Cancer in a Mitten

Endometrial Cancer: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

Three Days After Chemotherapy

by Leave a Comment

I wrote this on April 15, 2023, however, for some reason it wouldn’t upload from the WordPress app. I’ll figure it out. Anyway, here is the post…

So chemo was Wednesday (4/12/23). Today is Saturday and I’ve basically been in bed all day. (I was in bed all weekend, really) Not to sleep really, just because it’s more comfortable to lay down than it is to sit at my desk.

The bone/joint pain has set in and everything from my ankles to my wrists are throbbing. My elbows even hurt – ELBOWS!! I also have those zinging pains but they seem to be focused at my waist this time around. Oh, and also the zings are happening between my fingers.

It’s also in the 80’s here in MI and my room/office is hot! (We had a stretch of summer weather) And this thing – nodule, mass, lesion, tumor…whatever it is) in my abdomen is bothering me.

Oh! And my eyes are blurry. I desperately need new glasses but I don’t think now is the time to go in and get them checked. I don’t know. I think they are affected by the chemo. (Future Heidi here, I am definitely going to ask my oncologist at the next appointment. I may just see if I can get a copy of my old script and get a new pair outside of my insurance.)

I just wanted to check in and post where I’m at. I will update more when I am able to sit more comfortably at my desk.

Until then…Heidi

Allergic Reaction to Taxol

by Leave a Comment

If you read any of my previous posts, you’ll know I took a break from treatments for a couple months. I needed to go back to work and the side effects were getting worse with every chemo. 

I was just tired – mentally and physically.

My first treatment of 2023 was in February. Same chemo as before. Nothing was different. I loaded up with steroids the night before and the morning of, same as usual.

They always start the Taxol first and the bag usually takes around 3 hours to complete. Before they start the Taxol, they give me antacids and liquid Benadryl and something else that I don’t remember off hand. So, I am usually loopy and ready to sleep once the chemo gets started. 

The only real difference is that I was in a bed instead of a recliner this time and was laying pretty flat, whereas I am usually sitting up some. 

All of a sudden, I cannot breathe!

I sit up and hit the nurse button. I coughed a few times and was able to get my breath back. They stopped the Taxol and called my oncologist’s office. 

Someone else in the Infusion Center was also having some kind of issues, however, they were taken out by EMS.

The nurses gave me some more Benadryl and another drug and restarted the Taxol – but at a slower rate.

I had no other issues after that. 

Let’s Talk Chemotherapy Side Effects

by Leave a Comment

The two Chemotherapy drugs that I receive are Taxol and Carboplatin.

Chemo days used to be about 6 hours. I get some pre-meds which are antacids, liquid Benadryl, and something else that I cannot think of at the moment. (Chemo brain is a real thing, y’all!) I say used to be because I had an allergic reaction to the Taxol in February, 2023 and now my Chemo days are about 8 hours. (A separate post about this is coming soon.)

Both chemo drugs have similar side effects. The side effects that I get are:

  • Hair loss – I’ve lost my hair 4 times now. Every time I’ve taken a break from chemo, my hair grows back. Once I start the chemo (well 17 days after – funny how they can pin point it down to the days like that) my hair starts falling out again.
  • Neuropathy/tingling in fingers and toes – I also get these little zings (for lack of a better word) in my legs, arms, hands, and feet. The zings are totally random and are more frequent closer to chemo.
  • Mouth sores – They’re not even sores per say, but more like the skin on the inside of my mouth is cut up. I don’t know, it’s weird.
  • Food doesn’t taste right or I just don’t want to eat – this is right after chemo and lasts a few days to a week.
  • Constipation and diarrhea – it’s a fun combo of both.
  • Joint pain – I personally think this is more bone pain for me, but it’s the worst pain I’ve ever been in. Now mind you, I have not been through childbirth, however, I have had a complete hysterectomy and that was pretty painful.
  • Nausea – I am *very* lucky in that I do not get nauseous regularly. I also haven’t had days where I vomit or anything like that. I have been nauseous a few times, and usually taking Zofran helps for that.
  • Body chills – These happen the day of chemo as well as the day after and sometimes into the 2nd day after. A friend who has been through chemotherapy for Breast Cancer recommended I get an electric blanket for those days. I haven’t done so yet.
  • Exhaustion/tiredness – This is a constant while I am going through chemo. Like today, I am 2 1/2 weeks out and I am exhausted. I cannot get enough sleep.]

Now the above are the side effects that I experience. You, your family member, or friend may experience different side effects than I do. My oncologist gave me a binder of information and I’ve found that most of what was in there was true for me.

Tomorrow I’ll post about the allergic reaction I had to chemo.

Till then…Heidi

You Will Be OK

by Leave a Comment

From time to time I may post some inspirational or positivity type of graphics. I used to do something called Motivation Monday on my main blog. I don’t plan on doing that here, however, I think sometimes these types of posts or sentiments (?) are important.

Whenever possible, I will credit the artist or page where I grabbed the graphic from with a link.

Hello there…

by Leave a Comment

Now that I know I can send in posts from my phone I may post more often. Or I may stop again before I get started because life is too overwhelming.

First, a little bit about me. My name is Heidi and I live in Michigan – hence, the Mitten. I’m in my late 40’s and don’t have any kiddos. My pets are my kids. Currently I have 2 dogs – Dasher and Willow – and 2 cats – Lily and Jasper. Some of my favorites right now are: purple, pears, squishmallows, dinosaurs, The Golden Girls, rainbows, glitter, and those decorative birds that Target sells for $5.00. I don’t do a lot of reading these days, and I like watching documentaries, anything 90 Days, and comedies. Music I love varies but P!nk and Billie Eilish are favorites. I am sarcastic, quick witted, a democrat, and I believe love is love. I am an Ally to LBQTIA+ and people of color. I am also a realist – I may say this a lot.

Now onto the cancer part. I was first diagnosed with uterine (endometrial) cancer in 2011. I had a total hysterectomy and radiation. All was good, right? My mom was also diagnosed with the same cancer and had a hysterectomy and never had issues. Apparently, I needed to overdo it.

Fast forward to 2019/2020 – yep, right at the start of the Pandemic. I noticed a lump in my stomach and pain in that same area. It would keep me up at night sometimes. Initially, I thought it was Diverticulitis because it would sometimes feel better after I went to the bathroom. I got an x-ray and then was referred to a surgeon. I had an MRI and was scheduled for surgery. They were preparing for a hernia surgery because they just wasn’t sure what it was.

Surgery was in August, 2020.

Once the surgeon removed and saw the mass, he contacted my Oncologist. The result? Cancer. The same type/kind I had before. This is the first recurrence. So how they explained it was that there was a cancer cell left on the robot when they did my hysterectomy back in 2011 and that cell has been growing for the past 8/9 years. Endometrial cancer is a slow growing cancer. The oncologist gave me a few different options but the treatment he recommended was radiation to the surgical area and chemo.

I went to University of Michigan for a second opinion and they said basically the same thing. I should also add that I had a CT scan and it showed nodules in both lungs. Anyway, I decided to stay with the more local hospital and my old Oncologist for treatment.

I had my Medi port placement in October, 2020 and was scheduled for a course of chemo (6 cycles – 3 weeks apart) with radiation in the middle. So basically, I had 3 chemo, then radiation, then 3 more chemo. The chemo was Taxol and Carboplatin. I’m not going to talk side effects yet – don’t worry though, that will be coming soon.

I had another CT scan in March, 2021 and the lung nodules were gone – good news! I continued with the three cycles of chemo.

I didn’t have another CT scan until June, 2022. Results this time were not as favorable. The lung nodules were back as well as a couple of other suspicious spots. This is now my 2nd recurrence, I believe.

I guess with Endometrial cancer (not sure if this is true of other cancers) they don’t restage the cancer. So you stay at whatever stage you were diagnosed at. For me that was Stage II – I believe. Although my original Oncologist did say that this was now considered Stage VI cancer at one point. My original oncologist left the practice for Michigan State at some point during my care.

This meant more chemo for me. I completed another course of chemo – same as before with the Taxol and Carboplatin. I had another CT scan in September, 2022. The lung nodules were reduced, but everything else was as it was before.

The chemo wasn’t working anymore.

In October, 2022, I had my last chemo of that course – #7, I believe. I was tired. The side effects were getting worse with every round of chemo and I needed a break. I also needed to go back to work for a little while. I asked the oncologist to take a break and she agreed.

My next CT scan was in December, 2022 – again, everything was the same.

When I saw the oncologist again we discussed options. Immunotherapy is what sounds most promising. However, because of how insurance works – I work in insurance – so I won’t complain about it, but I KNOW it’s a pain sometimes, I need to essentially be a “chemo failure” in order to start immunotherapy.

Back to chemo I go – same as before – another course so hopefully I can be approved for Immunotherapy.

My latest CT scan was in February, 2023. The lung nodules are not showing again, which is good news. However, the other masses/tumors/lesions/spots (whatever you want to call them) are still there and the biggest one is now hurting like the one was in 2019. I can feel it also.

So this is my story so far….well, the gist of it anyway.

More coming soon as I have a lot to share.