Chemotherapy 1

I had my first Chemotherapy treatment 8 days ago.  I will have six sessions each three weeks apart.  They have inserted an arm-port in my left lower inside bicep to protect my veins from continuous prodding.  (Thanks Dr "gang".)  I guess the arm is an unusual place because I keep hearing from the nurses, "oh, that's an unusual place, haven't seen it there before".  Well, that's me, paving the way.

The needle they use to penetrate the place next to the stitching in the photo is as dense as a large paper clip.  I'm not kidding.  But really it looked a lot scarier than it felt, and that's the only reason I hit the nurse.  Anyone coming at my new wound bes' be careful.  Once inserted, they just empty bag loads of liquid drugs and saline for about 3 to 4 hours into my body.

The next day I was pretty darn near perfect.  The second and third days were rough.  Fitigue, pain in my bones (specifically my back and legs), in my muscles pushed me to medicate.

So I just passed out for two days with Vicodin. :)

Since then, I'm tired, ache, foggy, and get headaches, but really I feel good.  I'm not sick to my stomach due to medication.  All my previous incisions are about healed.  Basically, I look and act and feel like you.  I mean me.

FOODIE

As you probably know, I've worked in the food industry for 14 years.  Although, I haven't done much more than toss a salad or two, ladle out precooked soup, or dress a pizza I've worked with some amazing chiefs.  Here in Boise, Christine Reed, previous owner of Pair and current owner of Locavore, has credulously plated my pallet with tastes from hand-crafted coconut curry prawns in sweet siriraha sauce to not your mom's meatloaf.  This time Christine had here work cut out for her. 

To screne my system with the best defense and offense we found the following foods outlawed: caffeine, alcohol, yeast, mushrooms, sugar, salt (other than sea salt), meats, soy, dairy (other than goat), and you know those processed things that are foodish.  I've lost 3lbs this week.  But I'm not starving.  I'm just, for the first time in my life, eating right, really really right.

I've been a vegi for over ten years and it's only with this diet that I want the largest meatiest reddest hamburger ever.  I'd even settle for one of my homemade delicious tofu burgers, oh gosh, and a beer.  But I wait a sec and that desire passes, I think heck I could be adding another year.  And shoot, I'll look good in a swim suit (bald, but good).

Studies show that eating soy can prevent cancer.  It mimics estrogen in the body.  However, after being diagnosed with breast cancer I didn't want to influence my estrogen levels at all.  For some of the other foods, many of the enzymes that help fight breast cancer also work to break down certain foods like meat, dairy, sugars.  I want my body to concentrate on breaking down the cancer not the food.  If I substitute nutrition that will only fight or not prevent the fighting of the cancer, I'm likely to live longer. I.e. cancer hates raw carrots, asparagus, almonds, kidney beans lentils... Also the breast cancer is in the fattest part of my breast, I want to limit that fat, make it "taste" real bad.

The Right Breast

Details: On 6/13/2011 advised by a friend I went to Urgent Care for a breast exam because of a large tender lump in my right breast.  They quickly sent me for a CT scan where the fun and games really took off.  On June 16 -23, through the direction of the wonderful Dr Paul, I proceeded to have a right breast and right axilla biopsy (guided by an ultrasound) and liver biopsy (guided by another CT scan), MRI of both breast and brain, an ECHO scan, a bone scan, and begun chemotherapy.
What does this all mean?  Well, in short, according to the many tests and docs, I have IV stage breast cancer with lesions in my liver lymph nodes, and bone.  Again, what does this mean?  To me it means I have to "take on" every day with agility and precision.
I've changed my diet, quit my 55+ hour a week job, moved to Boise, where friends and family are plentiful, and started this Blog so that the rest of the universe can follow my treatments, motivations, and successes.
I love you all and thanks for reading and commenting.