UPdate from Bob Shalowitz

Hello to all our friends and relatives! Maureen just finished her last radiation treatment yesterday. She had 13 treatments to the entire left femur. Then Dr. Stinsen decided it wouldn't be a bad idea to do 2 extra treatments to the small area high on the bone that was the worst place. The treatments have cause fatigue and some moderate skin irritation but nothing severe. Overall the radiation treatments went very well.
Unfortunately she still requires a walker to walk and can only take a few steps with a cane. She has lost weight and is now probably at her ideal weight. What she needs to do is not loose any more!
She looks good, though, and is making gradual progess, just very slow.
Her only cancer treatments now are the aromatase inhibiter (a daily pill) and the zometa(a monthly IV medication). These will be continued indefinitely as long as the cancer stays in check. If it ever starts to grow again, the next step would be chemotherapy, and the goal is to not have to use that.
I am hoping she can get back to walking soon, so she can enjoy a semi-normal life again.
Maureen and Eileen will shortly return to our house in Bedford, PA. I will start my new position at Reynolds Memorial Hospital in Glen Dale WV, a suburb of Wheeling on 10/1 until we can find a place to live there.
Not much else to say right now--as Sara said before, if we don't post anything, it means that things are gradually improving--no news is good news.
Thanks again to all our very supportive friends and relatives
Bob S.

Race for the Cure!

For those of you who have not already heard -- my cousin Anna Mae and I started a Race for the Cure team called "Momma Shal's Bosom Brigade" and will be participating on Sunday October 18th in Baltimore, Maryland. Race for the Cure is fundraiser for the Susan G. Koman for the Cure, a non-profit agency which raises money for breast cancer research. Without this organization, who knows if the medications and treatments that are being used to help Mom (and other friends and family who have or are currently battling this disease) today would be available.

If you would like to participate with us and/or donate to our team, please visit our website:

http://komenmd.kintera.org/2009/mommashalsbosombrigade

And if you have someone in your life you would like us to run in honor of, please let us know -- we already have a list and will add to it! This disease affects so many people -- we are excited that we are able to do our small part to help fight it!

Update from Bob

Our Irish lass is coming along slowly but surely. She is about halfway through her radiation treatments and tolerating them well. It makes her somewhat tired as expected but late afternoon naps help. Her latest tumor marker (CA27.29) is improved again, now down to 188 (was last 202). She is still walking with a walker but has carefully done several flights of stairs with a cane and a spotter. The hematoma that she had has resolved partially to about half its original size. She is still taking the anti-estrogen pills and this will be long term. She also just had her second IV injection of zometa which prevents osteoporosis as well as decreasing the risk of any more spread to bone. Overall she looks pretty good. Everyone keep calling-you know she loves to talk.
Thanks to everyone
Bob S.