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.