A Few Tests Before Friday



Mary Jo's oncologist, Dr. Mathew Gall ordered a few scans for Mary Jo prior to her second 3 month check up and review on Friday.  The first scan procedure was a bone density scan at Minnesota Radiology in Burnsville on Tuesday morning.  This was the first bone density scan for Mary Jo and Dr. Gall will use the results of the scan as a baseline to monitor over time the side effects of the powerful anti cancer drug Arimidex.  The drug is perscribed for adjuvant treatment (treatment following surgery with or without radiation) of postmenopausal women like Mary Jo, with hormone receptor-positive or HER2+  breast cancer.   If Arimidex causes a detrimental effect on Mary Jo's bone density over time, the effects can be reversed by prescribing the drug Boniva.  BONIVA is a prescription medicine used to treat or prevent osteoporosis in women after menopause.  The second procedure prescribed was for Mary Jo to get a baseline chest x-ray.  We were able to get a walk in appointment on Tuesday at Fairview Ridges Hospital in Burnsville for the quick procedure and the results will be available on Friday.  Mary Jo is feeling fine today with the exception of a nagging chest cold.  Her immune system is still weakened from the cumulative effects of a year and a half of chemo and radiation treatments but she is in good spirits and looking forward to spring.


Mary Jo at radiology