Tuesday I got my boost and I got to see the doctor. The nurse got my blood pressure and the first try it said "E" for error, so she tried again and it said the top number was 85. She asked if I felt faint and I just said I felt the same as I always do- but my new "normal" is not the way I used to feel all of the time. The doctor came and said my armpit and peeling skin on my breast and under my armpit will get better in 7-10 days, and to just keep on lotioning as I have been. She called me in an antibiotic too because I am getting chills and headaches and may be coming down with something. Just what I needed, to be sick when I'm finishing up cancer treatment!
Wednesday I went to radiation early because I had a meeting with Dr. Link in Orange at 2, and Herceptin at 2:30. My mother in law went with me. Dr. Link took one look at my skin and exclaimed "wow, they really cooked you!" He also said that's normal for a patient who has had taxotere. We went into his office to talk. He said I'll get Herceptin until January and I will be starting an oral chemo called Tamoxifen now. I'll take a pill every day for 5 years. That's right, 5 years. He said to think of it as my daily "vitamin T." It shouldn't have any side effects. Then he said there is a new trial drug that just came out for HER2 patients that only had a partial response to chemo (like me) called Neratinib. This drug was created for "HER2 positive breast cancer that is more aggressive than other breast cancers and has an increased likelihood of metastasizing." Click here to read about it. He said I wouldn't start that until after Herceptin treatment was finished, so I had time to think about it. He said the only side effect so far is diarrhea. My response to his suggestion that I take this was: "I think my heart will stop if I take any more drugs. I've had herceptin, carboplatin, taxotere, a bilateral mastectomy, reconstruction, 16 lymph nodes removed, radiation, and now tamoxifen, and you want me to add Neratinib too?" He just said "your heart is fine, and I think you should take it." I then said "you also said Herceptin was a $100,000 perm and my hair isn't curly!" then we shared a laugh and that was the end of the conversation. So now, I get to consider whether or not I want to be a part of this new clinical trial. Feel free to share your thoughts.
Thursday was final radiation treatment day. It was pretty anticlimactic. I am exhausted! So glad it's over! Ready for the next chapter... continued herceptin every 21 days, Tamoxifen every day, Neratinib after that?, CT scan (not sure when)? reconstructive surgery eventually...