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 My mom has been kind enough to set up a website for me when I started my breast cancer journey. She retired from writing on Dec 31 2025 and is cutting expenses. Hosting for that website and other websites is going away. So all my posts have been duplicated here and I hope you will continue to follow me on my journey.

My latest oncologist visit

 

What my oncologist said…

Severe dry mouth: “It sounds like you are doing everything right. ” (using Biotene mouthwash, oral spray and mouthwash and staying very well hydrated.) “We would just encourage you to moisten your food prior to eating with sauces, broth or gravy. Apply petroleum jelly, Aquaphor to lips and gums. Additionally using a cool mist humidifier can help.

Edema in legs: wear compression socks and I just got some new ones because I gave most of mine away

CT Scan: No sign of metastasis. However, they saw very bad arthritis (“advanced spinal degenerative change”), which I have been aware of since 2008 when I had to stop working as a LPN due to the arthritis in my spine ( I was doing home visits with people who were quadriplegics.) That’s when the VA came in and offered to send me back to school to finish my Bachelor’s degree . I still have some questions about the CT findings because I didn’t have the results opened on my phone so some questions went unanswered. I will probably draft a secure message with those questions.

Sleep issues: Too much mental stimulation (phone), try reading instead

CEA blood test (tests inflammation): Still high, but it’s slowly going down

Stiffness in hamstrings and hips: Move more, add weight bearing exercises

Currently, I am being seen every four months because of the osteopenia. She is concerned abut it becoming full blown osteoporosis so I will have another bone density scan in October. Meanwhile she wants me to incorporate some weight bearing exercise into my days. When I researched that, I saw that my balance exercises were considered weight bearing exercise so I can kill both birds with one stone. I also found out that resistance exercises are also weight bearing exercises so I’m going to research that.

At 3 my year mark (3 years cancer free) we will switch to every 6 months. This will be in March 2027.

What’s up with me now?

 

I’m going to be doing (finally) the neuropsycological testing on January 8 and after that I will see neurology at the VA here in Colorado Springs on January 23. I’m glad it’s finally time to get this done.

I see my oncologist on January 13 to go over bloodwork that I’ll be getting drawn on January 2.

On February 19 I’ll be having some follow-up work done with the plastic surgeon. Nothing real major, just a short procedure with a very minimal recovery time.

Thanks for all your support!!

Bone Density Update

 

I just had a bone density scan and the results show:

“The hip density has decreased a nonsignificant 0.026 g/cm squared. The spine density has decreased a significant 0.138 g/sq cm.” Further, “Low bone mass (osteopenia: T-score between 1.0 and 2.5) at the femoral neck or total hip with a 10-year hip fracture risk 3% or a 10-year major osteoporosis-related fracture risk 20% (i.e., clinical vertebral, hip, forearm, or proximal humerus). This patient does not meet criteria for consideration of pharmacologic treatment to prevent osteoporosis and fracture.”

However, I am taking vitamin D twice per day. Not sure if they will increase the dosage or not. I will update again when I’ve spoken with my oncologist.