I went to my oncologist today for my routine follow-up and FEC orders. So far I haven't missed a treatment, and the side effects are minimal. She called me a “rock star.” Then she told me my counts are too low so I can't get the FEC this week. Funny how you can have such low counts and feel so good. I have to be extra careful not to get sick.
On the one hand I was glad to give my body a break. “Listen to your body” was her other message. She could give me a shot to jump start my cells, but that's not her preference. So we wait one week, and hope my counts are back up by next week. On the other hand, I would like to get the chemo part over with. I made arrangements as Tim will be out of town, for my son to take me on Thursday. This doesn't stop the Herceptin, so I still go in for an infusion on Thursday, but now I wait another week and hope to finish treatments in time for surgery.
Surgery is still scheduled for July 8th, but if we have any other delays it will be delayed as well. It's in God's hands, and we will trust Him to protect me.
On another note, I was intrigued by a news report. You may have read about it by now. I asked my nurse and oncologist if they had heard Angelina (Jolie's) news that just surfaced this morning. Neither of them were current on pop culture. I don't typically watch the news, but I did get a notification on this one. I wonder how much it will affect the influx of patients to the clinic, asking for tests and bilateral mastectomies. In case you didn't read it or hear it on the news, Angelina Jolie had an elective double mastectomy and reconstruction over the past few months, to decrease her risk of breast cancer (from 87% to 5%) since she is positive for the gene. Her mother died of breast cancer in her mid-50s. She didn't want her children to grow up without a mother. Now she is speaking out about her surgery in hopes of encouraging women to get tested if there is a family history of breast cancer. I understand this so much more now, and honor her decision. She's a beautiful woman, and this in no way decreased her sense of femininity.
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