December 26, 2025 – I hope you are all enjoying the holidays and they are evolving exactly as you need them to.
This has been a busy month for cancer and overall quite good.
Two infusions of Enhertu this month, both uneventful.
An echocardiogram that was unchanged from 4 months ago.
A PET scan that is considered “stable”. I have many cancer lesions in my bones and most were healing, a few got worse.
The radiation on my C1 vertebrae in September appears to have worked. It was much less active on my PET scan.
All the cancer-stuff finished before the holidays so I was able to travel to family and friends.
Overall I’m feeling fine. I had a lot of travel in December and with pacing myself I was able to have successful trips.
I will continue on the same medication until at least March when I’ll get another PET scan to see how things are. In the meantime I plan to make the most of what is left of 2025 and start 2026 with gratitude, enthusiasm, and big plans! I don’t know what exactly those plans are but I’m going to try to do “all the things”.
I hope you are able to embrace the new year and all it might bring. Happy Holidays.
Thanks to Amy and Josh we were able to enjoy the Bronco-Packer game. Yes, those are Packer earrings!
It’s been a bit so a short update here. Short version: currently stable, minus a pesky tumor in my C1.
I had a PET scan earlier this month. I met with my oncologist today and the imaging didn’t show any change. I’ve been feeling pretty well lately so that is a good sign. My tumor markers keep climbing which is worrisome but there is no evidence prompting a change in medication since my imaging doesn’t show anything. I’ll continue on Enhertu for the next 3 months.
I do have a tumor in my C1 and compared to June it’s a bit more active. It’s possible that this is the reason for the rising tumor markers – it’s hard to say. I’m having radiation on the C1 (started today). More on that later.
Overall, I’m trying to stay active and have balance in my life. I think that’s hard for all of us, cancer is just one more thing to navigate.
We are officially in fall – hopefully you had a great summer and fall is off to a good start.
Onward!
Grateful for walking paths from the cancer center. I took a walk before my appointment today.
Hi all – it occurred to me I haven’t shared an update in a while so here we go.
It’s been a busy spring and summer. Maddy graduated in May and had dance commitments through June (she’s actually still dancing in July. Evelyn finished her junior year and started a summer research internship at University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus (studying lobular breast cancer). Both the girls are studying engineering in college.
I’ve been trying to keep up with it all. In May I started doing Pilates regularly in addition to my daily walking. So far it’s been helpful with gaining back some strength, especially in my core.
Overall, I’ve been feeling quite good. I have some pain occasionally between my shoulder blades in my thoracic spine but that could be how I sit at my computer, or the Pilates, or the cancer, or something else. It’s manageable and isn’t persistent so I don’t give it much more thought.
I was having some vertigo on and off in May and so an MRI of my brain was ordered. (That’s the thing about metastatic cancer, any small thing could be something big – or not.) Fortunately the brain MRI came back clear – yay! (Note: previously I thought that there was new progression on my C1, however, my oncologist confirmed it’s not new, it’s been there or quite some time. This is good!)
I was due for my 3-month PET scan and had that in mid-June. (Read more about PET scans here and how they are used to monitor my disease.)
The results of the PET scans were mixed. Some of the lesions in my spine showed healing, others showed active cancer.
So, what do we do with that?
Since I’ve been feeling fine and I have a very good quality of life on Enhertu, we stay the course. I’ll continue taking Enhertu until we get solid evidence of significant progression.
My (very reliable) blood work tumor marker numbers are climbing high. For now we will just keep an eye on things since it’s not clear the cancer is significantly active.
It’s counterintuitive that the treatment is working in some areas and not in others. You’d think it would be one or the other – but that is what makes metastatic breast cancer treatment a bit of an art. The oncologist has to weigh all these different factors and decide what the smartest path forward is.
My plans for the rest of the summer (besides work) will mainly be going for walks, doing Pilates, water color, some crocheting, maybe some gardening and trying to connect with friends for lunch.
I hope you are soaking up all the hours of daylight we have this season and are living the hell out of life!
Onward!
Summer sunset over the mountainsMaddy attended orientation at Cal PolyGlen performed his group tap dance in VegasEv and I caught some sun poolside in Vegas
As New Year’s Day winds down I write to say hello to all my friends and family, near and far. 2024 was actually a pretty good year for me (unlike 2023) and I’m optimistic this year will be even better.
I had a PET scan in December and the results were “fuzzy.” Well, that is the first word my oncologist used. Let me explain.
He agreed that imaging was not very reliable for me. However, the results showed additional uptake of the contrast in a few areas where I have known cancer (mainly in my spine). On the one hand, other areas seemed quiet and unremarkable. (I want to get a t-shirt that says “I’m unremarkable” – if you know, you know.)
Dr. Andorsky said the most important thing is how I’m feeling. I feel great! Really, I am so grateful for my new hip and my fentanyl patch and other meds, and the fact that I can get up every day and work, exercise, read, paint – you name it. On the other hand, my tumor markers have been slowly rising. They tend to be accurate in terms of whether cancer is active or not.
The other thing to consider is that there are a finite number of treatments so you want to make them last as long as possible. I was prepared to argue to stay on the same treatment and I didn’t need to do that at all! He suggested we stay on Enhertu and revisit in 3 months.
In other news, the tingling in my left arm has gone away. I will attribute it to the blood clot I had under my left collarbone and that by this time it has dissolved and so has my arm tingling.
So, I stay the course which is the best possible outcome. I get an IV infusion of Enhertu every 3 weeks. The cancer center is only 5 miles from my house so I’m able to get there and back quickly. A typical appointment is 3-4 hours for labs, an office visit and then treatment.
The rest of life is going swimmingly. We had a lovely (short) visit with family in Wisconsin. Glen, Maddy and Evelyn have hit the slopes already. Evelyn has been popping home now and again. Maddy has a short break from dance so she is home a bit more as well.
Maddy and I head to Texas to see her grandparents, it will be a short visit – we are looking forward to it regardless. I’ve booked a trip to see my BFF in LA for February and our family is making plans for a few family vacations in 2025.
I hope you are able to approach 2025 with optimism, enthusiasm and peace. I hope to see many of you this year. You are always welcome here – we have plenty of room! Seriously, we’d love to show you around Colorado.
Onward!
Annual Nutcracker BalletToulouse loved present debris!Selfie with Mom and AnnYou can’t visit Wisconsin in winter without bowling.
Hello friends and family! Welcome to fall (almost). The nights are getting cooler here and I’ve seen photos from others that the aspens are starting to change color in the mountains.
I write with good news. My PET scan of earlier this week shows that I’m stable. This is fantastic; it means that the cancer is not growing or spreading. The caveat is that lobular breast cancer sometimes doesn’t show up well on imaging. However, my blood tumor marker number dropped as well! The CA 27-29 gives an idea of how active the cancer is. A number of 38 or lower means the cancer is inactive. In mid-August it was 109. On September 11 it was 93! That was very welcome news!
The combination of the tumor marker dropping and my scan not showing progression means I can stay on the same treatment. I’m currently getting Enhertu every 3 weeks. I’ve got medications to deal with the side effects, overall I’m tolerating it very well.
I also spoke with my orthopedic surgeon this week. My recovery is going very well and he wished me a good time on my upcoming trip. He did mention several times how bad of shape my hip was in. I’m feeling grateful that I no longer have pain and hopefully I will be able to walk unaided soon. I still have some swelling and it’s hard getting used to walking since I’ve been using a cane for 2 years.
The symposium is 3 days long and the first day is focused on patient advocates. Maddy will come with me that day. The other 2 days are more research focused. We are excited to go and learn where research is headed for lobular breast cancer. My oncologist was not familiar with this conference and asked me to brief him on what I know. I’m more than happy to do that!
Not gonna lie – we are happy to go to Belgium as well. We should have one day where we can sight see. We will be in the city of Leuven which is east of Brussels. Watch for photos in the next blog post.
Life is good, right now for me life is great. I’m going to take it all in while also making sure I rest and don’t overdo it. Maddy may need to help me with that.
Like many things in life, medicine is not black and white. I’m reminded of this every time I have a test or conversation with my medical team.
Earlier in July I had a PET scan. This is one of the primary tools my oncologist uses to determine the status of the cancer. According to the PET, there was increased update / brightness on the image, potentially indicating progression or the cancer being active. However, my blood work (tumor markers) show things as steady, no progression. My tumor markers have been pretty accurate in general.
So, we have conflicting data, which makes decision making challenging.
Given that there are a finite number of treatments, the goal is to stay on each treatment as long as possible. Once you move off a treatment you can’t go back to it. The reason for this is that the cancer has mutated and figured out a way around the treatment so it wouldn’t be effective to go back and take the same medication after you have progression on it.
So, I’m in a situation where one piece of data says potential progression and another piece of data says no progression. What to do?
I will stay on my current treatment (Enhertu) but have another PET scan in 2 months, instead of the typical 3 months. This way we are not waiting too long if there is progression and if there is no progression then we just continue on.
This situation is stressful in spite of my trying not to be too stressed out about things. The uncertainty is hard to deal with.
Working in my favor are 2 upcoming months of lots of exciting things including travel. The best – and only – thing I can do is focus on the here and now and enjoy each day to the fullest. I hope you do the same.
Early morning sun on one of my neighborhood walks.
Here we are in full swing of summer. Flowers are blooming, the sun is shining and I’m enjoying all of it.
I had infusion #7 of Enhertu last week. It was an uneventful appointment which is always good. I received a bunch of pre-medication (anti-nausea meds and steroids), a big old bag of fluids (for extra hydration) and Zometa (a bone strengthener). The Enhertu itself only takes about 30 minutes but with everything else it comes out to around 2.5 hours.
I typically feel quite good the day after an infusion. The fatigue starts to hit 3-4 days later. I try to take it easy those first few days because it’s easy to overdo it.
My activity is mostly waking outside now on the cul-de-sacs of our neighborhood. They provide good stability and I can lengthen or shorten my walk pretty easily. At least easier than if I was doing a big loop around our neighborhood. I’m walking long enough now that I can easily listen to some audiobooks which is nice. I’ve missed that. I’m currently listening to How to Solve Your Own Murder by Kristen Perrin.
Anyway, I’m doing fine overall.
I did meet with the orthopedic oncologist last week as well. He validated my pain pointing out on my CT scan that a part of my hip has cracked and broken off and there is the fracture extending through my acetabulum. My femur hits that area each time I put pressure on my leg.
My right hip is on the left of the image. You can see the femur head is not round like it should be. This is from hitting the actual hip – which it should not be doing. You can also see a triangle in the lower center of the left side. That is a part of the hip that has cracked off.
The very good news is we have a solution! In early September I will get a hip replacement. I am very much looking forward to this. The orthopedic surgeon is very confident this will solve the problem. I’m looking forward to walking without pain. My family is also looking forward to my being more mobile. My situation impacts them as well so we will all be happy once I have a shiny new hip.
It’s my favorite month of the year – mostly because it’s warm and sunny and summer; also because my birthday is the 26th. This year I’ve decided to celebrate all month, I deserve it! (Heck, we all deserve it!) I will be 55 this year. Next month is my 5 year anniversary of living with Metastatic Breast Cancer (MBC). 5 of 55 years with cancer. That doesn’t count the 6 months I dealt with it back in 2009.
Anyway, yay! The cancer is stable.
I have had 6 infusions of Enhertu and it seems to be keeping the cancer quiet. I’ve noticed that my hair is falling out a bit more, it’s quite thin. I’m also taking a fair number of medications to keep other side effects at bay.
I discovered that the steroid I get as a pre-treatment actually helps with the pain in my hip. So, for the time being I’m taking additional steroids daily to make moving about easier. It’s helped tremendously. My physical therapist says I’ve made great progress over the past month. Here’s to hoping that continues!
I have an appointment mid-month with my orthopedic oncologist to see if he can help with eliminating the hip pain. More on that later.
My CA 27-29 tumor marker is a way we monitor for progression. I get tested via blood that gets sent to the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, every three weeks when I have my treatment. My numbers are still hovering around 100 which is not great but I’ll take it. If it is below 38 then the cancer is quiet and not active. I’m still doing wonderful overall though so I’m not too disappointed.
I’m still working full time with a very flexible schedule. My remote work makes for lonely days but a few wonderful friends make time to come by for tea or lunch which makes a big difference. Later in the summer we’ll do some traveling as a family. This month will be fun at home.
Summer flowersThis crazy cat makes me nervousAppreciating that I have enough hair for it to blow in the wind
Hello everyone and happy May! I feel like I can’t pass on saying May the Fourth Be with You, even though I’m not big into Star Wars.
I do feel like this is a good news post. I have information from both a PET/CT scan of my entire body and an MRI scan of my lower back.
I have a fracture in my hip that was not caused by a fall or any kind of trauma. It just developed because my bones are weak. The fracture is right in the ball of the hip joint (the acetabulum) where the femur connects. Every time I stand up the femur pushes on the acetabulum where the fracture is, causing pain.
So, my cranky hip is not progression from cancer. Yay!
My tumor marker numbers look good. Last month was 94, last week it was 102. I’ll take it, it’s much lower than the 800 I had in January! 38 and lower means no active cancer. For now, I’d like lower but will be patient!
All smiles because the cancer is under control, for now!
Now the longer version. Stop reading here if you only wanted the basics.
My main oncologist is calling the orthopedic oncologist that did my hip stabilization procedure back in December 2022 to ask if there might be anything he can do. Still waiting on that.
I had my 5th infusion of Enhertu, which is an IV chemo. At this point my side effects are mild and manageable with a combination of my being kind to myself and medication. I don’t have major hair loss, just some shedding. I have some numbness in my fingers now and again (neuropathy). I get the hiccups a lot. Sometimes so loud and violently that they wake me up; sometimes Glen has to go sleep elsewhere because they just don’t stop. The biggest issue has been nausea and vomiting. I think I have that managed by medications, we shall see.
I am feeling very, very grateful as many people do not tolerate these drugs as well as I have.
Back to my hip. I’ll be mainly working with my physical therapist now to get me stronger and get some cardio going. He explained today that unless we can do something with the hip fracture, I probably need to accept that an assistive walking device, like my cane, is a part of my future.
I’ve got a home exercise plan for weight training and other exercises to improve my balance and all that fun stuff. I need to get cardio into the mix so I’ll start with our home treadmill. Ultimately, I’d like to get to the pool to do some walking and other exercises in a non-stress environment.
My goal is to be able to walk outside on the trails by July. I’ll need more strength and stamina and I’m really excited about working to reach this goal. I’ve really missed getting out of the house.
I’m still on a ton of pain medication, including the fentanyl patch. It helps tremendously and I don’t notice any impairment from it, yet I’ve avoided driving as much as possible. That makes life rather difficult but not impossible.
In non-cancer updates – Evelyn is finishing up her semester exams of her sophomore year at CU Boulder. She will live at home this summer because she got an internship (in mechanical engineering) at a company across the street from our neighborhood!
Maddy is wrapping up Junior year and some IB (International Baccalaureate) testing. She just had her last dance competition of this year, now auditions for next year and the spring recital. If you are local and want to join me at any of her recitals let me know.
Glen is busy with work and enjoying the warmer weather. He’s back to running in the foothills, especially on the weekend. He is currently outside working on the gardens. Glen and Maddy did some campus tours in the LA region earlier this spring.
I’m keeping myself busy with work and working on strengthening the local MBC network that I started. Overall I’m feeling better so it’s been a blessing and a curse that I want to do more and need to not overdo it, which I have a tendency to do.
I’m hoping to make a trip to Wisconsin in the early part of summer and of course would love to connect with many of you. I’ll share plans once they are made.
Be well my friends. Get out there and live every day as if it were your last.
Onward!
Toulouse is officially a lap cat as this is a rare sighting with GlenLast Sunday was hard and Glen grabbed some flowers to life my spiritsMy dearest and longest friend Sara made time to stop on her cross country trip rescuing some pupsInfusion #5 with a great view of the mountainsGlen and Ev at the Engineering Expo Open HouseThe tough look of success at dance comp
April 14, 2024. Hi everyone – just a quick update on things here in cancerland.
This past week I had a PET scan and an infusion of Enhertu (chemotherapy). Both went smoothly, no problems at all. I’ve not seen the PET scan report, but I received a voice mail from my oncologist that things were “stable” meaning the cancer did not look like it was growing. The infusion treatment on Tuesday also went smoothly with no issues. My blood work and tumor marker continues to drop, indicating the medication is doing its job.
I am very grateful for all of this!
I continue to have mobility issues with my right hip. It’s not clear if it is cancer related or not. I’m on a lot of pain medication right now due to my lower back. Next week I’ll reach out to my oncologist and see if we can get an MRI so we have more detailed information.
The impaired mobility is significant. I cannot walk without assistance and my hip flexor is extremely tight. I’m trying to work in some upper body free weights and additional lower body stretching. I’ve not returned to doing outdoor walks, my stability is not great. I may look at longer walks on our home treadmill to get some endurance going.
I hope that signs of spring are apparent where you live. We’ve had some lovely weather here and I hope it continues!
You can follow me on Instagram at @nottodaymbc where I tend to post more daily cancer-related updates. I post to Facebook but not much health-related information. Of course I always welcome a text message or snail mail if you feel like getting in touch.
Enjoy whatever weather Mother Nature throws at you!
Life As I Know It 