Chicago and Chemo Notes

GOING HOME AGAIN
Spinning right along making preparations for the trip back home to Rockford/Chicago. The last trip was a family adventure in 2003 for Danny's baptism. Now, I'm heading back solo, the first time since my mom was nearing the end of her own breast cancer saga 11 years ago.

Joe has courageously agreed to sacrifice a week of vacation time and assume the title of Primary and Full-Time Parent. Yee Gads. The children are already nervous and have begun petitioning me for favors. They don't understand why they can't buy their way onto the plane ("we have money, you know...") nor do they see how bored they would be doing grown-up things like talking, eating and talking. They've forgotten how much fun they have with Dad when it's just Dad. A shift in the family power structure is good for everyone. I mean, who says there can't be a King Bee in the hive? At least for a week in October.

TAXOL DOESN'T WORK MUCH
Two fascinating bits of news I recently learned. One made headlines a couple of days ago. Seems that Taxol (one of my chemo drugs) is completely ineffective in treating my form of breast cancer, which is HER-2 negative, estrogen positive early stage. Taxol is especially nasty stuff and is responsible for the neuropathy (numbness) I still experience in my fingers and to some degree, toes. Other side effects, too... to think that taking it was worthless and harmful supports my original hesitation of proceeding with chemotherapy.

TAMOXIFEN SOMETIMES DOESN'T WORK, EITHER
News item two I gleaned from a fellow blogger's site. Since 2005 it has been known that Tamoxifen is sometimes ineffective in women with an altered gene known as CYP2D6. If it isn't working, it isn't helping prevent recurrence. A test for this gene is available but expensive. My Agent of Doom has been pushing me to have my ovaries removed, hence pushing me difinitively to the other side of menopause and into the aromatase-inhibitor class of drugs. Fine and good, I won't be on Tamoxifen then. And yet...I've been dragging my feet, all the while thinking that at least I was getting the protection of Tamoxifen while waiting.

One tip-off that Tamoxifen isn't working as it should is if patients have mild hot flashes. Hmmm, mine haven't been too searingly hot. And I never did gain any weight from Tamoxifen, and I haven't met anyone who survived the drug without adding pounds. What to think? Well, what I think is that I'd have loved to have been told this last May when I was handed the standard, one-size-fits-all prescription for the little white pill. Yes, I would have taken the gene test. I would have wanted to know before starting a drug I had great reservations about.

Maybe oncologists should ask patients if they want the Real Information and Care treatment plan or the Old Doctor Knows Best program. Don't tell me there isn't time, either. There are enough breast cancer patients trundling through the average cancer center to warrant a well-written hand-out, a workshop or video, or website if not time with the Grand Agents themselves.

Ooooh, feeling a little cranky now. Think I'll go have some organic blueberry green tea...