Chemo after all...

So here we are, back at Cedars, getting the last of round 4. How did that happen after such a horrible couple of days that left Nancy swearing she wouldn't get another drop of the stuff if it was going to be anything like the last few days? How in the world did she agree to move forward with the Taxol after experiencing such painful neuropathy and myalgia. you ask? I mean the neuropathy is bad enough but couple it with the muscle pain from the myalgia and you've got one hell of a way to spend a weekend...

So to answer that question, right when we pull into the parking lot this morning, we run into Erin, one of Nancy's angel nurses who walked her down into the treatment area. At one point, Nanc looked at me and said there was no way she was going in until she talked to the doctor about the last couple of days. She even cried getting into the elevator just in anticipation of what lay ahead for the day. And that's when Erin stepped in and took over while I went down the hall to try and find Dr. Leuchter. And she was just on her way into work for the day. Serendipity steps in to save the day once again...

Cheryl from Leuchter's office came over and talked with Nanc along with Deanne, a nurse who has worked here for over 7 years now - more on her later. The argument to continue or not was discussed at length. The option to change from the Taxol is a very real option but - and this is a huge but - her CA-125, the marker test for ovarian cancer, is now down to 3 with her treatments so far! It was over 4,000 before the surgery!!! Single digit results are what you want and you just can't ignore that kind of result when you're thinking about dropping a protocol. She has come too far in terms of her progress as indicated by the test results that any decision to change course should be considered very carefully. This is not a decision you make lightly...

AS the nurses explained, you only get one shot at a first round battling cancer and you just have to go through some stuff as it were if you are going to make it stick. Given those results, Nancy looked at Cheryl, Deanna, Candy and me and said, "Well I guess I'm going ahead with this today."

Looks like it honey...

So the plan is to move forward and re-adjust what we are doing for the side effects with the pain management team. It's getting a bit more complicated by the day and my spread sheet is getting longer for sure, but again, you just can't ignore results like that.

So it's about 2:00 and she's sleeping through today's treatment. I think her battle with the weekend took its toll and she's sleeping it off. That plus the benadryl. She did have a moment or two before falling asleep - those moments when it seems that her life is a dream and she can't believe she has cancer. "Is this really happening to me?" They still pop up once in a while even after 4 months.

Okay - nurse Deanna. Very, very pushy but in the best way possible if that makes any sense. Like I said, she's been doing this for over 7 years, is a mother of 2 and has no problem explaining how to properly insert a suppository. She was one step ahead of Nanc the entire morning and helped her relax in so many different ways. She just knows what she's doing and doesn't mess around one bit. So the pushy thing is just another way of saying that she knows what she's doing and don't stand in her way, really!

xoxo