Today had follow-up #2 with the oncologist, Dr Casimir of Northwest Cancer Center.

Again, I spent more time with the nurse, Katy, than with the Dr herself.  Again – not much confidence.

I mentioned that I was still experiencing heart issues – palpitations, skipped beats, extra beats, racing.  Katy asked if they had done an EKG on me, I said no.  Nothing else was said about that.

I mentioned that I was still on my vitamin regime.  Katy seemed somewhat surprised to hear this, and stressed that I needed to stop taking vitamins as, according to Katy, vitamins lessen the effectiveness of chemotherapy.

WTH?  Seven weeks into chemo and this is just now being brought up.  I’ve never made a secret that I have, for the majority of my adult life, been on a progressive vitamin regime, and Now I’m told it works against chemo?  Just another reason for me to see chemo as an antiquated treatment and Dr. Casimir’s thinking as confined within “The Box”.

Regardless, I brought an “offering” of sorts for the Dr, a gift… a cute pink shoe/purse magnet set, since she is such a shoe fan.  Hoping, I guess, for some acknowledgment as a patient.

Maybe if I had insurance, maybe if I wasn’t there as a beggar.
And beggars can’t be choosers…

When I asked, I did get official notification that I am a Stage 3B.  About Flipping Time it was mentioned.

I looked up breast cancer stages, and got the following info…

“Cancer stage is based on the size of the tumor, whether the cancer is invasive or non-invasive, whether lymph nodes are involved, and whether the cancer has spread beyond the breast.“

“Stage IIIB describes invasive breast cancer in which:

• the tumor may be any size and has spread to the chest wall and/or skin of the breast AND
• may have spread to axillary lymph nodes that are clumped together or sticking to other structures, or cancer may have spread to lymph nodes near the breastbone
• Inflammatory breast cancer is considered at least stage IIIB.”
  

Lovely.