Goodbye, Carboplatin!

Rebekah had nasal surgery earlier this week

We had a great visit with Dr. Curley today! We started with a breast exam and he was so happy that he could not feel any evidence of the tumor in either my breast or lymph nodes. He was thrilled, and said this was a great response to the chemo so far. He ordered an MRI to reimage everything at the conclusion of this cycle.

Dr. Curley asked me several times how my fatigue was. I am very tired but keep pushing through it like most busy moms, and I try to rest when I can. We discussed the results of my blood work and he said that my red blood cells are very low, which indicates anemia. That usually won’t suspend my treatments but will require a blood transfusion. He thinks I have a 50/50 chance of needing one. Usually, he orders a blood transfusion if hemoglobin is below 7; I'm at 7.6 right now. He said he typically puts in 2 pints of blood for a transfusion and that it is very safe, even during Covid. He said to keep eating healthy and exercising, but that it's the chemo that's causing the anemia and not a lack of iron in my diet. If I need to get a blood transfusion, it will be done at another facility.

My white blood cells were higher than they had ever been at 19.4 and my platelets were 244, which is very good news! He said it was like my bone marrow decided to wake up. The Zarxio injections are definitely working. We asked him if I would need to continue the Zarxio shots next week and he said he would like to continue for the next two weeks until I finish this round with the Taxol. I may be able to stop the injections after that, with the next round of new drugs, but we will have to wait and see. I still feel a lot of bone fatigue and achiness from these shots.

I asked Dr. Curley what differences we could expect with the new drugs (Adriamycin and Cytoxan) that I start in 3 weeks. He said most of the same side effects will continue, except I'm less likely to have neuropathy, issues with vision, and changes to nails, which are typically associated with Taxol. I will most likely be hit pretty hard the first week of the treatment but then I'll  have two weeks to recover before my next dose.

I've been having terrible hot flashes and irregular menstrual cycles since starting chemo, so we talked a bit about chemotherapy-induced menopause, which doesn't necessarily mean I'll stay in menopause after the chemo stops, it may be temporary. He really can't predict how menstral cycles will be affected long term. It varies with each person.

Anyone who knows me well will not be surprised that I asked the doctor if it's OK to get my teeth cleaned at the dentist. :) I LOVE my teeth cleanings and I had an appointment coming up but the doctors said no dental cleanings until next year, after chemo is complete. Too many risks of infection and bacteria. Hope I don’t ruin my streak of no cavities! 

Last question I asked was about some vitamin supplements that were suggested to me. The doctor's advice was to stick with one good multi-vitamin. A trial has shown that too many vitamins in cases of breast cancer were connected with a higher chance of reoccurrence. Although they are not exactly certain why, their best guess is that the supplements are trying to rebuild cells that the chemo is trying to kill, so they can actually inhibit the chemo from working as effectively as it could. I can do all the supplements I want after chemo, but for now he wants me to limit what I am taking to one multi-vitamin.

My chemo infusion lasted about 3 1/2 hours. I rested, talked with the nurses, and caught up on email. We expect this to be a hard week with side effects, but we're praying for strength and the courage to take one day at a time.

Rebekah is starting to feel a little better from her nasal surgery on Monday. She's been taking Hydrocodone for pain, which makes her very tired and a little dizzy. We started to wean her off of that today and replace it with extra-strength Tylenol and Ibuprofen during the day, and Hydrocodone only at night. She has a lot of sinus pressure and congestion but the doctor called to check on her today and said she will feel much better after the stints come out on Monday.

We love you all so much and we are praying for you and your unique challenges! Thank you for your daily support.

Love, 

Diana