And We're DONE. (With chemo that is.)

Chemo and Cold Pizza. YUM.

It's only been a few days since my last (LAST!!) chemo sesson on Wednesday. I'm feeling weak and yucky and nothing tastes good, so I am right on target with the usual after effects. Noticed a new one though, on Friday, when I took off my nail polish and saw that my toe nails are markedly dark and unhealthy. Not huge in the scheme of things, granted .. and it's only temporary .. but still. This is something that some chemo patients experience only weeks into their treatment and some even lose their nails. Once again, I applaud my body's strength in holding off these side effects until the bitter end. I guess I am stronger than I think, but put much of my "success" with chemo to the never ending prayers from lots and lots of folks I have in my corner. (And you KNOW who YOU are!)

No More Red Devil For Me!

So this is the last of the chemo cocktails (God willing!) for me. I had my usual three doses of steriods to prevent nausea, then my usual three doses of chemo, including the dreaded "red devil" as it apparently is the one that packs the powerful yucky punch.

And the last of this thing ..

I'll be eternally grateful for all the chemo nurses that plumbed me up perfectly and kept it all straight. They were amazing, warm, friendly and kind (with the exception of that one ...) and all so very compassionate. I tried to express my gratitude for their presence each and every time. (At least the times I stayed awake!)

AND .. We're DONE! Outtah HERE!
Goodbye BLUE CHEMO WARD!

And when we were done, I rang the bell! I didn't even know the bell existed though it had been there, every time I was checked in, weighed and had my vitals checked before each chemo session. So much for my powers of observation! I wanted to ring it for about five minutes but since there were still chemo patients in the house (at 7:30 pm!), I practiced a mild level of restraint. It feels so good to have this part behind me!

And even though I know have have the usual two weeks of side effects, I felt a shift in my soul when I knew the last of the chemo had gone into my body. For months I've been so consumed with this chapter and now, even with surgery and radiation to come, I feel like I am on the downhill slope and can start really thinking about my recovery.

Dave and I had to wait two hours for my oncology visit, which was really unusual, so I made every attempt not to get pissy. While we waited, a volunteer named Rosemary approached us. I'd seen her around .. she's hard to miss! She probably weights 100 lbs. dripping wet and 130 with her volunteer jacket on. It has at least a HUNDRED breast cancer pins, symbols, buttons and charms. She's adorable. And she told me about a few programs aimed at helping cancer survivors in their recovery. One of them was Casting for Recovery.

Casting For Recovery Video from Susan Gaetz on Vimeo.

I'm so excited about this possibility .. and plan to investigate how soon I can participate. It might be next spring but you can bet I will do my best to be one of the lucky ladies to participate in this awesome program.

And a friend and fellow cancer survivor had mentioned "dragon boating" to me and when Rosemary gave me some literature, I got very excited about this program as well.

www.pinkphurree.org

Both these programs serve to restore health and vitality to those women who have been thru breast cancer and the repetitive motions of casting and paddling may serve to eliminate or reduce the problems of lymphedema, a common problem after breast cancer surgery. I think it's all VERY cool.

Dave has promised, too, that when I am strong enough we'll start paddling on some area lakes. Being outside, quietly paddling in the shade of an east Texas lake can ONLY be a good thing. I can't wait to get better.

Not much else to tell except that I got in a bit of trouble for NOT going to the hospital when I had fever. Seems I shouldn't have taken the acetaminophen .. as it only masked my "issue". Had I not had the antibiotics to take I could have been in serious trouble. I think the words the doc used where, "You could have died!". Okay .. that got my attention. I will not skip the ER in the future.

My next appointments are on June 22 when I have an ultrasound to see how tiny and insignificant Herschel is now. Since he shrunk 60% with Taxol, I have great faith he's about the size of a lima bean after four nasty sessions of FAC. After that I'll see my breast surgeon and set up a date for Herschel's excavation. I can't wait to boot what's left of his sorry ass to the curb! :)