On 01.02.02, I was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer. Too late for surgery, I had chemotherapy, which failed. In May the chemotherapy was changed and I was soon in remission which was celebrated and welcome and lasted nine years - until October 2011. There was progression in 2011 so more treatment was indicated and I am now back in partial remission. But I'm not only a cancer patient - I also enjoy my family, walk my dogs and am learning to draw and paint. Life is good!

Friday, March 30, 2012

Chemotherapy #7 (of 8) - DONE!

My latest blood draw was still wonky enough to exclude me from Aredia, a bone strengthener infused quarterly because my bones are permanently weakened from chemotherapy.  (You can't win for losing in this game.)  But I did receive, gratefully, the 7th infusion of Taxotere.

That weak bone thing is a bummer.  Ten years ago I asked the oncologist if I could go ice skating.  No.  A couple months later it was still no and would always be no.  I wish now I had never asked and just gone.  I grew up in suburban Chicago where the firefighters would flood the park each winter and we would skate daily for hours.  Off season we went to the rink.  One Christmas I got new skates and a cute, short, red corduroy skirt with navy satin underlining which I loved to wear.  I was twelve.  Charles Schultz, the creator of Peanuts and Snoopy, built a skating rink in Santa Rosa, where he lived, which calls at me every time I drive that direction. Bummer, I say.

The nurse was looking through my computerized chart.  "Did you know you were diagnosed with Acute Renal Failure?"  No one told me, but I googled enough to figure it out.  I took it as good news since 50% of these cases are reversible and I seem to be in that lot.  It's just taking longer to normalize than I anticipated, but each week is better (lower creatinine) than the week before.

Another way of looking at it, my creatinine value is now lower than Demi's, the diagnosed kidney dog.  She was retired from service four years ago with renal dysplasia which, thankfully, still hasn't progressed.

Sometimes I think I spend so much time with my dogs that I'm morphing into one.

1 comment:

  1. Oh, I saw your pic on Facebook but didn't see WHY you were saying you are becoming like your dogs. This way isn't so good. I hope your kidneys keep improving.

    Yes, sometimes we mess ourselves over by asking rather than diving in and being told no later. Ice skating is expensive unless you have that freezing weather.

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