Radiation Consultation

I am on Day 9 and still no ill effects from the Herceptin. It kind of wreaked havoc with my bowels for about a week but that is all. The evil Taxotere is still rearing its ugly head though. I still have a bitter after taste when I eat certain things, especially sweets. My face is still sensitive and my energy isn’t back completely. The worst of it is that I seem to be losing my fingernails. Some of them (especially the thumbs and index fingers) are barely hanging on. I went for a manicure the other day because I couldn’t stand looking at them anymore. They were so dirty looking and I couldn’t get them clean. She covered them up with some nice nail polish so they look good now but they really hurt today and I keep bumping them. It won’t take much to rip them off so I am trying to be so careful but you know how that goes. There will be some very colorful language when it happens because it already is like that when I bump them – it just hurts sooo much! I just need to keep them for a couple of months since the new ones are only coming up about ¼ of an inch. (Yeah right - like that is going to happen!)

My hair is growing! It is so wispy and fine that I can't even really see it unless I turn my head this way and that to catch the light but it's there!

I saw the radiation oncologist on Thursday. (Dr. V) He is very nice, compassionate and easy to talk to. He took the time to ask about our family and what they are doing. He asked where we are from and asked questions about Nipawin. He examined me to make sure that I have enough movement in my arm to be able to lay in the proper position during the radiation treatment. I was all set and ready to get my tattoos and prepped for radiation but this was just a consult to explain it to me and see if I was willing to go through with it. Now I have to go back next Wed for all of that. My appointment is at 2:30 so I can just go in for the day for a change. They said I will likely start on Aug 17 and go for 5 weeks Monday to Fri.

Starting Tamoxifen and Herceptin

I am still feeling the effects of the chemo. This time it took the full three weeks before I could eat much of anything that tasted like it should. There are still some things that leave a bitter after taste. My fingernails are a real mess. They are yellow and curled and look like I am a smoker (which I am not). Some of them are coming unglued from the nail bed. (These are real fingernails not the fake kind). They are very uneven where they attach to my fingers so they are really hard to clean in spite of my best efforts. My eyes still water sometimes but other than that I am pretty much back to normal. (Oh yeah still no hair or eyelashes….)

I saw the oncologist on Tuesday. He gave me a prescription for Tamoxifen which I will be taking for the next 5 years. They give me 6 months at a time. It is one tablet a day and if I pick it up from the cancer clinic I don’t have to pay for them. They will even mail it out for me if I won’t be in the city. He said my heart scan was normal so Wednesday I would be starting the Herceptin. He assured me that it would not be as bad for me as the last 4 months were. I may get a headache or some achy bones until my body adjusts to it but that’s all. I was still nervous when I went in there for the injection on Wednesday. The nurse also said this wouldn’t be so bad. I told her I read some scary stuff on the internet and she said I shouldn’t read the stuff on there. They started me off with a loading dose (which is bigger than I will usually get). That took 1 ½ hours but from now on it is supposed to take only ½ hour. I didn’t have any ill effects while getting it and as of day 3 I haven’t really had any since then yet either. Also no side effects from the Tamoxifen so far. The doctor wants to see me in 3 weeks so I will get my next dose in the city. After that I should be able to get every other one in Nipawin.

The Last One!

I guess I should update everybody on my status. I did have my last chemo treatment on June 30 – a day early because of Canada Day. Again I felt pretty good that day. The Pharmacist said I should take the Benedryl – 2 tablets 4 times a day for a week and that it might make me drowsy. Oh yeah it made me drowsy all right! I slept for 20 -22 hours a day for the next 4 days! I would wake up for the bathroom or to eat a little bit and then I would be back down for a few hours. I couldn’t sit up for more than 10 minutes at a time. Everything hurt. I also started taking the antibiotics he gave me on day 3 and that just upset my stomach so much that I stopped on Saturday. I just couldn’t face taking any more pills. It took me a full day to wake up so Sunday I was finally able to stay awake for most of the day. All that Benedryl (I only lasted 3 days on it) did stop my face from getting the sunburn look although it does still feel a little sensitive. My mouth didn’t get the scalded feeling so far but it is still coated in a white film and nothing tastes or feels like it should. I am really hungry but can’t find anything to eat. Even the savory things taste bitter or have no taste at all and unless it is something very soft and moist it feels like chewing on sawdust. I’m planning all the things I am going to eat in a week or two. Mmmmm Steak, Greek Ribs, BBQ Burgers, Potato Salad, Lettuce Salad from my garden and my new potatoes should be ready by then too!

Another new side effect is that my fingernails are curling. They are turning a yellow orange color and are curving down on the ends. You know this stuff is potent when it can curl your fingernails!

Roxanne was home for 2 days. I didn’t see much of her since I was always sleeping but she did help me out a lot with cooking and cleaning.

I will see the oncologist on July 21 and will probably start the Herceptin the next day. I am hoping and praying that I don’t have any side effects from that. I couldn’t possibly face a whole year of that! July 30 I will see the Radiation Oncologist so I will probably be starting radiation some time in August.