I feel I have started to come out the chemo/radiation fatigue and feel more like myself again. It has been a long few months of feeling tired and being careful to expend my energy on what's most important; family and work. Here is a picture I found from August 2013 when I was getting the last of the A/C chemo I received. Note the skulls on my headscarf - I also have on my skull earrings! Some women feel it's important to put on lipstick and makeup and dress up to feel well during chemo; I felt it was important to wear my skulls and let the A/C know I was a force to be reckoned with! :)
I know it has been a long time since I have blogged, and so much has happened. I wish I had had the energy to continue to blog throughout my chemo and radiation, however, the fog got me. I just didn't care. I'm sure other folks who have had chemo understand that feeling of just not wanting to do anything. I thought about it time and time again, but just couldn't bring myself to do it! Such a horrible feeling. However, that's now changing and I hope I can make up for some lost time and document what I went through to the best of my recollection.
So, it's probably best to put my timeline here as a starting point of this journey (which is still in progress):
My timeline
2013
May 10 – diagnosis via a phone call from my primary physician at 3:15pm as I was just getting ready to start the rehearsal for our graduation ceremony with faculty/department heads/deans in my college - it wasn't a good end to the day...
May 24 – surgery, left mastectomy by Dr. Ray
July 8 – return to work!
July 11 – first round of chemo… my first meeting with “The Red Devil”!
July 25, August 8 and 22 – Red Devil’s #2, 3 and 4
September 5 – second round chemo, weekly treatments…. my first meeting with “Terrible Taxol”!
October 24 – fingernails are starting to boycott Taxol (ice/cold therapy is not working…)
October 31 – Best. Chemo. Ever. and Halloween!
November 7 – last chemo, but I didn’t realize it at the time
November 14 – showed up for chemo, and was admitted to hospital for a port thrombosis
November 15-18 – Spa Carle (no, not really….I really wanted to be AT HOME!) Worst. Patient. Ever! I drove the nurses nuts by being too independent. Ashley #2 (one of my RN’s) actually programmed my bed at one point so I couldn’t get out without the alarm sounding.
November 28 - Thanksgiving and a small break from treatment to feel better and gear up for radiation
December 20 – fingernail removal (5) ….I much preferred to be at the ACES December Graduate Reception
December 23 – Radiation begins, 33 daily treatments
2014
February 3 – last “Tangent” radiation
February 3-11 – Week off to heal as skin is breaking down and angry looking
February 12 – first of five final boost treatments
February 18 – final radiation treatment
March - continued my Herceptin treatments every three weeks
April 8 - biopsy on left mastectomy needle core biopsy (2 spots): Fibroadipose tissue with fat necrosis, fibrosis, dystrophic calcifications and foreign material with foreign body giant cells. Negative for malignancy!
June 9 - I start a new job! I can't wait as I'll be working with a great group of ladies, and for someone I really respect.
Stay tuned for more to come.... :)
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