Last Thursday was my final trip to the hospital for Herceptin. I met with my doctor before my infusion. She went over my bloodwork from three weeks ago and said my estrogen level had gone up slightly. While we thought I was in menopause, I might still be hovering in perimenopause-land. Because my cancer fed off estrogen, having an increase in my system is worrisome. My doctor explained that I still have tamoxifen working for me, how the tamoxifen locks onto the estrogen receptors in cells, blocking them from feeding off estrogen. I asked my doctor if I should consider having my ovaries removed. She said she doesn't have a definitive answer on that. My risk of ovarian cancer is low, and I have tamoxifen working in my favor right now. If I had a larger tumor and/or lymph node involvement, she would encourage it. I'm kind of in a gray area, she said. She would support me if I choose to go that way but she wasn't leaning that way. In fact, she recommended that I enjoy my summer with no procedures, wait for the results of the blood test in October, and we'll revisit it again. If I have my ovaries removed, I'd switch off tamoxifen to an aromatase inhibitor. I know the side effects of tamoxifen and everything so far is tolerable. I don't know how I'll react to the other drug which.has been known to cause severe bone pain and bone loss. Right now, today, I am not going to worry about that step. I'm taking my doctor's advice and plan to enjoy my summer. We'll talk about it again in the fall.
After leaving her office, I went for Herceptin, my last one, hopefully forever. Ironically, I had the same nurse who gave me my first round of chemo, Erika. It was nice to chat with her about our kids. She mentioned in the old place, she used to see patients when they come in for follow ups with the doctor. Now that the infusion area and the doctor's offices are so separate, she doesn't see many of her former patients again. Unless they come back, which we always hopes doesn't happen. Because I was one of the first appointments of the day, everything went smoothly and I got out of there in record time.
Since Trader Joes is right down the street from the hospital, I made a stop there, and overloaded my bags since I wasn't sure when it would be so convenient to go again. I also went to a nearby shop that sells used homeschooling materials to pick up a biology dissection kit for next year. Then I raced home, packed the kids into the car with their beach stuff and food, and went to celebrate my finishing of treatment. A few friends met us there. It was nice and relaxing, chatting, watching the ferries come and go, being surprised by a seal popping its head through the surface, relishing life.
We got home a few minutes before 5 and I raced to call my surgeon and schedule an appointment for my port to be removed. Unfortunately, the office was already closed and I had to wait for Monday to talk with someone. I was able to get an appointment with my surgeon this Wednesday. It's a short, pre-op appointment and we'll then schedule the port removal. (I guess I'll be back down near Trader Joes again!) As much as the port has been useful with all the infusions and blood draws I've had, I will enjoy not having it any more. I'm looking forward to trying to golf and play tennis again. It's been a long year. Having my port removed will be like putting the final punctuation on this chapter.
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