Robin's Breast Cancer Blog

This collection of messages was written as we've been dealing with Robin's breast cancer for several reasons: (1) To keep our friends ("extended family") up-to-date. (2) To educate folks about "the cancer trip". (3) To help us absorb what was happening, and purge any negativity that might affect Robin. Robin must maintain a positive, hopeful attitude, but with realistic understanding. We follow the mantra, "One day at a time", and trust that God will make good come from difficulty.

Thursday, September 20, 2007

Radiation Treatments Complete       09/20/2007
(but not the side-effects)


Robin finally finished her radiation treatments. Hooray!!!
Unfortunately, the side effects have been fairly brutal during the last week and a half. Robin has not been able to keep anything she swallows inside of her. It just comes right back up, if not immediately, then within a half hour or so. One of the side effects of this radiation treatment was nausea, probably because of collateral damage to the esophagus. Even water doesn’t stay down. The doctors have prescribed several anti-nausea medications, but they haven’t seemed to help yet. I suggested that we should go out to dinner to celebrate the completion of the radiation treatments, but Robin turned me down! I even told her I’d drink her Margaritas for her, since she’s sick. She still turned me down. Bummer!

On the positive side, the back pain has abated somewhat, possibly from shrinkage of the tumors in the bone from the radiation treatments. This is especially good because she cannot keep the pain medications inside for very long.

Robin’s Radiation Oncologist, Dr. Hatch, is out of town this week. Robin wants to wait until she returns to find out what the next step is. We want to see if she can get the vertebra repaired. She’s also supposed to start chemotherapy (hopefully, an oral medication) soon after the completion of radiation. But Robin believes she should get over the nausea before she moves to the next step. If this radiation treatment is like her first, the burning will continue (and get worst) for another week, then start to improve. I’m hoping she can start eating sooner than that.

Well, that’s about it, for now. It has been very frustrating for me to watch, not being able to do anything to alleviate the symptoms, but with luck (and answered prayers), it should start turning around soon. We hope to talk to Dr. Hatch soon and find out what we do next. I’ll send out another update when we know.

Until then, keep the prayers going.

Love to you all,

                  Larry and Robin (and John)

posted by Larry Burns @ 8:13 PM