Well, crapamoley times 10

Wow, this blog is really becoming a bummer. Sorry about that. But it seems like I am still knee-deep in the battle and have been put back into chemo. Some of you may have known I was feeling pretty poorly these last 2 weeks and even missed all of work last week, and parts the week before which is not like me. We were thinking it was a combination of the new trial medicine they started me on on Jan 17 and a couple of SSRIs for antidepression they were trying with me too (go figure that I might have been feeling a little depressed about all this....). They've also spent the month of January getting the level of Faslodex up to fighting speed. So a lot going on in my poor body this past month. But turns out it wasn't any of those things. On Jan 31 they took me off the two new meds (the BK and the SSRI) to see if that would make my body happy but when I went in last Thursday, Feb 7, to get my blood drawn to see if my system was perking up they didn't like how I looked so they whisked me into ultrasound. Lo and behold my once happy liver was happy no more. Seriously, it's had 2 spots hanging out in there but has been happy as a clam for almost a year.....but for whatever reason it's not happy now. In fact, it was so unhappy that my doctor got all riled up and started me on chemo right then and there challenging the insurance Gods to even try to not cover it. Typically, you have to wait 3-5 business days to get approval for chemo through insurance but Rambo-doc was not waiting which was fine by me. So on Thursday I started chemo to beat back the breast cancer that is now blowing up in my liver.

The chemo I am on is just one and it's derived from a South Pacific sea sponge so we've affectionately named it Sponge Bob and it's crazy stuff. It's like an inch of medicine injected through the iv so no more sitting for hours and hours getting my infusions. About 45 minutes is all it should take. I am getting a port tomorrow so no more poking me with needles!!!! Yay!!!!!  I am on a two-week on, one week off schedule meaning I'll get it once a week for 2 weeks, then get a week off, then start again. I don't know how many cycles. He didn't say and I guess it will depend on how well it whips my liver back into shape. He's very optimistic we will beat this down again and then look again at maintenance and to think of this as a flare up. Helluva a flare up if you ask me but whatever. But since it's come out of no where and I deteriorated so quickly, we need to be aggressive. I am all about being aggressive so I am excited about this. I am not excited about losing my hair. That will be a bummer. But it gave Bruce the chance of his lifetime to fulfill his fantasy to cut hair. Together he and Emily created a short bob for me that I think turned out quite cute. Just so you know, cutting our own hair prior to chemo seems to run in the Parker family. My dad cut his though only to find out he wasn't going to lose it....and I use the term "cut" loosely, butchered would be a better descriptor! I had mine cut professionally the first time but figured what the heck this time, let's have some fun with it. (But you can be sure I had the number to Great Clips close at hand!)

So blog and facebook friends there you have it. Back in the saddle for round 3. You know they say third time is the charm and let's hope they know what the hell they are talking about! This is getting kinda old. But I feel better today than yesterday and who knows what's waiting for me tomorrow (well...dumb question I am getting a port tomorrow but you know what I mean!)

Love and hugs to all
Pam