Last chemo!!!

On Thursday, I had my last chemo. Eight of eight treatments done -- I can still barely believe it...

For my very last round of chemo Dr. V switched me from Taxol to Taxotere, however, since I had been experiencing quite a bit of numbness and tingling in my hands and feet. Whereas the tingling had subsided before I was due for the next chemo during rounds five and six, round seven brought unrelenting tingling for me. That raised the specter of permanent nerve damage, which I was eager to avoid. So I made sure my poison man knew about my still-tingling hands and feet -- and in response he switched me to Taxotere. Supposedly, this different formulation of a taxane (it has a different solvent, I believe) is less damaging for the nerves. 

Since my friends no-l and 1l were in town, we went out for dinner Thursday night and celebrated all kinds of things, including my last round of chemo. They had given me the chemenorah, so I thought what better occasion to light the last candle and let all eight of them burn down? Although I know my measly eight rounds of chemo pale by comparison with the endless rounds of chemo the brave stage IV ladies endure (kudos to you!), they nonetheless made for quite a dramatic display of fire:

So far, the Taxotere hasn't been too bad for me as I have (so far?) been spared the excruciating joint, muscle, and nerve pain that accompanied the Taxol in rounds five through seven. Friday I was feeling pretty good and even managed to venture to the mall with some friends after I went to get my Neulasta shot. Saturday and today, however, once again brought worsened numbness and tingling in my hands and feet. I get the 'dropsies' quite a bit these days as my fingers don't do their job as I want them to, and I stumble quite often as my feet lack their usual nimbleness. Unlike in previous rounds, though, I was able to accompany DH and the doggie on their morning walk. For the Sunday after chemo, that is unheard of for me!

Other than that I am bothered mostly by unrelenting and quite severe hotflashes that make me break out in sweat countless times a day. I so hope that once the chemo is over the chemopause will not turn into premature menopause. Those hot flashes really suck, as they prevent me from sleeping and/or wake me up several times a night. 

Tomorrow morning I have to get up and go to work again. Hopefully my neuropathy won't be too bad and my energy level will be a bit higher than today so I can do what I need to.