Chemo infusions: 7 down, 5 to go!
My infusion yesterday went well and it feels great to be closer to the end of chemo treatment now than the beginning!
Because my neuropathy has been persistent and progressive (although mild so far), my chemo dose was lowered by 20% for my 7th treatment and will stay at that lower dose for the next 5 treatments. (It isn't worth risking permanent loss of feeling in my fingers and toes in my particular case because my tumor was so small at the time of diagnosis and chemotherapy was only indicated because of my need for Herceptin treatment. If my cancer cells had not been positive for HER2/neu receptors, oncologists would have considered my double mastectomy treatment enough. About 25% of breast cancers are HER2/neu positive.) Links are in blue if you're interested in learning more.
This week I enjoyed the company of my Aunt Mary Colette during my infusion. She flew in from Louisville to visit and brought with her the warm, fun-loving enthusiasm that everyone that knows her loves and enjoys about her. She arranged for the hospital gift shop to have 7 balloons ready for my 7th chemo treatment!
It was the perfect day for colorful balloons because Ian and Henry were off school and able to come to treatment with me for the very first time, something they have been really anxious to do:
They got to chat with my oncologist, meet several of my nurses, pick up the balloons from the gift shop and the pharmacist invited them to watch my drugs being mixed and prepped in the pharmacy lab! It was a full afternoon, especially because the room we were in was so small. :)
I'm excited to be taking a little less toxic drug into my system each week now and I'm wondering if the reduction in my dose will impact how I feel and how my body is reacting to treatment.
Whatever difference it makes, I'm only dealing with it 5 more times, hopefully EVER!!
P.S. I still have eyebrows. I don't know why, but I'll take it.
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