Pinktober and PET scans and Cancerversaries, oh my!

Disclaimer: This post is going to bounce around like crazy.  I haven't regularly posted on my blog in 5 years and I am definitely out of practice...! I have many people inquiring about my health, and Scott asked me to start blogging again.  He is probably right. It is helpful to me to write about my cancer, and it is helpful to those who are interested in following my story, so here goes....

It is officially "Pinktober" which means it is time for my Making Strides fundraiser.  I started fundraising super late this year.  Ooops.  I guess I have been distracted...like super distracted. So distracted that I missed blogging about my 7th Cancerversary!  How could that be?  My cancerversaries are something I look forward to each year. Since the spring I have had weird cancery things going on and I guess I was more focused on them than on the cancer awesomeness called zero progression!

If you look back at my blog, I stopped writing about cancer in 2009.  I just had nothing else to say.  Everything was status quo.  Nothing new except drug changes and Tumor Markers bouncing around.

Speaking of drugs, I believe I am completely out of AI's (Aromatase Inhibitors). I have taken all that I can, in that past 7 years I have taken the following oral drugs to maintain my current status of stableness: Tamoxifen. Arimidex (4 years), Aromasin, Faslodex (ass shots that HURT), Lapatinib (Tykerb is the brand name- it almost killed me.  Not joking.  My liver enzymes went crazy, but the drug worked on my cancer-go figure!) Tamoxifen again, and Megace (which made me gain a ton of weight in the few weeks I took this drug).  For the first time in over 7 years, I am on NO oral meds.  It is awesome and terrifying all at the same time.  My doctor took me off my oral meds because they were not working. I know these drugs are not working because my tumor markers are the highest they have ever been my 15-3 is 92.7 a normal level is considered 0-47. So, I am out of options.  Next I move on to oral chemo.  The current plan is start Navelbine  by infusion for an indefinite amount of time.  However, depending on my next scan, this plan may change.

Speaking of scans, I have a PET scan on Tuesday.  I am kind of nervous about it.  I have been feeling miserable for a week or so.  I can't describe it, I just feel yucky. Keep in mind that when you are a metastatic breast cancer patient it is hard not to think that every little thing is more cancer growing in your body.  My cancer to date was undetectable at the beginning. I had no idea that cancer cells were invading my body.  No pain or symptoms whatsoever. So, since I feel crappy I am going to assume that my symptoms are a result of the weather change an my age and leave it at that!  ;)

I have had backpain for a long time, like years.  My back pain is super bad this week, but again we are going to assume it is the weather change and the fact that I am getting older.  I have had a bulging disk for over 3 years.  I have yet to see a doctor (other than my oncologist) about the pain and discomfort.  I am thinking I will wait until I can't move.  :)

I do realize that everything I just wrote about are completely foreign ideas to most people, and that very little of this will make sense to most.  I have been battling cancer for over 7 years and I am well versed in my disease. I have learned so much about breast cancer and cancer in general, it is quite amazing.  I feel that if I can help one other person with their cancer battle, then all of this was worth it, cancer can be so scary and I'm always looking to help others.