Diary of a Fighter

February 2008

Me: What happened?

Her: A straightforward question eh? Hmm.. It was night time and I was ready to go to bed. But then I felt a slight stinging pain in my upper left chest. Being paranoid..

Me: As always..

Her: "Balamu ika ali neh.."

Me: OK, please continue.

Her: So I started to panic. But then again, my husband lulled me to sleep. How sweet of him don't you agree?

Me: Of course he is. So, how did you discover IT?

Her: Well, I was simply dressing up for an oh-so-busy yet very ordinary day. Then, as I appreciate my super sexy bod, I remembered to check something.

Me: What exactly is that "something"?

Her: My lovely lady lumps!

Me: Check it out!

Her: Excuse me?

Me: Ahem.. Sorry, please continue.

Her: I did a self breast examination on the spot. Cupped them lumps.. And found.. IT.

Me: Exactly what is IT?

Her: IT is another "lump" in my lump.

Me: Oh.. I understand. So how did you feel?

Her: Terrified of course. I immediately consulted a doctor the next day. It was as though my dreams shattered, as though I was in a telenovela.

Me: And the result was?

Her: How dry could you get? Anyway, it was benign. They found a cyst but it was benign. I was grateful about that. But little did I know that there was something BIGGER coming.

October 2008

Me: How are you?

Her: I'm better than ever. EXCEPT the fact that I'm a LITTLE unwell. I know, right now you can't tell.

Me: "Oyta magsolo keng pamagkanta." How come? What happened?

Her: Remember the time when I had an extra lump? I was under observation since then. Then IT came. Again.

Me: Again? What is IT this time?

Her: The cyst. And this time, it was back. Back for more.

     She then narrated her own version of "Series of Unfortunate Events". As she was examined, the doctors found out that the cyst (the one last February) has metastasized to a full-fledged malignant tumor -- something that every woman dread of. Right there and then, she was operated for a mastectomy of the left breast. After a biopsy, it was found to be at its second stage. Depressed as she already was, she never gave up. Never did I see a trace of fear. A brave woman indeed. Her doctor then suggested that she be subjected to chemotherapy.

November 2008

Her: And your back.
Me: Aren't you happy about it?
Her: Maybe.
Me: So what will happen now?
Her: Honestly, I don't know. But they said it's my first chemo session today.
Me: I see, today's the big day.
Her: Yup, and there will be 5 other "big days" to come.
Doctor: Oh hi there, are you ready?
Me: No.
Her: Probably.
Me: ... See you later then.
Her: Ok.


Dry conversations.. Still figuring out the "drug" for that..


     Her doctor explained that she might be experiencing some of the side effects of the main drug that is to be administered to her: DOCETAXEL. Commercially available as Taxotere, Docetaxel is an anti-neoplastic drug specially used for chemotherapy. It is an intravenously administered drug which is commonly used for the treatment of breast cancer and other cancers such as non-small cell lung cancer, advanced stomach cancer, head and neck cancer, and metastatic prostate cancer.


     Whenever she was asked as to how she felt during and after the therapy, she would briefly answer "ok mu" (I'm fine). But as she grants me with an "exclusive" interview, here is what she said:


Me: So, how did it go?
Her: It was as if something was burning inside of me, my veins to be specific. I felt nauseous after a few hours and a general feeling of weakness after a few days. It was also quite weird that I seem to have diarrhea when in fact I was very picky as to what I eat. Unfortunately, my hair is starting to fall off. But  it's good that I do not vomit unlike other patients.
Me: It's for your own good I suppose. But wait, I have been wondering why I have to wear a surgical mask. And also, why are you so isolated and confined in this room.?
Her: Thought you'd never ask. Well, they said that I'm prone to infection. That part isn't quite clear yet. But let me ask on my next therapy.

December 2008

     It was her second session. She had to be checked for her blood cells count first before undergoing the treatment. It was at this time that everything made sense. She has a very low WBC count and a relatively low RBC count. Through research, I found out that Docetaxel, a plant alkaloid, is cell-cycle specific. This means that it halts cell division of rapidly dividing cells. Cancer cells, being cells that divide at a fast rate, are killed as their RNAs or DNAs are damaged by the drug. However, chemotherapy does not know the difference between normal and cancerous cells. This is the exact reason why she has low blood cell counts and gradual hair loss.


     It was not safe for her to undergo the therapy while having low white blood cell count as it may affect her marrow. So the doctor had to administer a new drug to help. It was PEGFILGRASTIM, a long-acting form of G-CSF or granulocyte colony-stimulating factor. Administered subcutaneously, this drugs stimulate the growth of WBCs.


     Amidst the pain and numbness after the injection of the new drug, she still underwent another chemotherapy session. This went on every after 21 days. Though scarred physically and emotionally, never did I see her cry.. ...  Well, only once I suppose, but that's an extremely exclusive scoop.

April 2009

Me: It's graduation day isn't it.
Her: Yes, but strictly speaking, no. It takes at least 5 years of non-recurrence to be declared a survivor. Plus, I have to undergo radiation therapy for 2 months and take a certain MEDICATION for 2 years.
Me: You're almost there.
Her: I know.


...


Me: Phew! Makabalangingi neh?
Her: Wapin.. Ot nanan mu neh naman yan?
Me: Ala mu, trip trip.. Blogging blogging..
Her: O basta neh, Caramel Macchiato ku..
Me: Haha, opu..

Thank You..

"MOM"

For an in depth explanation on chemotherapy, check this out:

Also, click on the links for detailed information about the drugs.

-SIDETRACK-
It's easier to wear poker faces than contact lenses.

References:
http://www.medicinenet.com/chemotherapy/article.htm
http://www.chemocare.com/bio/docetaxel.asp
http://www.cancercare.on.ca/common/pages/UserFile.aspx?serverId=6&path=/File%20Database/CCO%20Files/Drug%20Formulary/Medication/Pegfilgrastim.pdf
http://www.breastcancer.org/treatment/hormonal/serms/tamoxifen.jsp