It’s the night before my first chemo treatment and I bouncing off the wall from the fear of what’s going to take place tomorrow morning.  I’ve joined a group nearby me, Breast Buds, and one of the members talks to me for close to two hours and manages to calm me down.  The next morning Richard accompanies me and stays by my side during the prep: weight, blood pressure, and blood tests. I’m also given an infusion of anti-nausea and anti-anxiety meds. Within a half hour I receive my first chemo treatment. In prepping me nurses explain this will be my longest treatment session–6 hours!

Surprisingly, everything goes well.  I’m just exhausted from the ordeal.  My Breast Buds buddy calls to check on me and make sure everything went well. I’m so blessed to be part of this group! It’s New Years Eve and we’re going to welcome in the New Year with our best and closest friends, Judy and Steve.  They know I can’t have any alcohol so we toast in 2015 with apple cider.  And dinner. . . oh my! Boiled lobsters with melted butter and lemon on the side, creamed spinach and scalloped potatoes.  Unlike what you sometimes hear about patients receiving chemo, the treatment has not caused me to lose my appetite.  Right now I see that as a blessing. First treatment down, only eleven more to go!

Life is a blur with no clear lines defined for me.  Once a week I receive my chemo treatment along with Herceptin.  When my chemo ends after twelve weeks, I’ll still continue to receive Herceptin, once every three weeks for a year!  My best friend and soul mate, my husband takes over and shops, cooks, cleans, day in and day out – not to mention taking me to my chemo treatments and doctor appointments.

In January, I saw my primary care physician and learned I had bronchitis.  Armed with an antibiotic and cough syrup, I began treatment for this. Now, I know when you’re on antibiotics, you need to take a probiotic or eat yogurt.  With everything going on in my life, that was the last thing I thought about.  Suddenly, after two weeks I was having tummy issues – loose, watery stool.  I didn’t say anything to anyone and let this go on for almost two months.  I was hardly eating anything and yet. . .

Then, one morning in March, my husband leaned over to ask me what I wanted for breakfast.  He felt my forehead and it was HOT, HOT, HOT!! He took my temperature ant it  was 105!  He called my oncologist who said: “give her two Tylenol capsules, don’t stop to dress her and take her to the E.D. in her pajamas.”