A New Type of Butt-Kicking Has Begun!

Wow, how time flies!  I can't believe it's been so long since my last post.  I've had lots of requests for an update, so here goes...

I started the new chemotherapy drugs on March 24th.  I go weekly now (every Monday), so I just had my third treatment.  My first treatment was scheduled for 8:30 on a Monday morning.  As we were pulling into the parking lot of the doctor's office, I got a phone call from them saying that I couldn't have treatment that day.  They had been working on getting prior authorization from my insurance company for the new chemotherapy.  They had spoken with the insurance company late Friday afternoon.  The insurance company (which I will leave unnamed!) was denying the request for one of the drugs (Carboplatin) because it is newer to the treatment of breast cancer and still considered somewhat experimental.  I was so upset, literally crying to the poor woman on the phone!  I begged and pleaded, saying that we were there, my husband had taken the day off work to bring me, etc., etc., etc.  She ended up telling me to come on in and get my lab work.  I did, and while I was in the lab, she came to talk to me.  She had spoken to my doctor, who said to go ahead with the other drug (Taxol) that day and that missing one treatment of the Carboplatin should be fine.  The doctor would have to do a peer-to-peer with the medical director at the insurance company.  The only problem was that the medical director was in California, and wouldn't be in until 11:00 our time!  I was just glad to get something that day and that it wasn't going to be a total waste of our time!

I went on to the infusion area.  I got a bed (instead of a chair) because of the risk of allergic reactions with Taxol.  It can cause itching, redness, rise in blood pressure, tightness in chest, difficulty breathing.  (Fortunately, I have experienced none of those symptoms!)  They gave me a hefty dose of Benadryl, along with the other usual pre-meds.  With such a large dose of Benadryl (given through IV, no less), I was pretty much out of it the rest of the time!  I got really sleepy, really fast and napped off and on throughout the rest of the treatment.  Good news came while I was getting the Taxol...My doctor had been able to talk with the insurance company, and the Carboplatin had been approved!  So, they were able to give it to me after all!  In total, I was in the infusion area for six hours.  They give the Taxol very slowly the first time (over two hours) because of the risk of reactions.  The nurse informed me that they would gradually speed it up each time, eventually giving it over an hour.  So, it will still take close to five hours total, even at the fastest rate! 

Taxol/Carbo Treatment #1

I've had two more treatments since that first one.  They have gone pretty similarly, although they have gradually sped up the administration of the Taxol.  After the first treatment, they now only give me half the dose of Benadryl that they did in the first treatment. (However, I think it's still higher than the over-the-counter dose.)  I still nap throughout a lot of the treatment.  When I'm not napping, I'm in a very groggy state, which I don't enjoy very much.  The good news is that it's usually mostly worn off by the time I get home.  Since I've done well during treatments, I'm now back in a chair for treatments rather than in a bed.  I have mixed emotions about that.  I don't mind the chair.  However, the bed was nice because it was in a private room, with a curtain to block out the rest of the infusion area and also had a TV.  Although I was sleeping and couldn't appreciate it, the TV was nice for Quentin.  I only see the doctor every other time or every two times now.  Last time I saw her, she was very pleased with the progress.  The triple negative tumor on the right side can't even be felt anymore.  (That's the one that's most responsive to chemo, and the one we really need to respond.)  The hormone-positive tumor on the left side has also shrunk significantly!

Taxol/Carbo Treatment #2

Heading to chemo with this awesome bag from the most wonderful group of co-workers ever!!!

Taxol/Carbo #3--Had to support my Cats on the day of the Championship game!

The good news is that I've been feeling MUCH better after these treatments than I did with the AC.  I've noticed that there's more of a delayed effect this time, where I tend to feel the worst on Thursday after a Monday treatment.  But even that isn't anywhere close to how bad I felt after the AC treatments.  So, I've been able to keep up with a lot of my regular activities.  I do tend to wear out more quickly than I used to, but it's not too bad!  I've been able to keep up with my workouts almost daily this time, which I consider a small victory!  Last week was Spring Break for the kids, and I was so thankful to feel well enough to enjoy it with them!  There was one day where the weather was beautiful, and we went to the zoo.  I was so thankful to have the strength to walk through the entire zoo.  Small victories!  The weather the rest of the week wasn't great, and I wished that I was able to go to some of the indoor places that the kids would enjoy.  Unfortunately, those indoor places full of kids (and their germs!) are places I feel like I need to avoid right now!  However, I am blessed with two wonderful children who were perfectly happy to play at home and watch movies.  The last couple of weeks have also been exciting as our family cheered our teams on in the NCAA tournament.  Our house divided survived the UK/U of L match-up.  The girls (who are the UK fans) were excited with the outcome of that game.  Cheering on my Cats on their great tournament run was a fun distraction (even though it meant some late nights for this chemo patient!).

So blessed to enjoy a beautiful day at the zoo with my sweet kids!

Lucy was cheering on the Cats!

For now, I'm just plugging along.  I'm trying to focus on the positives (feeling good, my wonderful family, the many friends who are providing much-needed encouragement, and the excellent treatment progress).