All Done (Well, With Chemo)!

Hooray! I am done with chemo! I didn't have very much neuropathy at all since the penultimate chemo, so we went ahead with the last one. My oncologist was very happy at the progress, and said she thinks my surgeon will be pleasantly surprised. I have to admit, I had an odd feeling leaving the infusion unit for the last time - not sadness exactly, but sort of a bittersweet feeling. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad to be done. I guess b/c all the nurses were so nice, but I really, really don't want to ever have to see them again, in that context. Mom & I made cupcakes to show our appreciation. I hope they enjoyed them!

So at any rate, I am so glad to be done with chemo, though I still have a couple of days of feeling like crap ahead of me. Sigh. Yesterday I was doing ok until mid-afternoon, when I started my slow crash - we went to the mall & got me some under-eye bag concealer (when did I develop such dark circles??) and then swung by Lush real quick for some fun soaps - just a little treat! I got 2 - Figs & Leaves, and Ring of Roses. Yum yum. And since we got back, I've been feeling pretty cruddy. I've taken a couple of 2-hour naps today, and there might be a third coming up before bedtime. We shall see. I figure tomorrow will be a bad day, and Tuesday probably won't be so hot, either. I'm intending to sleep in the rest of the week. The cumulative effect is alive & well!

So to sum up: the good news is, I'm done with the chemo portion of our cancer journey. Next stop: the OR. Again!

One More Down, One More (Probably) To Go

Last Thursday was Taxol #3. Once again, I got drunk off the Benadryl drip & provided endless amusement for my mom & Nichole. I'm glad the two of them seem to get along, since I spend a fair portion of my treatment passed out. Nichole & I actually started a puzzle this week - there's usually a puzzle started in the waiting room - and it's usually got the easy parts all done, leaving things like foliage, or sky, or open water. This time we got to pick a puzzle & start it! Which means a grand total of probably 10 pieces got put together, since we were just starting & trying to sort the edge pieces out, sort the colors, etc. before the nurse came & called my name. Ah well! It was a painting of the NY skyline (pre-2001).

Friday & Saturday were fun girly-shopping days. Relatively, I mean. Friday, Mom & I went to Sephora & bought me a proper eyebrow pencil & some faux lashes. They are all getting really thin. I will take some before & after shots soon & show them off. I need to get better at putting the lashes on, though. B/c when I embrace the bald look in the summer, I'm going to need something on my face. Sephora has a bunch of fun lashes, too. I wish I had known about that before my wig party! I could have passed off a few hints (matching acid-green? Purple & feathery? Sparkly lined? Such fun!). Saturday, Mom & I went to pick up my compression sleeve. So now I really have no excuse to not start working out again . . . I need to see if there's a breast cancer yoga tape or something. I'm not supposed to put that much weight on my arms, but I'd really like to get back into it. I must do some research. Tips or advice much appreciated! At any rate, I got a hot pink sleeve & gauntlet (glove) set from Lymphediva's. A couple of women with breast cancer or a family history of same started this company to make fun sleeves. They basically said "I don't want to wear an Ace bandage. Why not make some fun & colorful ones?" And so they did. And I've gone with hot pink for my first one. It was a tough choice - they have a lot of fun patterns. I thought the black would look cool, but I also thought it might be bad (hot) in the summer. So hot pink it is! And it is cozy. Now I just need a full-body one!

Today wasn't such a good day. I took one of my oxycodones (which is a higher dosage than I'd had before - I think this is part of the problem) right after getting up, thinking I was going to eat quickly enough that I'd be fine. Besides, I rarely have an upset stomach when taking pills on an empty stomach. Well, after one of my many naps today (every time I shut my eyes, an hour or so would pass before I opened them again - pretty much all day long), I realized it wasn't staying down. So hey, my first bout of hurling. Luckily, though, it didn't last very long - no endless heaving (sorry, TMI!). But I really haven't felt very good since. And now since I napped most of the day away I'm afraid I'll have some issues sleeping tonight. Sigh! But my doctor said that that might have been my last chemo - if I'm having worse itching issues she might think about skipping the last round. If I had to have chemo tomorrow, I'd be rooting for no more. But I would rather complete the full cycle. My doctor upped my anti-seizure meds, and I feel like it might have helped already. I haven't really had any itching to speak of. The big test will be next Friday/Saturday. If I can make it through the weekend without going insane, then I will be very happy.

Ow (Radio Remix)

I am so uncomfortable. The overall body soreness/pummeling feeling seems to have ebbed a little quicker than last time - though it's not gone. I'm exhausted and just . . . uncomfortable. Not in pain too much (tho a bit in the lower back), but still . . . can't get comfortable. The ride home on the metro was fun today. Stupid metro was backed up - I passed on my first train, but the second was just as packed. I didn't feel like waiting another 5 minutes, so I took it. Now I'm home being uncomforable. And itchy. My feet have started itching. Sigh. Not as badly as my hands were last week, but maybe that's just because I've (thus far) been able to resist scratching. I'm really hoping it's just the power of suggestion, and not actual neuropathy in my feet. Fingers crossed! My hands have had about the same level of itching for the past 5 or 6 days or so. It would be nice for it to go away. Stupid neuropathy. I'm not even sure I'm spelling that right. Ah. I am.

Well, I plan on eating dinner (mac & cheese I made yesterday), and then maybe going to bed. My plan would be perfect if it weren't for that big pile of clothes waiting to be folded on my bed . . . .

Taxol #2

Well, I had my second Taxol treatment yesterday. I don't seem to have had as much of a reaction this time as last time. So far, at least. My face got a little red & warm, but not really itchy. I haven't taken a Benadryl, but I did rub some hydrocortisone cream on my face. I think I got just as drunk off the Bendryl drip yesterday as I did the prior time.

What I'm really hoping doesn't come back is the itchiness I started getting in my hands last Friday (just a week ago). My hands just started itching randomly & nothing would help. At first I thought "I just need some lotion." Well, I slathered my hands with lotion & they still itched. Turns out that's a manifestation of the neuropathy that can happen with Taxol. And this is something that can be permanent! Argh. My doctor told me to take vitamin B-6, which can provide some protection to the nerves. She also gave me a prescription of an anti-seizure medication that helps dull the firing nerves. The itching had started going away before my appointment, so I'm just hoping it stays away. B/c man! That itching! Drives me crazy!!

Today I also went for an acupuncture appointment. It was interesting. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but it was different! She did what's called 'cupping', where she takes these glass cups & lights something inside them, then puts it on your skin over the needle (I think). The flame eats up the oxygen, so you wind up with a vacuum & it sucks your skin into the cup, so it stays. My big hope is that it'll help with the soreness that should be coming on tomorrow night. Hope hope! I really don't want to hurt like that again!

And in good news: Progress is being made! So hooray! I get to stay on the biweekly program. Which means my definite last chemo will be 4/16. 2 more to go! Yay! And hey, maybe there won't be much for my surgeon to take out.

I have also signed up for the 3-day walk here in DC in October! Keep an eye out for my fundraising letter! And if you'd like to join my team & walk with me, drop me a line & let me know!

Ow

For the first time since I started chemo, I'm really unhappy & uncomfortable. I had the first round of Taxol on Thursday, which was interesting, b/c they gave me a drip of Benadryl before the chemo (along with another drip of some other allergy medication, I forget what it was called). Well, I was druuuuunk off the Benadryl. I was slurring my words & my two friends who came had a great time laughing at me. I'm just happy that I didn't fall over when I went to the bathroom. I mean, I had the IV stand on wheels to lean on, but still . . . plus we were in the corner next to the loudest chemo patient ever. She and her friend watched 2 or 3 hours of various judge shows (Judge Judy, Judge Joe Brown, etc.). Apparently her friend claimed that these were "real" court shows. Not like, uh, the People's Court or something? I don't know, but I'm glad I had my Benadryl drip b/c it meant I slept through a lot of their noisiness. There were also several phone calls to or about Pam. Poor Pam, having such noisy friends. I do hope I'm not next to her next time. Or that they at least give me plenty of Benadryl. I'm more annoyed as I think of it. I mean, we're all having infusions, and you've got your tv on high volume? Now, granted, the tvs there have the speakers on the sides, so the people next door are likely to hear your tv better than you are, but still! That's why I don't even watch my tv there.

So last night I started having some aches. When they said a side effect of the Taxol was achiness, I guess I was thinking more along the lines of joint pain. This, though, feels like I did a boot camp workout & then got beat up. I'm very uncomfortable. And I have an enormous bruise on my arm from the Neulasta shot! So when my doctor said don't be a hero, take your drugs, she wasn't kidding. So I've taken some Oxycodone and am waiting for it to kick in. I have to call her & get a new prescription. The one I took is leftover from my surgery. I should have gone ahead & gotten a new one! Man. Well, as soon as it kicks in, I'll probably go to sleep. Here's hoping!

Halfway Through!

Yowzer, it's been awhile since I posted anything. Well, the good news is, I'm halfway through chemo, and the lump is getting smaller. Hooray! I actually have to feel around to find it now - it almost feels like regular tissue. But it all seems to be going well. My last A+C treatment was Thursday, so I'm just in recovery mode right now. In two weeks, I'll start the Taxol regimen. That will be every two weeks for four rounds. So my next chemo appointments are March 5th, 19th, April 2nd & the last chemo will be April 16. Hooray! So not too much longer. Of course, then I'll have surgery and radiation, but eh, we'll deal with that later.

In hair news, I went over to my neighbors Randy & Glenn's house a couple of weeks ago & asked them to help me shave my head smooth. The little stubble I had was catching on the wigs & making it very uncomfortable. So they were great & pulled out the full-on shaving cream & razor (after the Manscaper wasn't quite doing it). Here's some pix:

Yes, that's some wine. How else are you going to shave your head?



Here's Glenn enjoying this a little too much, methinks.



"Did you just say 'oops'?? Eh, it'll grow back."



All done! Nice & smooth. And yes, you did a great job, Glenn. And boy, do I need some sun up there!

So my head was nice and smooth, and now some hair is still growing back! Man, I just assumed it would all fall out & stay out, but apparently not. It's just some of the hair, not all, and it's kind of annoying. Keep that razor out, guys, I might be coming back for some more! Thanks for the help! (and the vino!)

I am so tired

I've never been so tired. The cold is on the way out (finally), but I just can't seem to catch up on sleep.



Can't you see I'm pooped? God, I can't wait for the weekend. And yet I know it'll be over almost as soon as it starts. Which makes me even more tired for next week. God, what a vicious cycle.

Oh, and my hair is still falling out. I guess one of these days it'll be about done. Probably around the time I'm done with chemo. Apparently your hair doesn't fall out all at once. Some of it falls out with the first round, then some more with the second round, and so on & so forth. And what's really annoying is that some of it is still growing. So I have a few random long hairs in the midst of all this stubble. I make the mistake this morning of vigorously rubbing my head with the towel after getting out of the shower. Then I went to dry off my arms and ewwww. Stubble! All over my arms! Bleah. I really need to clean-shave my head so I don't have all these short bits all over me. It's kind of gross in the sink, and really gross all over my body after a shower. Yuck! And I think my eyelashes are getting thin. I'm going to have to buy some falsies soon. My eyebrows are tenacious, though! Not that there was ever any doubt. Hooray, brows!