Preparation for my penultimate chemo!

Well here I am – 23 weeks on since I first found my lump; 21 weeks since my diagnosis and 16 weeks since my operation.

It all seems a long time ago since 30th November 2017 when I heard those heart sinking words – “It’s cancer” but yet here I am preparing for my penultimate chemo on Friday.

I’m not feeling great but that could be apprehension as I know now what roughly to expect. However, since my last post a few more side effects have developed. I have now lost my taste. I can just about distinguish sweet and savoury but I cannot tell what it is. I have made a chilli tonight for dinner and did my usual taste tasting and can’t taste a thing! Neil said it was quite spicy but still I couldn’t take anything. I also can’t taste raw onions! My fingertips are going numb – it’s that feeling when you have been to the dentist and the feeling is just starting to coming back. And the last thing that has happened so far is that my eye brows are almost gone and my eye lashes are little stumps!! They don’t look too bad with a little mascara on them but I have 2 sessions to go so don’t expect them to stay much longer!!

I still have a little joint pain but this is so improved from last week. I no longer have a headache – so all better in time for cycle 5!!

I had yesterday (Tuesday) off as a days leave and spent the morning with hospital appointments. I had another heart scan to make sure it’s still beating away! and then I saw my oncologist with blood tests in preparation for Friday. When I spoke to my oncologist she mentioned radiotherapy and I thought “Oh God please no” but it had been decided that I don’t need radio. Thank god! So everything is on track for Friday at 2:00 p.m. Unfortunately my oncologist is leaving the trust and going back home (I think she is from Spain) but she will see me through my final chemo. I will then need to go on Tamoxifen for approximately 5 years and this will be monitored by a new oncologist. I suppose I will find out more at my last appointment.

So I am still very bloated and uncomfortable and I weighed myself this morning and since my initial weight gain I haven’t gained any more. But I start my steroids tomorrow for the next 3 days so I will have to wait and see if I gain any more. I know that I will lose this weight after my treatment has finished but I have always been conscious of my weight and am very self-conscious of my own bloatedness.  But I am here and still fighting and for that I am very thankful.