Adventures in Chemotherapy

The last week or two has been full of activity! After two weeks staying with us, Jane went back to California. We were sad to see her go but she and Tom will both be returning next week. Catherine's friend Megan visited from Seattle, and Patrick and Amanda had a sleepover the night before their cross-country move back to Portland. Patrick, Amanda and Jane accompanied Catherine to her free wig fitting at the American Cancer Society which meant a day full of laughs for everyone! The wig's name is "Danielle" and she's ready for a night on the town! Catherine has kept a great sense of humor through it all, despite the daily changes in her appearance. Her hair has been jumping ship since the weekend and she decided, after all the vacuuming, that it was the day for a buzz. I love it! She looks like a real Brooklyner, now.

Catherine's third round of chemo on Friday April 1st was a little bit eventful. Somehow, even though it's the third treatment, Catherine had a bit of an allergic reaction to the Taxol this week. She got a double-dose of Benadryl which promptly knocked her out and was able to finish her treatment, just a lot slower. She was groggy the rest of the day but thankfully has been feeling well since.

Now that she's had a few weeks of chemotherapy, concerns about blood cell counts have started to come up. Since the chemotherapy is intended to kill fast-growing cells in the body, one of the major side effects is a diminishing of her body's ability to make new white and red blood cells. The doctors said she was safe to continue her treatment but she needed to be extra careful to stay away from germs and anyone who may be sick, as well as raw food and unwashed fruits and vegetables. Sadly, this complicates her tentative plans to visit her kiddos at Beansprouts.

Between the many appointments that seem to take up most of her days lately, (EKG, blood work, MRI, biopsy, surgery consultation) Catherine has been able to get out and meet me for lunch, visit with friends, and go for walks through the park and in the city. Though lately she's realized that she needs to start thinking about having a half day free in terms of how much energy she can muster.

We received news from the genetic counselor this week that Catherine's results came back positive for BRCA 1 genetic mutation. This is the result we were expecting (Catherine's mom, aunt, and sister are also mutation carriers) and will impact Catherine's options for surgery in the coming months.

She's staying busy but the side effects of chemotherapy are finally starting to catch up with her. Even though she doesn't have the energy we're used to, she's still smiling!