scans – Page 4 – Life As I Know It

Steady Betty Bones – October 25, 2021

It’s scan time again. Every three months I get two scans: bone scan to check what the cancer is doing in my bones (hopefully nothing), a CT scan to see if the soft tissue / internal organs are clear of cancer.

My bone scan this month was the same as June. So, the possible progression identified in June did not continue – if in fact that is what was happening. Confusing – yes…. I’m “stable” with regard to my bones.

I was supposed to have a CT scan the same day – I had to reschedule to later this week. I’ll get the results maybe Friday, probably next week.

The craziness of our corporate health care system was evident to me this month. (Ok, it’s usually evident, but this was a big example.)

The CT machine at the Cancer Center where I usually get my CT scan is not available. I asked if I could get my CT scan across the parking lot at the hospital where I get my bone scans. My Dr. office said yes. My insurance company said no. Well, they said yes but I’d have to pay for it.

It turns out that the EXACT SAME SCAN is covered by insurance if it is at an “independent facility” but not at a hospital. It is considered a hospital service and that is not covered. 🤦‍♀️

So, I had to identify a new location, call insurance to get it authorized and now I will need to drive to Denver to get the scan. I’m physically able to do this but geez, this is not the kind of run around you want to give someone who is just trying to get through the daily mental gymnastics of having a terminal disease.

I’ll probably post again after I get those results.

This has been an extraordinary month – it’s “Pink-tober” (breast cancer awareness month) which has been super hard this year, some family challenges, and my parents/dad are having health hiccups which precipitated a quick visit to WI. Overall, I’m actually grateful that I can navigate this with success. The silver lining is that my trip to the Midwest was originally to see a dear friend get some well earned recognition and she asked me to introduce her. What a privilege.

Until next week. Keep those fingers crossed the cancer is “behaving”.

❤️

…it’s been an amazing display of fall color here and I’ve been soaking it all in with as many outdoor walks as possible.

Beautiful fall weather – snuck in a walk while Maddy was shopping at the mall. I know – how amazing is it that I live in a place where this is available next to the mall?!?

March 4, 2021

It’s been a wild ride this past 51 weeks. I hope you are all doing as well as possible and are safe and healthy. It’s hard to believe COVID has been with us almost a year.

I had scans 2 days ago. A bone scan and CT scan with contrast. There was no change in the scans meaning that the cancer is stable. No progression. Status Quo. As I’ve said before this is the best possible news we can have. This means that the medication I’m taking has stopped the cancer from replicating.

The tension in our house understandably becomes high during this week of scans. When Evelyn heard I had scans scheduled her reaction was – again? Didn’t you just have them. Yes, yes, I did. But three months have passed and so here we are again.

Normally I have the scans ~2 days before the appointment with my oncologist. This gives the radiologist time to read the scans and write the report, but not too much time for me to fret over the results. With electronic medical systems I can see the scan reports (after they are approved for my viewing). Normally both the bone and CT scan reports come through within a few hours of each other. When I go to open them my hands literally shake. In December I couldn’t even open them and read them I was so nervous. Glen had to do it. Anyway… this month the bone scan came in yesterday but no CT scan. I checked early evening, no CT report. My mind immediately went to places it shouldn’t – the report wasn’t shared because it showed progression (why can’t our minds go down a ‘good’ rabbit hole?). I checked again this morning (after only ~4 hours sleep). No report. I checked right before I left for the cancer center. No report. All day I prepared myself for bad news. Then, Glen texted me when I was in the waiting room and said the report just came through my electronic file and it was stable. I could feel the tension drain from my body.

One of the more interesting aspects of dealing with this uncertainty is that I otherwise go through the day just like anyone else would. I spent the early morning texting neighbors looking for sand for Evelyn’s engineering project. I went on a walk with Glen before 3 hours of Zoom meetings. I talked with colleagues around the state and across the country about all the work related things that have to get done. I’m grateful for all of that because it allows me to push the cancer to the back of my mind. …but it’s always there.

COVID Vaccine! As an additional bonus I managed to get a COVID vaccine today! A Johnson & Johnson shot so I don’t need a second shot. “One and Done.”

I usually see the same techs when I get my scans and so we chat a lot during the process. One of the techs shared with me how to be available for extra doses the vaccine clinic might have at the end of the day. I went Tuesday but no luck. I went again today and they were hedging. In talking to the clinic manager he said they might have a few – he asked how old I was. In Colorado we are moving tomorrow to the phase where 50+ yr old who have two conditions can get vaccinated. I only have one. I said “51 , but I have stage 4 cancer.” I saw his face change expression. He asked me to have a seat in the waiting area and 10 minutes later he came by to get me. He checked me in himself and told me I was getting one of the Johnson & Johnson shots. Today was the first day they were distributing them. I got the shot and waited 15 minutes and was on my way.

Fortunately, my body handles vaccines and all kinds of medications without issue. I’m grateful for that, very few side effects at all.

Bonus vaccine on a good news scan result day!

Glen will get vaccinated at the end of the month and Evelyn will be eligible with the general Colorado population – hopefully by May. Maddy wil have to wait since she is 14. The vaccines are safe and effective – we will still be wearing masks in public and limiting our activities in the short term. Let’s all hope we can get wide scale transmission and mutations under control so we can figure out the new normal!

February 4, 2021

Dear Friends and Family –

A few years ago Evelyn did a project for school where she made a calendar. Each day of the calendar was a different “national” day. National donut day (June 4), national chocolate day (November 11), my personal favorite – national wine day (May 25). I’m writing this on February 4, World Cancer Day. Not even national cancer day – WORLD cancer day. Who knew this existed? Not me. Now you do. Take this opportunity to enlighten others about cancer, donate to cancer research (if you have the means), or reach out to someone you know impacted by cancer. (Sadly the list for that last one is probably substantial).

Today I had my monthly treatment and medical visits. These are every 28 days (Thursday afternoons) and fortunately are relatively short and usually pain free. I typically wait to write until I get all my blood work back, which takes up to 72 hours. It seemed fitting to write today though.

I’m still taking the same medication and on the same treatment plan as when I was diagnosed in July 2019. Earlier this week I started cycle 21 of my medication. (We count the time I’m on this medication by the 28-day cycle of the meds.) I’m still taking Ibrance (you’ve probably seen commercials for it on television) and Anastrozole. Those are oral meds and I take them daily. Today I received a shot of Lupron and an infusion of Zometa. I have very few side effects from the medication. My treatment today was pretty uneventful, which is always good.

Lately I’ve been feeling fine. Some days I feel great! That’s the thing about Stage 4 cancer that is weird. I don’t physically feel bad. I’m not incapacitated. I worked this morning. I styled my hair today – I still have hair. I thought about how I didn’t want to exercise and did it anyway. Probably pretty similar to your day in many ways.

I’ll stay on this medication until it no longer keeps the cancer at bay. When will that happen? No one knows. Will I know when it is happening – will I feel it? Might feel exactly like I do right now, I might have some terrible pain, no one can say. How will we know if the medication has stopped working? When my scans show new cancer.

Speaking of which, I’m up again for scans – will have them just before my March appointment. I get them every 3 months. It feels a little bit like the movie Groundhog Day. A lot of repetition. I’m ok with that. In fact, I am grateful for it. It means nothing has changed and that’s the best we can hope for.

I hope those of you on the front lines of health care or enjoying your later years have received a vaccine or will get one soon. Until we all are vaccinated, Mask Up, social distance and stay safe.

Be well.