Walking on Water -- Sink or Swim?: First Chemo -- So Far, So Good

Thursday, July 3, 2008

First Chemo -- So Far, So Good

I had my first chemo on Monday, and today is Thursday... I have felt surprisingly good -- a little more tired than usual in the evenings, but I am able to rest at night and I wake up reasonably alert. I still anticipate losing my hair in the next couple of weeks. I think that is inevitable?

Yesterday I met Paul for lunch, and then I went to Best Buy and Meijer. That was enough for me, but it was good to be able to get out and do those things on my own strength. It helps a lot that all three boys are gone right now -- the house is nice and quiet. But, overall, I think this chemo will be reasonably manageable for the summer, and I am relieved.

After Labor Day I'll start a new regime (AC) -- two drugs that I took the first time around. We suspect those are the drugs that really knocked me out the first time around, and caused the chemo fog and other problems that I remember. With those drugs, I will definitely need more rest, but by then the boys will be back in school all day. I'll have the house to myself. As much as I hate the schedule, I guess God's timing is working out.

On Monday, I'll have my medi-port installed. This is a short surgery, only about 20 minutes? It takes longer to be prepped and to recover than to actually do the surgery! My oncologist moved my Tuesday to chemo to Monday -- I can have the medi-port put in and receive the chemo in one trip. Paul is most likely not able to go with me to this appointment. We are going to try to work it out that his parents or sister can help me -- I'll have to be at the hospital around 6:00 am, and will need a driver since I'll be sedated. His family is great, so I know this will work out one way or the other.

One lingering concern... My surgery is now 6 weeks past, and I still have an open wound that will not heal. It is just being stubborn. My doctor is watching it, but the more time that passes the more of a concern it is. Chemo slows down any healing process as well, so that adds to the issue.

Paul is golfing this morning, and this is my last day without the boys. I'm going to work on my scrapbooking -- try to find the top of my desk so it is easy to pop downstairs and do a page now and then! Tonight we are going to go out -- I'm feeling good, and we haven't had the kids all three gone in a very long time. Take care, and have a blessed 4th of July weekend!

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Highlights of My Journey

I know that other breast cancer patients and survivors visit this site. The following is a history of my cancer journey. Feel free to email with me any questions:

Sept. 2006 -- diagnosed (eventually) with T2 N1 M0 "triple negative" breast cancer of the left breast. MRI of both breasts indicated only the one tumor. Age 40 @ dx. Three young boys, a wonderful husband, and great friends and family. My doctor says we all need the three F's -- Friends, Family and Faith.

Oct. 06 thru January 2007 -- Began chemotherapy: taxotere, adriamycin and cyclophosphamide (TAC). Six cycles, given every three weeks.

December 2006 -- tested negative for BRAC1 and BRAC2.

Feb. 2007 -- Lumpectomy. Results showed tumor had an incomplete response to the chemotherapy (some shrinking, but not completely gone). My oncologist recommended more chemotherapy after radiation. I had "close margins," and had a re-excision in early March.

March 26 thru May 9, 2007 -- Whole left breast radiation. Daily. "Boost" treatment just to tumor bed during last week. Met some great friends there.

May 13 thru September 7, 2007 -- oral Xeloda prescribed by my oncologist as "insurance." Easily tolerated. In hindsight, not sure it was very useful?

October 24, 2007 -- Mammogram. Declared "normal," except for concerns near incision location. We should have checked into this more thoroughly, but wrote it off as scar tissue/radiation affects. It's only been a year since first cancer was found -- must be too soon for any problems, right? Wrong.

March 2008 -- MRI showed "large area of abnormal enhancement" with increased blood flow. Both suspicious for malilgancy. This was confirmed via biopsy. Over the next couple of months doctors had very difficult time quantifying how much cancer was in my breast. My diagnosis went from DCIS (pre-biopsy) up to as much as 4cm of actual cancer in the breast, after mastectomy. A wild ride!

May 19, 2008 -- left breast, simple mastectomy with latissimus dorsi (back flap) flap. A hard recovery, but okay now. Woulda, coulda, shoulda had the mastectomy the first day cancer was ever found....

June 6, 2008 -- Bone Scan and CT Scan -- all NORMAL, no sign of cancer elsewhere in the body! Praise God! It is a bummer that the cancer is back, but it could have been so much worse...

June 24, 2008 -- Zometa infusion for bone strength, and to deter bone mets. Very achy a few days afterward.

June 20-Sept 8 -- Chemotherapy: Taxotere and Gemzar.

September 22 -- Began Carboplatin chemotherapy. Will be finished by Thanksgiving 2008.

October 2008 -- Major setback: implant spacer became infected (pseudomonas aeruginosa), and had to be removed. Blood levels crashed. I spent 8 days in the hospital, received multiple RBC and platelet infusions, and was on IV antibiotics for almost the entire month.

Nov/Dec 2008 -- We tried a second dose of Carboplatin, (a reduced dosage, even), but my blood levels crashed again. Doctor said, "No more chemo." Received RBC transfusion mid-December.

2008-2012 -- annual CT, bone scan, MRI and mammogram, as well as regular visits to my oncologists (every 6mos).

June 2012 -- my oncologist used the most beautiful C-word in the dictionary -- Cured! :-) I will still have an annual MRI and mammogram and check in with him once a year, but he considers me past the point of having to be monitored specifically for cancer. Triple negative IS treatable!