Good News Bad News!

Roger's Clinic Roger and Kirsten

QUICK REVIEW: I started my Weekly Chiropractic Therapy today to help my bodies' natural defenses help with the Medical Treatments (with Roger Barnick )

-I qualified for the Study Drug (preliminarily) at OHSU.

-This means a delay of Chemo for approx 3 weeks!

-I'll be having multiple scans, re-biopsy, Echocardiogram, Etc for use with the study, which will give ME very specific information too.

-Tumor is 2.8cm (original estimate was 2cm via ultrasound/mammogram)

-Right breast is completely clear of any tumor growth!.

-Chest area clear of tumors!

-axillary biopsy definitively negative for metastatic disease (has not spread to armpit).

-Will find out more about dates and times for scheduling of needed tests, and Port placement tomorrow when Deidre calls.

MY DIALOGUE : Well, another long day. Started out at "Good Health Naturally" where I got some good advise and a wonderful treatment by Roger (Dr Barnick). I know it will help my body use it's natural defenses against this disease in conjunction with the Chemotherapy. My son Jeff also advised me strongly to do this (Not surprising since he is a Chiropractor too!). If the kid had any sense he would have settle down here locally where he could help his mother, instead of in Colorado Springs, Colorado where there are ..............what?.............360 days of sunshine a year! (:

Then we headed off to OHSU and Dr. Chui. (love his smile and laugh!) He gave me the good news that there was no spreading of the cancer in my upper body that they could see from the MRI! But.......also the news that the tumor was larger than originally guestimated through the mammogram and ultrasound. That NOT being good as an isolated fact, but being good that it qualifies me for the "Ispy2study".

This is a study which does specified genetic testing of some 33,000 genes on a core of my tumor. It will give a lot of very specific information that could be had no other way (good). Then the study drug is made up to fight certain positive factors in the tumors DNA such as, maybe, a growth factor, or an insulin factor. This is excellent!!! Not FDA approved yet (hence the study) but showing great potential, and making sound sense to me. If this is true, it is worth waiting the extra couple weeks to get the right drugs!! But if it is not, "statistics" show the slight delay will not affect my overall outcome. I feel good about it. The bad news is 2 out of 3 women will get the right (DNA specific) study drug and the 3rd woman will only get the Standard Chemo Therapy. The Theory is I will have no loss of effect from the now standard "best" therapy available, but potential gain with the new therapy............ not to mention knowledge in forwarding science (which I'm all for, albeit right now I'm really just cheering for Kirsten Williams).

Deidre (study RN) and I

Deirdre came in after Dr. Chui and explained everything very detailed in relation to the study. She is my advocate and wanted to make sure I understood completely, and had every opportunity to go for it ............or not. She has a very strong positive outlook, is genuinely involved, and I will like working with her. We signed all the "preliminary acceptance" papers. It was explained to us that after all the upcoming tests I could still be "disqualified" from the study if they find Metastatic disease elsewhere in my body...............or if the DNA testing shows I have a tumor that will be very receptive to standardized treatment. Then we would KNOW that treatment will work! (GREAT!) So that could be really good too! Even though I have a Her2 positive tumor (meaning it is aggressive) if it's responsive to current standardized treatment, why do anything else?

So now............we wait..........not one of my best traits. I am one of those "well, if we're going to do it.......let's just jump feet first and DO IT people!" I'm ready to roll. The Lord continues to teach me patience.