Week 6 – Taxol and Herceptin

Woo Hoo!  Half way done with the most difficult of the stages of treatment. 


After the last post, I did experience a bad nausea day on Monday.  It was also the day of the week with the barometric pressure going crazy.  Clearly, I am very sensitive to changes in my environment now.   Week 6 chemo day was again uneventful.  Had acupuncture on Thursday.  I personally swear by acupuncture.  It is really working for me.  If I keep a strict schedule my nausea seems to be minimal to nothing.  But if I do not walk first thing in the morning, or eat at prescribed times of the day, or get to bed around 9 – 10pm, my body screams at me in not very nice ways.    It is frustrating because I have always had a very active life that had me running everywhere and doing things at night.  This is forcing me to take a step back and learn to say no to things. I guess not a bad thing, but very frustrating. 


This week my oncologist also addressed my oncoming neuropathy by reducing the Taxol dosage by 10mg and extending the infusion time in the hopes that we can hold back the neuropathy in my fingers and it does not become permanent.  I am trying to not borrow trouble, but I am also trying to come to grips mentally with the possibility that I may have trouble playing the violin and piano in the future. 


This week also brought about a huge change.  One of my walking buddies came by on Thursday morning and had to break the news that my hair looked like a bad comb over.  It was time to decide how to deal with the emotional impact of losing my hair.    Up until now, chemo days were just another appointment on the calendar.  Since I have been feeling so well, I could forget about the cancer for huge portions of my week.  But the loss of the hair is a constant reminder every time I look in the mirror.  So, like most things I needed to act rather than let life take me.  Two of my lions went with me to my hair dresser to record the event.  I shaved it all off! 
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I was nervous about what my head shape would look like, and if I could handle the look.  I decided I like it.  It is freeing; great on warm days, and no more good and bad hair days.  I have become the Warrior Jewish American Princess.