Joyce

This is the note we received from Bill regarding the test results for Joyce. Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers. Joyce is such a wonderful person and we love her so much. Our Chemo Cap Project wouldn't have started without Joyce's inspiration to knit and crochet caps for other cancer patient's comfort in their fight against cancer.

We met with both of her oncologists and a pain management doctor yesterday to get the results from her latest MRI, and whether or not her biopsy several weeks ago came back as HER2 negative or positive.

There is good news and bad news.
The bad news.
The biopsy did come back HER2 positive which means the breast cancer has changed and become more aggressive. The drug she was taking that controlled the amount of estrogen she produces will not work when the cancer has changed to this form. This is why it has spread into other areas of the bone and will need to be treated with two types of chemo and radiation. The chemo drugs they will be using are Herceptin and Navelbine. Herceptin will be given during while she is receiving radiation, Navelbine cannot so we will wait until the radiation is complete.

The good news.

They admitted mom into St Paul Hospital yesterday afternoon so that she can get some stronger pain meds and relieve the pain in her lower back/pelvic area. Now that we know the pain is definitely coming from the cancer and not a muscular issue, she can get ahead of the pain curve, come home and be on meds that will treat the pain and not make her out of it in the head like she has been the past week or so. After about a week of radiation. she should see about a 75% reduction in the pain with hopes of pain free in two weeks.


Joyce is out of the hospital and is staying at Bill's house.

Joyce's Chemo Cap Project is now International!!

Here is information that we received today from one of our knitters. We were so happy to hear this:
One of my relatives is a nurse working in an English hospital. I had previously told her about Joyce's ChemoCap program at the Allen Senior Center. She noted that such a program would be of interest in her hospital and that many volunteer ladies would be glad to use their knitting skills on ChemoCaps. With the help of the Senior Center "ChemoCap Girls", ChemoCap photos, knitting instructions and an actual ChemoCap were sent to England.

Well, a ChemoCap program is up and running in England. ChemoCaps have already been donated to users, and it looks like the program will expand.
A portion of my relative's latest letter reads :
".......................I enclose a photo of our ChemoCaps. Sorry to be so slow in producing some finished results, but here they are, and hope they meet with your approval. My "Ladies" have been very enthusiastic and have produced more than the photo shows. The Chemocaps go to the local Cancer Support Group and to the local Hospice..........................."
She also sent warmest regards to "you dear knitters".

Congratulations to all the Girls involved in the Senior Center program. It appears that an extraordinary, wonderful idea is going to be an international success.

Note from Bill regarding Joyce

As some of you know, Mom tested anemic and had a blood transfusion on Sept. 25th and has slowly recovered from a month or two of total exhaustion and basically feeling like crap. She is really unbelievable considering she felt that bad, and she still endured a week of six different doctor appointments, some of the days running 8 hrs straight and more tests than you could imagine.

Mom had biopsies on September 30th on one area of the scalp and one lesion under each arm. We met with Dr. Schiller, her oncologist, on Monday to receive the results. All three areas were positive for breast cancer, which was not unexpected since the dermatologist suspected they would come back as such. Apparently in about 25% of breast cancer patients the lesions Mom has can appear on the outside of the skin. These areas include under the arms, the chest area, and the pelvis and, more rarely, on the scalp.

Now we are waiting to see if these areas come back as hormone positive, which is what her previous breast cancer has been. If it does come back hormone positive, she will switch from her current cancer-fighting drug, “Tomoxafin,” to a stronger drug in the same class; if it does not come back positive, she will, once again, undergo chemo. Please everyone say a prayer that it’s hormone positive.

Yesterday they took x-rays of her lower back to find out what is causing the pain she has in this area and her thighs. Today a complete bone scan is being performed to check for any other spread of the cancer.

We will be meeting Dr. Schiller on Monday the 13th to review the scans and, if the results are back by then, find out what the biopsies showed.

National Mammography Day is October 17.

For more than 20 years, National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (NBCAM) has educated women about early breast cancer detection, diagnosis and treatment. This year, NBCAM is again reaching out to women with several key messages, most notably, the importance of early detection through annual mammography screening for women over 40. Mammography screenings are a woman's best chance for detecting breast cancer early. When coupled with new treatment options, mammography screenings can significantly improve a woman's chances of survival.

The third Friday in October each year is National Mammography Day, first proclaimed by President Clinton in 1993. On this day, or throughout the month, women are encouraged to make a mammography appointment. In 2008, National Mammography Day will be celebrated on October 17.

Joyce's Chemo Cap Project goes to Pennsylvania!

We now officially have a branch of the Joyce's Chemo Cap Project in Pennsylvania.

Here is the article that was printed in the Lawrence County Newsletter in Pennsylvania:

If you click on the picture, you will be able to read the article.

Note received from Bill, Joyce's son

First I want to thank you and everyone who is and was involved in setting up the blog, outstanding job!
As some of you know Joyce ( my mother) hasn't been feeling very well over the past month or two. We received a call from her oncologist at U.T. Southwestern on 9/25 letting us know her blood counts were very low and she would need to come in for a blood transfusion (2 pints) the next day. Because the effects chemo has on red blood cells, It's not at all unusual to need a transfusions to raise the cell count back up. Normally this would have been caught a month sooner but because of some mix ups at the lab, her low blood count was overlooked and she and I are relieved. We saw many doctors last week for various things, some cancer related and others just routine. One of those was to a dermatologist to look at two small liaisons that have developed under her arms (one under each), and while we were there had them check the red spot on her head. They feel these all maybe from the breast cancer and after we get conformation from the results this week she will need to have the liaisons removed, the spot on the head will be treated with radiation. I had no idea breast cancer could appear on the outside of the skin but my sister Tracie said her oncologist told her to " always look for anything unusual appearing on the skin especially under the arms or pelvic area" this apparently is where breast cancer can show up. I'll keep everyone posted. I also dropped off 25 caps at U.T. after noticing they were down to 4. Keep em coming gang! Bill

Bill Ameser ABR GRI www.homesoftexas.com"D" Magazine Best RealtorWilliam Davis Realty