My New Chemotherapy Regime

Well since the local recurrence I needed a different chemotherapy plan so I saw two specialist oncologists and they made a new plan they think will give me the best outcome. There are so many different options, platinum chemotherapy, traditional chemotherapy and clinical trials.  My oncologists felt that they would rather use a traditional dose dense chemotherapy which has been known to work rather than the new therapies which have been known to work better with metastatic disease not local disease which I have. I will just put my faith in the experts and pray for the best outcome.

They will be giving me three doses of AC chemotherapy followed by four doses of paclitaxal. Each dose will be two weeks apart at a high dose. It will be a very intense regime, and it will be hard on my body but as long as it works I am willing to do anything. I will also lose all my eyebrows and eyelashes on the dose dense which will be upsetting as they only thinned last time.

I have had my first cycle of AC on Friday March 18th and it went well but it was different to the TAC chemotherapy side effects I had last time. When I was on TAC I never felt sick until the day after chemotherapy. With this new chemo I felt sick only a few hours after they administered the chemo. The nausea is pretty hard to deal with and I had some milder reflux this time as well. I was not feeling well for day but the side effects began to ease off on Wednesday, so five days post chemo. On Thursday though my husband went back to work and I really struggled looking after my boys with the fatigue and the ruminant sickness. I might see if he can hold off going back to work until Friday this time as it was really difficult. By Saturday March 26th I began to have fevers, and on Sunday I went into the hospital with a fever of 38.3 degrees Celsius. I was 0.1 above the nuetropenic level so I begged them not to admit me to hospital and they didn't. After they preformed a million blood cultures, blood tests, chest xrays, meliodosis swabs and questions they let me go home as long I got a blood test in the morning and if my levels dropped I would have to come back for admission. I was lucky and my levels came up so I escaped hospital this time.

I have my second cycle of AC chemotherapy tomorrow Friday April 1st, I only wish it was a fools joke. Wish me luck and I hope it goes well and the side effects come and go quickly. I think the main thing I am a bit bummed about is that my hair has started to grow back in the 7 weeks between my TAC chemo and starting the new regimen so its just over a centimeter long and it will all fall out again, including my eyebrows and lashes. I will however enjoy not having to shave my legs again for a while :)

I promise to be more vigilant on my blogging, and keep you all updated!