Hi Friends! So I’ve been on a chemo pill for 3.5 weeks now and it’s been challenging. I was expecting the fatigue, nausea and diarrhea but in the past three days I’ve been increasingly struggling with shortness of breath, mild dizziness when I change positions, and my heart was beating fast if I did just mild physical activity like walked around the house to make a sandwich. 🥪 Not cool.
I wanted to wait until my big appointment with my Oncologist but after I got super dizzy yesterday at lunch time while simply trying to get a glass of ice tea, I decided to call the nurse line at the Oncologist office. Apparently, this medicine can cause blood clots so they said I needed to go in immediately for a CT to rule that out. Ugh.
Yesterday was a big day at work for me. Huge accomplishment day actually. We were meeting with all our teams to explain a regional model that would impact reporting strategy. For the first time in my career all teams in Purina CS would report me which is exciting and new and I’m bailing to have a CT scan. Super annoying and frankly embarrassing!
Nick drove me. CT showed crap in my lungs so walking pneumonia and they gave me IV Antibiotics. Labs showed low white blood cells count but not as low as it was when I was on IV chemo in the summer. They let me go home and gave me pill antibiotics. They gave me the option to stay at the hospital, no thank you. 😉
Today my Oncologist explained that she’s confident that this chemo pill is not treating me well at all. She wants me to stop immediately. I did not argue. She is going start me on something else in August. June 11 I have reconstruction surgery. I get to heal now until surgery. Then focus on surgery. I will stay on Tamoxifen and monthly estrogen shots. I’ve been handling both of those well. very well actually. Today was a shot day, all was fine.
Perhaps I should feel like a failure for having to quit the chemo pill but honestly but im just excited, that chemo pill sucked! Now I can focus on my new expanded role at work that I’m so excited about without worry of nausea, diarrhea, and shortness of breath. Yes! A big win. Plus I can now let myself get excited for the surgery coming up – can we say tummy tuck and boob job? Ok so it’s a little different but it’s as close as I’m gonna get so I’ll take it.
Love you all and blessings to you! Here’s to getting this crap out of my system and feeling better soon!
My Journey 