Cancer Diva Adventures: But Doc, How Long Do I Have?

Today (Sunday A pril 14) is my birthday! I am 57 years old. My big brother (BB) likened this birthday to ketchup, but in fact, Heinz steak sauce maintains the 57 name.  A woman I randomly met in Bloomingdales last week, who in fact runs a breast cancer center in Annapolis, said she thinks I will live for "another 57 years." "What? I didn't even tell you my age!" "Oh, that was a random # . . . you don't look 57, or even 56."   That is always the right answer.

I had a lovely birthday, despite a soft cast, of sorts,

on my right arm (to treat lymphedema) and two hospital bracelets on my left arm (for hospital outpatient blood transfusion on Monday.)

It was a glorious, bright sunny day.  My lovely daughter (LD) drove up for part of the weekend (not because of my birthday, but here nonetheless), and LD and I had brunch & much-needed manipedis.    My beautiful older sister (BOS) sent me a goodie box of some of her favorite things . . . (lotion, bath luxuries, chocolate . . ); my great in-laws (GILs) sent pretty spring flowers; BFF B left more flowers and the perfect birthday card on my porch; and I received many calls, texts, facebook messages, etc, from dear ones.  Thank you, thank you, all!!

Perfect husband (PH) grilled salmon and asparagus for dinner & I opened a 2004
Caymus cab.   . . why save it?


On the eve of my birthday (erev birthday?) I enjoyed an exceptional dinner

with one of my oldest BFFs, BB, in town with her Perfect Husband (PH) E.  By oldest here, I mean "having known the longest", as she certainly is not old.  BB is 6 days older than me, and coincidentally, my LD is 6 days older than her son (youngest of her 4 kids.).  It is so nice when life gives us those little gifts, sort of full circle.  I reportedly first
"met" BB when we were babies, being taken for walks in Cobbs Creek Park in Philly.  In 7th grade, we attended the same school, and my mother encouraged me to befriend her (even before facebook!).
But Mom, she wers a bow in her hair!"  Despite the bow setback, we became BFFs, majored in art together for awhile, and spent much time at each other's houses sketching each other, as we had no one else willing to pose.  I wont tell you what we wore, but I will tell you what we ate. At her house, the only permitted snack food was Kraft cheese that was squirted out of a can. And crackers, of course. BB brought me a squirt can of "Easy Cheese" (previously known as "Snackmate", I believe) as a birthday gift, along with a very sparkly pen, for diva writing. Thank you BFF BB!

Query: how many more birthdays like this will I have? Or, birthdays at all? I asked Dr S this very question back in December 2012, on my second visit of my second cancer diagnosis. More precisely, I said, I want to know what my life expectency is, either with treatment, or without--which I obviously wouldn't do, but am intellectually curious.  I know you probably don't like this question Dr. S, but any information from you is far better than reading junk on the Internet.  Dr S's answer was a trilogy of sorts, typically elegant, even exquisite:

1) "Without treatment: months, but not years"
2) "With treatment, years, but not decades"
3) "With treatment advances that are likely, decades."

Dr S drew these timelines on his prescription pad, and PH asked if we could keep it. Not sure where that piece of paper is now, but I liked that answer very much.  And it's not nearly as scary as it might sound at first blush.

1) It is poignant to know that my cancer is serious and aggressive enough that if it had not been "caught," I might die in a year or two. It makes me realize how fragile life can be and fortunate I am to live in the U.S. and have good healthcare.  A similarly situated woman in, for example, Haiti or Pakistan might have a much different outcome.

2) A realistic, yet optimistic view of "years, but not decades," is 19 years. I'll be 75 then. That is a respectable life span and sounds so far away, that I'm not one bit anxious about it.

3) Treatment advances are likely, in the next 5-10 years. And I've got that time. Some people don't.

Many many physicians, researchers, biopharmaceutical companies and others are working to make treatments available to patients more quickly.  Of particular note and focus is Fastercures, an organization that works to clear the path to faster development of new treatments by educating stakeholders about the barriers, and overcoming them through action.  Fastercures' Time=Lives campaign recognizes that it takes too long; costs too much; and that patients can't wait that long for relief from serious and life-threatening illnsesses. Learn more about Fastercures here http://www.fastercures.org/ 
and see patient stories (including yours truly), here.  http://timeequalslives.org/yourstories.html

More treatments and cures=more birthdays.  Everyone deserves to have a special day filled with manipedis, flowers, good wine, squirty cheese from old friends, and good wishes from loved ones.

Yours in birthday heaven,

Cdiva