I have good news, and bad news.
The good news is that I don’t have to have any more Taxotere. This is good, because I … wasn’t tolerating it well. To put it mildly. For days after taking it, I could barely get out of bed. If I walked from my bedroom to my recliner in the living room, my heart would pound. It’s been causing me to have a fever for weeks, and all kinds of other adverse effects that I’m not going into, because it’s all over now. Or it will be, once it’s fully out of my system.
The bad news is that the reason I don’t have to have it is that it wasn’t working. The cancer has been continuing to grow pretty quickly this whole time.
So.
My oncologist is switching me to Doxil (doxonrubicin liposomal.) It’s related to the doxorubicin that we know was working before, but that I can’t have more of because there’s a lifetime limit. There is a lifetime limit on this one, too, but I haven’t had any yet, so it’s good. There is also a chance that it’ll affect my heart, so I’m supposed to go in for an echocardiogram before I start. That hasn’t been scheduled yet, but the actual chemo is supposed to start on September 10.
In the meantime, I have some time off to recover from the taxotere. Which is good, because I need it. 😀
I’ll post more when I know more.
Deep thanks to everyone for all your good thoughts, prayers, candles and everything. I really appreciate all of it. I have to say that I have no idea how I’d manage all of this without Michael. He’s been wonderful. But the stress is getting to him a bit. I know it was really hard for him to watch me while I was flattened by the taxotere. So… umm… if you could include him in all the good stuff you’re sending my way, that would be great.
Thanks again!