Happy September, I finish CHEMO this month!!!!!!!!

It has been nearly two months since I have last updated my blog. Now we are in the month of September. Summer is almost over, and there is already the chill of fall in the air. It has now been nearly SIX months since I have been diagnosed with cancer. It has been 5 months since I had my port put in. It has been 5 months since I began chemotherapy. It has been 4 months since I have lost all my hair.   I'm still here. I'm still fighting.

In my last update I was still on the dreaded red devil chemo. AC, otherwise knows as Adriamyacin & Cytoxan. I finished my fourth dose of that on 06/21/17. I was so glad to leave AC behind.  It was grueling.  On July 12th , I began a new chemo drug called Taxol. I was amazed at the lack of Nausea. I could eat again!! Food started tasting normal again, and I started to love my coffee again!

This past week I completed taxol dose number 8, chemo number 12, and I have just FOUR MORE DOSES of taxol to go!! woo hoo!! My last chemo session is scheduled Wed, 09/27/17!! I will be so glad to finally be done with this phase of treatment.

Taxol has not been without problems though. A few treatments in, peripheral neuropathy began to set in. It presents as shooting pains throughout my body, numbness in my toes, and some pain in my fingertips. I am grateful there is no numbness in my fingers. Starting this week. my Oncologist lowered my Taxol dose because of the neuropathy.

I have been very fatigued most days, and it takes everything out of me just to complete normal household duties. But I push, and I do, because I must. School started last week, the day after chemo, and it has been difficult to wake up and get the kids ready, but I push, and I do, because I must.

I have been getting swelling all over my body, especially my ankles due to the chemo, so through the day I take rests and elevate my feet on the wonderful recliner my Mom gave me a few weeks ago.

I think my ovaries are shutting down, and in "chemopause". My last period was back in July, on the 9th. My next one was due on August 5th, but it never came. I have gone one full calendar month without a period, and that hasn't happened since I was pregnant. Periods can come back at any time, but due to my age (40) chemopause may transition into full menopause at any time as well.

My Dr's are hoping I go into menopause. My menopausal status will determine the type of drugs I take to prevent cancer recurrence after chemo, surgery and radiation are done .


I have an appointment to see my breast surgeon on Oct 4th to begin the surgery discussion. I know more tests will need to be run to see if the tumor has shrunk, as well as genetic testing. All this information will help determine the type of surgery I get... Lumpectomy, or Mastectomy.  I know if I test positive for the BRCA gene mutation, then I will be having a bilateral mastectomy, and possible ovary removal, as that would greatly increase my chances of a breast cancer recurrence, and ovarian cancer. If I test negative for the BRCA gene mutation, and the tumor has shrunk enough, then we will proceed with the lumpectomy and sentinel node biopsy. If the sentinel node biopsy and the margins of the lumpectomy are all clear, then I move on to radiation.

In other interesting news, my hair began to grow back while on Taxol. It is still thin and short, and sparse. I am not ready to go without a head scarf yet, but I think by Halloween, my hair may be thick enough ...at least I HOPE!

So now, I continue to soldier on through fatigue, aches and pains, swelling, emotional mood swings and weekly blood tests. I see the light at the end of the chmo tunnel, and am so ready to move on to the next phase of my treatment.

Until Next time!