SURPRISE!

Andy surprised me with a end of chemo party at work on Friday. I don't think I have ever been so surprised in my life! He asked me to help with some equipment across the hall in a little conference room and when I walked it the room was full of people, pink pom-poms, table cloth, no more chemo cake, t-shirt to match. Fabulous chili for lunch. It was really an amazing thing to plan. I never guessed and was in shock for most of the party. At one point I melted down but managed to pull myself together again (it'd been a rough week). Bit of a roller-coaster of emotions. Everyone at work is so supportive and Andy is amazing. I was gifted some beautiful flowers as well which I'm doing my best to keep alive. Cake for breakfast then off to work. I'll add more party details later. All the best. Beth

Radiation Oncology

The appointment yesterday ended up being an informational meeting. So the schedule is.... presurgical April 4. Radiation Oncology initial set-up April 11. Port flush (just in case) and appointment with new surgeon April 16. Surgery to remove port April 17. Radiation onc tentatively scheduled to begin April 28 (time TBA) for 33 days so 6.5 weeks. Looks like the radiation will go for the month of May half way thru June. Summer will be nice this year. I meet with the Medical Oncologist in 3 months then have alternating mammograms and breast MRI's every 6 months for the rest of my life. Hormone therapy starts when radiation oncology is complete. Tamoxifin (sp?) for five years. That's the scoop. Off to work. Beth

Next Step Radiation

I'm leaving work in a few minutes for my first appointment with the Radiation Oncologist. I'm looking forward to starting this next step but still feeling a bit under the weather from chemo last week. Better than yesterday which was better than the day before but still not 100%. Hopefully by the weekend my body will be cooperating with me.

I didn't update after our return from Maine last weekend. The drive home was nice. The Goldenrod was closed which was sad. I would have loved to wander in for taffy but my teeth probably don't need that stress. I worked there when I was 16 and James spent a summer or two in York Beach during and after high school as well. The ride was nice. Sunny. We followed the coast through York, by Nubble Light, Long Sands, through York Harbor before hitting the highway home.

I'll update a bit later with details of the Radiation appointment. Crossing fingers that all goes smoothly.

Ugh.

I started getting tired on the ride home from Maine Saturday afternoon and was fairly useless on Easter Sunday. I've been at work Monday and Tuesday (today) but am feeling badly. Tired. Headache. Aches in arms, legs, hips, back. Ugh.

Celebration!

Last chemo on Thursday (hopefully ever!) Susie brought a perfect size bottle of champagne. She popped the cork (very funny as neither of us had ever opened a bottle of champagne before) and we polished it off during the last hour of the taxol drip, dilute the poison a bit. They want me to stay hydrated! We met Linda after leaving the cancer center for an early light dinner and called Lisa and visited for a bit by speaker phone. All the sisters together.

Work Friday AM. I pushed the neulasta shot up by a couple hours so James and the kids and I could drive up to Ogunquit, ME for a celebratory mini-vaca. One overnight at a nice hotel. We enjoyed the indoor pool and hot tub last night then went to dinner at Mikes Clam Shack. Yum. Came back and tried to sleep. 6 AM out for some complimentary hotel coffee and hot choc then headed down to the beach for low tide. It was FREEZING but fun. We drove down Ocean St to the parking lot/boardwalk that I always beached at when I was a kid. We walked down to low tide then back up to the dunes to get out of the wind. Picked up armloads of shells then piled back in the car. Back to the hotel for another swim & soak in the spa. Now we're showering off before going to a late breakfast. I think we may drive down to Perkins Cove for a bit of a reverse walk on the Marginal Way. It should be high tide by then so maybe some fun waves to watch crashing on the rocks. On the drive home I wanted to swing through York to see if the Goldenrod is open for taffy. James doubts it but I think maybe on early spring weekends. I worked there almost 30 years ago as a candy shop girl. Sweat shop at the time but the memories sweeten with warm taffy.

Thanks for checking in. All is well. No new side effects and feeling pretty good. I'll fill in with the medical stuff when I get back home. Have a great weekend! Beth

Tiny Update

Quick update from work. I'm fighting Verizon at home as the internet connection isn't working so couldn't update on the weekend. Sorry. I'm doing well, both kids sick on my behalf. No down days with chemo this time. Knocking wood that the same will stand for this last and final chemo on Thurs. My side effects have been limited to hot flashes and numbing of fingers and feet. The feet have been for a bit, the fingers are fairly new. It's cold numbness which the longest, hottest shower or hanging out for hours on end by the wood stove won't shake. Hot flashes don't seem to warm up the fingers or toes.... damn. Would be nice if these things would compliment each other.

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

An ode to Dad and Clint Eastwood....

The Good - Only one chemo treatment left! My friend Laura brought me to chemo #7 and made the treatment fly by. Good food, great conversation, a nice day all in all. Thank you Laura! My sister Susan is going to spend the day with me for chemo #8. I asked the oncologist if I could bring a bottle of champagne to this last chemo appointment. She said, hmmm.... no one's ever asked that before but I don't see why not. As long as we're quiet. We'll have to look for a screw top bottle or stealth cork. Can't wait.

The Bad - I finally received a letter back from the director of patient services at UMass. James and I had both written formal complaints about the surgical nighmare in November, letters written in early January. I feel no satisfaction after receiving this reply. If anything I feel more stressed. They support her fully of course. I'll tuck it away and revisit/rethink after all of my treatment is complete. Right now I need to keep my energy positive.

The Ugly - I don't know if I'd mentioned that I have an exam with oncologist or nurse practitioner prior to every chemo treatment. They'd always been fairly uneventful. However, at chemo #7 my oncologist felt something questionable on the same side as the previous surgery/lumpectomy. She believes its fluid and wants me to see the surgeon to have it aspirated. She mentioned scheduling this appointment with the surgeon who'd performed the lumpectomy and portacath placement. HA. So they've scheduled me with a new surgeon, the director of the breast clinic in fact, this is good. The appointment isn't until mid-April, hmmm, this is bad. I know I should think positively as Dr. E., my oncologist, said it can be quite common to find fluid near the surgical spot. But it's going to weigh heavily on my brain until the appointment is over and the test results are in, back to ugly.

Edited to end on a positive note. I had a nice weekend and I'm feeling fairly well. Lot's of hot flashes and slightly achy but manageable. I was out and about with the kiddos on Saturday running errands including buying flax seed at Trader Joes for aforementioned hot flashes. I had a quiet day around the house yesterday then visits from two sister-in-laws, one brother-in-law, and two nieces (hi Jen & Rachie, love you!) for dinner last night. We had chili which was absolutely perfect (thanks Charlene!). I need spicy foods these days to get rid of the ick-chemo-mouth (technical term as James would say.) It was a good weekend all-in-all.

Two Weeks and Counting

I was just thinking today that I have chemo tomorrow then again in two weeks and that's it. The end... of chemo anyway.... pretty cool. I'm feeling well. I was tired last night but it could have been the glass of wine. I'm just leaving the office for the day. Tonight I need to swing by the library and pick up a book for Sander, stop by Mom's house to check messages (Hi Mom!), drop off GS cookie things with my cookie Mom (Hi Christine!) and then pick up dinner. Someone had given James a gift certificate so we're splurging on take-out. Fun. Tomorrow I think my friend Laura is spending the day with me at the hospital. Need to call tonight to confirm. (Hi Laura!) Hopefully tomorrow will be uneventful. I'll let you know.

Tough Week Good Weekend

I had a difficult week. I think I was getting a little too cocky about feeling well with Taxol. Thursday body aches hit with a vengeance. I had a screaming headache and really bad aches in legs and hips. I took Ibuprofen, overlapped with Tylenol, then finally when that didn't help found my last Oxycodone from surgery. That dulled the pain when nothing else worked. Work on Thursday was horrible. I was sitting at my computer so miserable. It was difficult to stick it out but I managed somehow. I can't say that I got much accomplished that day. Friday was ok and the weekend was better. I went food shopping with the kids on Friday night, baked bread on Saturday, then today finished taxes and a set of jewelry (special order from December - sheesh.)

Tomorrow it's back to work Mon - Wed then this Thursday is my second-to-last chemo appointment. Wahoo! Although I have to admit that I'm not looking forward to the next level up of achiness. Crossing fingers that last Thurs was a fluke. But, just in case I'll talk to the doc about a fresh back-up script.
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