Cane toads
In the first months of diagnosis and treatment, lists of questions littered my spiral cancer notebook in preparation for each medical visit. Questions like this: Can my specimens be saved for potential genetic, pharmacogenetic and pharmacogenomic studies? (Yes.) Should I take probiotics during chemo? (No.) When/how will we scan or otherwise gauge response to chemo? (MRI, halfway and after chemo.) How long between mastectomy and radiation of I don’t get tissue expanders? (about a month) What are the pros and cons of a skin-sparing versus regular mastectomy? (Use your imagination.) What is gated breathing? (a way to minimize collateral damage to the heart during radiation) When can I get my port removed? (Unfortunately I rushed this one.) Does L-glutamine help with Letrozole side effects? (Nah.) Why does radiation make you feel tired? (It kills tons of healthy cells.) And so on. Yesterday I saw my cardiologist (well, his physician’s assistant)