Journal entry by Jodi Taylor —
The chemo I’ve been on since late October, Enhertu, requires regular monitoring of my heart and lungs. So on February 13 I had an echocardiogram and a chest CT. Thankfully my heart and my lungs are still looking good, but the CT notes indicated that there may be cancer progression on my sternum (breastbone). I was very frustrated reading this. This CT was really not even for looking at the cancer, it was for checking the lungs. I feel ok, and my tumor markers have continued to stay low. Of course this wouldn’t be the first (or even the 2nd) time my sternum was a problem. Ugh, I kind of wished we hadn’t even looked there! My dr suggested we get a full PET scan prior to this week’s appointment and chemo to see the bigger picture before drawing any conclusions. I agreed and scheduled the earliest appointment I could get, which fell on 2/27. These last two weeks have been emotionally challenging. I always have “scanxiety” anyways, but knowing we are already thinking progression, and thinking whatever treatment would be next probably would be a harsher chemo… I have been very anxious and struggled not to think of worst case scenarios.
Today I had my lab, dr and chemo appointments. The PET scan did not find progression on the sternum, but it did identify a more active spot in my right hip (the area is technically called the “femoral neck”). There’s also questionable changes to my L4 vertebrae- maybe more active there, maybe not?
They gave me two options:
1. Radiate the hip and keep going on Enhertu. Continue to monitor for symptoms, then scan again in 2 months. This path is familiar. I seem to have radiation about once a year to wherever one bone spot decides to act up. The hope is we quash this and don’t burn through treatment options too quickly. The downside is radiation adds up. The more radiation I am exposed to the greater my risk of getting another type of cancer in the future. Or…
2. Move on to the next treatment. She explained that a new drug was approved in November, One that would get me back off chemo and on a targeted therapy. It targets a mutation my genetic tests have found in my cancer cells called AKT. If you’re interested, more on that drug here: https://www.truqap.com/
While I LOVE hearing there’s something new out there that isn’t chemo (Successful Research=Hope), I am choosing to do the radiation and continue on this chemo. There’s a finite number of treatments that are options for my cancer type, and in general once you stop one you don’t go back to it later. I don’t want to change treatment yet if I don’t I have to. I have an occasional ache in my right hip but it’s very tolerable right now. Radiation should help this as well as help ensure I don’t risk a fracture. As far as chemo side effects, I feel like it’s gotten a little bit easier. I continue to lose hair, but more slowly. I don’t have a lot of nausea, and I’ve learned that if I eat a little something small-even if I’m not hungry- the queasiness gets better. I am pretty tired the first week or so, but the second and third weeks of the cycle are better, I’m a little more myself each day before it’s time for the next round. For me it was an easy decision to radiate and keep going. This evening my tumor markers came back and one is stable and the other is still going down a little. This makes me even more confident in my treatment plan.
I will be hearing from the radiation oncologist soon to set up the plans for that. The sooner the better as far as I’m concerned. I’m praying for minimal radiation side effects and that the Enhertu continues to keep the cancer quiet everywhere else.
PS-chemo day steroids make me very chatty. Thanks for hanging in there with me! 😬😊
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