Please Don't Tell Me / Remind Me of "The Bad Outcomes"

I know that people like to relate to what you are going through by comparing it to what they, their friends/family, acquaintances have gone through. But, PLEASE PLEASE don't tell me the "bad news" from their experiences.

It doesn't help me to hear about how someone you know, young and strong, died of breast cancer. It doesn't make my days easier to be reminded that it will be in my 6 month check-up that I will see if any cancer has come back again. My job is to stay as positive and up-beat as possible, and if a little lack of foresight or rosy-thinking accomplishes that, then please leave me to it. I don't need reality-training; I don't even need to be planning ahead.

It seems like I would not have to say this, but apparently I do. I don't want to hear about the bad outcomes. It feels rude of me to tell them that, so, please mention it to others you know that I know. Thanks for your help. And all your help!

Final Chemo Treatment Done! YAY!

I had my last of 4 chemo treatments last week. It went well, no problems. The allergic reaction that I suffered since the 3rd treatment seems to be really subsided -- I haven't had to take a Benedryl for a week. I spent this weekend relaxing, although the "down days" seemed a little less severe than previous treatment weekends. Maybe because I just had to do more and so couldn't shut down as much. Ah, the trials of being a single parent and going through chemo. Life doesn't stop just because you have cancer!

So, now I still have to make sure I'm "OK" - I go in for a 10 day check-up for blood work. Then a final sign-off from the medical oncology (chemo) doctor. Then I need to talk to the radiation doctor to start radiation. I gather they want to start that about 3 weeks after my last chemo, so basically that will be the same schedule as before.

From what I was told before, radiation is a long, frequent course of short treatments. So, I will have to go in 5 days a week for 7 weeks! I am hoping that I can arrange it so that I drop the kids off to school at 7:30am, then go in for a treatment. Then I have the rest of the day to work, etc. The after-effects that have been reported to me vary from some tiredness to burns. The radiation will be only over my breast area, but I think it will be both breasts because the original cancer site was close to my chest wall and hard to 'get at' for the single-breast treatment.

I'll know more after I meet again with the radiation oncologist. I am hoping to put off the start date of the radiation a week so I can get out of town for even just a little time with the girls. It is the week of their spring break and before this next course of treatment starts it would be nice to have a little "normal" time. We need it!

So, thanks for sticking with me through the first course. I guess I've actually have 2 sets of treatments now: the surgeries and recoveries, and now the chemo. Radiation and then the hormone therapy to go, I think. One treatment at a time, is all I can really think about.

A Cautionary Tale of Overdoing

There will be 2 posts today, one from experiences a while ago and another one from my recent -- and final! -- chemo treatment. This one is about the error of thinking "you are fine" when you're going through treatments.

A week after my 3rd treatment, I had a friend come into town who I haven't seen in about 20 years. Well, I was on the mend from the treatment and of course I always think I'm just "perfectly fine" except for the week right after treatment. So, I overdid. And man, did it make me pay!

For starters, I went out to eat and ate things I shouldn't, like spicy food and a beer or two. Then I stayed up a little late. Then I shoveled a big, wet snow from my LONG sidewalk. And the final straw, I decided that since these hemorrhoids which were acting up from the spicy food were not letting me get a good night's sleep, I would take 2 Percoset and go to bed. Along with a Zofran anti-nausea drug because the Percoset sometimes upset my stomach.

Now, I have taken Percoset after my surgeries and had no trouble with it at all. And I have taken the Zofran, too. But whether because Percoset (codeine + acetaminaphen) is strong, or because of a drug interaction, or (most likely) because my body is just in a reduced state, I had a HUGE allergic reaction.

HUGE - Like raised hives and terrible itching under my breasts, down my hips, groin and thighs. Like painful and itchy swelling in my hands, knees and finally even the bottoms of my feet and my face. Like waking up in the middle of the night going crazy with itching, to pace around the house itching, trying not to itch, putting on ice packs and chanting nonsense to keep my mind off it. Totally miserable. (But no trouble breathing, which is the truly scary reaction.)

The doctor prescribed some steroids, which didn't seem to help at all. Benedryl (capsules and cream), prescription anti-hemorrhoid suppositories (now those actually work!), other kinds of skin sprays & creams, nothing seemed to help that much, except just the time for whatever it was to work its way out of my system. Took about a week to get to small, reasonable outbreaks.

Even 3 weeks later, I still get little rashes on my hands, knees, arms, face, and take some more Benedryl capsules. They go away with a little Benedryl. I was quite worried about the next chemo, but it didn't aggravate it any further.

So, if you are finding this post, and you are one of those people going through cancer treatment who recovers fast and thinks "this really isn't so bad" -- don't be fooled! Your body is being very nice to you and don't take it for granted! Things can go very wrong, very quickly when you're body is compromised as it has to be when doing chemo! Rest, sleep, eat right, keep in mind that you are recovering from some dangerous chemicals in your body.