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