6 Up, 6 Down, 6 (to Go)

It’s been a while since I’ve had the opportunity to write. We’ve been busy reliving the same week over and over again- feels like the worst groundhog’s day ever. We’ve also been working on lots of simple math equations on counting down to the end of this round of chemo. 

I am sitting at the treatment center waiting for lucky #7 of 12. I have to use my calculator to figure out that percent of completion (its 58% For the record haha). 

This round of chemo has been easier and so much harder. I started to have a reaction to the carboplatin (one of the chemotherapy agents) after my third treatment which was scary and concerning. My doctors were able to  mitigate the reaction with tweaking my pre-meds and post infusion regimen so I’ve thankfully been able to stay on the carboplatin to finish out this cycle. However those few weeks of testing and tweaking took a lot out of me. 

My doctors appointments have increased dramatically as my blood counts have to be closely monitored so I don’t miss a treatment. We also scheduled surgery for April 13 and have been meeting with my surgeons to gear up for that. 

I’m definitely slowing down, and my body is taking longer to recover each week. I finally scaled my work schedule back so I can spend more time resting and also accommodating all of these additional appointments. It’s taking a bit of time for me to transition - I’m trying very hard to prioritize myself and my health so this is a huge shift for me. Yay for personal growth in 2021!

In positive news - my doctors have told me that my counts are staying remarkably strong given I’m 10 rounds of chemo in. The best news of the year came at my doctors appointment on Friday; Dr. V could not locate the tumor to be able to take a measurement! We’ve noticed it’s been reacting very well to this round of chemo- it’s so exciting to see that it’s shrinking to the point we can no longer measure it week to week. 

For now, we’ll continue to practice our simple math and count down the Monday's left until 3/15. Forever grateful for this village that has helped keep my boys thriving and me surviving. The walks, tennis dates, meals and check ins mean so incredibly much.