Light at the end of the tunnel

Okay so I had to start this blog post with part of a recent conversation I had with Nick.
Nick: "Chemo is like Nemo."
Me: "Yes. You're right. Chemo rhymes with Nemo."
Nick: "Are there turtles at Chemo?"

Good news! I am almost done with the worst part of my chemo treatment. This Thursday is my last round of the AC (adriamycin/cytoxin). And then I get a three-week break before I start my 12 weeks of taxol, another chemotherapy drug which is typically much easier on your body and is given weekly.

I feel like I am starting to see a light at the end of the tunnel. I've mapped it out on the calendar and my very last chemo infusion is Oct. 5. And believe me, I will be counting down the days until then.

The last few steps in my treatment plan will include the axillary node dissection surgery (removal of two layers of lymphnodes from my armpit) and reconstructive surgery(ies).

For right now, I am looking forward to some sunshine this summer.

I'd like to end this post by thanking all of you for all of the amazing support and encouragement over the last several months. I couldn't get through this without you.

McDonald's French Fries...ah!

I can't remember the last time I drove to McDonald's just to order french fries. And yet, yesterday, there I was ordering one large order of fries and an iced tea at the McD's drive thru. Before that, I ate a bowl of chocolate chip mint ice cream with chocolate syrup, and yes, it was topped with whipped cream.

What can I say?! I take my doctor's (and dad's) advice quite seriously! I have lost about 10 lbs. since surgery, and I have been given the green light to eat basically anything I want or that sounds good to me. And during the days after chemo, I'm here to tell you that what sounds good to me is basically next to nothing. But yesterday...the french fries did sound somewhat appealing. And the ice cream? Do I have to explain myself on that one?

So besides the messed up appetite and fatigue, I feel like I've done pretty well with two rounds of chemo behind me.

My 2nd round was last Thursday (5/31), and the only thing I was really nervous about was the fact that they were going to have to access my port that morning at blood draw, which means I was going to have to be poked. So they gave me this numbing cream, which I religiously rubbed onto my port site 90 minutes prior to the blood draw. And guess what?!? I'd hate to know how it would have felt if I hadn't used the numbing cream. Okay...it wasn't that bad. It just felt like a bee sting and the sting went away quickly. But once I was done with that one poke, I was practically giddy, knowing I was done with needles for the day. They leave your port accessed for the chemo infusion that comes later in the day.

In my last post, I told you I was going to shave my head. Well I did it! And here's the proof:)