Reschedule, reschedule, reschedule....

Most of you know or have read about the delay in my Bone Scan. The last I had written, I was giving the situation the benefit of the doubt...well needless to say, I still questioned the long delay, and called the Breast Health Centre where Dr. Mac works out of to find out if I should be o.k. with this, to express my concern over the wait. I was subsequently informed that there was a "new" individual re-scheduling appts. that was not "aware" of the protocol for this procedure, (that cancer patients are given priority, that I should not have to wait), so they rescheduled me for next Friday. Had I not called...what would have happened??? It's so frustrating having to be your own advocate in this medical environment. I am so thankful that I'm assertive enough to make the calls and ask the questions, what happens to people who just accept what they are told???

So yes, it turns out that my Bone Scan is an important piece of information that helps determine how healthy I am to receive the amount of chemo they determine appropriate.

Then came the Muga Scan on Friday. Upon my arrival on the 3rd flr of the hospital, I was soon greeted by a rather pleasant nurse, who injected me with some radioactive material. I waited approx. 15 min. in the hall, when they called me back for another injection, this time by a nuclear medicine tech. She took me to a room where they had a gamma ray machine (very large, reminded me bit of the machine I layed in/on for my CT Scan). She allowed Lisa in the room with me, which was great, since we con't our banter and discussions as if I wasn't actually in this stressful situation that was going to make my heart beat 2x's as fast as it does.... So no problem, I'm actually asking Lisa to take pictures of what is going on, me lying on this narrow bed sandwiched in a machine like a panini. We're there chatting for over 10 minutes, when the tech announces that she has some bad news.... It turns out that the 2 injections I had, were meant to bond together to improve the view of my heart. Well, it didn't work. She showed me the image on her computer, (since I told her I wanted to Blog about it...), and it was blurry in comparison to an image from another patient which she too showed me. She tried to explain that this happens every once in a while, and that they can't explain why it happens. The alternative at this point is to do what ensures a good quality reading, to first draw some of my blood, mix it with the radioactive material, let it bond in the tube, then reinject it into me. This is not standard protocol due to cost and time, but this is what they need to do with me. At this point, she informs me that we need to reschedule, and do it this way. But here inlies a problem....the hospital is on a lockdown on the isotopes available, and they are not to schedule anything until next Friday, when I have my Bone Scan rescheduled for, for the same reason. I'm informed that they cannot do both on the same day. I beg to have the Muga done sooner, like Wed. and the tech searches the schedule, converses with the ladies doing the appts. and finds me a time first thing on Wed. morning to do it! So yes, Canada-Wide shortage, but they are being, well, should I say very protective as to how they dispense with it....what if I hadn't pleaded, once again? So, I'm now rescheduled for both procedures, yes, a pain, but it could be worse.

In the midst of all of this, I was schedule to meet with Dr. Mac to read my pathology results on Thurs. afternoon. However, she called me late Friday afternoon with the results. They are as follows; My margins are negative, so she was able to get all the cancer in my breast. She removed 14 lymph nodes, of which 5 tested positive for cancer. The cancer was difficult to find, the invasivess in the nodes was hard to find, it was not grossly obvious, but it was there. She said that this is not great news, but not terrible either. The er/pr results will still take another couple of weeks, (to test if the cancer is estropgen positive), in which case they can treat with an oral pill called Tomoxifen (or similar drug that targets the estrogen) post chemo & radition. It will also take another 2 week to get the HER 2 results, which is a protein that can be targeted during chemo. She reaffirmed that I will require chemo & radiation, and that 3/4 of the time it's at St. B. I was really hoping for HSC, since that Cancercare site is so beautiful and peaceful, and I despise hospitals. She however is unable to refer me to a specific Oncologist. The Oncologist will be determined by priority. I am not to see Dr. Mac again for another 6 mths. for a follow-up, to determine how often I should get mammograms, how I'm doing etc. She is now referring me to an oncologist, which can take 4-6 weeks, but in another breath she said that given my young age, and that the cancer is invasive, that the average time to meet an oncologist is 3 weeks.... Either way, a plan for chemo won't begin for another 2 weeks after I meet with the oncologist, so I'm looking at another month at least before anything begins...

What else??? Is there an else? Yes, of course there is! Thank you Kerri for the tickets to the fashion show, we had a great time! Thank you to all my friends for the laughs and company througout the last few days, please keep them coming!

My mood is at a pretty steady place right now, still positively fighting this fu%*er! Can't wait for the ball to start rolling though. A schedule would be nice to be able to plan future events.

I'm getting very excited about the CIBC Run for The Cure, our team keeps growing, it's unbelievable! If you are not already participating, or you haven't already donated, please don't forget to sponsor me through the link above. Every bit counts! Thank you so much for thinking of me, and all the other women, young and old who are going through this. I hope that my Blog demonstrates what a long journey this is for many, and how pressing of a need there is to improve care, wait times, the medicine required to treat this horribly disease. And maybe even find a cure! Before our own daughters, grand-daughters, nieces, etc. grow breasts themselves, let's Run For the Cure!!!

Love you all!
Jill xo