So sorry I’ve been a bit remiss with the updating of this blog lately. I’ve been trying to catch up on chores around the home front I’ve neglected for a good six months. Like the little dust bunnies that magically turn into tumbleweed as you walk across the floor, or when your dog looks up at you and has a clump of dust hanging from his nose you know it’s time to get-her-done. My energy level is coming back and I’ve been feeling much better lately both physically and emotionally.

On October 28^th, I started my 5yr stint with Arimidex hormone therapy. Arimidex is an aromatase inhibitor, which will block the production of estrogen starving any breast cancer cells resulting in their demise. One of the more concerning side effects is Osteoporosis, (thinning of the bones) so I had a DEXA scan and will have one every following year to assess my bone density. I’ve had no side effects as of yet and hopefully won’t. I don’t know what the long term affects are, everyone is different, but I figure it’s worth staying on it as long as I continue to function and thrive despite any side effect that may occur.

Although, every treatment has its side effect, cost, and convenience, my biggest complaint is the price. Generally I pay $10 for a prescription so you can imagine my shock when the pharmacist told me $269 for a 30 day supply and I would be responsible for $120.

I said, “What?” “That’s absurd I have to take this for 5yrs… forget that… give me the generic please.”

“I’m sorry there isn’t a generic.”

For that price you’d think those little suckers would leap right out of the package, fetch a class of water and dive right in my mouth. But no they are so tightly sealed you need a hammer and a good pair of tweezers to pop them out. I’m not even kidding you… seriously, no joke here!

Have a good week and stay well my friend!

Yes, folks my score18, put me right on the line of low / intermediate risk (the gray area they say again) of recurrence placing me at a 12% chance of recurrence over a 10 year period. I don’t see that as a gray area at all. If I were to have chemo the recurrence would be 8% over a 10 year period. Not significant enough for me to even consider letting the infusion of that poison loose to wreak havoc. To me that’s just plain crazy. The chances of me having a heart attack or stroke over a 10 year period are a hell of a lot higher then that. I’m at higher risk every time I sit in the passenger seat of my husband’s car. No thank you sir not today!

Not to down play the Oncotype Test. I’m very grateful it’s out there and available today bringing a peace of mind to breast cancer patients. Researches scientific knowledge can only improve in years to come with the discovery one day of that one –– cure all magic pill for ALL CANCER PATIENTS.

So six weeks of daily radiation + five years of Arimidex hormone therapy (pill) is my final treatment plan. I’ll start radiation August 6 Monday – Friday @ 11:30am.

Thank you to all who have called, emailed, sent greeting cards, with your thoughts and prayers. They are all very much appreciated and I won’t let you down.

Much Love - Have a great weekend!

***Betty’s doing the Mojito***

We met with Oncologist Dr.GW today. She said the 1 abnormal lymph node that was removed is still a
gray area when it comes to a final treatment plan. She suggested the Oncotype DX test. This test will
provide us a quantitative assessment of critical information of the likelihood of recurrence, increasing
our confidence in decision making to assure a proper treatment plan. They will perform 21 different lab
test on the samples taken during the lumpectomy surgery.

The results come back in the form of a recurrence score. A number between 0 and 100 correlates
to a specific likelihood of breast cancer recurrence within 10 years of the initial diagnosis. If the score
comes back low, treatment will be 6 weeks of radiation followed by hormone therapy. If the score comes
back high, then the suggested treatment plan is 4 infusions of chemo – 6 weeks of radiation followed
by hormone therapy.

I’m playing the pass line in this crappy game….

COME ON BOY’S ROLL A 7/11!!!

We met with my Oncologist Dr.GW today, and at this time she doesn’t suggest inserting a chemo port
during surgery tomorrow. She wants to wait until the lab reports come back on the lymph nodes they
remove before making a decision on chemo. So for now the treatment plan is to have 6 weeks of daily
radiation followed by hormone therapy.