4th Chemo treatment

I can't believe it has been 3 weeks already since my last treatment. On my 3rd treatment my doctor was out of town so I met with the nurse practitioner who is only at that office on Fridays. This also meant I couldn't get treatment until Friday which put my booster shot on Monday. My shot is what boosts my immune system back up. I think having to wait so long was not good because I caught a cold. Normally I would have been able to fight a common cold with no problem, but with no immune system this cold "kicked my butt!" It put me down for weeks. But I am feeling much better now. Just in time for another treatment.

Yesterday I had my 4th chemo treatment. YAY! I am half way finished. The most exciting part is that I am done with the drug called Citoxin, or AKA "The Red Devil", and also the drug Adromyican. For the final 4 rounds I will only have 1 drug call Taxotere. The doctor says that with the final drug the symptoms are not as bad. I am very happy. Maybe the nausea and body aches won't be so bad. I think this calls for a celebration. I can finally see the end in sight, well sort of. The end of chemo that is. The nurse said my hair might even start growing back as well. Yippee....but I must say it has been nice not having to do my hair in the morning. I get to sleep in a little longer. :)

In talking with the doctor this last visit I asked him when my surgery would most likely be. He said that my mastectomy will most likely be 3-4 weeks after my last chemo treatment. Which puts it around the latter part of August. I wasn't so happy with that news because it conflicts with the beginning days of school. Steve thinks I am crazy to worry about it, but he doesn't understand the excitement those precious little first graders have on the first day of school. And how disappointing it would be to them to not have their teacher there. I know I should not worry, but maybe with some luck we can avoid that week.
I am meeting with a plastic surgeon on the 11th of May and a microsurgeron on the 29th of May to see what my options are for reconstruction. I think reconstruction is many months away. Radiation will follow the surgery and I've heard that the beginning of reconstruction doesn't take place for at least six months following that. I know this is a long road to be on, but at least one hurdle, chemotherapy, is almost crossed. YAY!