It wasn’t so long ago that I was getting all frustrated and
nervous about being accepted onto a chemotherapy trial. I didn’t get the actual trial drug, but being
on the trial means much more to me than just that. It means I will have more regular Scans, will
be more closely monitored and have in return received various different
telephone numbers that I can ring at any time.
I have now completed my 2nd cycle of chemo and am
happy to report that I am feeling pretty good.
Scrap that; I am feeling downright bloody fantastic. I was unsure whether the tiredness from cycle
1 was down to the lack of steroids that were being shoved down my throat everyday,
and thought that maybe it was all down to the side effects of the Eribulin
chemo, as every joint and muscle in my body was bloody painful too, along with
the sore throat, gums and spotty gob that I had also developed. Well!!! I am here today to tell you that you
cannot keep me down in the dumps for long.
With the help of the steroids, my energy levels have risen, so much so
that I have been out and about and walking the dog every day, ohh and get
this; I have also dabbled with a bit of
house work too (well overdue and hubby
well pleased ha ha). So the Steroids
helped with the tiredness but what about the aches and pains, the mouth sores
and spotty gob?
Amazing how our minds forget, but again Lee hit the nail on
the head. The aches and pains were
nothing to do with the chemo, they were nothing to do with not having or taking
the right amount of pain meds. They were
all down to the fact that I am receiving the biosphosphonate infusion called
Zometa again. I had this for a year in
2009 and the symptoms I had from it then, are exactly the same as I am having
now. A couple of days after infusion, I
get the feeling of having had pure lead poured down every bone in my body to
the point where they feel too heavy to move.
To lift a finger its ‘Oach’, to move an arm its ‘Oachee’ and to lift a
leg its ‘Wooo can someone do it for me please’.
Now I’ve realised this, the aches and pains didn’t seem too bad this
last infusion and just readied myself to have a few lazy days as instructed by
my gorgeous hubby.
The mouth sores and spotty gob are unfortunately a side
effect from the chemo, but I have been given some mouth wash and cream that
would hopefully keep it under control.
Today, I have one cold sore type of spot left, but the cream is working
wonders at stopping any further ones exploding across my gob on full view for everyone
to stare at whilst having a conversation with me. The sores inside my mouth have eased to
virtually nothing and just have the dry mouth and nasty metallic taste that
only delving time and time again into the milk carton seems to sooth.
Well back to the important stuff. Scans
and Trials. I have completed my
first 2 cycles of chemo and was scheduled for a CT Scan on Monday (6th
Aug) to see how I am responding to the new treatment.
Firstly on Monday I had to be at the hospital for 11.15am
for an ECHO, this has to be done to make sure that the Herceptin isn’t having
an effect on my heart (a big side effect of the drug). There was a bit of confusion here; I reached
the department only for them to tell me that I wasn’t booked in and should go
to the other department who did heart scans, which was at the other end of the friggin hospital. Well when I got there, I was greeted by my
Breast Nurse who was also having a little problem herself getting my
appointment sorted out. Trials can be
strict and when they say a scan or anything has to be done in a certain
time-scale, they mean in that time-scale and not a give or take a couple of
weeks. Implants and ECHO’s are not a
good combination as the implant can interfere with the images that are required,
but after the Mr Echo Man did his probing and digging deep into my rib cage and
jugular he captured the images that was required and I was free to go.
4.20pm and I back waiting for my CT Scan. Luckily there wasn’t much waiting around this
time and only required 4 stabbings of the needle to get the cannula in for the
radioactive dye to be pushed in, that gives the weird warm feeling as though you
have pee’d myself. My veins are totally knackered
and so for the time being I have a nasty looking bruised mess that resembles an
overused junkies arm. Lots of TLC and avoidance
of needles for the next 6 weeks and I will have my arm put right ready for the
whole ordeal to start again.
I have just come back from my oncologist appointment and still
down right blooming giddy with excitement.
I went through the usual of having bloods done and my port flushed
through first, followed by lots of questions
of how I have been for the last couple of weeks with my Breast Nurse; meaning the
side effects, had my blood pressure done and was weighed ready for my dose of chemo
to be made up for tomorrow... and then I got the news from Mrs Oncologist who
didn’t beat about the bush at all. I am
responding really really well. So well
infact that even my oncologist sounded like she couldn’t believe my Scan
results. Ok so how good are they? Bloody
fantastic (says me still jumping up and
down like a raving lunatic)
Measurements of the 2 largest lesions in my liver in May were
13x11cm and 11x11cm, after the 9 weeks of no treatment these had increased to
29x24cm and 20x18cm. 6 weeks later and after
just 2 cycles of Eribulin the measurements are now down to a staggering 22x13cm,
and 11x10cm. Massive reduction by nearly
half their sizes and it’s not just those 2 lesions that have shrunk
either. All lesions in my liver have reduced
by nearly half their size. “Get in There”
was Lee’s response whilst he jumped up out of the chair and raised his arm up
into the air as though he were a mad football supporter cheering on after his
team scoring a goal. I on the other
hand was more laid back. Ha ha, not on your nelly, I was fidgeting about with
my stupid grin slapped across my face, itching to get out of there so I could tell
everyone in sight and call everyone on my phone, but before any of that could
be done, Lee and I had to sit, listen and talk about my treatment, side effects
and oooh my steroids.
Why on earth does she want me off the steroids. She took me off them before and I felt
fooking crap. I asked to go back on them
and have proved that with them, I can live a good healthy active life rather
than curled up on the sofa with not enough energy to even lift a glass of water
to my mouth, and that glass being a teeny weeny glass. Even one of the nurses earlier commented on
how well I looked compared to the other week.
I can walk upright rather being bent over, I’m awake for goodness sake,
i’m eating and laughing and if it wasn’t for the rug on my head or should I say
the baldness that I have, no-one would even know that I have cancer and having
chemo. Anyways, my Mrs Onc knows best
and for whatever reason I am being weened off the steroids again, but this time
going 8 days between each dose till i’m off them again rather than the 5 days
she did the last time. I’ll just have
to see how I go.
I rang everyone, I text everyone with my good news. I felt that the chemo was working because the
lump in my neck felt smaller, but I did not expect the result I have just
had. Its leading me to think that maybe,
maybe this chemo treatment is the one for me, the one that is going to work at obliterating
every single squatter out of my body and to kingdom come and with the plus side
that the shitty side effects are not that shitty, especially compared to the
capcitabine. I will have to wait for my next MRI to find out how the chemo has worked on the bone metz, but I can imaging that this could be a long wait as I don't have them that often. Bone metz isn't life threatening so the main focus is my organs and making sure the squatters dont breed too much in and around them. For once though I am definately looking forward to my next scan in another 6 weeks to see how many more squatters I have killed. Today is definitely a day for
some celebration time and I am going to do it in style. I am going to chill and relax in front of a good film and enjoy a very large glass of
red wine (or two).
