Today was my 12th treatment of the Taxol drug, and my last one in this regimen. No more infusion appointments. I am very grateful for that, and it is worth celebrating. I also celebrate the end of sitting with ice packs on my hands and feet for an hour each time (the ice packs will not be missed).
The last appointment went very well. No complications at all. The practice at this infusion center is that when you complete your course of chemo, they make a ceremony of ringing a bell. All the infusion staff comes out and they clap for you and cheer as you ring the bell. Three of us got to ring the bell today at different times, as we completed our chemo courses. It was a nice bit of closure for this part of the journey. The infusion staff was so knowledgeable, kind, and compassionate through the whole process. I thank God for them.
The next step in this process is surgery (lumpectomy) to remove the area where the cancer was found and some lymph nodes. That is scheduled for June 3 (outpatient surgery). A week or so after that, I will meet with the oncologist to discuss the pathology results. If it is a complete response to the chemotherapy (no cancer remains on pathology report), it will be followed with a course of radiation to lessen the chances of its return. If signs of cancer remain on the pathology report, it will be followed with an oral (pill) course of chemotherapy. At this point, there have been two ultrasounds of the area since starting chemo, and the tumor remains undetectable, but they don't know for sure until they biopsy the area at time of surgery. We are trusting the Lord with the outcome and the next steps. Prayers for us to do just that are appreciated.
I've posted the pictures from today below as well as the video of me ringing the bell. My goal was to get through the end of these chemo sessions wearing my favorite winter hats. Thanks to the cool, rainy weather this week, I was able to pull it off.
No comments:
Post a Comment