It's about time...

I admit it -- I've been neglecting my blogging duties and it's about time I posted another entry. Actually, several of you have been kind enough to get in touch with me and inquire whether everything is alright. The good new is that yes, everything is indeed alright. I've been feeling pretty well (with the exception of Monday, when I had some seasonal allergy issues) and doing all kind of things. So I was too tired at night to post an entry. 

On Friday, I had my first monthly appointment with the poison man. As it turned out, I didn't need to donate copious amounts of blood for analysis, but only the small vial full for the CBC that they 'milk' out of my fingers. Although I was only one week post-chemo, my values looked pretty good, as it turned out. Actually, they were all within normal range, albeit some at the lower end of the range. That's excellent, really, as it means that the Neulasta is doing its job and my body is still able to fight infection. The poison man also seemed impressed that after two rounds of chemo, I was not (yet?) anemic, which made me happy as well. The rest of the exam consisted of a physical examination and lots of questions about my side effects. Dr. V agreed that I was doing really well with the chemo and that we'll continue as scheduled. Thus Friday's appointment went very well. And today we received the Neulasta shipment from the mail order pharmacy, which means that Thursday's chemo can proceed as scheduled, and I can administer the Neulasta shot myself on Friday, when the Cancer Center will be closed. Yay!

The weekend turned out to be nice and sunny, so DH and I spent lots of time in the back yard, watering, deadheading, and just wandering around and looking at the various flowers that are blooming. The clematis is still going strong, the hydrangea is getting there, and the window boxes are full of blooms. The garden is also starting to show its bounty: the swiss chards are getting closer to eating size, the tomatoes are setting fruit, the eggplants, cucumbers, and yellow squashes have the first flowers, and the raspberries are coming in at full speed. I might have to make some jam with those beautiful raspberries soon -- and definitely when the blackberries ripen, as they will be particularly bountiful this year. This is a good time of year...

On Sunday, we had our friends 2l and her husband Starman over for lunch. I made something quick and easy, though -- a big pot of Thai-style mussels (with coconut milk and red curry) -- as I don't have the energy for elaborate meals. They brought their dog Bailey with them so that BJ had a doggie friend to play with. It was a really nice afternoon just eating and chatting with friends. DH and I both enjoyed it very much. After a few hours of easy entertaining I was pretty wiped out, though! It really doesn't take much to exhaust me -- which is why I am very grateful I do not have to work these days.

Today I had an appointment with the boob man to be topped off. Now I have a 'whopping' 300 ml foobie (this is as much as the boob man estimated he may be able to get in at my initial filling, i.e. during the mastectomy... so much for estimates!)! Hurray, I'm not as lop-sided as I used to be!!! Right now it has that typical "turtle-shell" feeling as the muscle and skin get sort of hard and stretched after each refill. So in a way, it feels less like the original, but due to its increased size, from the outside it looks more like the original. For the time being, I do not think I will need to cheat and even out the sides. In two weeks I'm scheduled for another topping off session, which will increase my left side beyond the size of my right. I may even go to the full 500 ml size of the expander, which would mean I'd get a very small implant on the right side when they do the surgery to make me symmetrical. I have to think about that one, though. In any case, there will be a time when the foobie side will actually be bigger than the 'au natural' side, as the boob man needs to "overfill" me. Supposedly, this creates a more natural "drape" (not "sag" as DH crudely called it...) once the foobie is completed. Sometimes I am amazed at all those things that I never even knew about, let alone thought I ever would know about... And let me tell you, plastic surgery details were most certainly not on the list...

Once again, DH managed to finish work early and come home in time to accompany me to the boob man. He even got to witness the amazing foobie inflation. Oh, and did I mention, I even managed to look this time -- but only after the needle was in -- and watched how the boob man topped me off. It's kinda neat to watch, actually. In any case, it was really sweet of DH to come, as he originally thought he may not have the time. It's so nice to have him there, though, as go from doctor to doctor. I really appreciate how he has been taking the time to spend with me and drive me around, not to mention to feed his little baby bird.

So I have one more good day, tomorrow, before the roller coaster starts hurling downwards again on Thursday. It will be round three of my four AC chemos. After that, I will start the T, i.e. the taxol. Hopefully the side effects of that regimen will be as tolerable as the AC has been for me. Nonetheless, this time it's psychologically harder to get ready for the next round. I feel pretty good, which makes it all the harder to know that in two short days it will all be over and I'll start teetering on the edge of nausea again. Mind you, the nausea isn't that bad, but still I get tired even faster after the chemo, and I need to eat ever two to three hours in order not to get nauseous. Sometimes I just feel that it's such a pity that there is no continual improvement, but merely the roller coaster of the chemo cycle. But I tell myself that at least I am on a dose dense schedule, which means that I'll be done with chemo in merely four months. This isn't forever, just for a few months.  What's a few months of my life compared to the chance at a cure that this chemo gives me, right? Nothing -- nothing at all. So I'll enjoy tomorrow the best that I can, and on Thursday I'll get ready to kick some more cancer butt!!! Because it's about time ... that I evicted cancer from my body completely! I'll have to remember my chemo battle song...