Treatment 4. Done.

Hi, I finished treatment 4 yesterday (Wed 1/4) at about 6:00pm. Arrived to do bloodwork at Noon.  Left to have lunch before doctor appointment at 1:30, then treatment to follow.  While treatment is a couple of hours, it still makes for a long day as a whole.  I typically sit in a chair and receive the chemo through an IV.  Yesterday, I got a bed.  Didn't make a difference to me.  One of the few drugs I get, they call it "red devil", because it is like red koolaid and lots of it.  That can make me sick just thinking about it.  Whatever its called, it is working! 

I found out this day that my results are really "fabulous".  I really understood this in context today.  My doctor said, "Lets face it, you had a very large tumor."  The response it is having is fabulous, not just to shrink the tumor, but fabulous in the sense that later disease and survival rate looks that much better for me.  Now, she wants to see what is in there.  So, my bi-lateral mastectomy will be in 3-4 weeks.  I will return for 2 rounds of this particular chemo in 6 weeks from now (with 12 weeks of last leg of chemo after that).  So, I get a breather from this red devil and others soon.

I don't sleep at night as well in the week following chemo.  I woke up at 4am today, plus 2 other times to pee.  :)  I say pee because it is peeing is very important for me to flush this stuff out. :)  My headache was also coming back this morning- which I think is a side effect of one of the antinausea meds.  So took Tylenol Rapid Release.  I haven't taken Pepsid AC yet which is pretty helpful once a day. 

Sorry that I haven't written regularly.  You didn't miss much.  It took me a total of about 8 days after this last treatment to get over nausea like I like.  The holidays were manageable.  I missed good family time at my mom's house.  But, it all worked out ok.  One other thing...I had prickly random hairs left from the shave.  They would stick in my caps and hurt my head.  So, I, yes ME, I took my razor, lathered up my head and shaved it front to back.  No cuts.  It was a great experience.  It does seem like the fatigue symptoms and others are compounding but not complaining worthy.

I ask for prayer that the chemo continues to work on every single cell that it is supposed to reach in my body and that I will receive complete healing.   As we exit the holiday season, I pray that my family and friends all remain strong in spirit and not lose any momentum in the fight attitude.  I pray my family's love for each other grows stronger as it has.  I pray that as we enter into another aspect of this with surgery closing in, that beyond hair and now soon beyond breasts, that I can can have a peace beyond comprehension and rest in that I am the beautiful, loving me- as a woman, as a mother, as a wife- that God made me to me with or without all of my parts.  I am deeply thankful for my family, friends and workplace who give me time that I need, cards, prayers, notes, chauffer service, food, laughs, pictures, emails, blog comments, texts, bible verses, hugs when possible, smiles, gifts, candy, cozy blankets, visits, special notes and prayer for my husband and my son, and words that say, "Amanda, anything, anything at all you all need, let me know."  I am so thankful for the love you pour out to me.  I am praying regularly for you.  Lots and lots of love from me to you!  Amanda