Final chemo, CT and heart scan

I had so many mixed feelings from my appointments at the hospital last week. I was feeling so, so relieved that the final chemotherapy infusion was going in. I sure was glad to be climbing that last hurdle of a very long and tiring race. When I started my chemo back at the beginning of August, this time in November seemed like such a long time away and actually the latter part of my treatment did seem to go by much more quickly.

At last, the final chemo!

I also had my first radiotherapy appointment where I had a CT scan and was measured for my forthcoming treatments. Pats and I both went into the scanning room and the radiologist explained to us everything that was going to happen. There was a male student in the room as well and she asked if I would mind him being part of the planning session or to just observe. To be honest I didn’t feel particularly comfortable with him being there, but I didn’t want to hamper his learning opportunity either so very shyly agreed for him to be present. Pats then left the room and I went into the cubicle to get undressed.

I knew the scan wasn’t going to be painful but I began to get upset standing there with my blue bit of paper covering my modesty (not a large piece I might add!).  I climbed onto the bed and they placed both my arms in stirrups either side of me. This in itself was a strange experience and I felt like I was about to be tortured. As hard as I tried, I just couldn’t stop the tears from rolling and both the nurses could see I was upset so went and got Pats who was waiting for me outside. He came and held my hand whilst they took their measurements of me. I felt rather silly crying, but I can’t imagine I’m the only one who has. It just brings such an enormity to the whole thing and magnifies and intensifies everything that’s going on.

After the radiographers and Pats left the room, I lay there on my own splayed out on the bed as it began to move in and out of the big ‘polo mint’ machine. It’s over pretty quickly and I was desperately trying to take my mind off the whole experience by thinking of all the good times I’ve had in my life.

After a few minutes I was rejoined by both nurses and Pats and then had small permanent tattoo ink markers placed on three places – one in the middle of my chest and another one on each side. It was done with a small needle and wasn’t too painful at all and they are actually smaller than I thought they would be.

We left the radio department and went straight to the chemo day unit for my very last treatment. I was given the choice of being in the open area or in a separate room. I figured it would be nice to have a separate room, a) to compose myself after the previous appointment and b) well, just because we could!

The final part of the day was to have my Picc line removed. As I hadn’t had any infections or stints in hospital with the chemo, my oncologist said I would be okay to have it out after the last treatment. Wow – getting my arm back at last! They’d said that I wouldn’t feel it coming out but naturally I was apprehensive about them tugging a plastic tube out of my vein! I felt a slight tugging sensation and was amazed to see the line coming out, but had to look away as it was actually quite gross to see. Then it stopped and wouldn’t come out any further. The muscle in my arm had gone into spasm so was effectively clenching onto the line so it wouldn’t come out. The nurse put a heat pad on for 15 minutes and luckily this relaxed the muscle and the rest of it came out. Yey, a little bit of me back. I had to to wear a plaster on it for the following two days but have now had the pleasure of standing under a shower instead of having daily baths waving my hand in the air trying not get it wet! Oh it’s the little things in life : )

Our third and final trip to the hospital that week was to have my echocardiogram (heart scan). Because I am HER2+ I need to have Herceptin® (trastuzumab), an adjuvent targeted therapy which will reduce the risk of the cancer coming back and will comprise of three-weekly injections for a period of a year.

Because there is a low risk that Herceptin can cause heart damage they take a scan to check how well the heart is functioning. An echocardiogram uses sound waves to take detailed pictures of the heart as it pumps blood. I didn’t feel anything and no radiation is involved for this test. I layed on my side whilst the nurse moved a device over my chest, ribs and neck. She said that everything looked normal which was good to hear! They will continue to take regular scans of my heart throughout the treatment to detect any sign of heart damage.

My first Herceptin injection and radiotherapy appointment is on 8th December. I need to have 19 radio sessions all together, 15 to the whole breast area and four booster ones to the tumour/scar site. I do get Christmas Day off and a couple of days afterwards so a breather from going back and forwards to the hospital. It’s not quite the Christmas I had imagined, but hey ho I will make the best of it!

I’ve heard mixed stories from ladies who have had radiotherapy, some have not felt many side effects, some have been severely fatigued and also suffered bad burning.  I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous about being nuked, but I sincerely hope it will be as kind to me as possible.

Inspiring and motivational poetry

Don’t Quit

When things go wrong as they sometimes will;
When the road you’re trudging seems all uphill;
When the funds are low, and the debts are high
And you want to smile, but have to sigh;
When care is pressing you down a bit-
Rest if you must, but do not quit.

Success is failure turned inside out;
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt;
And you can never tell how close you are
It may be near when it seems so far;
So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit-
It’s when things go wrong that you must not quit.

~ Author Unknown ~

If

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too:
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or being hated don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise;

If you can dream – and not make dreams your master;
If you can think – and not make thoughts your aim,
If you can meet with triumph and disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same:
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build’em up with worn-out tools;

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings,
And never breathe a word about your loss:
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the will which says to them: “Hold on!”

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings – nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much:
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,
Yours is the earth and everything that’s in it,
And – which is more – you’ll be a man, my son!

~ Rudyard Kipling ~

Barter

Life has loveliness to sell,
All beautiful and splendid things,
Blue waves whitened on a cliff,
Soaring fire that sways and sings,
And children’s faces looking up
Holding wonder like a cup.

Life has loveliness to sell,
Music like a curve of gold,
Scent of pine trees in the rain,
Eyes that love you, arms that hold,
And for your spirit’s still delight,
Holy thoughts that star the night.

Spend all you have for loveliness,
Buy it and never count the cost;
For one white singing hour of peace
Count many a year of strife well lost,
And for a breath of ecstasy
Give all you have been, or could be.

~ Sara Teasdale ~

Invictus

Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the Pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds, and shall find, me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.

~ William Ernest Henley ~

The Sisterhood

 Many women have found a lump,
a little dimple, a teeny bump.

 But to hear the doctor say the worst,
is enough to make your bubble burst.

 No one knows the thoughts the fears,
but one who’s shared those very same tears.

 It’s a special group who knows this scare,
A Sisterhood who is always there.

 To help you through the beginning stage
of anger, fear and endless rage.

 They’ll talk you through the loss of hair,
or burning skin, for they’ve been there.

 Through relentless tests that never end,
they’re there with hugs and cheers to send.

 They’ll gather together for there’s lots to do,
with faith and hope, and prayers for you.

 It’s a genuine bond for they truly care,
this Sisterhood that’s always there.

~ Linda Nielsen ~