Post Surgery Recovery and Chemo Discussions

 Never having had breast cancer, or a double mastectomy, they really don’t prep you for what happens next. There are lots and lots of appointments – of which you don’t really know what it’s going to be – or who or why. For a control freak like me, I don’t like this.

So, I just go through my “workouts” and then block off time for all of these appointments (and, an appointment may only take 15 minutes, but you lose about 3 hours of drive time, wait time, etc. for every appointment). Some have been great about working in an appointment around an appointment. I also don’t get why you have to pay for parking at Medical City (even though the max is $4 per day, really?)

Tony and I have to meet with the chemo doctor, Dr. Anju Nair at Texas Oncology at Medical City (this seems to be the go to place to get cancer treatment -- first time in Building D). She basically paints an 18-week, 6-time treatment. And also recommends cold capping to save my hair and gives me a piece of paper with websites and phone numbers to call (insurance may pay for). She doesn’t think radiation appointment is necessary at this time (couldn’t do until chemo is done anyway). Tony and I just aren’t 100% sure on the chemo. We’ve read this book – Defeating Breast Cancer Organically: No Surgery, Chemotherapy or Radiation by Joe and Laura Patrina (on Amazon: Book on Amazon). Clearly, we already did the surgery, but the book has a lot of interesting talk about using diet, stress management, exercise, supplements to kill any more cancer to avoid chemo and radiation. Basically, starve it off. But this Laura didn’t also have HERS2 kind like me, so cancers are different. We go home kinda bummed. If I hadn’t had a bit of cancer in one of my lymph nodes, I probably wouldn’t even be thinking about chemo.

Work as normal. It’s annual report season. It’s been good at home, with the exception of only having a dinky black and white printer. Arthur brings me color printouts from time to time, and reams of paper.

Chemo or no chemo? I read a lot on line. Leaning towards it. Our friend, Bob, wants me to visit with his doctor friend (from Maine, but has some sort of alternative clinic in Mexico?). Not that I’m not for alternative solutions, doesn’t seem up my alley. But one Sunday, the doctor is in town and we agree to meet with him on Bob’s patio. We hear all about his Lyme disease and how he started looking at alternatives to cure him (Lyme disease is pretty brutal from what I’ve heard) and how similar it was to cancer. Blah, blah, blah (yes, I’m listening, but not really). And he’s definitely not pro health insurance and big pharma. And how important your tooth health is (the book above talked about tooth health, so I know he’s not COMPLETELY out of line – but, really, spending all of this money on a tooth scan that could end up having you remove multiple teeth – my mouth is full of 40+ year old fillings. Not sure that they are the cause of my breast cancer, or if switching them out will solve the deal). And then the $3000+ day to stay at the clinic in Mexico (for 60+ days – you do the math – insurance doesn’t cover this), working with acupuncture and diet and … blah, blah, blah. This is definitely not going to be me going to Mexico to see if it works instead of cancer.

The best part of the visit (besides making me realize that a course of chemo is probably the best solution), was when the doctor took a crystal, on a string, out of his pocket. And made me stand up. And then started twirling it around areas (e.g. palm). Well, my energy is completely in reverse. That’s just eating up all of my energy, zapping me of my ability to cure itself. Just completely in reverse. Woo. Woo. Took everything for me not to bust out laughing (especially since it seemed like he was causing the direction of the crystal  -- it was purple). Tony and I left Bob’s laughing.

BTW, if you go to an alternative doctor for an opinion. And then “kinda” tell your mother about it. But not really. SHE WILL FREAK OUT. In a BIG way. She ended up calling my sister, who called me. We never did tell mom about the crystal part of things, just that I was on board for chemo.