support group

I went to my first support group meeting last night. I heard about it while having chemo last time -- the woman next to me whipped the curtain between us back and started chatting and told me I should come to their support group meeting. It's for young women -- under 40, but they are apparently flexible about that. (I am the oldest, but the next oldest is 42.) They are flexible about the type of cancer too -- one of the most interesting women there had colon cancer, though most are breast cancer survivors.

They got me rallied up about the eye-steroid thing again. Now I am going to see if I can get my ophthalmologist to put in a bid to get some anecortave acetate approved for me for "compassionate use." Or something. I saw my oncologist today and she said she is already planning to cut the decadron dose in half for me (10 mg before each weekly dose of taxol rather than 20.) I hope it works because apparently the allergic reaction can be deadly. They will watch me, though, she says. (Maybe I will see if I can get the eye doctor at Georgetown to let me come in for eye pressure checks weekly, though I don't generally see her.)

Taxol is apparently the big gun of breast cancer treatment, so not to be messed with. One woman in the support group said that her tumor shrank from 11 cm to 4.5, mostly (or all) on taxol. She started out with a tumor that almost took over her entire breast and managed to have a lumpectomy!!!

I will never have the guts to do that I don't think, even if my tumor shrinks down to nothing..... but I still want it to!!!

I also started lifting weights, on Tuesday. Really light baby weights. I've never done weights, though I've thought about starting for years, for prevention of osteoporosis. Well NOW I'm on chemo, which causes osteoporosis, so I figured it's time! I went to Joan's house and did her routine with her, but with all way lighter weights. It probably took only a half hour.) I plan to repeat it at home, with Matthew's 5 lb weights....... if I stop being sore after Tuesday before I forget what we did!!