Part 13 – A Look Back on my Cancer Journey – Fried Eggs & Hot Flashes

(Adapted from journal entries and family email updates in July, 2006)

Wednesday, July 19, 2006

A little good news:

*The mole I had removed from my neck is benign – no skin cancer there.

*The radiology doctor who examined me on Monday said he couldn’t tell where the tumor had been. He couldn’t even feel scar tissue. Praise God! I will still need more tests to determine the final outcome, but it was worth the discomfort to hear something positive for a change.

Not so good news:

I had a blood test done through my regular doctor to determine my hormonal state and my ovaries are definitely fried and failing. My estrogen level was at 14 and normal is between 50 and 100. I don’t really know how to define the numbers, but as soon as I can get the port removed, I’ll be getting on some sort of estrogen supplement, patch, etc. In the meantime, I’m having hot flashes day and night, and feel a lot more fragile emotionally. A side effect of estrogen treatment is blood clots and that wouldn’t bode well with being on Coumadin and having a port at this time. Gee, the stuff you learn when your body is catapulted into a phase you were previously just gradually sliding toward. Instant menopause. I seem to recall a mention that this was a likely side effect of the radiation. All the more reason to get the port out as soon as my PET scan gives the green light.