We’re on our way to Washington DC tomorrow and then on to New York next Saturday. I’m really looking forward to getting away from home for a while.
I started my Herceptin infusions this week. Since it’s just the one drug and no pre-meds it’s much faster than chemo; I was only at the hospital for about three hours as opposed to five or six with chemo. I only have to do this every three weeks so I get a nice break in between too.
The numbness in my feet is still with me and it’s also affected a few of my fingers. I’m really ready for the numbness to be gone. Unfortunately, I’ve been told it takes a while for it to go away completely, but it should go away. The other side effects seem to be gone, never to return I hope.
I hope everyone has a good couple of weeks. I’ll write when we get home.
Peace to you
~K
Me and Henry
March 2009
Friday, March 28, 2008
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Last chemo day...part two
My last day of chemo seemed to fly by. I was still at the hospital for the usual amount of time, but it didn't seem like it at all. I'm sure I had a big grin on my face and I was telling anyone who would listen that it was my last day.
I'm so glad to be done with this part of my treatment and really ready to start feeling more like myself again.
Sorry I don't have much more to say this evening, I just wanted everyone to know things went well yesterday.
~K
I'm so glad to be done with this part of my treatment and really ready to start feeling more like myself again.
Sorry I don't have much more to say this evening, I just wanted everyone to know things went well yesterday.
~K
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Last chemo day!!!
It’s been almost six months since I started the chemotherapy part of my journey and now I’m on my way to my last day of it. I can’t believe it, but it’s true!
Thank you all for being here and supporting me every day, I can’t tell you how much it means to me.
Much Love and Peace
Thank you all for being here and supporting me every day, I can’t tell you how much it means to me.
Much Love and Peace
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Just one chemo left...
Today was good and really fast. The lab was fast, my Dr. was on time, the wait was really short to get called into chemo and all the drugs seemed to show up quickly from the pharmacy. I was done by 2:30, four hours total today.
My friend Cathy (Chemo Cat) drove me in today and spent most of the time with me; Mom came later and drove me home. I think it was good to give Mom a little break and it was nice to be able to spend some time with Cathy. I love that each of us who have been through one of these steps before another woman is able to share what she learned and what she choose to do with her treatment. Leanne and Cathy and so many others have shared this information with me and I am sharing it with my other friend Cathy, who I know will then pass it on to the next woman she meets. I am honored to share the things I have learned with anyone who wants to know, just as I am honored to ask and learn from the women who have come before me.
Today when I spoke with Dr. Ellis we made a plan for my ongoing treatment with her. I will begin having the Herceptin every three weeks for the rest of the year. My first session will be March 26th. Herceptin is the drug that targets the HER2-positive cancer. I will go have another MUGA to check my heart next Tuesday as the Herceptin can affect heart function and we want to see how it's doing now that I've already had 12 sessions of it and will have 12-13 more. http://www.breastcancer.org/search.jsp?searchagain=herceptin I will begin Tamoxifen in the next few weeks too. Tamoxifen blocks the estrogen receptors on breast cancer cells. Dr. Ellis said she likes to give her patients a little time in between ending chemo and beginning the Tamoxifen, so that the majority of the side effects from the Taxol can go away and we can tell if I am having side effects from the Tamoxifen. I will be on Tamoxifen or an Aromatase Inhibitor for the next five years. http://www.breastcancer.org/search.jsp?searchagain=tamoxifen
Next week I will also be going to speak with my radiation oncologist to start proceeding towards my radiation. I'm trying to gather all my thoughts and questions for him that I have about it, there are so many. There is the possibility that I will be able to have radiation here in Edmonds rather than driving to Seattle every day, but I won't do it without the assurance from him that the level of care would be the same or better.
After all those appointments, I get an actual break and we are going to Washington DC and New York over Spring Break. I can't wait!
I hope you all have had a good day too.
Peace ~ K
My friend Cathy (Chemo Cat) drove me in today and spent most of the time with me; Mom came later and drove me home. I think it was good to give Mom a little break and it was nice to be able to spend some time with Cathy. I love that each of us who have been through one of these steps before another woman is able to share what she learned and what she choose to do with her treatment. Leanne and Cathy and so many others have shared this information with me and I am sharing it with my other friend Cathy, who I know will then pass it on to the next woman she meets. I am honored to share the things I have learned with anyone who wants to know, just as I am honored to ask and learn from the women who have come before me.
Today when I spoke with Dr. Ellis we made a plan for my ongoing treatment with her. I will begin having the Herceptin every three weeks for the rest of the year. My first session will be March 26th. Herceptin is the drug that targets the HER2-positive cancer. I will go have another MUGA to check my heart next Tuesday as the Herceptin can affect heart function and we want to see how it's doing now that I've already had 12 sessions of it and will have 12-13 more. http://www.breastcancer.org/search.jsp?searchagain=herceptin I will begin Tamoxifen in the next few weeks too. Tamoxifen blocks the estrogen receptors on breast cancer cells. Dr. Ellis said she likes to give her patients a little time in between ending chemo and beginning the Tamoxifen, so that the majority of the side effects from the Taxol can go away and we can tell if I am having side effects from the Tamoxifen. I will be on Tamoxifen or an Aromatase Inhibitor for the next five years. http://www.breastcancer.org/search.jsp?searchagain=tamoxifen
Next week I will also be going to speak with my radiation oncologist to start proceeding towards my radiation. I'm trying to gather all my thoughts and questions for him that I have about it, there are so many. There is the possibility that I will be able to have radiation here in Edmonds rather than driving to Seattle every day, but I won't do it without the assurance from him that the level of care would be the same or better.
After all those appointments, I get an actual break and we are going to Washington DC and New York over Spring Break. I can't wait!
I hope you all have had a good day too.
Peace ~ K
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Only two more now!!!!
Tomorrow is number 11 of 12! I can't believe it...but I'm ready for it. I'm so ready to be done with chemo!
Henry learned to "finger knit" at school today and made me a chemo scarf this evening to take with me tomorrow. I can't wait to wear it for my last two sessions.
My toes are still tingling from the numbness, some days are worse than others, but the glutamine really does help. I just hope it goes away quickly after the Taxol is done. Unfortunately, the "little infection" in my toe wasn't as small as I had thought. My oncologist put me on an antibiotic for it last week and I went to see the podiatrist Monday, I swear he cut off half my toenail! Thankfully my toe is feeling a little better. I think my side effects have been pretty minimal through all of this, but sometimes it feels like there's always something. I don't know if I've mentioned this before, but this chemo thing is really a pain in the ass!
On the plus side, I'm getting a lovely head of hair. It's really fuzzy and it sticks up all over the place, cowlicks everywhere! It gives me a good laugh and something to look forward to. I'll post another picture of it soon.
I hope everyone is doing really well.
Much love and Peace ~
Henry learned to "finger knit" at school today and made me a chemo scarf this evening to take with me tomorrow. I can't wait to wear it for my last two sessions.
My toes are still tingling from the numbness, some days are worse than others, but the glutamine really does help. I just hope it goes away quickly after the Taxol is done. Unfortunately, the "little infection" in my toe wasn't as small as I had thought. My oncologist put me on an antibiotic for it last week and I went to see the podiatrist Monday, I swear he cut off half my toenail! Thankfully my toe is feeling a little better. I think my side effects have been pretty minimal through all of this, but sometimes it feels like there's always something. I don't know if I've mentioned this before, but this chemo thing is really a pain in the ass!
On the plus side, I'm getting a lovely head of hair. It's really fuzzy and it sticks up all over the place, cowlicks everywhere! It gives me a good laugh and something to look forward to. I'll post another picture of it soon.
I hope everyone is doing really well.
Much love and Peace ~
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