Wednesday I had my third round of chemotherapy with the goal of the chemotherapy to radio sensitize (?) the cancer to the radiation I am receiving. The chemo apparently enhances the radiation to kill the cancer cells. It seems like a different use of chemotherapy that my last treatment which was to systemically kill the cancer directly in my body. I know that’s not very dramatic, keep reading.

 

Uh Oh…

About 50 minutes into the chemo I had an allergic reaction which is not uncommon to build up a sensitivity to the drug. I had just told the nurse that I wasn’t feeling well. My stomach started to feel sick which wasn’t the normal chemo sick feeling stomach that I had experienced in the past.

In the meantime, Barbara had left to get a sandwich.  When she walked back into the room she kept saying “YOUR FACE, what’s wrong with your face?” By that time I was itchy and red and the hives were starting on my face, neck, head, ears, hands, you name it. Fortunately, I couldn’t see myself but Barb’s reaction told me it was getting worse.

Quickly there were three nurses in our cubbie area giving me hydrocortisone, Benadryl, taking my vitals, etc. I started having trouble breathing and my lips were getting itchy. They called the Doctor in and stopped the iv drip of the chemo as the Benadryl started to do its job.

The Treatment Plan Would Have To Change

The PA who works with my Medical Oncologist was the next to stop in. Now decisions would need to be made about the next steps. The options would be to stop chemo completely, give Benadryl before future infusions, or change the chemo drug they were giving me. The Dr would call me directly to discuss. I still had an hour of post hydration drip to receive so they monitored me as everything calmed down and eventually I was good to go. I would let Dr. Westin know what was going on as well.

One Of The Lowest Points On This Journey

After leaving the chemo experience I was able to sleep in the car for about 45 minutes. When I woke up I started to have the stomach feeling I had the night before and right before the reaction so Barb pulled into a convenience store. She went in to use the restroom and I waited in the car for the feeling to pass. It wasn’t passing so as sweat was pouring off my body and I was feeling dizzy and weak I got out of the car to go in to use the bathroom also.

Once I made it into the convenience store that I can assure you has not won a cleanliness awared, I couldn’t stand up. Barb came around the corner to a disoriented me on the floor inside the door and the store proprietor trying to figure out from behind the counter what was going on.

After a moment Barb was able to get me closer to the bathroom but not quite before I went down again in front of the cooler case. I was ten steps from the bathroom but couldn’t make it. Needless to say ,I vaguely remember feeling the grit of dirt on the ground but being so sick it didn’t bother me. Yes, Barb has said what an impact it was to see Princess on the floor of this particular store. She was able to get me to the bathroom and let me tell you if anyone can cover a toilet seat with TP, Barb is the woman for the job.

 

The Three Memories I Have From That Experience

I have three memories of that episode. The first being Barb’s daughter, Emily’s face, and her stopping in her tracks when they came around the corner to see me the first time.  I’m fearful that image will be burned in her brain for some time. The second is the sandiness of the floor in front of the beverage coolers. I had thoughts about the many work boots that lingered in front of those coolers. Lastly, the gloriously TP covered toilet seat.

Once I was out of the bathroom I started to feel a little better but slept the rest of the ride home. Barb had her hands on 10 and 2 and I could hear the hum of the engine the entire way. I don’t think we hit a single light. Barb told me she prayed the entire way home.  God was truly watching over us.

 

My Life Compared To The Movie 50/50

Last night I asked Barb if she remembered when we saw the movie 50/50 when the cancer patient was vomiting like crazy, which had never happened to me. I remember telling her that it seemed overly dramatic for movie purposes the way they portrayed what happened.  Our trip to the convenience store will be the overly dramatic part of our movie.

 

The Human Body Is Incredible

It’s amazing what our bodies can do and handle, and not handle, during the crazy things we endure. Drugs to bring you to the brink of death, radiation to burn your internal organs, the drugs you have to take to combat all of the side effects.

I think of myself as a healthy, strong human being. When I look around the waiting rooms and see some of the people who really look sick I am so thankful for being diagnosed each time when my body has been in a place of physical strength that has to be helping me. I haven’t exercised in weeks but am going to start walking around the block to get moving. The Radiation Oncologist encouraged me to push myself as it will help with the fatigue from radiation that could potentially last months after treatment. Obviously, I’m hoping it’s not that long for me.

 

No. More. Chemo

The Med Oncologist called me the following morning to say that she recommends stopping chemo. The chemo was not for systemic reasons. It was to simply give the radiation a boost. I had three of the five treatments and there isn’t data to show that the risk of another reaction outweighs the benefit of the treatment. That took me some time to process as I am all about getting every bit of insurance possible to know that the treatment I’m getting is the strongest possible.

She told me that she discussed it with another Med/Onc who specializes in GYN/Onc and she was in agreement. The second Dr. is also the Dr who Dr Westin suggested I see. Another friend, who is a cancer survivor and Oncologist concurred with the decision to not do more chemo so after processing that information I’m relieved to not have to do any more chemo for this recurrence.

 

The Plan Moving Forward

My last radiation is August 8th. Two to three months after that I will be scanned (in Houston) to confirm that the radiation worked.  Dr. Westin is very optimistic that it will work.

The mental weight of the chemotherapy was difficult for me. Knowing that I don’t have to do that any more right now has relieved some weight of this treatment cycle for  me. I can see the end in sight much clearer now which certainly h.elps.

Lastly, Dr Westin called last week to give me an update on some of the micro…instability testing that they did on my tumor from my most recent biopsy. While it would have been great to find nothing, she was thrilled with the mutations they did find. As optimistic as she is that the radiation is going to work, if my cancer decides it wants to visit again there are really promising things in the clinical trial pipeline that she will have in her arsenal.

 

cancer Research

Many of you know that ME STRONG funds a research grant and it has always been important to me personally but the research piece has new importance to me just knowing that I could be a beneficiary of the trials that are being funded currently. It makes me want to work that much harder to fund research in addition to the daily support we give to the individuals battling cancer. We are stronger together.