A simple update
Well it’s been an interesting week for me. On Wednesday I found out that the AC chemo (the shittiest chemo – the one I just finished four rounds of) has done some damage to my heart, which explains the shortness of breath and chest pain. It’s unknown as to whether that damage is reversible or not, but I guess we’ll find out over time.
The new chemo I’m on (taxol) doesn’t harm your heart, so that’s good. Unfortunately the magic juice (herceptin) that I’m on until next June does, but a different part of your heart, and from all accounts that part is reversible. So it looks like heart issues will be another twist to my story. My oncologist has now referred me to cardiac oncologist, basically a cardiologist that specializes in chemo induced heart issues. So I’ll have an echocardiogram first and then will see her sometime in the next few weeks. This part freaks me out, because I don’t really care so much what they do to my boobs, but I kinda need my heart!!!
The other thing they are worried about is my nutrafils, or white blood cell count, are super low, so I wasn’t able to get the full round of chemo yesterday. I’m not sure why I’m not bouncing back as well as I FEEL I’m bouncing back. So we have to watch that. If my counts don’t come up they’re going to have to put me on this injection stuff that draws white blood cells out of my bone marrow, and is supposedly super expensive and very painful. So hopefully that won’t have to happen!!!
I feel really quite good actually. I feel like I’ve been a rock star through this whole thing. I haven’t been sick, I haven’t caught anything weird, I’ve been able to do most things that I usually can do. I’ve found this great game called Ingress that gets me out of the house and interacting with the world around me. I feel like my side effects have been pretty much minimal. I sure hope all this is working!!!
Today we have rain for the first time since I started treatment. It felt really weird to go out there and feel the rain on my head. We desperately need it though – the forest fires in the province have been really really rough this past week.
I don’t feel like I have a lot to say today. I’m pretty tired actually. I think a nap is in order!!