Chemo Has Been Canceled

27
May

Ok… so in my last post I noted that they told me to avoid rugs, but that was not my actual doctor. My Oncologist got the information about the extent of the neuropathy (I have symptoms beyond my fingers and toes, they don’t like that very much apparently). My Oncologist cancelled my final Taxol treatment (which means I don’t get sung to or get my fancy graduation certificate, which is the whole reason I did chemo in the first place), and will give it to me if I really want it, but her recommendation is that I have had 7 good heavy chemo treatments and that will do the trick. My immediate response was “what if that one treatment is what I needed to kill the cancer?” So I am nervous and scared, but I have also been worried that this tingling and numbness is here to stay (most of the time it goes away after several months), but what if it gets worse and permanent?

So… now, do I have them do it and risk the nerve damage? Do I see if I can move up my surgery? or do I delay my surgery now and finish radiation?

http://www.facebook.com/people/Jen-Hanks/571792885 Jen Hanks

Holy cow Mandi. I am speechless. I’m sure you are doing the glutamine. If not, or if you want to try some of mine, I have some very high quality glutamine from the Naturopath and I’d be more than happy to bring a baggy over. The container has enough doses for probably 3 years of chemo! Let me know. Take care, Jen.

http://www.darngoodlemonade.com Mandi

Emailing you.

Sunny Hunt

Yowza! I wish I had some answers for you, I really do!

If it makes you feel any better I’ll come over and sing to you in place of the final sing-a-long from the nursing staff (though not sure how you’ll like the quality).

http://www.darngoodlemonade.com Mandi

You make me giggle.

http://www.cancerat35.blogspot.com Michelle

These are exactly the type of ‘choices’ I hate. I am in the same boat – because I switched oncologists mid stream (well, after the first treatment) and they changed my chemo regime to include the red devil – the first treatment of the red devil was missed. They said the same thing to me “well, you’ve had 5 doses of the red devil, that will be fine” – but it should have been 6.

So, I thought the same thing, what if 5 is not enough? They said I could chose to have my final ‘red devil’ dose at the end of all my chemo if I ‘really want it’

What kind of choices are these? How do we know?

I am opting out of my ‘final red devil choice’ if that is of any consolation. I think we were agressive from the getgo and that should be enough.

You were aggressive also. But this is a choice only you can make. It’d be nice if your oncologists was leaning one way or the other though… to help with the decision making.

Gah.

Thinking of you.

http://www.darngoodlemonade.com Mandi

The oncologist’s recommendation was that I stop. She plans on telling me why I shouldn’t do it Friday, but will let me make the final call if I am not comfortable with stopping. I feel better making the call to stop today, I just feel like a chemo flunkie because I didn’t “finish”, haha.

Medicine-woman (Mom)

I vote, no more chemo–you have had enough!!!! ( The Dr. wouldn’t say it if she didn’t really think so!)

http://www.darngoodlemonade.com Mandi

I think “she has had enough” was somewhat how she said it.

http://www.facebook.com/people/Jen-Hanks/571792885 Jen Hanks

I’m thinking this is a really good thing. Now get on with your surgery, radiation, final surgery (ies) and be done! Enjoy life. You deserve it.

http://www.darngoodlemonade.com Mandi

Now that I have slept on it, I feel better about it. Still in shock though, the fact that my hair is going to be back, not having to plan life around my “good days.” Wow, just wow.

Lalove55

Wow – yeah, that’s a tough one, skipping out on the 8th Taxol treatment, yet I’m glad that it’s over for you. My doctor let me skip out on my final Herceptin treatment, but I did those every 3 weeks for a full year (around 18 treatments), so I didn’t get to feel nervous about it. And they hurried and made my graduation certificate! I hope the numbness goes away soon. I still have just slight numbness in the tips of my fingers, and my toenails are still very sore, but not numb. Hang in there!