Today I finished 26 out of 30 treatments. I was supposed to
get 31 treatments - there's a story behind the change. More on that later.
I had my boost CT scan scheduled for Friday, March 21st.
They fit my regular treatment in before the scan. The technicians got me all
set up in the CT machine, tapped a bunch of wire around my wound bed, wrote all
over me, put me into position and then.....NOTHING. They came back into the
room and told me they had to reschedule. Apparently the doctor wanted to be
present for the CT scan. They rescheduled for Tuesday, March 25th. My skin got
pretty sore over the weekend from all the tape they had used. I applied a ton
of the Aloe Vera Gel and that seemed to help. After my treatment on the 25th
they did my boost CT scan. The doctor decided to administer the boost in the
same position as my regular treatment.
My MO granted my request to take a Herceptin break which
means I will skip my April 8th treatment. My veins really need the rest. My
next infusion will be April 29th. He also requested another MUGA scan before my
next infusion.
Robyn flew home on Thursday, March 27th to celebrate my
birthday. It was so nice having her home. Friday night Robyn took us out to
dinner, and Saturday night BudBud took us out to dinner. My great niece Melody,
surprised me with a homemade birthday cake -- and Jeanne, Jason, Melody &
Morgan all came over to visit. My house looked like a florist shop from the
flowers I received. I had a wonderful birthday weekend with my family. Robyn
flew back to Northern California on Sunday.
On Monday, March 31st, I had my last regular radiation
treatment. On Tuesday, April 1st, April Fool's Day I was supposed to start my
first radiation boost. I arrived 15 minutes early as requested. My appointment
time came and went, and 45 minutes later, I was still sitting there. During
that time at least six people came in after me, and were called back to be
treated. No one could tell me when I would be treated. So, in true VT fashion -
I walked out.
I will explain the VT comment with a story about my Dad. My father worked at the Radio City Music Hall in New York City for over
30 years. Back in the years that my father worked in the city, he said the
service was very good. He said when he went in to a restaurant, he would be
served a cup of coffee within five minutes. When he moved to California, he
found out they moved at a different pace. Because of this, he wasn't very
patient when he wouldn't be offered a drink within ten minutes of arriving at a
restaurant. If he wasn't served within his timeframe, he would walk out. This
drove my mother crazy.
So yes, I pulled a VT. I was tired, sore and cranky - I'll
admit it. The only problem is I have an hour's drive in each direction. So the
only person I hurt was myself. But, it sure felt good. When I got home, I wrote
an email to my doctor. I also asked if he could treat me effectively in five
boosts instead of six. To my surprise, he said five boosts would work out just
fine. When I arrived today for my first boost, I was called back within five
minutes of my arrival. I guess it pays to be %itchy. They probably got even
with me by zapping my heart. I guess it would serve me right for complaining.
My skin is doing very well with radiation. In fact, my
radiology oncologist was surprised at how well my skin looks. He thinks the RA
medications may be helping with the skin side effects. He believes the extreme
fatigue I am experiencing is a combination of an RA flare and radiation. While
on chemo, my RA went into remission. In the past few weeks, I've developed a
bad flare in my hands, wrists and neck. Between the RA, the radiation side
effects, and the lingering effects from chemo, I'm kind of getting my butt kicked.
I'm also experiencing some odd symptoms. I'm having a difficult time with
comprehension. I typically have to read things three times to absorb it all.
I've also been misplacing things. My hat, my post office key, my cell phone ear
piece and various other things. I'm also having difficulty staying on task or
multitasking. My RO said it's not radiation related. He thinks it may be
hormone related due to the fact that the chemo put me into menopause. He also
said to talk to my medical oncologist about it possibly being what they call
chemo brain. I thought I was fortunate not to experience that type of side
effect from chemo, but I guess I will wait to hear my MO's opinion. To top it
all off, I've developed an upper respiratory infection. I'm not sure where I
picked that up being a compulsive hand washer.
This evening Budbud and I celebrated our 14th wedding
anniversary. One of the best decisions of my life was to marry that man.
Melody and Morgan
started soccer season. Morgan looked absolutely adorable with her braided pig
tails. She's such a natural performer in everything she does. Did I mention
she's the prettiest girl on her team? Then there is dear, sweet Melody. She's
the only girl I know that feels bad about winning when she plays against a
friend on the other team. She's one of the kindest teenagers you will ever
meet. Also the prettiest girl on her team. I will try and get some action shots during the next game.
 | ||
| Miss Morgan |
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| Miss Melody |
Countdown: 4 more boosts to go!!
That's all for now. Thanks for checking on me.
Cheers,
Beppy
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