To Boob, or Not to Boob
Ryan here. Last Friday Amira had an additional ultrasound to explore two UFOs (unidentifiable floating objects) in her right boob scan. Did she impale herself with legos? Was the right boob trying to join the cancer party? Luckily, our friend Megan put out some good mojo early that morning:
“Hey Righty, listen, I know it’s been rough, you’re a little jealous, feeling left out, maybe even have a little FOMO. But listen, trust me when I tell you this, you are special, you are loved, you are actually the quiet hero.
Don’t go chasin’ waterfalls, please stick to the rivers and lakes that you’re used to. You don’t need cancer too. You don’t want cancer too.
So let’s drop just drop this cancer-wanna-be-act, and let your true healthy booby glory shine! Today is your day to step up and be the hero that you are. We love you, we honor you. I will Motor Boat you if you do your part today (with Amira’s consent).”
Check that box for another win! Scan came back showing the two dots were cysts and not part of the current cancer battle. After celebrating, we enjoyed some winter sunshine and continued our journey through “whole-house-closet-organization”.
We’re told her port looks good and is healing as expected. We’re fortunate to have Maria, a close friend/neighbor/MD living down the street who is available for laughs, loving on us, and regular “does this look okay?” check-ins. Bandages are off. It’s sore. There’s a large bump that is now part of her landscape, but it’s working and will minimize needle prodding in the future.
We’ve absorbed so much in just three weeks: mentally as we learn about what she’s fighting and what tools we need to win, physically as this all wears on her, and of course emotionally as we look ahead to the next 5 months of chemo, the surgery, and the continued chemo for the rest of 2022.
To give you an idea of what Amira’s weeks will look like, here’s the rundown:
Medical Oncologist: ongoing check-ins about wellbeing and the inevitable questions that arise
Surgical Oncologist: periodic check-ins to plan for the surgery after the first 6 rounds of chemo
Bloodwork: every three weeks to get labs done to check blood cell counts and assess how Amira’s immune system is holding up
Integrative Medicine MSN, FNP-C: takes a wholistic overview of treatment, considering drugs and Western approaches with food and array of complementary medicines to throw in the mix
Nutritionist: advice on how to achieve optimal health at each step, leveraging the power of food to battle cancer and balance out the effects of chemo
Physical Therapist: regular appointments to address preventing lymphedema, physical mobility and energy levels
Acupuncturist: If it worked 3,000 years ago, why change a good thing?
Exercise: 30 minutes a day of cardio. Fun Fact - during exercise, our bodies activate cancer-fighting immune cells and thereby inhibit cancer growth
Meditation: nightly for at least 10 minutes to calm the mind. Ommmmmm
Yoga: at least once a week to center the mind and body
Cold Capping: Chemo isn’t too picky and attacks all fast growing cells in our body like hair and nails. Some genius invented a freezing hat which lowers the patient’s head temperature by 30 degrees, preventing blood flow to the hair follicles where cancer cells don’t go anyways. Amira opted for this treatment because there is a class action lawsuit against one of her chemo drugs for permanent hair loss, but we’ve been told it is hard, so she can stop using it at any time.
Ice Gloves and Socks: Neuropathy is a common side effect of her chemotherapy. There has been some evidence that icing during treatment can help prevent this short and longterm frustration. Thank you Barb for the heated blanket, she’s going to need it!
Cold Showers: I hear you Wim Hof. Nothing says “hello day!” like a cold shower. She’s been working her way to a full minute in solidarity with Megan, Katie, and yours truly.
Now that you’ve worked that into your week, let’s talk about medicine and supplements we’re giving you. Turns out those nifty little pill organizers aren’t only for 70-year-olds. To all you parents out there looking for a word of the week, you’re welcome.
Herceptin?Kinjinti / Trastuzumab: targeted chemotherapy + cancer annihilator + HER2/neu receptor inhibitor
Perjeta / Pertuzumab: chemotherapy + more badassery
Taxotere / Docetaxel: chemotherapy + antineoplastic
Carboplatin: chemotherapy do-it-all
Vitamin D: helps reduce side effects, and btw we live in Portland so, yeah we need a little winter boost
Vitamin B12: can’t remember, but important
Vitamin B6: also can’t remember, but following orders
Acidophilus Probiotic: single strain for cancer patients to help with gut health
L-glutamine: gut and teeth
Alpha Lipoic Acid: nerve protection
Baby Aspirin: protects from blood clots while the port is hooked up
Dexamethasone: steroid taken before and after each chemo treatment to prevent swelling
Electrolytes: hydration, hydration, hydration. Have you had your 96 ounces of water today?
Olanzapine: No vomiting zone
A couple more anti-nausea, anti diarrhea, and anti constipation drugs
Tinctures: Happy Amira = Healthy Amira. THC also has phytochemicals, chlorophyll, and can slow the growth of tumors.
Today, Amira and her mom (aka Yaya, Cyndi, or Cyndi Lou) had a chemotherapy educational class. Having Yaya at the house is always a welcome treat, and the kids adore her. We adore her. Chemotherapy starts tomorrow at 8:30am! She’s ready. I’m ready. Let’s go.
