Tag Archives: #todayisagoodhairday

May 7, 2016 · 7:16 pm

32: Radiation Therapy

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We flew back to Maui one week ago today on April 30th. The picture above is a picture of Sugar Beach in North Kihei, it’s a really nice long walk!!! On Monday I had my simulation appointment with the Radiation Oncology department here at the Pacific Cancer Institute on Maui. I got to meet Dr. Baker (he was off island the last time I was there). Dr. Baker talked with us (my husband and I) and explained again the importance of radiation treatment after chemo for me. It is important to know that not everyone with breast cancer gets both chemo and radiation…..each case is different.

The simulation CT was interesting. My upper body was positioned on a deflated pillow that contained micro beads. These micro beads when heated up stiffened and hardened, forming a mold of my upper body including my head. I laid down on it with my right arm down and my left arm up with my elbow bent. The mold was created, this will be used for all my radiation therapy appointments. The purpose of the simulation CT is so that the Radiation Oncologist can determine the radiation field and create a treatment plan. That is the simplest explanation I can think of without getting too technical!!!

The Radiation Therapist (Radiologic Technologist with a specialty license in Radiation Therapy) was very kind. Part of the process for the simulation appointment is you get marked (tattoo)  where the laser beam is to be positioned for you treatments. I joked with Max when he was about to tattoo me that this was his “side hustle”! I also let him know that these were my first tattoos, we laughed because seriously they are two very small dots!!!

My treatment will be six weeks long, Monday thru Friday my first treatment is Wednesday May 11th!! I am off of work for one more week, I go back on the 16th of this month. Just like with chemo I will work thru the radiation therapy as well. Maui Diagnostic Imaging will work with my appointments for the next six weeks permitting me to work thru this next chapter of my treatment.

Time to sign off, much Mahalo for reading my blog. It is 9:11 am, I need to do my physical therapy and pick up two very special people that will be here with me for the next seven days!!!

Aloha Pina

 

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January 17, 2016 · 9:56 pm

23: Chemo #6

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January 17, 2016

Chemo#6 was on January 8th. I not only had Jacquelyn and my husband with me, my daughter Monique was also there. The picture above was taken just before the treatment began. Monique got to talking to the other patients in the infusion room and before I knew it they were ordering pizza for everyone, party in the infusion room!!!! No pizza for me however, soon after my infusion starts I get sleepy and I take my chemo siesta!

Today is January 17th, I am nine days post chemo and still not feeling well. I did work half a day on Wednesday with full days on Thursday and Friday. The saving grace was that MDI scheduled me a lite schedule. In case your wondering, these patients were scheduled with my knowledge. Previously I felt better after days 3 and 4 post chemo. So, I did not want to call off and have them rescheduled. I know that all I had to do was tell my manager that I couldn’t work and she would have had the schedulers start rescheduling patients, no questions asked. Maui Diagnostic Imaging is a great company to work for.

Whats next?

On February 11 and 12 I will be back on Oahu. I will have my Breast MRI, CT and my second meeting with the surgeon, Dr. Mari Nakashizuka. Those appointments will be on the 11th. On Friday I will have my Herceptin infusion. My chemo therapy has consisted on of Taxotere, Carboplatin, Herceptin and Perjeta. I am done with TC and P however the Herceptin will continue every three weeks for a year! What I am not clear on is if it one year from now, or one year from when I started the treatment? Either way I will know more about the timeline for my surgery soon!

Since I moved to Maui, we have been renting a beautiful home here on Laumaewa Loop. The owner has had the house on the market since October of 2015. He felt really bad the day he told us they had to sell the house, especially because I had just started my treatment. I completely understand their decision to sell. Fortunately for us we were able to be in this home thru the holiday season. The house has not sold yet, I told the owner that after the New Year we would actively try and find a place to live. And we did, we found a condo to rent and will be moving in February. Jacquelyn and her boyfriend Sean found a condo in the same complex as well. Excited to have my own little place with no stairs! The stairs in this home have been challenging, especially on my bad days. The goal was to move before my surgery!

My husband just left to the airport to pick up two very special people. My two cousins Mary and Carmen dahling just landed (11:40am)!! Super excited to have them here with me this week!!!!

Going to sign off now, I hope everyone is well. Hug and love each other, life is short never take it for granted! Much Mahalo for the love and support!

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October 16, 2015 · 9:00 am

18: Chemo #2,

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The week after taking my hair, on my terms I was able to work. I got lots of hugs from patients that recognized me from last year, some would just ask. I am more than happy to share my story, especially is if patients will realize how important Breast Self Exam are. I can’t tell how many women will tell me that they don’t know how to do them…..kills me! I had one patient tell me that she wasn’t sure why I obviously did not have hair, but she said that the way I wore the scarf on my head looked really beautiful, she told me I was beautiful……….made me a little emotional.

You don’t realize how much your fur (hair) keeps you warm at night! I wear a beanie to bed. The rest of my hair is falling, I have lots of little hairs on the bar soap when I shower. Oh, it was really weird showering the first time after buzzing it. I also see that some of my eyelashes are coming off! They somehow always end up in my eye, so irritating. This  past weekend Jax and I went to the beach for some much needed beach chair therapy…..felt good to get in the ocean!

Today, October 15th , Jax and I flew to Oahu. I had my appointment with the Genetic Counselor. Received the wonderful news that I am negative for the mutated gene! My girls will not need to be tested. However, with having a primary risk factor, meaning me (mother) they have a 20% increase risk factor for getting Breast Cancer.

My Chemo treatment today went well. The Oncology Nurse offered me an injection of lidocaine on the port site before placing the catheter. I declined, yea, not sure that was the right choice……it hurt! But it was fast, just felt like a shot, and so it started. One of the bags is a Benadryl, which helps with the side effects of the Taxotere drug. I am getting TCH + Pertuzumab. That is Taxotere, Carboplatin, Herceptin, plus Perjeta (Pertuzumab) I got sleepy due to the Benedryl, I took a book for continuing education, when I kept reading the same question over and over I new it was time for my “chemo-siesta”!

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The above picture is a device that was placed on my tummy. It’s a little machine that tomorrow will inject a medication called Neulasta. Neulasta helps reduce risk of infection by boosting my white blood cell count to strengthen my immune system. One thing for sure is I can not be around sick people!!!!

It is 10:46 pm here on Maui, but I just wanted to share today with you as I know a lot of you want to stay informed. I also want to say that I truly appreciate all the text, private messages, voice mails  etc. I do read/listen to each and every message. I had one friend send me a religious inspirational message that I saved and read it frequently. I am working tomorrow, I Have a light schedule done intentionally for me……MDI is really accommodating my work schedule needs, words can’t explain how much I appreciate them.

Warmest Aloha Pina (josefina)

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