
Danielle
Today I went to my cardiologist in Santa Monica and she conducted a stress test. I had never done a stress test before, so I was a little nervous about what to expect. Plus on top of that, I was really anxious because I didn't want to hear bad news. So what the nurses and doctor did for the stress test is measure my ejection fraction, or in medical terms, known as my "EF." Your ejection fraction is the amount of blood pumped out of your heart to the rest of your body. A good ejection fraction consists of a good heart squeeze, which is really what the doctor was concerned about in regards to me. During my last heart echo scan the doctors noticed my heart squeeze was not as strong as it should be, and that is a direct result of the Adriamycin in the R-CHOP of chemotherapy. So before the doctors could give me another dose of the chemo, they first wanted to make sure my heart could handle it.
First the nurse hooked me up to an echocardiograph and put heart monitors all over my chest. She then did an ultra sound of my heart and took pictures of my heart squeezing blood to the rest of my body. I then got on a treadmill with all the monitors and walked at increasing speeds and elevation. After every three minutes the treadmill would get faster and harder. Once my heart rate hit between 167 and 190, about after 8 minutes, I then got off of the treadmill and the nurses began monitoring and taking pictures of my heart once again.
After the test the doctor looked at the before and after pictures and determined that indeed my ejection fraction is lower than normal for a woman my age. So we have direct evidence that the chemo is hurting my heart. However, at this point the doctor says I shouldn't be too worried, and that hopefully I'll be fine. She is just worried that more Adriamycin could result in congestive heart failure in the future. So she plans to re-check me in three months to monitor my heart's progress. Hopefully with no Adriamycin in my body my heart will get better.
But then what do we do about the cancer? This question is of course a problem, since I still have two more chemo treatments left. So I then drove over to my oncology doctor in Westwood to get her opinion. After hearing about my heart she didn't feel comfortable giving me another dose of chemotherapy, and thought administering radiation would be a better idea, especially since I have already received four chemo treatments. My doctor says through the radiation I will still be fighting the cancer, but not injuring my heart anymore. So tomorrow afternoon I am meeting with a radiologist to plan out my radiation treatment schedule and discuss some of the side effects from the radiation.
I must admit I am a little nervous and scared about this new development. I liked having a plan, and I'm noticing that medical changes are kind of scary. At least with the chemo I knew what to "kind-of" expect and was just beginning to understand how my body reacts to the medicine. Now with the radiation it will be everyday and I don't know what to expect. It is almost like starting over, were the uncertainty of the situation is a little daunting at times. However, there are good things about the radiation- for one thing I won't have to get poked all the time! My hands will finally get a break from all of those IVs. Plus now my hair will start to slowly grow back. So as I start this new journey I'm staying positive and I know now than ever that I will beat this cancer!
Danielle
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