A breast cancer vaccine BUT...

Of course, there is a new medical announcement that has a big fat BUT at the end of it. Yesterday it was announced that a breast cancer vaccine has been developed that looks very promising BUT:

- it has only been tested on mice so they say 'if it works the same way on humans...' and that is a big IF
- it targets an antigen that is present while lactating so it would primarily be used in women over 40, so what about the women under 40?
- it will not cure breast cancer once you have it.

So, while it looks promising and is yet another significant breakthrough, it still has a long way to go. There is no way of knowing it will work as expected with people. And then would need to go through the FDA approval process and be manufactured for mass distribution. So while one can be cautiously optimistic, it is not a cure.

So anyway, back at the ranch of life in cancer land and bad backs, I survived a weekend of camping with my husband, brother, and his four children, and had fun but did spend a significant amount of time taking pain meds and even took a nap because I took my pain meds. (I am waiting for a cure for mosquito bites as well.) I was a very bad person (and don't tell my doctors) but I didn't do ANY of my exercises all weekends. I did take my pills but didn't do my exercises.

I did also develop an unexpected side effect of lymphedema. The lymphedema sleeve tan line. I am not kidding. I was told that I should use sun screen under my sleeve to prevent sun burns which would aggravate my lymphedema so I assumed that the sleeve provided zero sun protection. Well, apparently it does and now I have a little line around my wrist at the border of my sleeve. Gee, thanks. Another side effect. (And a side note to my brother and husband, yes I had to blog about this. They enjoyed themselves this weekend by picking on me about my mosquito bites and tan line.)

Today I have to do some work from home and then go to work and then meet a friend for a drink - in an attempt to have a social life. It will be a long day but fun in the end.