Today was the first day of my second round of chemo.
For those who like to know the plan, here it is:
I am on 21 day cycle:
Day 1: Carboplatin (brand name Paraplatin), Gemcitabine (brand name Gemzar), and Trastuzumab (brand name Herceptin)- totaling 3 hours of treatment
Day 8: Gemcitabine- totaling 1 hour of treatment
Day 15: Blood draw in Lincoln- totaling about 5 minutes!
I will go through 6 cycles(18 weeks). After 18 weeks they will determine how my treatment is going. They we make any adjustments at that time.
I did find out that I will not be having surgery. At this point there is no mastectomy in my future. So much for those new perky boobs I thought I might be getting at the expence of my insurance company. Somewhat of a bummer, I was kinda looking forward to that little gift in the midst of all of this treatment. Doc said that they generally only do surgery if it is expected to cure the condition. Since the severity of my condition is considered controllable, not cureable, he said they generally do not do surgery unless the treatment isn't working and they think removing the tumor would slow down the spread/progression. He thinks that Chemo will shrink my tumors to the point that I could be on Herceptin alone. At least until/if the cancer would start to progress then I would go back on a full chemo regimen to get it back into check. Basically, he is thinking no surgery but likely a lifetime of chemo. I told him he is going to get sick of me then, because I am going to live a LONG, LONG time! He said that he knows that I am and new advances in medicine happen all the time! He also gave me the name of a good psychologist that works there at the cancer center. I figured it was about time someone caught on to the lunacy!!! I really think that was a preexhisting condition, though!!! =) That happened after I started crying in his office after hearing that I had to keep the breasts I have! Ya know, people cry at different things, and at the moment...it was the thought of the "Beverly Hill Perkies" that was getting me through...I guess now it is going to have to be some other little thing...I will let you know when I figure that out, because right now I am tired and am going to go roll around in the 2 strips of sod they layed in my front yard...
What am I thankful for today? The smell of freshly watered grass, be it in a box on my office chair (thanks J, you crack me up) or 2 strips in my front yard...boy it smells good!!!!
Love to all who care enough to read!!!
