Woo hoo I’ve finally found some information on the clinical trial I’ll be taking part in that isn’t written in gobbleldy gook!

If you’re interested, have a read. It’s actually quite ground breaking treatment for a type of cancer which previously had little hope. The article is referring to the ‘guinea pig’ phase, which is different to what I am doing as I am on a trial phase. The trial phase is the last step before they implement this strategy as a standard treatment for people with Triple Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC). http://www.breastcancer.org/research-news/20101005-3

This article on Triple Negative breast cancer is also informative but written in plain speak: http://www.breastcancer.org/symptoms/diagnosis/trip_neg/behavior

I begin treatment on Tuesday the April 1st (April Fools day), providing all the tests are done and the paperwork sorted in Italy (!) by then. In the meantime I’ll be doing more tests. Yay! Not. So I will be put into a randomized group and get one of two Nab-paclitaxel type drugs. So group A uses one Nab-paclitaxel drug and group B uses the other. I will know which group I’m in but I can’t choose. Then after that treatment I will begin standard chemo treatment and then surgery and radio therapy.

Sounds like a plan?

Keeping positive

People keep telling me to keep positive but how am I supposed to do that when I have Triple Negative breast cancer? That means I need to be triple positive just to be neutral so that’s a lot to ask LOL.

Actually… I am feeling ridiculously positive. Not that I’m in denial, it’s just that I have absolutely no doubt I’m going to kick it. That could be the power of prayer and being surrounded by such amazing friends and family and whatever other reasons we can come up with but it just isn’t in my radar not to kick it.

My Mum was my age when she got cancer (53) and died at 54 a few months later, so that’s a bit scary but I will not let that take over me.

It might be called Triple Negative but I’m feeling triple positive.

I finished this artwork yesterday. It was started in the middle of the night about 5 days ago and reflected how I felt at the time. The dead of night does that to you. Although it isn’t a reflection of where I’m at right now, it does highlight that first couple of days where I wanted to curl up in a ball. When I look at it now I remember the feeling but it isn’t something I can identify with (today).

I’m sure that as I go along I’ll meet an array of different feelings. Maybe my positive hype will wane a little when I’m in the middle of Winter (urgh), chemo and the long haul is still ahead.

My brain is already in a kind of fog. It feels like the world is rushing by me and I’m here in my foggy place. To top it off I have to come off HRT which is a bit nasty and bound to make the fog worse. Has anyone got an anti fog machine?

Todays funny MOTH story

Sorry MOTH… but you do keep me (and everyone) entertained. As a typical MFB firefighter, he is used to getting a ribbing. It’s all part of the culture. So I’m sure he can take it and he knows I love him dearly. Now on with the story…

You know he doesn’t like sitting still right? Well hospital appointments are our new worst nightmare. I’m about to make him an activity pack for our waiting times. Colouring books, pencils, snacks and Valium. Oops… sorry I didn’t mean Valium that just slipped in there.

This week, he was sitting on a bench seat in the radiology waiting room and a woman came up to him and said ‘could you please sit still as your jiggling is making it hard for me to send a text message’. 

Some people just need a perfect world LOL.