MY FINAL CHEMO TREATMENT

For my final entry on the Chemo treatment, I wanted to write a day by day account so that I could read back in a few years, just what I had endured. I started out with good intentions knowing that the first and second days were the easy days. I am afraid my good intentions evaporated quickly as the effects of the Taxotere took over my body. I must have been dreaming to think that I could even lift a pen on the worst days, so my blow by blow account will be, as usual, from memory.
My final Chemo was on Thursday 1st October at 10.30am. There were many new patients on the Oncology ward. Those people I had got to know, had finished their treatments, and were all hopefully on the mend. But my friend Stella arrived. She was continuing her journey with the drug “Herceptin” which she will have intravenously, once every three weeks, for a year. I will make sure I stay in touch with her.
There is an obvious build up of chemicals in my body with each treatment. This time, I felt that I had barely recovered from treatment 5, and here I was having treatment number 6. Colin drives me to the hospital and comes into the ward with me. He waits for the nurses to hook me up, and then leaves until I phone him to come and pick me up. Today’s treatment took three and a half hours to administer. Most of the time I feel drowsy, I assume it’s because of the drugs they give you. First is the saline to flush the veins. They add a couple of drugs to the drip to help against nausea and ward off infection, and then they add the Taxotere. Saline is given at the end as a final flush. All done...I can go home. I always feel well for the first couple of days. There must be something in the drugs that puts you on a high. Unfortunately, it comes to an end all too soon.
On Friday morning, I drive back to the hospital for my $2000.00 injection. Luckily, I don’t have to pay for it. Good job, it’s the 6th one I’ve had!!! As a parting gift to the nurses, I give some beautiful handmade chocolates. They do such a great job, and as lovely as the nurses are, I hope I don’t have to see them again in that ward.
I felt good Thursday, Friday, Saturday and most of Sunday. This was so much longer than usual. Perhaps this time, the side effects weren’t going to be as bad!!!! Gary had said he would reduce the chemicals by 10% because I had reacted so strongly and badly to the treatment.
On Saturday, Colin and I went to the races as usual. I sat inside all afternoon. It was too cold outside. It was a pleasant quiet afternoon. We had lunch, and Col wandered off to watch the horses. We were home by 5.30pm. In the evening, we went off to see “High Society” at one of the local theatres-“CLOC”. They are such a good company, although we felt this was not up to their usual standard. However, it was a good night out.
Kerry-Lou rang on Sunday morning, and invited us over for an early BBQ at 5pm. I felt OK when I said yes, but as the day progressed, I wondered whether it was the right thing to do. I was not feeling too good as we drove to their house, but I decided I could cope for a couple of hours. So at 7pm I asked if we could leave. I could feel the rot setting in.
The pain which I had endured in my 1st Taxotere was now minimal, thanks to the patch Gary had prescribed, but there is no escaping the lethargy. Monday, Tuesday and most of Wednesday I hardly strayed from the bedroom. As the lethargy continues, the nausea and general feeling of illness begins and then takes over. Each day, as the white blood corpuscles are destroyed, the feeling of being ill, overwhelms the body. The digestive system is a mess, my skin starts to dry out and irritate me. My mouth is dry, and there is an infection of thrush starting up again, and even worse...the ulcers start to appear on the tongue. By the time Thursday comes round, and I have to see Gary again, the lethargy and nausea is gone. In truth, this 3rd Taxotere was not as severe as the last two, but it’s still not good.
I ask Gary my prognosis, and without hesitation, he tells me that I will make a full recovery. He will put me on the drug “Promera” for 5 years. This drug stops the oestrogen in the body, which is what feeds my cancer. There are side effects from this drug. It raises Cholesterol levels in the body, and it attacks the bone density. I will have both these tested before I see him on January 14th. There will be regular testing to keep an eye on things. I will have to take fish oil tablets and glucosamine to help lubricate my joints as there may be some pain. Even with all that to contend with, I left his office on a high. It was good news.
My 3rd Taxotere, however, is still not finished. After a week, the side effects continue. My feet and hands feel as if they are burning. They redden as if they have been sitting in very hot water. They tingle with numbness, and my finger nails and the tips of my fingers hurt, as do my feet. I wonder how long this will take to disappear. It certainly hadn’t gone before I went for my last treatment! My cheeks, my nose, my lips and the upper part of my back feel numb. It is a very unpleasant feeling and it’s there all day every day. My eyes water and the tears run down my cheeks and make them sore. The skin is very tender on my face. Food has no taste....no that’s wrong...food tastes awful. I eat a lot of soup. I have to mash solid food to a pulp because of my sore mouth. A new side effect has appeared in the last few days. My muscles ache. I can only walk slowly and yet it feels as if they have run 400 metres. I am also feeling weary, much more so than I have before. I hope this goes before I begin my radiotherapy. I know that makes the body weary.
It is now 2 weeks since my final treatment. The numbness in my feet, hands and round my mouth persists. The muscles still ache, I am weary. I have to keep telling myself that it will all be gone in a couple of weeks. Food is beginning to get a little flavouring, but not enough to relish. I am really looking forward to enjoying my food again. When will I be able to celebrate? And when will my hair start to grow. Each day I look, but each day there is no change. I will have to be patient!