Friday, May 12, 2006

Some Thoughts From a Sucky Couple of Days

V saw Dr. Boob on an emergency basis yesterday. Pain and swelling in the wound. He drained 120cc, the buildup in just 3 days.

TV programs (talk shows, news) are focusing on breast cancer--a big tie-in with Mother's Day. Venita's head keep screaming "I have cancer!" She has been trying just to stay in the moment and avoid those thoughts.

Bailey the feral cat is very sick. He's been losing weight and has had a run-in with inappetance, constipation, and diarrhea the last couple of days. When first observed, he also had frothing at the mouth. Two vet visits, most blood values normal, vets are stumped but still charge outrageously for their "professional services," guest room converted to a cat hospital, SubQ fluids for dehydration, Cypro to build appetite. Frankly, he doesn't look like he's going to make it. But he's had a good, long life for a feral cat.

Chemo #3 coming up on Tuesday; 3 appointments on Monday.

Quote from a teleconference sponsored by Y-Me: We see ultrasound as a secondary screen for women with dense breast tissue. When we compare cancers that are not seen on the mammogram in women with dense breasts as opposed to women with fatty breast, the false negative rate of a mammogram may be as high as 30 percent... . . ...Yep, we know that mammo is a lousy diagnostic tool for certain breast types and certain cancers. But the ultrasound and the MRI didn't turn out to be all that hot either.

1 comment:

{Steve Rapaport} said...

I just saw this informative New York Times Article:

After Mastectomy, Finding the Right 'New Normal'


By JANE E. BRODY
Published: January 3, 2006

...The timing of reconstruction may be influenced by a woman's need to undergo radiation therapy, because radiation increases the risk of postoperative complications. Obese women may be advised not to have reconstruction because they are at risk of impaired wound healing.

But reconstruction has no known effect on the recurrence of cancer, nor does it interfere with chemotherapy or radiation, should cancer recur.

Whether reconstruction is to be immediate or delayed, it is most important that this decision be discussed with a cancer surgeon and a plastic surgeon prior to mastectomy, since it may alter the way the cancer surgery is done.

...


Rest at http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/03/health/03brod.html?ex=1147665600&en=51eb0503e778e05a&ei=5070

(Membership required, let me know if you want the article in full)