ENFENETEE'S Breast Cancer Journal

Post # 64- MRI is good, no brain metastasis and vanilla bean cheesecake! Thank you GOD!!!

noreply@blogger.com (ENFENETEE) — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 00:07:00 +0000

I was waiting to get radiation today and I heard one of the nurses asking where I was. I had just finished changing into my gown and I was waiting to be called back into the radiation room. The nurse came and sat down. She looked at me and said "I know you just had your MRI, the Doctor just told me to call you. I looked on the schedule and saw that you should be here now for radiation. I just wanted to let you know the Doctor said she wants to see all smiles from you because everything is good. The cancer hasn't spread." Honestly I blanked out for a minute. I was so happy and it was overwhelming because as of late every health result is bad. I was kind of shocked but I will take a stress, chemo, radiation, herceptin headache over brain cancer any day. So I went into radiation so happy and thankful. Since I was diagnosed in October all I have been dreaming about and craving for was vanilla bean cheesecake. As soon as I left radiation we headed to the cheesecake factory and I had hot chocolate with whipped cream and a slice of vanilla bean cheesecake with extra whipped cream. The hot chocolate was out of this world with lots of whipped cream and the cheesecake....well my taste buds are coming back. The funny thing is I couldn't even eat the whole slice of cheesecake. I ate half of it and brought the rest home. I guess my tummy has shrunk a little, lol... I feel my second wind is coming..I just have to hold on just 10 more radiation treatments left and the count down begins. Herceptin for a year is next, then a couple more surgeries and I will home free!!!! Thank you GOD for a wonderful day and some good vanilla bean cheesecake.

Post # 63- Text I got today and wanted to share it with everyone

noreply@blogger.com (ENFENETEE) — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 00:04:00 +0000

I got this text today and just wanted to share it with everyone! It's so true and timely.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

I wonder what would happen if we treated our Bible like we treat our cell phone?

What if we carried it around in our purses or pockets?
What if we flipped through it several time a day?
What if we turned back to go get it if we forgot it?
What if we used it to receive messages from the text?
What if we treated it like we couldn't live without it?
What if we gave it to Kids as gifts?
What if we used it when we traveled?
What if we used it in case of emergency?

This is something to make you go ... hmm, where is my Bible?

Oh, and one more thing. Unlike our cell phone, we don't have to worry about our Bible being disconnected because Jesus already paid the bill.

Makes you stop and think 'where are my priorities?

And no dropped calls!

Post #62- 2 nd week of radiation, I have lymphedema and MRI today to check for possible brain metastasis

noreply@blogger.com (ENFENETEE) — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 16:53:00 +0000

It's been a while. I have been through a lot of ups and downs. More downs than up actually. My cycles of chemo were hell for me. The stomach pain, bone pain, headaches, plus mental stress has really beat me down.

I am back on Herceptin. I haven't had any break outs since the last bad one. If I see any signs of irritation I take benadryl right away. I am getting the full dose of Herceptin every three weeks. My bone pain has increased, it's excruciating. It's hard for me to stand up after sitting or laying down. I fight it though, I walk up and down the steps a lot and I just keep moving. I started to take glucosamine hydroitin the other day hopefully it will give me some measure of relief.

Currently I am getting radiation!! 28 days of it, 5 days a week, they are zapping me. I have 13 treatments to go. The first two really zapped my energy. They said that I should be feeling alot of additional fatigue soon and for a few weeks after radiation.

I am currently in physical therapy. I have early stage lymphedema in my left arm. I have to wear an compression sleeve and glove everyday for 30 days during the day. After that I wear it when I exercise, or feel that it is swelling. I really didn't want lymphedema it's something that stays with you for life. I have full range of motion in my left arm now but that may change as well as my staging of lymphedema because the radiation can cause the lymphedema to get worse by closing the few pathways I have left for the lymph fluid to flow through and may restrict my range of motion because it tightens the skin.

I got the results back from my genetic testing and I have a mutation on my BRAC2 gene. The mutation has been found in only three other families. So it is inconclusive as to whether I may be high risk for ovarian cancer because this is a new mutation that they don't know about. Usually a mutation on BRAC2 gives you a higher risk of breast and ovarian cancer.

Today to add to all the glamour of my life. I have to get a brain MRI because I have been having headaches and they want to make sure the cancer has not spread to my brain. OH, I DIDN'T TELL YOU HERCEPTIN DOESN'T CROSS THE BRAIN BLOOD BARRIER!!!

I have been out of sorts lately. I have tried to put up a good front but admitted that I am terrified. I feel like JOB. It seems that things just get worse and worse to test my strength. I had days when I said I wanted to die, I had days when I just cried, I had days that I just don't understand. I have all kinds of emotions running through my head, hurt, guilt, depression, regret, all the negative things. I can't seem to find the joy anymore and I am working on that.

I haven't heard from my sister since December or my father since my Herceptin outbreak. My father, I can understand a little more than my sister, we never really had a relationship. The situation with my sister on the other is just messed up.

It all started behind the fact that my sister came to me after I had just had my mastectomy and found out my cancer had spread to the lymph nodes and told me she was getting married in I think May or June 2009. She wanted me to be in the wedding and I had to buy my own dress for the wedding. Ok, this was not the time to come to me with this. She didn't see it from my perspective I am fighting for my life, little did I know I would be like this now and you are telling me about a wedding and I have to buy a dress. At that time my medical bills were $34,000. Now they are $176,000(that's another story). She then lies to my father and tells him she didn't tell me I had to buy the dress. My father calls me and says I am hating on her and I should be happy for her. I wasn't hating on her, I just had surgery and had my breast removed, the cancer had spread, I was about to have another surgery, just had found out that I was her2 neu positive and I am really suppose to be thinking about her wedding. I was happy for her but she has been married before and she is damn near 50 years old. So I am not talking about a young woman who is just getting married for the first time.

Yes, I cursed at her, I actually said, "Fu** you B*tch!" and that was only because she knew my father had prostate cancer five years ago, went out of state to the hospital when he had surgery, stayed with him to help him and never told me. Mind you this is my father and not hers and she is going to tell me the things they do is none of my business. I know my father and I had a strained relationship but by me being his only biological daughter I had the right to know. I would have went to be with him during surgery but she wanted to keep him to herself so he could buy her TVs and send her money. When he told me he had prostate cancer he acted like he thought I knew, he didn't come out and say my sister said she told me but he acted like he thought I knew. I would never have done her like this, no matter what went down between us I would have been there for her and everyone who knows me knows that. The last four months I needed my sister, it was days that I crawled up the steps, fell trying to walk, couldn't and wouldn't eat and just needed her to be there for me and she wasn't. Since I carry this breast cancer gene mutation she might have it too. It is genetic. I have never felt as much pain or received such devastating news back to back as I have since October 30, 2008.

I still have three operations to get. Maybe an elective hysterectomy because I don't want to wait to see if I will get ovarian cancer. So that would make four that I can't get until next year after my full year of tri weekly herceptin. I have forgiven a lot of people for a lot of things but my heart can not forgive my sister. I have prayed about it and I feel peace forgetting she exists for now. My father is no surprise he doesn't have paternal feelings for me and never has obviously so this comes as no shock to me. It hurts me to know that I am fighting for my life and they don't care but I am letting go and letting GOD deal with it. The pain would just bring my cancer back full blast and I don't want that.

My true friends are far and few. Some people fell off and try to come back to me now and I am not having it. I am only dealing with people who have been there the whole time. I have been so depressed, hurt and confused that I almost lost it. I going to get back on track because I want to live and I have to. Terri thank you for all of your texts they help me so much!!! Syntax thanks for the emails!! Thank you everyone who has been there for me. Cause you all have been there for me I have to be there for you and pull myself together. That's what I am doing and I am happy to be blogging again. So I'll let you know what the results of the MRI are and either way I am going to fight for my life.

Post #61- Breast Cancer Facts

noreply@blogger.com (ENFENETEE) — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 01:58:00 +0000

BREAST CANCER FACTS

Types of Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is breast cancer, right? Sure, just like red is red... Actually, we know that red can be crimson or burgundy or scarlet or brick or... And breast cancer comes in many forms. How much do you really know about the different types of breast cancer?

1. How many different breast cancers have been identified?

Researchers have actually identified 14 different breast cancers. The most common is invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC), followed by ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), then invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC), and inflammatory breast cancer. The remaining 10 cancers are very rare.

2. Whether you have invasive (infiltrating) breast cancer vs. non-invasive (in situ) determines a lot about your treatment. What percentage of women have an initial diagnosis of invasive breast cancer?

80% of women receive an initial diagnosis of invasive breast cancer. And about 85% of those women are diagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC), the most common type of breast cancer.

3. You can be diagnosed with two types of breast cancer at the same time.

Oftentimes a woman will be diagnosed with both invasive and non-invasive cancers in the same breast. She may have multiple tumors, some of which have spread outside their point of origin to surrounding tissue (invasive), and some of which remain where they started (in situ). Or a woman may be diagnosed with invasive cancer in one breast, and non-invasive in the other. It's rare for a woman to be diagnosed with different kinds of breast cancer (say, both lobular and ductal) at the same time, but it can happen.

4. What percentage of breast cancers are considered curable?

The cure rate for non-invasive breast cancers is currently 98% to 99%, which means doctors consider them curable. Non-invasive breast cancers represent about 20% of all breast cancer diagnoses, so about 20% of all breast cancer is assumed to be curable right from the get-go. What does that mean for the other 80%? It means that you have a longer wait to see whether or not you've been cured. The common assumption is that if you're treated for cancer and go 20 years without a recurrence, you're cured.

The great majority women with invasive breast cancer don't die from it. Statistically speaking, about 1 in 5 women diagnosed with invasive breast cancer eventually dies from it. And those cancers detected early, before they've spread to the lymph nodes, have much less chance of recurrence. So even with a diagnosis of invasive breast cancer, your chances are pretty darned good that it won't be the eventual cause of your death. And with continuing improvements in treatment, those odds are looking better all the time.

5. This breast cancer is aggressive, fast-growing, and often misdiagnosed. Which of the following best fits this description?

Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) occurs when cancer cells block your breast's lymph system. It's aggressive and fast-growing. And unfortunately, since its symptoms can include redness, swelling, and a rash, it's commonly misdiagnosed as an infection, a sunburn, allergic reaction to an insect bite, or mastitis.

Thank you PJ Hamel for providing these Breast Cancer Facts!

Post #60- Fact Sheet about Her2 + breast cancer and Herceptin

noreply@blogger.com (ENFENETEE) — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 15:14:00 +0000

HER2 (human epidermal growth factor receptor-2) Positive Breast Cancer

Breast Cancer Is Many Different Diseases
Researchers now understand that breast cancer is not one disease, but many different diseases. Even when tumors are classed together based on their appearance, they can act differently because of different genetic makeup. Only recently have researchers begun to understand this and to use it in predicting how a disease may progress — for example, the likelihood of a tumor to grow, spread, or recur. This is an important new area of research.

HER2-positive breast cancer is one form of breast cancer. Characterized by aggressive growth and a poor prognosis, it is caused by the overexpression of a gene called HER2 in tumor cells.

HER2 in Normal Cellular Function
Every one of the millions of cells in our body carries out its life cycle in a relatively orderly fashion dictated by its function and various other factors. The process can be altered by intra- and extra-cellular pressures that change the cell's environment. In the development of cancer, a key factor is a change in the growth rate of the cell and the ability of various control mechanisms to get the cell back on track.

The HER2 gene is responsible for making HER2 protein. When two copies of the gene are present in normal amounts, the protein plays an important role in normal cell growth and development. The HER2 protein transmits signals directing cell growth from the outside of the cell to the nucleus inside the cell. Growth factors — chemicals that carry growth-regulating orders — attach to the HER2 protein and signal normal cell growth.

Role of HER2 in Tumor Growth
In approximately 25 percent of women with breast cancer, there is a genetic alteration in the HER2 gene that produces an increased amount of the growth factor receptor protein on the tumor cell surface.

This overexpression can cause cells to divide, multiply, and grow more rapidly than normal. Research has shown that women with HER2-positive breast cancer have a more aggressive disease, greater likelihood of recurrence, poorer prognosis, and decreased survival compared to women with HER2-negative breast cancer.

It is important to understand that the HER2 gene abnormality is only present in the breast cancer cells, not in the rest of the cells in the body, and cannot be passed onto other family members.

Discovering HER2
HER2 is a normal gene; however, when amplified, it causes cancer and is called an oncogene. Many scientists had postulated that oncogenes were related to growth factors. In the early 1980s, a Genentech scientist, a British protein chemist, and an Israeli protein expert together proved that growth factors are related to cancer. They found an oncogene that was a mutated form of the epidermal growth factor (EGF) cell-surface receptor gene. By linking the study of cell-growth signals and cancer, this finding explained how an oncogene worked.

Genentech researchers then began searching for oncogenes similar to the EGF-receptor gene. They named the first one they found "HER2," for human epidermal growth factor receptor 2. With cloning technology, they discovered the protein the gene produced. They subsequently set out to find the link between HER2 and specific types of cancer. In collaboration, Dennis Slamon, M.D., Ph.D., of UCLA, looked for "matches" between the HER2 oncogene and tumor samples.

Slamon observed that the HER2 oncogene caused breast cancer cells to produce the normal HER2 protein, but in abnormally high amounts, and that the women with metastatic breast cancer whose tumor cells overexpressed the HER2 protein had an especially aggressive form of the disease. When the gene overexpresses the protein, he determined, the cell is overloaded with signals that cause it to grow out of control and become cancerous.

Taking the Biology of HER2 from Basic Research to Treatment
A Genentech research team began working on the basic science of HER2 in hopes that they could develop a potential treatment. They figured out how to transform normal cells into cancerous ones by adding copies of the HER2 gene. Next, they designed a targeted monoclonal antibody to "shut off" the HER2 gene, making the cancerous cells grow more slowly.

Antibodies are proteins made by the body's own natural immune system that are directed against foreign and infectious agents, called antigens. Monoclonal antibodies engineered through biotechnology are produced as therapeutic drugs to provide specific anti-tumor action within the body. A monoclonal antibody contains millions of identical copies of a single antibody, all of which attack the same targets.

Researchers injected samples of the monoclonal antibody into mice with tumors that overexpressed the HER2 protein. In many cases, the tumors, which were human breast cancers, shrank. The results were encouraging and researchers were anxious to test the therapy in humans. But the antibody was made of mouse protein, which might be rejected by the human body as a foreign substance. They had to figure out a way to "humanize" the antibody so the human body would accept it.

Working for more than a year, Genentech scientists developed a "humanized" version of the monoclonal antibody — Herceptin® (trastuzumab). Now, they were ready for early-stage human clinical trials. Phase I monitored for side effects and determined dosing, Phase II helped the understanding of the drug's efficacy and safety, and a large-scale Phase III trial proved Herceptin's safety and efficacy in the treatment of metastatic breast cancer.

Herceptin on the Market
The FDA first approved Herceptin in September 1998. Herceptin is the first monoclonal antibody approved for use in women with metastatic breast cancer who have tumors that overexpress the HER2 protein. It is indicated for the treatment of these patients, both as a first-line therapy in combination with paclitaxel and as a single agent for those patients who have received one or more chemotherapy regimens.

Herceptin was proven effective in clinical trials, both as a single agent and in combination with paclitaxel. In the Phase III combination trial, Herceptin plus chemotherapy, improved overall survival rates and slowed disease progression of women as a first-line therapy.

In November 2006, the FDA approved Herceptin, as part of a treatment regimen containing doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, and paclitaxel, for the adjuvant treatment of patients with HER2-positive node-positive breast cancer. Adjuvant therapy is given to women with early-stage (localized) breast cancer who have had initial treatment — surgery with or without radiation therapy — with the goal of reducing the risk of cancer recurrence and/or the occurrence of metastatic disease.

This approval was based on data from a planned interim joint analysis of more than 3,700 patients enrolled in two NCI-sponsored Phase III clinical trials conducted by a network of researchers led by the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project (NSABP) and the North Central Cancer Treatment Group (NCCTG). These results showed that the addition of Herceptin to standard adjuvant therapy significantly reduced the relative risk of breast cancer recurrence, the primary endpoint of the studies, by 52 percent (or a hazard ratio of 0.48) in women with HER2-positive breast cancer, compared to those who received standard adjuvant therapy alone.

In January 2008, the FDA approved Herceptin as a single agent for the adjuvant treatment of HER2-positive node-negative (ER/PR-negative or with one high-risk feature) or node-positive breast cancer, following multi-modality anthracycline-based therapy based on the HERA one-year data. The FDA approval expanded Herceptin's adjuvant label to include the use of Herceptin as a single agent and in patients with early-stage HER2-positive node-negative disease, including tumors that are hormone receptor-negative, grade 2 or 3 or >2 cm, or age <35. Herceptin also may be administered as a single agent in an every-three-week dosing schedule for one year, which may provide another treatment option for patients.

In May 2008, the FDA approved two new Herceptin-containing regimens for the adjuvant treatment of HER2-positive node-positive or node-negative (ER/PR-negative or with one high-risk feature) breast cancer based on the results of the BCIRG 006 study. The first regimen is in combination with docetaxel and carboplatin, (also known as TCH for Taxotere®, carboplatin, and Herceptin) which does not contain an anthracycline component. The second is part of a treatment regimen containing anthracycline (doxorubicin), cyclophosphamide, and docetaxel (AC-TH). The approval of the non-anthracycline TCH regimen added an important treatment option for patients as it reduced the rate of congestive heart failure (0.4% vs. 2%) as compared to the Herceptin anthracycline-containing regimen in the 006 study and significantly reduced the relative risk of recurrence by one-third, compared to chemotherapy alone. In comparison to AC-TH, TCH provided a similarly effective treatment option with less cardiotoxicity, which may potentially allow more patients to benefit from Herceptin therapy.

There are now four large randomized adjuvant trials (NCCTG-N9831, NSABP B-31, HERA, and BCIRG 006) involving more than 10,000 patients, demonstrating that the addition of Herceptin to chemotherapy increased disease-free survival (DFS) for patients with early-stage HER2-positive breast cancer. More than 420,000 women have been treated with Herceptin worldwide since its first approval in 1998.

Boxed WARNINGS and Additional Important Safety Information
Herceptin administration can result in sub-clinical and clinical cardiac failure manifesting as congestive heart failure (CHF) and decreased left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). The incidence and severity of left ventricular cardiac dysfunction was highest in patients who received Herceptin concurrently with anthracycline-containing chemotherapy regimens. Discontinue Herceptin treatment in patients receiving adjuvant therapy and strongly consider discontinuation of Herceptin in patients with metastatic breast cancer who develop a clinically significant decrease in left ventricular function.

Patients should undergo monitoring for decreased left ventricular function before Herceptin treatment, and frequently during and after Herceptin treatment. More frequent monitoring should be employed if Herceptin is withheld in patients who develop significant left ventricular cardiac dysfunction. In one adjuvant clinical trial, cardiac ischemia or infarction occurred in the Herceptin containing regimens.

Serious infusion reactions and pulmonary toxicity have occurred; fatal infusion reactions have been reported. In most cases, symptoms occurred during or within 24 hours of administration of Herceptin. Herceptin infusion should be interrupted for patients experiencing dyspnea or clinically significant hypotension. Patients should be monitored until signs and symptoms completely resolve. Discontinue Herceptin for infusion reactions manifesting as anaphylaxis, angioedema, interstitial pneumonitis, or acute respiratory distress syndrome.

Exacerbation of chemotherapy-induced neutropenia has also occurred.

Herceptin can cause oligohydramnios and fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman.

The most common adverse reactions associated with Herceptin use were fever, nausea, vomiting, infusion reactions, diarrhea, infections, increased cough, headache, fatigue, dyspnea, rash, neutropenia, anemia, and myalgia.

Please see the Herceptin full prescribing information including Boxed WARNINGS and additional important safety information.

Mechanism of Action
Herceptin is a humanized monoclonal antibody (also called a biologic therapy). Antibodies are part of the body's normal defense against bacteria, viruses and abnormal cells such as cancer cells. Therapeutic monoclonal antibodies are created and produced in a laboratory through a complex and resource-intensive process. Their name comes from the fact that they are produced from a single cell.1

Based on preclinical studies, Herceptin works on both the extracellular and the intracellular domains of the HER2 receptor2-5

Continuously suppresses HER2 activity that may lead to tumor proliferation3
Leads to cell stasis and death3
In preclinical studies, synergy with Herceptin enhanced the effects of chemotherapy4,6,7
Herceptin provides constant inhibition of the HER2 receptor
Extended half-life enables Herceptin to maintain constant exposure

Herceptin Is the First FDA-Approved Targeted Biologic for HER2-Positive Breast Cancer
As the first in a line of targeted biologic therapies designed to seek and destroy specific breast cancer cells, Herceptin set the course for targeted therapy. With insights into the cellular and molecular mechanisms of the body, researchers increasingly are studying drugs that are able to target specific tumor cells. It is the hope of researchers and patients that this rational, gene-based approach to cancer therapy will continue to yield promising therapies.

Post #59- Chemo Cycle 3 (Week One)

noreply@blogger.com (ENFENETEE) — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 14:44:00 +0000

Well this chemo cycle they took out Herceptin because I had a severe reaction to it. How did I feel about it, not happy. Why am I distraught because I am Her 2 Neu Positive and my rate is 8.2 which is very high.

What is HER2?

HER2+ Breast Cancer

Studies show that approximately 25% of breast cancer patients have tumors that are HER2+.

HER2 stands for Human Epidermal growth factor Receptor 2. It is very important to find out your cancer's HER2 status. This is because HER2+ tumors tend to grow and spread more quickly than tumors that are not HER2+. In addition, the treatment of HER2+ breast cancer is different than the treatment of breast cancer that is not HER2+. Women who are uncertain of their cancer's HER2 status should talk to their doctor.

HER2+ breast cancer is aggressive, so it is important to find out your cancer's HER2 status. This can help your doctor choose which treatments may be right for you.
How is HER2 positive breast cancer different?

HER2 stands for Human Epidermal growth factor Receptor 2. Each normal breast cell contains copies of the HER2 gene, which helps normal cells grow. The HER2 gene is found in the DNA of a cell, and this gene contains the information for making the HER2 protein.

The HER2 protein, also called the HER2 receptor, is found on the surface of some normal cells in the body. In normal cells, HER2 proteins help send growth signals from outside the cell to the inside of the cell. These signals tell the cell to grow and divide.

In HER2+ breast cancer, the cancer cells have an abnormally high number of HER2 genes per cell. When this happens, too much HER2 protein appears on the surface of these cancer cells. This is called HER2 protein overexpression. Too much HER2 protein is thought to cause cancer cells to grow and divide more quickly. This is why HER2+ breast cancer is considered aggressive. ( I have 8.2 Her2 genes per cell)

HER2+ breast cancer is aggressive, so it is important to find out your cancer's HER2 status. This can help your doctor choose which treatments may be right for you.

Higher risk of breast cancer returning (recurrence)
Women with HER2+ breast cancer:
May be less likely to respond to certain breast cancer treatments
May be more likely to have a recurrence (return) of their cancer

The One Good Thing

Inheriting the HER2 gene

Your tumor's HER2 status is not hereditary. This means that HER2 status is not passed down from your parents, and you can't pass it on to your children. However, there is a relationship between the genes in a person's DNA and breast cancer in general. Ask your doctor for more information about the relationship between genes and breast cancer.

Even though I didn't have Herceptin I had side effects this week from my chemo drugs Taxotere and Cytoxan. I had a rash on my hands. I developed neuropathy in my hands and feet. It has lessened slighty now. My nausea was very severe and my mouth stayed full of saliva. The worst part was the heart burn it felt like my food was coming up my esophagus and choking me. My throat felt tight. Of course the night sweats. When I called the Doctor on call he said I was experiencing all of the typical side effects of Taxotere and to take a benadryl. The Doctor oncal said if the rashes start to spread come in and see the Doctor the next day. This is all so insane!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh and I had Diarrhea from Constipation to Diarrhea!!!

What is neuropathy?
Neuropathy is a condition that occurs after peripheral nerve damage. Neuropathy may affect a single nerve or several. A common type of neuropathy that occurs in people who have cancer is called peripheral neuropathy.

The nervous system is divided into central and peripheral parts:
The brain and spinal cord make up the central nervous system.
The peripheral nervous system includes the nerves that leave the brain and the nerve that come off the spinal cord and go to the internal organs, limbs and skin.

Diseases, injuries and toxins, such as chemotherapy, can cause neuropathy in cancer survivors. The damage may lead to changes in sensation or muscle function and can be mild or severe. Cancer survivors may experience this condition as tingling or numbness in certain areas of the body, especially the hands and feet. These sensations range from mild to painful.
Neuropathy can be an upsetting, and sometimes scary, condition for survivors. If you begin to notice symptoms, talk to your health care team immediately.

What causes neuropathy?

Neuropathy is a common disorder, affecting about 1 to 2 percent of Americans.

Some causes of peripheral neuropathy include:
Diabetes mellitus (sugar diabetes) – the most common cause of neuropathy in the industrialized world
Infections (such as leprosy, syphilis, HIV and some forms of hepatitis)
Nutritional deficiency (particularly of thiamine)
Inherited disorders of metabolism and other diseases passed down through families
Alcohol
Pesticides
Drugs used in cancer treatment, particularly the platinum compounds, the taxanes, the vinca alkaloids and thalidomide
Hypothyroidism
Renal failure
Extreme stress (such as the stress of living with a chronic illness)
Radiation therapy (effects may be delayed for many years)
Some cancer tumors are associated with neuropathy as a remote effect.

What are the symptoms of neuropathy?

The types and severity of neuropathy symptoms vary greatly. Determining the amount of peripheral nerve injury just by the amount of symptoms produced is difficult. Peripheral neuropathy can affect the nerves which allow you to tell the position of your hands or feet, the nerves that allow you to sense hot or cold, or the nerves that carry pain sensation. For peripheral neuropathy, symptoms are almost always greatest at night.

Common signs and symptoms of peripheral neuropathy include:
Numbness, especially of hands or feet
Pain or cramping, especially of the hands, feet or calf muscles
Sensitivity to touch or temperature
Loss of reflexes
Muscle wasting in the hands and feet
Weakness, especially in the feet or hands
Clumsiness
Loss of balance, particularly in the dark ( I feel down the steps)
Dizziness, especially when getting up from a bed or a chair
Sexual dysfunction

Which cancer survivors are at risk?

Neuropathy can affect almost any cancer survivor, but the following are high risk conditions either from the cancer or from the treatment received.
Cancer types
Lung
Breast
Ovarian
Prostate
Myeloma
Lymphoma and Hodgkin’s disease
Testicular
Having one or more of the following characteristics may increase the chances of developing neuropathy.
Advanced age
A family history of neuropathy (familial, diabetes)
Malnourishment
Excessive use of alcohol
Having a pre-existing medical condition such as diabetes or thyroid dysfunction
Some medications, including chemotherapy medications, also increase risk. Discuss your medication-related risk with your health care team.Chemotherapy medications that increase your neuropathy risk include:
Platinum compounds
Taxanes
Vinca alkaloids
Thalidomide
Velcade
Cytosine arabinoside
Misonidazole
Interferon

Can a survivor experience neuropathy during, immediately after and/or years after treatment?
Neuropathy related to cancer may develop in the course of treatment (such as with vinca alkaloids) or shortly after (common with Platinum compounds). Neuropathy may be delayed in onset, and often continues after the treatment has been completed. Nerve injury from radiation therapy may be quite delayed, with symptoms occurring in some instances years after treatment.
Peripheral neuropathy symptoms are often ignored by both patients and health care professionals and frequently are not recognized as being related to peripheral nerve damage. For lung cancer, neuropathy may be the earliest sign of the cancer. If you have symptoms of neuropahthy, it is important to discuss with the health care team.

Can neuropathy be cured?

The peripheral nerves have a great ability to heal. Even though it may take months, most patients recover. However, in some situations, symptoms of neuropathy may lessen, but not completely go away. Nerve injury caused by radiation often does not recover well. Neuropathy caused by platinum chemotherapy is also difficult to cure — recovery may take 18 months to five years or longer. During recovery of platinum-induced neuropathy, patients may suffer increased symptoms. Unfortunately, some patients with neuropathy from chemotherapy never recover.

Even if your neuropathy cannot be cured, you may benefit from treatments to relieve your symptoms and from rehabilitation designed to help you maintain your physical abilities.
What are the treatments for neuropathy?

The treatment for peripheral neuropathy depends on the cause. If the neuropathy is related to nutritional deficiences, supplements can help. If relted to a medical condition such as diabetes or thyroid dysfunction, treating this can sometimes reverse the neuropathic symptoms. For neuropathy related to chemotherapy, most treatments are supportive, designed to improve symptoms and function.

If neuropathy occurs during treatment, and you continue to receive the chemotherapty, the neuropathy can worsen.
Recovery can be helped by:
Adequate nutrition (foods rich in thiamine, protein and antioxidants)
Controlling and correcting contributing conditions such as diabetes or hypothyroidism
Pain medications
Physical and occupational therapy
Medications being researched in clinical trials show promise in helping peripheral nerves to heal and in preventing the neuropathy associated with chemotherapy from occurring or being as severe.

How will a cancer survivor’s life change if s/he has neuropathy?
Pain and other symptoms of neuropathy can be mild or severe. Each survivor’s experience will be different. However, with appropriate treatment, the effects of neuropathy can be limited. Medications, lifestyle changes, rehabilitation and other treatments can be used.
Neuropathy can make standing for long periods or walking without assistance difficult.
Balance can be affected, increasing the risk of falling.
Activities like buttoning and tying laces or ties can be difficult.
Survivors may be sensitive to heat or cold. Survivors with this sensitivity should avoid extreme temperatures if possible and use protective clothing and hats when needed.
Neuropathy may cause a lack of pain sensation. Survivors should pay careful attention to the skin on their hands and feet because they could receive a wound or a break in the skin and not feel it.
If neuropathy affects your ability to feel the foot pedals of your car, you should not drive unless your car is adapted for hand controls. Neuropathy can slow your reaction time in moving your foot from the accelerator to the break pedal and may cause an accident. Losing your ability to drive is upsetting. You may feel you are losing your independence. However, consider the increased risk to your safety and to the safety of others on the road. Talk to your health care team about your symptoms.
Neuropathy can be painful. Sometimes usual activities, such as putting your shoes on, or placing the covers over your feet at night can cause pain. There are treatments which can lessen the pain. It is important to talk with your health care team about potential treatments.
Physical and occupational therapists can provide suggestions and special equipment to make daily tasks safe and easier to manage. The suggestions may include night lights, grab bars and other home safety measures to help reduce the risk of falling. Therapists can assist survivors with physical exercises that can help them maintain physical abilities.
Pain from neuropathy can greatly affect your daily activities and quality of life. For some, the pain and changes required to manage it can lead to physical and mental stress. Watch for signs of depression and talk to your health care team or a mental health care professional about managing your feelings

Post #58- Chemo Cycle 3, I'm Getting My Chemo as I type and Only God Can Help Me!!!

noreply@blogger.com (ENFENETEE) — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 17:04:00 +0000

The thing I did not want to hear I heard this morning. My chemotherapy appointment was at 10:30 am. It's 12:15 pm and my chemotherapy is set up for my Taxotere and Cytoxan. My Oncologist told me that he talked to the primary investigator and they will be taking me off of Herceptin because of my RARE SEVERE ALERGIC REACTION. They are going to monitor me today and only give me the Taxotere and Cytoxan.

HERCEPTIN is the only drug that stops and reduces the over expressed Her-2- neu gene that I have. The gene that causes cancer to rapidly reproduce my already aggressive cancer. The thing that could save my life I am allergic to can you believe that. The thing that the Doctors believe could save my life I am severely allergic to. Once again I am a rare case. ( My nurse just came over and started my Taxotere drip).

The test results I got for Her2-Neu were very high 8.2, so I am a little anxious about not having Herceptin.

It is all in GOD'S hands now. All I can do is have faith. I feel like crying a little bit. I don't want to tell my mother. I have faith so no matter what anybody says GOD has the finally say and my will is still strong. I am going to fight to the end. We all know tomorrow isn't promised. I am learning so much now. I've changed so much. I'm not the same person I was by a long shot. I love the person that I am now. Even though my days are long and hard I want to enjoy each day as much as I can. I promise myself that I will enjoy each day.

Everybody reading this don't take life for granted. Embrace a higher power whoever that may be and have faith. Let the things and the people that are toxic in your life go. Live your dreams and aim high. Don't be afraid to take a chance. DON'T BE AFRAID TO LIVE!!! NO AMOUNT OF SUCCESS IS WORTH SACRIFICING YOUR LIFE FOR, BE SUCCESSFUL AND BALANCE OUT YOUR LIFE!!!

Have faith!!!! Prayer and Faith works miracles!!!!!

Post #57- Cycle 2 Of Chemo Going Very Badly

noreply@blogger.com (ENFENETEE) — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 14:25:00 +0000

I will update you in detail but I haven't posted because I have been feeling very bad since cycle 2 started. I was rushed to the Emergency Room on Saturday night (1/24/2009) because I had a severe allergic reaction. I got my weekly Herceptin infusion on 1/25/08 and the allergic reaction intensified. They believe I am having a severe reaction to the Herceptin. My throat felt like it was closing up and I have hives all over my body with intense itch and pain. My left hand and forearm are hideously swollen. They may have to take me off of Herceptin which upsets me a bit. I will blog in more detail later because I will have someone type as I dictate it. Please keep me in your prayers! All I can do is have faith that everything happens for a reason and it will work out the way it is suppose to.

Post #56- Chemo Update And What's On My Mind

noreply@blogger.com (ENFENETEE) — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 17:16:00 +0000

I really dreaded taking chemo on Monday. It wore me out psychologically. It's hard to think about what chemo really does and in a way it seems down right barbaric. Do I have another choice .. no. So I just have to suck it up and deal with it. Since I am fighting for my life in such an extreme way I really appreciate myself more. I really respect myself more because I could lose my life. I believe that the soul is eternal but this body is a whole different ball game.

So far Chemo Cycle Two I have experienced bone pain, bouts of depression, constipation, nausea, wet mouth, night sweats and feeling like my flesh was burning on the inside while my feet are freezing cold. I haven't had a good nights sleep because I have not taken the Percocet. It's just something in me that will not allow me to take it until I'm about to loose consciousness from pain. So basically I just deal with the pain all night and day. I am really trying to take the least amount of additional medicine that I have to.

The constipation came back. I took the Senokot S and Activia. It worked today and it was painless. When I eat the Activia my stomach starts churning. The problem is when I have the pre chemo/chemo medicine it appears to stop peristaltic action in my intestines for a few days. There lies the problem. Next cycle I am going to try massaging my stomach. All in all Senokot and Activia still are doing quite well for me. I am experiencing a little pressure at my anus. My nurse told me to take a sanitary napkin, wet it and put it in the freezer. Then apply it to the netherland so if it is an anal fissure( hemorrhoid) it will go back up. Hemorrhoids were something I never thought I would possibly have, but I never thought I would have breast cancer either, go figure. In lay men's terms, I don't like feeling pressure at my butt hole!!!!

Mentally, I have had a lot of breakthroughs. I still go back and forth sometimes in my mind about the different after effects related to chemo/radiation and my breast cancer in general. I strive to stay focused and sit on my rock of Faith. A lot of people and situations that used to bother me don't bother me anymore. Some things I am still mastering. There are so many things that I want to do and I need to get it in my head that the most important thing is for me to heal and get better. Then I will be able to do everything efficiently. My thoughts about people and systems have changed a lot. I have been allowed to truly witness people who have strong character and at the same time witness people who are truly weak in character. It's amazing who stands strong throughout and those who fall to the wayside in times of difficulty. I have seen some truly selfish people and some people that have been so selfless towards me that it deems them Saints. What I have seen that disturbed me the most were the people who I had been there unconditionally for turn away from me during my time of need. I have never been one to do something for someone to get something in return but the brashness and coldness of these people really did perplex me. It taught me.. it taught me about myself and about the person I want to be. It made me to take a good, honest look at my character flaws and change them immediately. People should strive not to be characters but to have character.

Post #55- Chronological Details Of Chemo Cycle Two (Day One)

noreply@blogger.com (ENFENETEE) — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 12:38:00 +0000

January 12, 2009

1:30 am- I finally fell asleep

4:30 am- I had to go to the bathroom. I hydrated myself very well for chemo so I am a frequently going to the bathroom. I will take a liter and a half of water with me to chemo to flush out the excess. for two days I will have to stay extremely hydrated to flush the chemo especially the Cytoxan out of my bladder. Cytoxan has been known to sometimes cause additional cancers after chemo treatments. So it is important not to hold your urine at all and to eliminate frequently.

6:20 am- I get a text that my cousin has gone into labor. She was due in February. I missed the baby shower because I wasn't feeling well and I couldn't be exposed to any germs. I won't see the baby or her for months, not until I am finished chemo and radiation. Sorry I can't be there, love you! I try to roll over to go back to sleep but I just lay in bed thinking.

7:00 am- My alarm goes off. I don't want to move I hit the snooze.

7:09 am- I get up because I have to go to the bathroom. I go downstairs and fix some breakfast because I have to eat when I take my decadron at 8:00 am. I fixed an english muffin with a fried egg, cheddar cheese and smoked turkey. I am trying to have a good protein breakfast so that my cells will be ready to rejuvenate after destruction ( only the healthy cells). My knees are hurting a bit, I don't know why I guess they are not looking forward to the chemo either.

9:00 am- Still not dressed had to find some paper work. Called my Mother and my Aunt.

9:24 am- Still not dressed but kicking it into high gear.

9:50 am- Out the door and on the way.

10:20 am- Arrive at Maryland Oncology. The beginning of each cycle I see my Oncologist before I have chemo.

10:30 am- I see my Oncologist. Everything is going well. My blood work looks good. I didn't like the fact that my blood pressure was 134/82 it has never been that high. I see a correlation every time I get examined by a Doctor my pressure goes up. The MA said I have white coat syndrome, lol..

10:50 am- Finally got upstairs to the Infusion Center. I was given a calendar with each treatment clearly written out. All the secretary has to do is schedule the time that I come into the Infusion Center a month in advance. For some reason she only scheduled me for herceptin, not full chemotherapy. She said she dropped the ball. I should say she did. She got it straightened out but I could here the pharmacist bitching because he had to prepare so much medicine at the last minute. I understand but they made the error.

11:05 am- Just got the line ( needle) put into my port and the drew my blood for blood work. Now I am being infused with Sodium Chloride which is continually infused throughout the entire treatment.

11:32 am- Now I am getting my pre chemo drugs they come in one bag. Kytril ( nausea), Benadryl ( allergic reactions), Decadron ( increase white blood cells, allergis reactions, inflammation), Xantac ( anxiety) and still receiving Sodium Chloride.

11:50 am- Pre Chemo drugs are all done. Now I have to wait 30 minutes until I can start my chemo drugs.

12:03 pm- I am feeling really sleepy. My heart feels like it's beating really slow.

12:15 pm- Bathroom break

12:20 pm- Started Taxotere infusion and fell asleep

2:00 pm- Cytoxan and Taxotere infusions are done. I slept right thru Cytoxan but I did feel my sinuses sting when the Cytoxan must have been being infused.

2:07 pm- Starting Herceptin Infusion. They are moving this along quickly today.

3:15 pm-Herceptin is done and I am out. I was suppose to have my Neulasta shot at 9:00 am tomorrow but because the Secretary made a mistake I have to go at 3:45 pm. I mad because I have genetic testing tomorrow to see if I possess the breast cancer gene at 11:00 am in the same building but now I have a lot of waiting time in between. Oh well.

3:21 pm- In the car on the way to Home Depot, Walmart, The bank and The Grocery Store.

6:11 pm- Arrive home from the store. Unpack the bags and eat. I haven't eaten one thing since this morning. They didn't have any snacks in the basket today at the Infusion Center. :( I had leftovers tonight liver with onions and gravy, lima beans, rice and garlic bread. I fixed liver three days ago and it seems like it will never end, lol...

7:30 pm- We were going to re shoot a segment for the TV show tonight but I don't think it's going to happen. I am beat. The last time I had chemo I stayed up all night, not this time I can't wait to go to bed!

8:00 pm- I want to go to sleep but I have to eat again now because I am have to take my decadron (steroids). I am not hungry but I have to take this medicine with food!!!

8:06 pm- I don't want to eat. So Iam going to have an english muffin with butter and Smucker's Aplle jelly. Butter is starting to taste real nasty to me and I love butter. Everything is starting to tate like medicine.

8:17 pm- I jut got a picture mail of my Cousin's new born baby. I need to make some calls but I am beat. I'll text everyone instead, I am so tired.

8:20 pm- I am opening up the mail and I see DANNON is now sponsoring me with ACTIVIA Yogurt to help battle my constipation during Chemotherapy. Thank you DANNNON!!!!!! I didn't even know they had 12 packs of Activia!!! Wow. GOD is good all the time!!!!!!!!

9:00 pm- Still can't sleep yet because I have to take Pepcid for bone pain prevention.

9:05 pm- Going to take my shower and get ready for bed only one more medicine to take tonight.

10:00 pm- Now I am taking my Claritin for bone pain prevention.

Hopefully I can go to sleep sometime soon. If not you will know tomorrow when I post about Day 2 of Cycle 2

PEACE!!

10:19 pm- My ankles are swelling and they hurt. I have a dull pain in my chest. I guess I will be up for a while now.

Post #54- Cycle #2 Of Chemo Starts Tomorrow

noreply@blogger.com (ENFENETEE) — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 00:30:00 +0000

Cycle 2 of chemo starts tomorrow. I am not going to pack as much in my chemo bag as I did last week. I'll just try to sleep as much as I can. The last few days have been pretty hard for me. I was just starting to feel ok and here comes another round already. My face is clearing up and my appetite is good. I am living off of cheddar cheese toast, Activia Yogurt, Juices and Ensure for the most part. A few other things here and there.

I wasn't able to go produce the pilot for the TV Show Friday because I had the outpatient surgery so that bummed me out. I was able to call into the radio station and co host my Shero Segment on The Larry Young Morning Show on Wednedsday and Co Host the Deakon K show in Thursday. I had my very competent Co Producer go for the TV show taping so it was just like me going. My segments for the show have been completed already and the pilot will air on The CW on January 23, 2009 at 4:00 am. Pause For The Cause/ X9 TV Show. I saw some of the footage and it looks good. So I look forward to the editing process. I love to edit.

I have been very introverted this weekend and it will probably continue for a minute. Just trying to unwind and keep everything in it's proper perspective. I don't feel like talking much. I am not even looking at any TV just quiet time for my mind. As the days go by it hits me more and more. I have to dig deep to stay afloat sometimes. Just putting some things to rest permanently. It amazes how small things can have such great impacts on our lives. They sometimes actually can change the course of your life. We do have free will. I have learned a lot about myself from having cancer. Today I finally finished examining the essence of it all. I cried like I haven't cried in years. I needed that. I got it all out. It's so wild when people do things to you and they don't know how they affected you from that point on. They just go on about their lives and you are left to carry the burden and suffer for things you did not have any control of. I realize finally that's it's not me, it's them and if they are still hurting me it's because I am giving them that power. No one should have that kind of power over anyone, only GOD! So I say to the world that I am all cried out and ready to smile again. So this is to put everyone on notice I didn't take any bull S*** before and my eyes are wide open. So if you come at me you better come correct. If you have offended me and wronged me don't even come at me. I am done with you and it's not because I am hateful, angry or bitter, it's because I have to take care of me first. It will be about me first taking care of my temple. Worrying and stressing over fools that I have encountered in my life is dishonoring GOD who has kept me alive when I should have been dead from this cancer along time ago. So I am not going anywhere and I still look damn good to have breast cancer. Now I am just waiting til next year. My Surgeon told me all I have to do is decide what size I want to be DD, H, G, lol....So that's right haters I am not going anywhere. I am going to be the perky old lady at 90 years old that you still hate. ENFENETEE IS FOREVER SO DON'T FORGET THE NAME!!!!!!!!! I love you Mommy! You have really changed and I am glad our relationship is better and getting better and better everyday. Thank you for being open and honest with me. Thank you for understanding why I blog and not being offended. It has helped me to grow knowing the truth. So everyone read these lyrics, if you feel funny while your reading the lyrics it's just because it pertains to you, lol... I am going to highlight a few lines that I feel strongly about. Til tomorrow, PEACE!!!!!!

Jill Scott Lyrics - Hate On Me Lyrics

If I could give you the world
On a silver platter
Would it even matter?
You’d still be mad at me

If I could find in all this
A dozen roses
Which I would give to you
You’d still be miserable

In reality, I’m gonna be who I be
And I don’t feel no faults
For all the lies that you bought
You can try as you may
Break me down but I say
That it ain’t up to you
Gone and do what you do

CHORUS
Hate on me, hater
Now or later
‘Coz I’m gonna do me
You’ll be mad, baby
Go ‘head and hate
Go ‘head and hate on me, hate on
‘Coz I’m not afraid of it
What I got I paid for
You can hate on me

Ooh, if I gave you peaches
Out of my own garden
And I made you a peach pie
Would you slap me high

What if I gave you diamonds
Out of my own womb
Would you feel the love in that,
Or ask “why not the moon”?

If I gave you sanity
For the whole of humanity,
Had all the solutions
For the pain and pollution

No matter where I live,
Despite the things I give,
You’ll always be this way
So go ‘head and….

You cannot hate on me
‘Cuz my mind is free
Feel my destiny
So shall it be

To watch and listen to the song... then go buy the download!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qw3Z8Oa7E3Y&feature=PlayList&p=BFC529DEB98AABF3&playnext=1&index=2

Buy the album here
http://shop.hiddenbeach.com/index.php?target=products&product_id=29779

Post #53- Getting Ready For Tomorrow

noreply@blogger.com (ENFENETEE) — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 18:52:00 +0000

Well I am getting ready for tomorrow. I don't have to do anything physically to prepare but I have to get my mental right. Working on my mental is important because I am my biggest enemy. Faith and positivity have to surround me. I have to eliminate all negative and toxic people out of my life. I know what needs to be done and I have definitely learned that obedience is greater than sacrifice. So I will be definitely be obedient to GOD, have faith and it will work itself out the way that it needs to be.

Post #52- Another Lump In The Right Breast- Biopsy scheduled for friday!!!

noreply@blogger.com (ENFENETEE) — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 23:11:00 +0000

Well I found another lump this time it's in the right breast. Lol..it would have to be the right breast because the left one is gone. Before I got my Herceptin Infusion I saw the Physicians Assistant, I told him about the lump I found. He immediately called my Oncologist. My Oncologist came upstairs to check the lump. He said they saw something on the MRI that I took in November but it wasn't suspicious. He told me he was going to call my Surgeon and that it should be biopsied. So of course this is hard to swallow. Not again, I keep thinking and even why me, slithers in now and then. Then I think better now than later and I will be ok. We stayed on course I received my Herceptin infusion and called my Surgeon when I was finished with the infusion. I love the nurses at his office. when I called they told me to come right in and they fit me right in. My Surgeon looked at my lump and it was decided that Friday I would have it biopsied. So I will be back in the hospital this Friday for my first surgery of 2009. Didn't think this would be happening but this has been how my life has been going for the last year and a half. So I'll pray that it's nothing and rush the days until my mastectomy can be completed fully. I am mentally drained right now. Again this is why I want the right breast removed could you imagine going through this 5, 10 or 20 years down the road. Damn, it's hard and it's only been two months since my left breast was removed.

All I can say is whatever will be will be.

Post #51- CONSTIPATION!! Finally Relief!!!

noreply@blogger.com (ENFENETEE) — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 19:10:00 +0000

Constipation is a side effect associated with over 150 prescription medications. It seems like every medicine that I take can cause constipation. Chemo constipation is the worst!!!!! Last week I suffered and suffered. I was told to take Miralax it did nothing in fact I think it made me worse, I know it made me feel worse. Yes, there are people who say I am full of Sugar Honey and Ice Tea but last week I really felt like that. Miserable, stomach pains, gas, bloated. Chemo induced constipation plus I have never been what you can call "regular". That makes for a bad mix. The Miralax did nothing. I could tell it was a lot of bowel in there and it just did not have the push it needed to come out on it's own. So I gave myself an enema in fact two enemas. It was not a good experience. I felt like I was having a baby out of my butt and once it started it didn't want to stop. The whole situation ended horribly. I could not sit because of the pressure, blood in my stool and my Doctor thought I pushed out a hemorrhoid!!! I never had a hemorrhoid before so I was freaking out. My Doctor told me to put an ice pack on my butt. I was miserable!!!!!

My chemo nurse told me to try Senokot-S. I tried it last night and I just went to the bathroom and it was pain free. I know this is not the best thing to talk about, however, when you are on chemo and are constipated it's pure hell. This may be too much information for some of you but my Cancer family can understand and I hope this helps someone else. When I went to move my bowels at first I was disappointed because it only felt like a little came out. NO cramping, no pain so I thought well maybe this is just the first one. I got up and much to my surprise bowel filled up the toilet and was coming above the water line. I never felt it come out. It just slid out. Now what other constipated people know is that sometimes when you are constipated your stools can be thin like pencils and you will experience sharp pain for this little bit of nothing. Well the stools produced from the Senokot-S were big, well formed and obviously soft because I could not feel all that come out. I know this sounds crazy but this has made my day!!! It feels so good to be free, like a weight has been lifted off of my shoulders. LOL, a weight has been lifted but not off of my shoulders... You can say a lot about me but you will never say I don't keep it real!!!

Post #50- Found A Lump In The Right Breast

noreply@blogger.com (ENFENETEE) — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 17:39:00 +0000

I was examining my right breast and I found a lump. I was devastated. I go tomorrow for my herceptin infusion so I will tell my Doctor. I am so glad that the right breast will be coming off too but it's not fast enough for me. I have to wait a year until my herceptin treatment is over because the surgery will be a major dual surgery, right mastectomy and reconstruction of both breasts at the same time. This is why I wanted both breast removed. I would never be comfortable, every little lump is a trigger, a reminder and I didn't want cancer again 5 or 10 years down the road.

I have decided not to worry. I am getting Chemo and Herceptin now and I if it's going down the best time is now. Get it all out of the way. Either way it's coming off so I'll be fine. It's just that it took me by surprise. I WILL NOT LET BREAST CANCER MAKE ME PARANOID!!!! That's another form of fear and as long as I got GOD I am fine either way. I have been saying I needed to find some stress techniques to calm me. I am going to stop looking and do some today. I have to find a way to still live and be happy that has been my problem. I look at the future so much I don't enjoy today. I am going to start enjoying the present, forgetting the past and letting the future take care of itself. I can't change the future or the past so why even worry about it.

I am going to enjoy myself today watch some good shows on the History Channel. They are running a series on The Seven Deadly Sins. I wish I could say I was going to eat some good food but I can't taste it so I don't know if it's good or not, lol... I hate eating now, food is either salty, extremely sweet, bitter or metallic. YUCKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK! I love to eat so this is very hard on me. I'll make the best of it, I always do.

Post #49- Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow!

noreply@blogger.com (ENFENETEE) — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 17:13:00 +0000

Yesterday was a day to remember. When I found out I had Breast cancer on 10/30/08 I had a fit and cut my hair off. I did this because I wanted to have control over something. It appeared that breast cancer had taken over my life and it had. Well from 10/30/08 until 1/3/09 my hair grew back like crazy. Of course it would, lol. I knew it was about that time that my hair would start falling out. The people I read about who are on Taxotere and Cytoxan have said hair shedding started anywhere from the the 8th day after you chemo treament and on. Well yesterday was day 12 for me and I knew it had started. Hair started coming out from everywhere not just my head when I was in the shower. So I knew it was time for the baldy. I have cut off all my hair numerous times for various reasons, bad color, bad cut, bad perm etc... so everyone thought this part should be a cakewalk for me. But it wasn't! It was very emotional for me because this made it extremely real. This solidified it. Something had entered my body against my will and tried to kill me. Something I had no control over. Now I have the evidence in my face. It symbolized helplessness to me. It symbolized how little control we really have. It was sad for me. It never bothered me when I cut my hair before because that was the choice I made. With this I had no choice. My hair was coming out regardless, whether I wanted it to or not. So it made the the action even harder. Should I hold onto a few strands and look like Charlie Brown or shave it all off and just wait to look like Mr. Clean. Mr. Clean won because I was going to bald eventually anyway.

When I looked at myself it was even worse. Now I look like I have cancer. I put on my Louis Vuitton Scarf ( thinking I would look stylish) and I still just look like a cancer person with a scarf. I have cancer people ears now. Because the scarf pushes your ears out a bit. Glad I have small ears, lol.... I look like I don't have hair underneath. My head was cold last night I had to put on one of my winter hats in the house. I never knew how much heat you loose through your head. My scalp is dry from the chemo. In fact all my skin is dry and I usually have extremely oily skin. So this takes some getting used to.

I got some more cranial prosthesis (WIGS,LOL). So I will wear the different ones until my head becomes to sore to wear them. Hopefully that won't happen. If so, I have some scarf ideas that I will hook up. We videotaped the cutting of my hair for the documentary that I am doing about my breast cancer. It's hard to watch it. All I can say is that it is really, really, really, real now!

Post #48- To Blog Or Not To Blog That Is The Question

noreply@blogger.com (ENFENETEE) — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 18:21:00 +0000

Why do I blog? Why would I open myself up like this? Why are you pulling those skeletons out of the closet? Why? Why? Why? Is all I hear!!!

I decided to blog for a number of reasons.

1. After I found out that I had breast cancer I couldn't believe it. Once I began to educate myself about breast cancer I found out that the mortality rate for women under forty was astronomical and the survival rate for African American women under 40 with breast cancer was devastatingly high (like a death sentence). So because I am in the public eye I felt that it was my duty to educate and enlighten young women on breast cancer and to use my situation to show the harsh reality of it. My hope is that my story would inevitably save someones life.

2. Once I started blogging I saw that it was certain things in my life that needed to be changed no, more so addressed and confronted. Cancer like any life threatening disease puts things in the proper perspective real quick. I started seeing things for what they were, started seeing things about myself that I didn't like and prayed to GOD to help me change. Once I started examining the things I didn't like I wanted to get to the essence of why I was doing certain things. Was it nature or nurture? That in turn took me down some roads that had not been traveled down in years. Some roads I had purposely put road blocks in front of. I knew if I wanted to heal physically I had to heal spiritually and emotionally first. So I thought I had opened up a can of worms but instead came out black mambas. Just like I couldn't be afraid of cancer I couldn't be afraid of my past and the things that have happened to me. In order to be whole I had to have peace about certain things because understanding sometimes come last. So some people think I threw them under the bus but I didn't. It's really not even about you. It's about the experiences and acts themselves. What I have learned from Cancer is that you have to have faith and be fearless. So when I started blogging things just came out. Sometimes I didn't know where it was going but by the end of the blog I had gotten peace. When you are getting rid of cancer you must do it on all three levels, spiritual, mental and physical in order for you to be whole and healthy. I have had people tell me that I have helped them by sharing my life with them. They have helped me too, by letting me know that bad things just didn't happen to me, that it's not personally, it's just the world we live in. So I have given and received strength from total strangers. Isn't that what life is about. So for everyone who is embarrassed, mad or ashamed because they participated in certain negative events in my life, don't be. Embrace your inner thoughts and demons and heal yourself. I am not going to stop blogging and whatever GOD leads me to blog about I will.

I never practised SELF FIRST THEN OTHERS. I wish I had because it works. I genuinely see that once you help yourself ( which in essence is loving yourself) you automatically help others. I honestly blog for unselfish reasons so don't worry about my house. You may clean your house by calling a maid service. I am choosing to clean every inch of my house on my knees with a toothbrush so I don't miss a spot. So this is why I blog :)

Eminem said it best. For me just substitute the word Mama for the word Everybody and you will know where I am coming from.

I'm sorry mama, I never meant to hurt you, I never meant to make you cry, but tonight I'm cleanin' out my closet, I said I'm sorry mama, I never meant to hurt you, I never meant to make you cry, but tonight I'm cleanin' out my closet......................................................

Post #47- What Happened During My Chemotherapy Session

noreply@blogger.com (ENFENETEE) — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 17:31:00 +0000

How could have forgotten this, lol.. To tell you exactly what happens during Chemotherapy. There may be a such thing as Chemo brain after all. If it's not I sure like using the excuse while I am on chemo :)!

The infusion center ( the place where you get chemo) is set up with 16 burgundy recliner chairs. They have blankets, snacks (I like looking through the snack basket) and water. Unfortunately they don't have real food like I heard some other infusion centers have but they have a microwave if you want to heat up some food you brought from home. Plus what they lack in food the nurses make it up in personality and caring. They are really wonderful. Plus I got a gift bag (breast cancer has it's perks, I have so many pink bags and gifts) it had coupons in it and a wonderful massager. I didn't know they had blankets so I brought my own. Plus I brought a big bag of things to do, suduko, logic puzzles, PSP, journals, magazines, water/unsweetened cranberry juice, ensure...Ok I like to pack and I didn't use or eat one thing out of the bag. I just drank my cranberry water.

When I first went in they drew my blood to make sure my white and red blood cell count was high enough for me to get chemo. It was good and they gave me a sheet where they will write my counts down every chemo session so I can keep a record of it. The port worked well. The needle stung a bit because I had surgery three days prior but the pain went away fast. My veins were so happy that they were not getting abused anymore.

Next I got the pre chemotherapy cocktail. It consisted of Benadryl, Kytril, Dexamethasone, Zantax in one bag and a separate bag saline solution ( which continues through the entire treatment)

Zantac- is used to treat and prevent ulcers in the stomach and intestines

Benadryl- is an antihistamine. Benadryl blocks the effects of the naturally occurring chemical histamine in the body.

Dexamethasone-As an anti-inflammatory medication. Decadron relieves inflammation in various parts of the body. It is used specifically to decrease swelling (edema), associated with tumors of the spine and brain, and to treat eye inflammation.
To treat or prevent allergic reactions.
As treatment of certain kinds of autoimmune diseases, skin conditions, asthma and other lung conditions.
As treatment for a variety of cancers, such as leukemia, lymphoma, and multiple myeloma.
To treat nausea and vomiting associated with some chemotherapy drugs.
Used to stimulate appetite in cancer patients with severe appetite problems

Kytril- is an anti-emetic agent, used to prevent nausea and vomiting, caused by cancer chemotherapy and radiation.

So all this pre cocktail solution goes into me by way of infusion through my port. Then I have to wait for 30 minutes after it have finished to start chemotherapy.

The chemotherapy solution is made each time you come and it is based on your height and weight.

The first chemotherapy drug administered was the Taxotere. It made my heart race rapidly then it went back to normal.

Second was Cytoxan. Now the Cytoxan was a doosie. I could feel it go up to my mouth my lips felt like they were swelling. I then felt it burn my right side of my brain and in my breast. That is not a good feeling. Cytoxan is no joke. I had a few strange feelings but they said it was all normal. I have to write everything down next time because while I was going through it the last thing I felt like doing was writing it all down. I was a little paranoid because some people experience severe reactions to these chemos and I wanted to tell them every little thing I was experiencing.

Finally the Herceptin. I experienced a heart flutter when the Herceptin infusion was administered. That was not cool. Your heart really feels like it is fluttering. So by now I want to take a nap. So I tried to nap in between me going to the bathroom to urinate about every 15 minutes. With the cranberry water and the saline solution I had to go. Of course I was in the chair furthest from the bathroom so I had to keep walking past everyone. I was the youngest person in there by decades and they kept looking at me like I must have some bladder control problem. It wasn't that at all, I just wanted to flush the excess chemo out of me. They said the Cytoxan can not be kept in the bladder especially the first two days because of it's toxicity and it can cause other cancers :(. So after the Herceptin I had to wait an half hour to make sure I didn't have any adverse reactions then I was sent on my merry way.

Because of the steroid pills and the steroid infusion I did not sleep that Monday night. I was wired and the next day I had to get the Neulasta shot. It was quite an experience.

Post # 46- Still Handling My Business

noreply@blogger.com (ENFENETEE) — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 15:35:00 +0000

I am trying to figure out whether I am a workaholic or is it that I just like what I do. Maybe it's a little bit of both. I have had several people email me wanting to know how I managed to be on the radio show this week and last week when I am going through this and that I should just rest. My answer is I'll rest when I die and then again knowing me I won't rest then because I'll be trying to get into something. It was a great honor to be a asked to be a part of The Larry Young Morning Show and I was asked to be a part of it a few days before I found out I had breast cancer. When I found out Senator Young told me the days I didn't feel well I could just call from home and be patched in. It's just like I am in the studio. How did I muster up the strength, you do what you have to do because there is a day coming after this one ( That's what the wise man told me). Did I suffer afterwards, yes I did. My throat was done. But I did it. Was it hard getting up, yes because of all the days and times that's when I felt like I could sleep, lol. Doesn't it always happen like that.

Blessings keep coming because I was also offered to co host another radio show on Radio One WOLB 1010 starting next week and to help develop a pilot TV show in Baltimore that premiers this month. I'll be doing the Arts/Entertainment and the Health segments. So I will be practising drawing my eyebrows on. I am not going to let any grass grow under my feet and I hope that I can be an inspiration to show people that you can be down but you don't have to out. I will take the proper precautions when my white blood cell counts are low and make sure that I get my rest. I know proper nutrition will be a must. I also know that where there is a will there is a way. GOD never gives us anything we can't handle so I know it's all good and everything is going to be alright!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Post # 45- The Mental and Psychological Aspects Of It All

noreply@blogger.com (ENFENETEE) — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 14:54:00 +0000

How do I feel mentally? Well it's been exactly 2 months since I found out I had breast cancer. I have had PET/CT scans, MRI's, X-rays, Left modified radical mastectomy, Left axillary lymph node dissection with 23 lymph nodes removed, Drains coming out of my sides, a port catheter installed on my chest ( that will be in my chest well over a year), I've taken over 20 different types of medicine ( I am going to make a list of all those just for my personal record), Seen over 10 Doctors, Had over 30 Doctors visits, Had Chemotherapy, Herceptin and Neulasta infusions ( and will still have it for several months to come), Had my veins poked till they turned black (that's why I have the port), Found and lost, friends and family, Moved, Became a part of a new radio show and started a journey of rediscovery. All that since OCTOBER 30, 2008.

I still have to have a lot more Chemotherapy, Herceptin, Neulasta (Over the next few months) and then Radiation. I will still have Herceptin after radiation so that puts my surgery to have my right side breast mastectomy back until after I finish my Herceptin in one year. So then it will be removal of the right breast and reconstruction of both breast at the same time.

So when I do have a moment that I feel a little normal. Which has been far and few, having one breast brings me back to the fact that I have breast cancer. Again for my mental, I wish they both could have been removed at the same time but health wise it would have been too much on my body. My chemo needed to start ASAP and chemo would have been delayed greatly by the removal of both breasts because of the time that would have been needed for me to heal. So when I look at my scar and it's not bad at all. In fact when my surgeon put my port in on 12/19 he looked at the mastectomy side and said "Damn I did a good job", lol... He did! It's just hard because when I look at it I know what it means ( I have breast cancer) and then I look at the other one and want it removed right away. But I have to wait. :(...

I have a couple weeks and I can go and get fitted for my breast prosthesis. So at least I won't look like the girl on the Oblong cartoon. I will be able to wear a bra. One side massive cleavage, the other side, lol..nothing. Well I guess that will give me a reason to shop for all new spring/summer clothes. Maybe I'll design some fly and sexy mastectomy apparel :)

I am keeping a positive attitude and praying that's all I can do. I am going to beat this because I have a second chance at life and I am not going to let anyone or anything stand in my way not even my own ignorance. I've had to give up a lot and I have been given even more since I found out I had breast cancer. My blessings keep coming so I have to stay positive. I do have my days when I just want to scream and I did say I wanted to die when I was having bone pain last week but my adopted grandmother told me Jesus cried so just let it out. I do have times when I want to have a pity party but the people around me just won't have it (Thank you). So I am good. It could have been a lot worse last week. A whole lot worse!!! I am thankful that I am alive and I am thankful that I am able to fight the good fight. I am thankful that through it all I am going to be me and that GOD has given me some powerful insight and has taken a lot of personalism away from me so that I can make the right decisions and be the Captain of my destiny in this new life I am getting!!!! Soon I'll be back on stage and I have even more plans :) Wait til you hear the new music....hmmmm. They always say you make your best music during trials and tribulations so I'm definitely seeing awards in my future. :)

Post # 44- It's Been Too Long But Chemo Kicked My Butt

noreply@blogger.com (ENFENETEE) — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 14:18:00 +0000

So it's been a minute. Chemo, chemo, chemo. What more can I say, lol... I knew it was not going to be a walk in the park on a sunny day. It was more like a getting robbed during a cold winters day in the middle of most desolate place in Alaska. With that I mean you can have all the comfort in the world but when you get ice cold chills on the outside of your skin and your flesh seems to burn up at the same time while your bones appear to be being twisted by some unknown force, it's like you are in this world alone. That's when the only person you can call on is GOD and Percocet becomes your best friend.

I hate taking medicine so I would tough it out until the pain got excruciating. My reasoning and I still stand by it and will handle it the same way for my next chemo cycles, is that, I am already taking so much medicine, the chemo is killing cancer cells and healthy cells so the last thing I need to do is add one more medicine. So I only take my pain medicine when it is extremely necessary. Believe me I took a few Percocets last week.

Side effects that I experienced last week, nausea, dry mouth, extremely wet mouth, dry throat, rash, mouth sores, chronic painful constipation (that's a separate post), ice cold chills, hot burning flesh, excruciating headaches that would precede the bone aches, bouts of sudden onset fatigue, a little depression, sore throat, slight blood in my stool (when I did finally move my bowels it wouldn't stop, 15 times on Monday!!), heightened smell and loss of taste. All this since 12/22/2008. These side effects were a cumulative effect from the chemo then and the Neulasta shot I got on 12/23 to bring my white blood cell count up from the chemo.

Monday 12/29/08 I went in for my weekly Herceptin infusion. Remember I get an 1 1/2 hour infusion of Herceptin for 12 weeks straight, then every three weeks for 1 year. That went well and my white blood cell count was good. My red blood cell count was low but it always is and it wasn't extremely low. I haven't had any chest pains or shortness of breath from Herceptin so far so I am happy about that.

January 1, 2009, I feel a lot better. When I woke up, I thanked GOD because I didn't know if I would make it to 2009 for more reasons than just cancer. So to wake up to a beautiful, bright sunny day felt so good. My bedroom faces east so I get the first morning sun rays. I have some bone pain now but it's not worth taking a Percocet over yet. I still have my hair, eyebrows, eyelashes etc.. they haven't come out yet. Maybe I'll be that exception, lol.. If I am, I will be soooooooooooooooooooooooooo mad because I cut all my hair off shortly after I found out I had cancer during a fit so if I did that for no reason, lol.. Plus I want my good hair :)! I am going to try to do a little exercising today. I'll let you know how that works out, lol.

Post #43 - Today Is A Good Day

noreply@blogger.com (ENFENETEE) — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 18:13:00 +0000

I know I am getting chemo tomorrow but GOD is good. I am thankful for life! Thank you GOD for giving me strength and enlightenment. Thank you for bringing wonderful people in my life. It's not quantity it's quality!!!!

Post #42- Chemo Count Down

noreply@blogger.com (ENFENETEE) — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 17:49:00 +0000

Tomorrow is coming so fast. My prescriptions are filled. Dexamethasone, Compazine, Avelox, Percocet, Claritin, Tylenol.

DEXAMETHASONE

I started taking my Dexamethasone this morning I take two pills, two times a day for the next three days.

Dexamethasone is a member of the glucocorticoid class of hormones. This means they are steroids but, unlike the anabolic steroids that we hear about regarding sports medicine, these are "catabolic" steroids. Instead of building the body up, they are designed to break down stored resources (fats, sugars and proteins) so that they may be used as fuels in times of stress. Cortisone would be an example of a related hormone with which most people are familiar. Glucocorticoids hormones are produced naturally by the adrenal glands.

We do not use glucocorticoids for their influences on glucose and protein metabolism; we use them because they are also the most broadly anti-inflammatory medications that we have. Their uses fit into several groups:
Anti-inflammatory (especially for joint pain and itchy skin)
Immune-suppression (treatment of conditions where the immune system is destructively hyperactive. Higher doses are required to actually suppress the immune system)
Cancer Chemotherapy (especially in the treatment of lymphoma)
Central Nervous System Disorders (usually after trauma or after a disc episode to relieve swelling in the brain or spinal cord)
Shock (steroids seem to help improve circulation)
Blood Calcium Reduction (in medical conditions where blood calcium is dangerously high treatment is needed to reduce levels to normal)

SIDE EFFECTS
Dexamethasone does not have activity in the kidney leading to the conservation of salt. This means that the classical side effects of dexamethasone use ( excessive thirst and excessive urination) are less pronounced with this steroid than with others. This makes dexamethasone a more appropriate choice for patients with concurrent heart disease or other condition requiring restricted salt intake. If this occurs, another steroid can be selected or the dexamethasone dose can be dropped.
Dexamethasone is commonly used for several weeks or even months at a time to get a chronic process under control. It is important that the dose be tapered to an every third day schedule once the condition is controlled. The reason for this is that body will perceive these hormones and not produce any of its own. In time, the adrenal glands will atrophy so that when the medication is discontinued, the patient will be unable to respond to any stressful situation. An actual circulatory crisis can result. By using the medication every other day, this allows the body's own adrenal glands to remain active

COMPAZINE

Compazine is the drug I can take for nausea. I don't know about this one I may ask for an alternative anti-nausea drug

AVELOX

Avelox is my antibiotic. I have to take my temperature throughout the day and it it reaches 100.4 I have to start taking my antibiotic and call my Doctor immediately. All of my prescriptions have at least three refills on them.

This is what Avelox does.

Bacterial infections are among the most common reasons that people seek health care worldwide. These infections interfere with activities of daily living, burden the health care system, and can lead to serious medical complications.

Avelox® (moxifloxacin hydrochloride) is an antibiotic that is highly active against many different bacteria, including those that are most likely to contribute to acute bacterial sinusitis, acute exacerbations of chronic bronchitis, and community-acquired pneumonia. Avelox has also been proven effective in the treatment of skin and skin structure infections and intra-abdominal infections caused by certain bacteria. Avelox rapidly travels to the site of infection, and provides fast clinical recovery. Avelox has a well-characterized safety profile, which has been studied in over 14,000 patients in clinical trials and 92,000 patients in post marketing surveillance studies. Furthermore Avelox has been used to treat more than 98 million patients worldwide.

CLARITIN

I have to start this today also and I have to take it for a week to prevent aches from the Neulasta shot I get on Tuesday.

PERCOCET/TYLENOL

For pain, especially the Percocet.

Post #41- Getting Ready For Chemo Monday

noreply@blogger.com (ENFENETEE) — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 19:58:00 +0000

If it's going down let's get it over with!!! I love to pack for trips so I am taking all my enthusiam in packing and packing my chemo bags. What are chemo bags you may ask? Well there are two types that I will have my everyday chemo bag and my chemo/herceptin day chemo bag.

My everyday chemo bag is just that a bag I have to carry around whenever I leave the house. It consists of a digital thermometer ( I have to take my temeprature throughout the day and if it gets over 100.4 I have to immediately start taking my antibiotics and call the Doctor), thermometer covers, neosporin, gloves, band aids, biotene for dry mouth, contact rewetting solution, tissues, toilet seat cover, travel size of contact solution and case, travel size spray lysol, face mask, hand sanitizer, blistex, q-tips and baby wipes.

I am still packing my chemo/herceptin day bag. I will take that bag when I go have chemo. My chemo session will last between 5-6 hours. So I have to take water, snacks, nooks, portable dvd, dvds, my journal etc..still packing. I have to invest in an Ipod I can't believe I haven't brought one yet, lol..

Post #40- Port Put In And I Feel Worse Than After The Mastectomy

noreply@blogger.com (ENFENETEE) — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 17:58:00 +0000

The picture to the left is exactly what I had done and exactly how the port is placed in my body. I feel horrible. It's uncomfortable for now, I feel it move a little when I get up and I have pain in my chest when I lift my right arm up. This time I am taking my pain medicine. I was given heavy sedation during my procedure. I was told some people get local anesthesia but I was knocked out before I was wheeled out of the pre op room into the the operating room. When I woke up they ordered a chest x-ray and I was able to go home about an hour later. Looking at the picture it is a little frightening no one wants something in this in them. Truthfully I am scared to move around. My shoulder hurts also. This was nothing like the mastectomy. I was able to move around and I had no pain. This on the other hand is very different. I have to pray that everything works out well, I will have this port in for over a year. Now because I am getting the herceptin ( because I am Her-2 neu positive) for a year I can't have the right mastectomy with reconstruction on both sides until I have completed the full year cycle of medicine.

Here is more detailed info about the port and it's associated risks.

An implanted port is made up of two parts: a catheter (kath-uh-ter) and a port. A catheter is a small plastic flexible tube. A port is a pocket for fluids that you get through the catheter. It is made of metal or plastic and holds a small amount of liquid. One end of the catheter is connected to the port, and the other end goes through a vein near your heart.

Most ports are the size of a quarter. They have plastic or metal on the sides and rubber over the top. The port is placed right under your skin and you can usually feel it through your skin. A special needle goes through your skin and the rubber on top of the port when the port is used. By having an access port, you can have blood taken for tests, and get IV fluids quickly and easily. Having the port may keep your arm from being stuck many times with a needle.

A vein is a tube inside you that carries blood from the body to the heart and lungs. Your doctor will put the catheter into a vein near your neck. The port is placed on your chest near your collarbone, or in your upper arm. If the port will be used often, there may be a catheter tube (tail) attached to the needle. It will hang down onto your chest.

RISKS

There are always risks with any medical procedure. You may have more bleeding than usual or get an infection (in-fek-shun). You could have trouble breathing, or get blood clots. The port may become blocked or clogged. If this happens, you may need to have a special medicine put into the port to unclog it. The tip of the catheter could move out of place, or the catheter could get a leak in it. This may cause IV fluid to leak out into your skin, and damage it.

The port may become loose and move around. Air could get into your blood stream through the catheter, or you could get an irregular heartbeat. Rarely, your lung may collapse, or the catheter can break apart in your vein. You may die. Your caregivers will watch you closely for these problems. Call them if you are worried or have questions about your medicine or care