The Second and Third Taxol

Tuesday, Feb 22: I have had two more chemo treatments since I last wrote and I have another tomorrow. When you have them done every week, they sure do come around often!! I have not had anymore reactions from the taxol or herceptin like I did on the first one. I remembered the doctor told me the first dose of herceptin was a higher dose than the next ones that I will be taking for 11 weeks. Now, it takes the herceptin 30 minutes to go in and the taxol one hour. I am usually there about 3 hours. I can't remember if I mentioned in previous blogs but I also had some genetic counseling. I have sent a sample to be tested for the brca 1 and brca2 gene. These are hereditary genes that have been discovered and can be passed on. If one of them comes back positive then there will be a very high chance that this will return so I have to make some decisions about preventing that. I will go into more of that if they do come back positive. I don't think they will just because there are no other cases of breast, ovarian or prostate in my family. Those three are related to these genes. Anyway, Allen Lampert came in last weekend for a visit and we really had a good time. We went to see Penn and Teller, which was very funny and they had a few tricks that we could not figure out! I am feeling pretty good. I tend to get tired on Saturdays and Sundays after treatment. I have actually taken two shifts at work this week. I work a short shift tonight and a lunch shift this Saturday, both at the Four Seasons. I think it does me some good. Other than that, there has not been much going on. Jason and I are heading for Chattanooga, Tenn. on March 2-5 for his friend Alec's Bar Mitzvah. I know some of you might remember me talking about Alyssa from here. She was one of the first people I met out here and they moved for business reasons last summer. Jason and I are flying into Nashville and then we have to drive 2 hours to Chattanooga. There is a whole weekend of festivities going on. We are getting there a day early so I can rest up and take it easy. I am headed out now to get a compression sleeve made for my left arm. This is the one that I had lymph nodes taken out. One time when I worked, my left arm swelled a little so my doctor said that this would help. She also said that it is recommended for plane rides. My white blood and red blood cells are staying just below normal. I don't have to take the neulasta shot anymore. I still use a lot of purell and I don't touch stair railings or anything else that I think people put there hands on. I am amazed at how well I have stayed. I will update again soon. Robert is back feeling 100%. We still have not found out what type of stone he had. I think he goes back to the doctor in the next week or so.

The First Taxol/Herceptin Treatment

Tuesday, February 7: This has been quite the week. As I said in my last blog, we had a wonderful trip to Brian Head, Utah. We got up to the mountain on Friday night. The place there is beautiful. Our room was really nice. There was a sitting area with a TV and pull-out couch. We brought an aerobed also since the kids don't sleep together. There was a kitchen and a jet tub in the bathroom. Then there was a bedroom with a king bed, tv and fireplace. It was really nice. On Saturday we took the kids snowboarding. We got there at about 10:00. Jason hit the slopes while we rented Allison equiptment. He really surprised me and Robert. He is good for someone who has only been once! He is very natural at it, I think because he skateboards so much. Allison had a harder time. Robert ended up getting her lessons to help her out. She went snowboarding years ago but I think you forget if you don't go often. We might try to go to Mt. Charleston before the ski season ends. I did very good! I stayed almost all day. I went in at about 3:45 to rest before everyone came in. It was the weekend I was hoping for; a normal, fun time with the family were nothing revolved around doctors and treatments. Hardly any thought of the "C". Then came Sunday morning. I awoke at about 6:45. Robert was already up and in tremendous pain. His lower back was killing him and he could hardly stand the pain. We were pretty sure it was a kidney stone. Robert started throwing up from the pain so we called an ambulance to take him to Ceder City to an emergency room. It was a 30 minute drive back down the mountain. They gave him 8 mg of morphine and it didn't help him at all. They did a CAT scan and sure enough, a kidney stone still in his kidney. So me and the kids pack everything up and head down the mountain. They drugged him up for the ride home (about 3 hours to Las Vegas). He had some percocet that knocked him OUT! I thought for sure he would pass it by Wednesday, chemo day, but he hadn't. Kit took me to chemo for my first treatment of taxol. I started off with the herceptin. It takes an hour and a half, which they may speed up once I get used to it. During the herceptin, I got so cold. I had 2 blankets on me and I was shivering so much. It is in the 70's here so it is not like the weather is cold out. After the herceptin and before the taxol they took my vital signs. My temperature was 100.7. It was 97 when I came in. They went ahead and gave me the taxol and monitered my temp throughout. It was still 100.5 by the end of the taxol. They gave me tylenol and kept me for 45 more minutes and checked it again. It was 100.6. So they sent me back to the doctor. They take anything serious over 100.4. If my temp ever gets to that point I am supposed to call them immediatly. Now, I am thinking that this has got to do with something they have given me which is what they confirm. My doctor is gone but the doctor that I see thinks it is the herceptin. He tells me I can go home but to take my temp and if it has not returned to normal by 9pm to start on antibiotics and see them first thing in the morning. It is 4:00 and I am wiped out. They give you a lot of benadryl and it really knocks you out. I just wanted to go home and go to bed. Robert is home still trying to pass that stone. I tried to get him to go back to the ER. I even called and they were backed up for 3 hours so we did n't go to the hospital. He woke me at 4:30am on Thursday in pain. I was never able to get back to sleep, so I took Jason to school and came home to try and get some sleep. Then here comes Robert, ready to go to the ER. So I get up and we head to the ER. They do another CT scan. It is now in his urethra right in front of his bladder. We tell the ER doctor that he needs some different pain meds because the other is knocking him out and keeping him from eating and drinking and he gives him some stuff called dillaudin. We are at the ER until after lunch. The kids get home, homework, dinner and all that stuff goes on so I never get to take a nap. Well, the dillaudin was worse than the percecet and it makes Robert sick. I go sleep in the other room to try and get some sleep. Robert wakes me up at 2:00am for percocet. I had left it in my purse and he couldn't find it. I can't go back to sleep until 5 am. I get Jason off to school and have to get him packed for a trip back to Utah with his friend, Joey. And then I take Robert to the urologist. He has an office a block from the house but no, we can't get into that office, we have to drive clear across Las Vegas to a different office. He gives him a medicine that relaxes the urethra to help the stone pass. We get home in the afternoon. I have to pick up Allison from work and take care of dinner. (Take out again, as it has been all week and I am not exaggerating.) About 7:30 pm my body hits a brick wall. I have no more strength or energy. Allison stayed home to take care of me and her dad. She had her boyfriend over and told us just to call her on her cell and she would bring up whatever we needed. I ended up sleeping in Jason's bed to try and sleep through the night. I was asleep by 9pm. When I awaken on Saturday, we had a new addition to the family. At 4:00 am Robert passed a fraction of an ounce, 3mm in length, black baby. We are very proud. I stayed in my pajamas all day and did NOTHING. We even ordered out AGAIN! Those restaurant gifts cards from Christmas really came in handy! So, we made it throught the week. Robert stayed in all weekend because he was in a medicine fog from so much meds . I worked my first shift at Bellagio today. I worked a really easy lunch shift and held up well. I will probably only do lunch shifts for a while. I saw a lot of people I haven't seen in a while and they commented on how they can't believe how good I look. Most didn't know that my hair was a wig until I told them. I have another treatment tomorrow. I hope I don't get the shakes and temp like last time. They don't think that I should. Oh yeah, I also have about a fourth inch of peach fuzz on my head. I look like a baby. I don't know if it will keep on growing or fall out. I have heard that both can happen. I also have lost about half my eyebrows and half my eyelashes. I just draw my eyebrows in a little and I can still wear mascara on my top lashes. It doesn't look too bad. Everyone keep praying and I appreciate all the support!