January 22, 2007: …Oh, Except for a Touch of Pneumonia

Stacey’s weekly Herceptin and monthly Zometa treatments are continuing as scheduled, with the Herceptin at 80%, the only possible change on the horizon being that TFDB might bring the Herceptin treatment back up to the full dose after…

Yet Another Bushel of Fabulously Boring Test Results!

Stacey’s most recent cardiac echo shows her heart function back up to 60% which, scroll down to Deb’s heart function rant, is probably better than yours is, bucko. Grand prize? A full weekly dose of intravenous hormones! (Cue balloons & confetti) “I just…” (sniff, sniff) “…I just don’t deserve it!” Nooooo, you don’t, but get on into that treatment room, Missy!

The other cool test that just came back is the follow-up PET scan. In our last episode, Stacey had a PET in which three areas mysteriously “lit up” or showed activity that might possibly indicate cancer. TFDB said (and we do not quote) “Feh,” but being the FD that she is, sent Stacey for all sorts of follow-ups anyway. One clear mammogram, one clear dermatological exam, and one clear thyroid ultrasound later (in addition to ongoing A-OK liver function tests) — and here we are at the follow-up PET scan which was… completely clear!

Of cancer.

There was, however, just a smidge of, um, pneumonia. Which might, thank you very much, explain the three months of lung-hacking that Stacey’s been doing (and yes, all the FDs have been listening to her lungs and not hearing anything scary). It is also an interesting development considering that Stacey is one of the only people I know to have received a PNEUMONIA SHOT this winter. Fabulous!

So, let the antibiotics fly, and may the cough fly away too. Stacey has felt quite well otherwise, yet another testament to the Power of Righteous Indignation (“Pneumonia? Oh, please…”)

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