Hey - sorry! There were a few weeks there where I was just too lame to post anything - I just couldn't lift my heavy heavy arms up to the keyboard. Here's a quick update on the (say in whisper) .......cancer.
I just finished 8 weeks of A/C chemo. It sucked. There really isn't a nicer way to put it. You go into chemo feeling pretty good, and come out of there like someone punched you in the face with a large bag of drugs. So, for the last 8 weeks I've been a drugged up mess - I tried sleeping through most of it. That particular chemo round was every other week, so 4 infusions over 8 weeks. The first week after chemo was the worst, just groggy, druggy, flulike - then it got better in the second week, and by the end of the second week, just when you are feeling almost normal - it's time for the next sucker punch.
I had a lot of weirdo side effects - but luckily not all at the same time. I had mouth sores, I had headaches, I had tingling, numbness on my nose and skin, super dry inside of my nose, upset stomach, nausea, dry skin, no tastebuds.... name it, I had it.... but.... more than anything else I was so tired I could barely pick my arms up. Knuckle dragger for sure.
BUT WHOHOOOOOOOOO - THAT'S OVER!
Now I'm onto the second phase of chemo, which is a 12 week course (every Wednesday) of Taxol, along with Herceptin and Perjeta (every third Wednesday). This week I had another PET scan and MRI and MUGA heart scan - which are all tests they did at the start of this ordeal. These were updates to check progress. I don't expect to get the results myself, I think those things go directly to my doctor, and part of that testing that I get is extra because I'm part of a research study - so... test test test, and then proceed. Since Wednesday was the "new" chemo, and because some people have pretty serious allergic reactions to Taxol, I was watched pretty carefully during the first part of my infusion. Those nurses at SCCA are so great though - it went really well. I didn't have any reaction at all. It was an extra long day because on the first appointment you get all three drugs and they administer them more slowly in the beginning to make sure you can tolerate them. Next time it won't take as long. I was there from noon to almost 6:45pm. the next time the Herceptin and Perjeta will take about an hour less. And I'm not complaining because I FEEL GREAT!
Here it is two days later - and I still feel almost normal! So, now I have so much less dread of the next 12 weeks and can start thinking about some other things, like golf, projects, getting out of bed.... you know, normal stuff.
Other details: Hair still gone, but fingernails look pretty good. Red blood count a little low, but whites are good. We had big red steak last night and a pile of spinach - should fix that right up. My eyebrows are starting to look a little sparse - alas. And, the lower lashes, especially on one side, well...... they are losing the battle. I think I have a total of about 2 lashes left on the bottom outer edge. Pathetic. But, I did buy some fakeys, little individuals for the bottom and some full ones for the top. I haven't used them yet.... I'll let you know how that goes. At this point, because I finally feel good, I almost don't care. Well, that's a lie. I do care. Just not that much.
Anyway, there it is - and because things seem to be going well, I should be back to posting more often and complaining about all the usual subjects.
Today's complaint: Summer is just starting, I don't want to discuss the fall, or fall fashion. Can we please just enjoy summer!
