Monday 26 November 2012

Come monday, it'll be all right ...

Today marks half way through my second round of my weekly chemotherapy - Paclitaxil 6/12 down . I am relieved to be without too many side effects. Mondays just come around so quickly. Five weeks in the blink of an eye.

I'm also 2/17 through Herceptin (a targeted treatment just for women with HER2 - positive breast cancer- biopsy revealed abnormally high levels of the HER2 gene or protein) . I have Herceptin, as an IV infusion every 3 weeks (on the same day as chemo 3 weekly at the moment -eventually just alone until October 2013)

Thankfully so far while I still suffer fatigue and have problems sleeping, I have great support in that my husband will get up first and start getting the boys ready for school - they leave at .7:50am for the bus.

All in all this chemo is a bit easier to tolerate with an awful backache a few days (though it might be the Herceptin) , slight finger tingling and occasional nausea.

I have a little trouble concentrating but the memory loss , and the mental cloudiness that is chemo brain is frustrating. I adapt by using notes/lists and I am OCD about checking things.

I am doing more things and I walk 30 - 45mins every day even if the folding piles up ;).We live simply with few expectations and are a free-range habitat for dust bunnies. The dust bunnies are easy to look after, as pets go dust bunnies eat very little (the kids and dead bugs keep them fed) and they are ever so quiet. 

To say I still feel less than unattractive is an understatement , my hair is growing back slowly now. Though it seems a slightly different colour now.

Saturday, whilst in Sydney, my lovely mobile breast prosthesis lady, Lily - from Lily Bliss to you, came to deliver my new boobs, I bought a new bra , cami singlet top and swimsuit. My confidence is returning (...I'll show one day -just too tired to get the camera out).

My little ones are coping really well and are a constant distraction ...albeit unwelcome some days but others they pull me up when I'm sitting down and make me laugh always.