better than milk!

there is a drug that is used to reduce the effects of cancer treatment by helping to slow or arrest bone loss. the drug, called zometa, has recently been found to have additional benefits for women diagnosed with early stage breast cancer, and who are premenopausal. this is precisely jane's situation, so it's very interesting and exciting news - when she goes for her next oncological follow up in a couple of weeks, she will ask her physician about the applicability of this to her own setup.

the previously unknown benefit of taking this drug is it's ability to lower the risk of recurrence in this group of cancer patients by 35% - a huge and welcome margin. the study that unveiled this connection indicates that women who are on tamoxifen (which is what jane takes daily - it is a hormone suppression drug) can potentially reap this added boost when it is taken in combination with their current daily regimen. although the control group does not include women who have had chemotherapy also, as jane has had, it seems as if the other factors do indeed match where she's at.

it really is fantastic how research, and sometimes pure serendipity, yield such good news. packed together with another benefit - staving off bone loss, with no known side effects - the addition of zometa to cancer treatment means that there are increased chances for a healthy, long life - bravo!

alex doesn't live here anymore ...

... and speaking of alex ...

we make a visit to dr. alex hindenburg today. what a guy - so very nice, knowledgeable, and personable. sounds like an oxymoron, but what a great oncologist! he gives jane the once over, as well as his blessings - she's doing great, holding her own, and any side effects she's feeling are all normal and par for the course.

as far as future remedies go, there are a number of options - tamoxifen, ovaries out, etc. - we've geared ourselves up for an immediate plan of action ... and fortunately, the wise doctor has told us to slow down, finish up with 'all of this', take a break, and then we can make some decisions. nothing is urgent right now. jane and i just sort of look at each other with a sense of relief, and nodded at this very sensible approach!

jane comments that i seem done with the whole thing - ie. i've had enough, ready to move on, get the show on the road. actually, i did kind of tell her that i'd like her to wrap it up before passover - breast, chemo, etc.. she just kind of laughs at me - and again, i insist that we should wrap it up, put it in a box, put a ribbon on top, stuff it in the closet, and go forward! oh, if only life were that easy!

feeling good though, and jane looks and feels almost back to normal today, which is fantastic! we drive home, each in their own car, from the doctor's office. jane passes me on the highway and i reflect on what she's been doing recently. on her way home from work, she spontaneously whips off her wig in the car (itchy by the end of the day), and i realize that if someone is operating heavy machinery next to her and see this, they could very well veer off the road into a light post! yikes!

h