Taxol round 4 ---- LAST CHEMO

This is one of the best days for quite some time. MY CHEMO TREATMENTS ARE OVER!!!!!!. All these horrible days of pain ,nausea, exhaustion and feeling poorly are almost over!.I only have got 2 or 3 days this week of feeling crap and then can start enjoying a more normal life.

I got an early start today as I was here at 8:15 for blood draw, it was so quiet that I was at the doctors appointment well in advance. The clinic was much calmer today being earlier so Dr Chen spent a lot of time with me. she did a full physical exam of all my body and she said everything looks great, my blood counts were also good. My blood sugar levels are lower but still higher than normal so today i was taking more blood to do another test just to make sure i am not becoming diabetic. She told me from now on I should be careful with sugars and weight gain, i guess it is real diet from now on.....

We talk a lot about the protocol and how everything will be moving going forward from now on. Today I started Herceptin which is a DNA cell protein bloquer, what happens is that when they do a biopsy and the surgery they analyse the cancer cells to see what it makes them being reactic and grow. Some breast cancers are triple positive, triple negative or between, triple positive is for progesterone, estrogen and protein. By analyzing the cancer they decide what drugs they can give you to combat the cancer best,most of breast cancer are reactive to the women hormones like progesterone and estrogen. The chemo treatment of AC and taxol is to kill any cancer cells in your body. The Herceptin is to block the DNA of the cells so the cells protein does not make the cells become cancer ones.Herceptin is given through vein every 3 weeks for a year but has got no visible side effects like nausea, hair loss or fatigue. Only issue with Herceptn is the heart muscle could get weak and therefore they have to do Muga scans every two months. I am sad that have to come to this room every 3 weeks for a year but the sessions will be short and I can go back to work straight after. I read an article the other day that talks about Herceptin, it is a very expensive drug that has been on the market for about over 5 years and it was only given to stage 4 cancer. They realize how effective is Herceptin for HER positive patient that now is given to everyone. It is used in the US and some European countries but in countries like Ireland or UK you have to pay for the drug from your pocket as the public health can not afford to give to everyone. It can reduce up to 50% the chances of cancer coming back so I am amazed some people can not receive it.

Tamoxifen is a hormonal treatment that blocks the reaction of estrogen on cancer cells. It is given through a pill daily for 5 years and has got same side effects than a menopause. Even if periods have stopped we do not know if I am on pre-menopause yet, if I get my period back next year they will stop the Tamoxifen and will give me Arimidex which is for non menopause women.

Now after today I start new round of checks and doctors visits. Next week I have got an MRI and a Muga scan of my heart, I am also meeting my radiologist Dr Wang to see when I start radiation. Te following week I am meeting my two surgeons for a 3 month check up and after all these visits and test hopefully can enjoy Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Now is time to celebrate....today a few people from my old work and some close friends are coming to have a glass of wine or champagne with us at home. Then on Saturday well over 25 of my Spanish friends are meeting at Rosario's house for another celebration of this important milestone on my cancer battle.

Thanks everyone for all prayers, good thoughts, phone calls, messages....I could have never had done without my family and friends and specially my lovely husband who is always there to comfort and help me, I feel sorry for him that has been with me in this chemo room for almost 7 hours today!!.