Thursday, September 5 - What another rough two weeks I had. I kind of feel like a broken record. More of the same with the bone, muscle and joint pain. No energy - when I did, I walked some, but couldn't ever go more than 1/2 mile due to weakness and numbness in legs. The good news is that I wasn't so depressed (at least I didn't think so).
I did go to Schaumburg, IL with Dane last week since he was driving there to deliver an overview on Interference Hunting. I figured I would keep him company on the drive and just hang out at the hotel the day he had to work. Thanks mom and dad for keeping Willow again. We left on Tuesday and I was feeling pretty good until that evening. I slept most of the next day and we returned home on Thursday. It was just good to get out and a change of scenery.
On Tuesday, September 3 I called the chemo nurses as I thought I was getting a UTI infection over the weekend. I had to go to Washington lab and give a urine sample. They put me on 3 days of Cipro antibiotic.
On Wednesday, September 4, Dane & I headed in for #3 of 4 Taxol infusions. I had an appointment with the Medical Oncologist, Dr. Coplin first. I had decided to ask if I could bypass the Neulasta Injection and what the consequences would be.
She said I could skip it, but since I had these injections after the chemo infusions of Adriamycin/Cytoxin before surgery and they did not affect me at all she thought it was more likely the Taxol. If I skipped I would go every 3 weeks instead of two like they used to do before the Neulasta shots were available. Consequences on that protocol used to be low wbc with chance of infection and fevers which could end up being in the hospital to run high dose antibiotics.
She suggested that due to my history with low white blood counts on the weekly Taxol - that I have an injection of Neupogen which is like Neulasta only faster acting to stimulate the bone marrow for the white blood cells to grow. I would get an injection on Friday, Monday and then Tuesday (if my wbc were not up). This would be less of the medicine than getting a whole Neulasta Injection which is slow release over 10 days. So our thoughts are that it might not be as bad IF its the injections causing it. If it's the Taxol, then I'm just going to have to put up with it.
A few other questions I had asked were about port removal after chemo. She said that she usually leaves it up to the patient. Some want them out right away and others leave them in for 6 months or so if they aren't bothering them and then get blood drawn and flushed at 3 month visits. I'll probably get it out before the end of the year so its on this years insurance coverage.
I asked about follow up visits after chemo. Dr. Coplin said I would be seeing her for the next 10 years for blood work and exams. We start at every 3 months for a while, then every 6 months - then go to yearly. I also asked about any scans due to spread of cancer or recurrence. She said not unless something shows up in exams or bloodwork. She said since I was high risk due to being Triple Negative that it could be done. So that will remain to be seen.
I cannot get a flu shot until after chemo is over and my white blood counts are back up.
So on to the chemo room, same drill - access port, bloodwork - good to go - premeds, then Taxol. Four hours later we were on our way home. We decided not to go to dinner for our anniversary until I got my taste buds back.
So one more chemo and then on to radiation. I am seeing an end in sight.
Joshua 1:9 Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest
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