Hasta La Vista-CHEMO!

This past Tuesday was my fourth and FINAL round of chemo.  OMG-I am so relieved it's over!  As lovely as the staff at the infusion center were, I hope I NEVER have to see those people again in my life!  Don't get me wrong, I would definitely recommend it.  I'm just going to ASSUME chemotherapy will never again be part of my treatment plans and they will all become a distant memory...have a nice life! 

Nurse Kim

It was certainly a day to celebrate for my family and I.  I got up in the morning to a dozen pink roses from my husband and we were all in good spirits.  All of my blood counts were normal (they sort of love me for my stellar blood work) which again meant no Neulasta injection after chemo.  I dodged such a bullet with that stuff.  Only one injection through the entire course of chemo, thank God! 

My nurse for the day was the lovely Kim.  She was very nice and efficient and I could not have been more pleased with my overall care there. 

My usual group escorted me in today.  Jeff, his dad Howard, my mom Gail,

and my aunt Diane.  We got a private room again which is so nice to have.  We were visited by a man named Roy who is a 7 year survivor and now works as a volunteer.  He was very nice and had a great sense of humor.  I can see myself doing that someday.  I didn't get to know any of the patients since my treatments were so spread out, I didn't see any of the same people when I was there.  I think it would have been nice to build a relationship with someone else going through it, but most people are pre-occupied with family and friends anyway so that's a little difficult to do.  I'd feel bad for someone going at it alone...although I'm sure some people prefer to just handle it by themselves. 

After getting through the infusion, I officially became a chemo graduate.  Yahoo!  They presented me with a certificate signed by the staff and that puppy will be cherished-I tell you what!  Here's a picture of my family and I after receiving it (Howard is taking the pic). 

Also when you "graduate" from chemo, they have this tile collage at the Cancer Partnership and you get to add a tile in your name.  they were out of light pink tiles for Breast Cancer, so I just used a dark pink one for mine.  It's hard to tell but it has my name on it and the date I finished.  I will never forget 2/28/12!

 

So here I am, a few days out from my last treatment, and it's been a rough couple of days.  I get terrible muscle and joint aches from the Taxol, and the fatigue is just a given at this point.  Again, I know I am so fortunate to have tolerated things as well as I have-even making through the last four months with not so much as a cold!  (knock on wood).  I think everyday of the people who struggle much worse than me, and whose roads are so much longer.  I have a consultation with my Radiation Oncologist next week, and we'll map out the next several weeks of radiation treatment.  After that, I'll be on a drug called    Tomoxofin (sp) for five years which I look at as my "maintenance" program.  I will see my Oncologist every 3 months for the next year and will have my first mammogram six months after I finish radiation.  I can't help but feel that  I've left the scenic route of this trip and will be heading down the long boring highway of recovery and remission.  Hey, I'm all for long and boring!  

So much will be happening the next few months that I am excited for!  Back to boot camp, a bunch of 5k races I've entered, and the Susan G. Komen 3 Day in September.  I have SO much to work and look forward to!  I am so thankful to have all of these opportunities ahead of me and could not have made it through without all the people who love and support me.  Thank you all!