chemo 14 - red devil 2

Exactly one week from the release of my hospital stay, on Mon., Jan 10, I had my 14th chemo infusion. This is the second red devil infusion and I’m honestly shocked we went ahead as scheduled. My cell levels were still pretty low. But, with triple negative breast cancer this is the road - you have to stay aggressive to stay ahead. And I am ahead!

A CT scan while I was in the hospital showed that while the cancer is still there - it’s definitely shrinking a lot!

Chemo 14 went off without a hitch. But, the nausea set in earlier than ever before. Monday night I was feeling like a hangover set in. My mom prepped my bed and it took everything in me to get from the couch to the bed. Thank goodness for anti nausea meds. On Tuesday I had to return to my cancer center for a shot to grow more white blood cells.

That week through Friday was much of the same - nausea and the most intense fatigue. I spent my days with my laptop in bed, evenings on the couch, and quickly back to bed. No matter how much I slept it wasn’t enough. But, by Friday I was back to myself!

While the shot to grow more cells is working - my immune system is still severely lacking. I’m not as worried about COVID anymore but still a simple cold could land me back in the hospital. So, I’m in quarantine until my immune system returns which likely will not be until weeks after my last treatment.

Isolation is TOUGH. I’m social. I draw energy from being with people - in person. That’s truly been the biggest struggle. But, I’m powering through and counting down the days. Oh, also, my eyebrows are GONE. Missing from my face. I truly look like a cancer patient without them. It’s jarring. I don’t even like looking at myself in the mirror without them. Hopefully they’ll be back quickly after my last infusion. Grow little hairs, grow!

I feel like I’m SO close to being done with chemo, yet so damn far away.