Anna's Book of Days

Last night I finished my first bottle of tamoxifen, which means I've been taking it for 30 days. Only 59 bottles to go! It's probably better not to think about it that way for a while.  What is nice to think about is that so far I have had no appreciable side effects. It's too soon to say that I won't ever experience tamoxifen side effects - based on anecdotal evidence, it seems that many women don't start experiencing side effects for a few months or more after starting the drug. But others start right away, so at least I'm not in that group. I've been trying to exercise as much as I can (not always an easy feat now that I'm back at work full time), which Dr. Hurvitz says is the best way to stave off some of the more common side effects, such as bone density loss and mood swings - but to be honest, as with so many parts of this journey, I think a lot of it is just luck. I hope my luck continues to hold as more and more of this drug builds up in my sy...

The majority of women who elect to have post-mastectomy reconstruction with beast implants have a staged approach using tissue expanders. A tissue expander is a temporary device that is placed on the chest wall deep to the pectoralis major muscle. This may be done immediately following the mastectomy - as it was in my case - or as a delayed procedure. The purpose of the expander is to gradually create a soft pocket to contain the permanent implant, allowing the body to adjust over time. Tissue expanders are available in a variety of shapes and sizes to suit different body types and sizes. At the time of the initial post-mastectomy reconstruction operation, when it is first positioned on the chest wall, the tissue expander is partially filled with saline - for me, 200 cc's on each side. (As a side note - tissue expanders and implants are always measured in cc's, which is totally unfamiliar to most of us, who are used to talking about breasts in cup sizes. 200 cc's is a ...

I'm in treatment alone today - Seth is home sick with a bad cough and a fever. He wanted to come anyway but I wouldn't let him - in addition to endangering his own health, he could infect others in the treatment room, as many cancer patients have compromised immune systems. I miss him but it's not so bad - I find my infusions to be curiously relaxing, a few quiet hours out of our busy life. I saw Maddie and Dr. Hurvitz before my infusion; they both said I was doing well although they were a little concerned about my weight, which is down almost 10% since I started treatment. I just laughed when they said that - I'm finally back at my pre-pregnancy weight and I'm very happy about it! They can worry if I lose another 10% (not likely). I also talked with Dr. Hurvitz about my upcoming PET scan, which is scheduled for April 6. She ordered the scan in consultation with Dr. McCloskey, the radiation oncologist I saw last month - the two of them  want to make e...