melsamei's Cancer Blog

September 10, 2007

The Saga continues...Tests, chemo. and more Views: 8551

It was difficult to celebrate New Years knowing that tests and chemotherapy were waiting for me in the New Year. New Years Eve festivities were bleak, we watched the ball drop and drank champagne. As my daughter prepared for school, I had to notify teachers and parents of the situation. I did not want anyone to tell her that people die. To my amazement friends and family gathered round. The parents association at school line up dinners for almost 4 months, the womens group at church covered the days that school could not and my family (aunts, uncles, cousins) stocked my freezer with casseroles. My poor daughter had one topic for most papers and essays, “Why my Christmas Holiday was terrible”. Just after the first of the year, my husband went back to Iran. I faced an uncertain future with my daughter. Fortunately, my mother had come to stay, my grandmother lives nearby and I have plenty of relatives in town. The testing began, C T scan, PET scan, Muga…Sonogram to see the liver spot from the C T scan, MRI to confirm the liver spot is a fat deposit. Fortunately, all tests showed the cancer in my breast and lymph nodes. No where else. During this time, I changed my diet as well. Vegeterian with an emphasis on leafy green foods. Large doses of flax oil, CoQ10, fish oil, and Green Miracle on a daily basis. Most important, no sugar! It was hard to believe that I had cancer because I felt good. After a few weeks on the vegetarian diet, my body felt great. I looked healthy, people could not believe that I had cancer.

In preparation for chemotherapy, I cut my long hair short. I made arrangements for my daughter to have rides to and from school for several days around chemotherapy and activities over the weekend. Then it was time.

I remember going to the cancer center and checking in for my treatment. I did not have my port installed because I was ready to begin the road to getting better. It was a long day. My pastor came to say a prayer and sit with my mother and I through the first round. The nurse looked over my veins and found the perfect one for the procedure. She had to manually push the poison through my veins. The bright red medicine was cold and I could feel it moving through my arm. My entire body was chilled from the treatment. Finally, it was over. I did not feel bad and drove home. I thought, “Wow, chemotherapy was not that bad.” Then I got home, I took my first dose of Kytril (anti-nausea medicine) and within 30 minutes I was down. My head was throbbing, stomach nauseated, and uncontrollable vomiting followed. I laid down and somehow my bathroom floor was so comforting. Just laying on the oriental rug over the cold marble floor was so calming. I just lay there shivering. My precious daughter came in with blankets and pillows, then proceeded to lay down next to me. Finally, I was able to rise to the bed (after my mother made numerous phone calls to the pharmacy and doctor for a suppository). I made it through the first night post-chemo. My daughter went to school and I dragged myself to the shower to clean up before getting the shot of Neulasta. The Neulasta treatment gave me flu-like symptoms for 3 days and I just stayed in bed.

It was decided that I had an allergic reaction to the Kytril and another medicine would be used for my next round of chemotherapy, Aloxi. My treatments were 2 weeks apart and the next round was slightly easier. On the day of my second dose of chemo. I shaved my head. My hair had started to fall out and I was thankful that I had a wig. It was on the advice of a dear friend that I had ordered the wig in advance (it takes 2 weeks to receive). I was prepared to wear scarves and hats but I got a lot of use out of the wig. After each treatment, I counted down the next one, only 2 more left, only 1 more left….

Then Taxol and surgery…....

Posted on September 10, 2007 at 10:41:40 AM by Melissa Samei ( Link to this post.

The Saga continues...Tests, chemo. and more, Post a comment.

3 comments)

Reading your blog brings back alot of memories of last year for me. When the doctors tell you what you have to do it seems like there will never be an end to treatment, but some how with the grace of God we make it through and we can start our new life.