Post Tuesday, Clinical Update

This is a report on my condition and progress that might offer some information to another person with a multiple diagnosis of breast cancer and colon cancer, both primaries.
 My second run of Oxalaplatin has been completed. This leaves me with 4 more runs which are done every three weeks. That puts me somewhere in September to be finished with this part of it and the Xeloda pills should finish up at the same time. An Ultrasound on the breast will be done; she was a bit vague but it seemed as though it might be around the time I finish with the two above mentioned chemos. Another chemo will be started that will specifically target the breast, and all the while, I will continue to take the little yellow pill, Femara. That one will continue for 5 years after all the other treatments have been completed. She said it would be a long haul.

The Reglan and Zofran are taken the following three days after the infusion. I do continue taking the Reglan to combat that acid feeling I get. I'm attributing this to the Femara that I take on a daily basis.

The day of the infusion is what I want to note here. That is the worst day so far. My nerves are on edge, I'm snappy and really quite the bitch. Thankfully my friend Kathy understands and the first thing she said when she saw me shaking was "Where is your Klonopin! Take some." That's exactly what I did.

As soon as my nails became loosened from the ceiling,(visual here of a cat stuck to a ceiling)  I eased back a little and was able to relax enough to get a nap. I'm not as sensitive to cold as I was the last time. I still get the tingles in my fingers if I touch something cold and my feet have to be covered in socks to walk on the cold tile floors but an air conditioned room doesn't cause my throat  to constrict and the parotid glands don't clench up as much when I drink or eat something that might be a bit colder then room temperature.

I'm jittery and tired that first day of getting the infusion. The second day, I refused to sit around. We washed all the automobiles.

When we returned from the infusion on Tuesday, the daughter always accompanies me, she had errands to run. I came home with all my nervousness and eventually took Kathy's advice and ate a Klonopin. Soon April appeared with Carrie and spent hours with me. When she left, the other granddaughter, Elise appeared. She stayed with me for hours and we talked and laughed and had a good time. Later that night when the grandson got off from work, he showed up and spent the night with me. These young adults are busy with their lives, school and work so having them around this much is uncommon.

He said he was here to fix breakfast for me in the morning. I let him sleep in as long as he liked. I was busy on his car, cleaning and polishing. When he got his sleep out, he came outside and helped.

Around 1400 hrs he retired to the kitchen with instructions for me to stay "out".

A few minutes later he appeared with my breakfast on a tray served while I sat on the sofa. He had scrambled three eggs and arranged them into a smiley face with the bacon strips used as a mouth! I giggled as I scarfed down the "eyes, nose and mouth" of my food.

I know my family appeared on my "day of chemo" for a reason. They didn't want me to be alone and also they wanted to watch over me after that chemo run. They had heard about my reaction to the first one and were concerned. 
 I am so very grateful for them in my life. They make me very proud of the young caring adults they have become.

Wednesday afternoon, after the marathon car cleaning, I loaded up the roadster and though I was tired I drove to Baton Rouge to spend some time relaxing at the Holiday Inn with the husband. I didn't realize until I saw the pool, that I would not be doing any swimming. I'm sure the pool was not room temperature although it was an indoor one. I'll have to wait until I'm 8 days out from that chemo infusion before I can go swimming or have a Coke Icee.

I'm posting this as I think that is all the information I can offer right now on my diagnosis.