Party Time! Excellent!!

Yesterday was the milestone I have waited for for months - my final AC (Adriamycin and Cytoxan) treatment.  There were only 4, given every 2 weeks, which doesn't seem that long or hard.  But it is, trust me.

And now it's over with.

The Adriamycin was truly toxic, made me pee red/pink for a day and burned like hell, made my hair fall out, and sapped every ounce of energy and strength out of my body.  It gave me simultaneous bouts of diarrhea and constipation.  I was blessed that it never made me nauseous, gave me hand/foot disease (as it did with several of my co-chemo friends), nor seems to have affected my heart as much as I feared (I have not run in over three weeks, but that is more because I fear the germs at the gym).  Testing will reveal how much my heart has changed, if any, and we'll do those in a few weeks.  By then, though, I expect to be back outside and walking/running again soon.

During the first round of AC I started to feel "human" on Day 9.  The second round, it was Day 10.  I waited patiently during my third round, but didn't feel human again until Day 12 (and on Day 13 I steam-cleaned the dining room carpet).  I have been told the last of the AC will be out of my system in about 3-4 weeks and should be feeling so much better at that point.

Now I move on to 6 Taxol treatments.  As I mentioned a while ago Taxol is usually given once a week for 12 weeks; I am in a clinical trial that will give me "dose dense" (basically double-dose) Taxol once every two weeks for 12 weeks - 6 treatments vs. 12 treatments.  These are longer treatments - four hours for infusion, compared with the two hours I endured for the AC.  I don't have to take steroids with the Taxol, either (yippee!) so my sleep schedule and emotions should be more even-keeled.  And just because no one wants to disrupt my currently wonderful schedule, I will start Taxol in two weeks.  :-)

As I finished my AC yesterday and packed to leave, I gave a little cheer (the nurses around me cheered with me, too).  A woman behind me gave a little cheer, and said she did not miss her AC treatments at all.  We chatted for a moment; she's doing Taxol right now and says it's so much easier to bear.  She also pointed out she has peach fuzz growing on her head.  :-)  She has had none of the potential side effects (allergic reactions or neuropathy) and wished me luck.  We agreed to "meet again" in a couple of weeks and continue our conversation.

Back when I was first diagnosed I decided to treat myself to something I have always wanted, but never felt entitled to own:  a Pandora-esque bracelet (I only purchased it because I got an unheard-of discount at an Elder-Beerman after-holiday sale).  I started with two charms - a pink one for me, a blue one for Ken.  On the day of my first treatment, Ken presented me with a pink ribbon charm.  And last night he added to my bracelet in honor of the last of our Red Devil:

I hope to continue to add to this bracelet, but not just in honor of cancer milestones.  There are too many other things in life to celebrate and carry with me.