Low Neutrophil Count

This morning Mary Jo and I met with MJ’s oncologist, Dr Gall at Minnesota Oncology in Burnsville. Mary Jo was given a physical examination and status review before she was administered the Herceptin treatment which she now receives every third week. Dr Gall raised a concern regarding Mary Jo’s blood work numbers. The total white blood cell count and more importantly the total neutrophil count remains low and well below the norm range. A low white count and a low neutrophil count can render Mary Jo prone to bacterial infections as her ability to fight infection is severely compromised. Dr Gall is concerned because the negative effects of chemotherapy on her blood count should be out of Mary Jo’s system by now as she is several weeks past her last systemic chemotherapy session. Dr Gall ordered slide smears of the blood work to confirm the low counts. He extensively quizzed Mary Jo about her intake of any possible supplements. Certain supplements, though safe on there own may be having an adverse effect when combined with the combination of drugs being prescribed and thereby suppressing Mary Jo’s white blood cell numbers. Mary Jo is tolerating the Herceptin treatments well with little negative side effects. After the 8:20am appointment at Minnesota Oncology, Mary Jo went in at 11:40 for her daily radiation session. Today marks radiation session #7 of 33 at the Ridges Radiation Therapy Center in Burnsville. Mary Jo is feeling good today.

New MUGA Scan

Mary Jo had a new MUGA scan procedure on Thursday to monitor and determine if the Herceptin treatments are having a damaging effect on her heart. The procedure went well and Mary Jo’s heart function numbers are 71% which is nearly identical to the last scan a few months ago. This is good news and Mary Jo can continue with this important treatment.

Mary Jo has now completed 5 straight days of radiation therapy and has only 28 sessions to go. The last session lasted only nine minutes. Mary Jo has not complained of any adverse side effects from the radiation treatments but we understand the cumulative effects will likely come in the weeks ahead. Mary Jo is feeling pretty good today.

Session #3 of 33

Mary Jo and I met with the radiation oncologist, Dr McCollow for a brief consultation after today’s radiation session. Today marked the third day or session of a thirty three session therapy treatment regiment being prescribed by Dr McCollow. Mary Jo’s treatment is called “megavoltage radiation therapy”. Each session takes about 20 minutes in the Burnsville office. The majority of the time spent for each session is set up and positioning.  Mary Jo is feeling good today. She has just started the sessions but thankfully, so far she is not feeling any negative side effects from the radiation sessions.

New Planning Session

Mary Jo had a new “planning session” with the staff at the Burnsville Ridges Radiation Therapy Center today. She was measured again and received an additional “tattoo” marking on her upper chest area. Mary Jo’s first radiation therapy session will begin on Monday morning at 11:40 and then every weekday following for the next 30 plus days. I was not allowed in the room with Mary Jo where the measurements were taken because of radiation exposure concerns but the procedure took about 45 minutes. Mary Jo’s mother Diane was kind enough to sit with me and kept me company during this last planning session procedure.

Mary Jo is a little tired today but that could very likely be a result of staying out late last night celebrating the 40th birthday of my friend and business partner, Tony Maurer and his wife Kara.

First Radiation Session Cancelled Today

Mary Jo’s radiation planning session was cancelled today and rescheduled for Friday the 12th at 10:30am because Dr Kim McCollow, radiation oncologist requested a new CT scan and that new telemetry measurements be acquired for all new calculations because the previous data acquired last week was impaired by the breast expander’s volume.

The new CT scan and measurement acquired today will give Dr McCollow the data she needs to accurately plan Mary Jo’s radiation therapy. Mary Jo’s first three radiation therapy sessions are all cancelled for this week. We are assuming that the planning session will consume the entire appointment this coming Friday with the first radiation session beginning next Monday.

Mary Jo is a bit tired today but feeling well

Pre-Radiation Reduction Procedure

Mary Jo and I meet with MJ’s plastic surgeon, Dr Jacqueline Luong this afternoon for a “reduction” at the Midwest Plastic Surgery Burnsville office. This appointment was needed prior to Mary Jo’s planning session tomorrow with her radiation oncologist, Dr Kim McCollow. Apparently Dr McCollow needed the expanders reduced in size because they were interfering with the radiation fields. Dr Luong aspirated 100cc of saline from each breast expander.

The process is nearly the same as a fill. Dr Luong uses a tool similar to a stud finder to locate the “port” which lies just under the skin. She inserted a long needle into the port and withdrew 100cc of saline fill fluid from both the left and right side breast expanders. This procedure is relatively painless and quick. We are looking forward to the planning session tomorrow and starting the next phase of treatment.

Mary Jo is feeling pretty good today.

Herceptin Today

Today at 9am Mary Jo had her Herceptin (or trastuzumab is a treatment for women with breast cancer whose tumors have too much HER2 protein) treatment and blood work done at Minnesota Oncology. Her white count numbers and platelet count is still in the low range but her hemoglobin numbers continue to improve.

Mary Jo has to be cautious around crowds and try to avoid contact with people known to have a cold or flu virus but the good news is that she is less and less tired or “drained” feeling as a result of the cumulative chemo therapy treatments.

Tattoo's Today

Mary Jo was fitted for a “radiation pillow” today at the Ridges Radiation Therapy Center. The “pillow” is hard molded frame or template the makes the radiation table setup for the 33+ sessions of radiation most exact and consistent from session to session. The technicians made multiple “tattoos” on Mary Jo’s chest area to pinpoint the exact points for the numerous fields of entry points of radiation that she will receive as therapy and then Mary Jo was given a CT scan so that the radiation oncology doctors will have a complete 3-D picture of the fields that were mapped. The process so far is painless but Mary Jo’s torso looks like a ball point pen accident. Most of the markings should wipe off but the five blue dots that mark entry points are permanent. I guess you are never too young or too old to get a tattoo.

Next Tuesday, February 9th we meet for a second consultation and planning sesion with our radiation oncologist Dr Kim McCollow. We expect the doctor will discuss what she has planned for Mary Jo’s therapy regarding the dosage, number of fields and duration of the therapy.  Therapy sessions begin the next day on Feb. 10th and continues every day at 12:20 with the exception of weekends and holidays for the 33 to 37 sessions.

Mary Jo is feeling good today.