Therapy schedule

It has been a busy week and it’s only Tuesday plus there is more to come.  As I wrote in the last entry we saw the oncologist yesterday and formulated our plan for chemotherapy and boy is it aggressive.  Today we had an appointment with the lymphedema clinic for an evaluation and counseling.  They took measurements and everything looks good.  Vonnie is at risk for lymphedema because they removed so many lymph nodes so she needs to be very careful from now on.

The next appointment was with the plastic surgeon.  Using the information from the lymphedema clinic, and his own evaluation, he wrote a prescription for a compression sleeve. This will be worn during strenuous activities, exercise, and air travel.  Then we discussed the timing of our procedures.  Based on the opinion of the oncologist and the plastic surgeon we decided to have the second mastectomy after the ten rounds of chemo are done and prior to radiation.  While she is under for this mastectomy the plastic surgeon will be able to replace the right breast expander with the final implant and will also start the left breast reconstruction.  It will be good to get this all done at once and not need additional surgeries.  The last thing he did during today’s appointment was to add more saline to the breast expander.  Vonnie is feeling very full and heavy on one side.  If you hear any of our biking friends commenting that we are leaning to the right they are most likely not talking about our political views.

The Cancer center called today and informed us that they scheduled Vonnie for a surgical procedure tomorrow (Wednesday) to insert a port which will be used for the chemotherapy.

The following information on ports is copied from www.breastcancer.org.

The port is about the size of a quarter, only thicker, and will show only as a bump underneath the skin. There are several benefits to having a port:

• No need to find a vein every time you receive chemo. A special needle fits right into the port, so all you feel is the stick—not the poking, prodding, and false tries in your arm. The nurse may numb the skin first with ice or a cream, to lessen any feeling at all. 
• A port may be especially valuable for women who might be experiencing some swelling of the arm on the side of their surgery. 
• The medication goes right into the main blood supply entering the heart, so it can be sent quickly and efficiently to all parts of the body. 
• Some types of chemotherapy can be very uncomfortable if injected into a vein just under your skin. The port avoids this potential discomfort. 
• Getting blood for blood tests can usually be done through the port, decreasing the number of times you need to have a vein "stuck." (I am told that they don't draw blood from the port here - Len)

The last appointment this week is Friday with the breast surgeon.  Then chemo starts next Thursday, April 2!

So here is the schedule as we believe it will go:

6 rounds of FEC chemotherapy every two weeks ending June 11.

4 rounds of Taxotere & Carboplatin chemotherapy every three weeks ending August 27.

1 year of Herceptin given every three weeks starting probably early July.

Mastectomy with reconstruction on left breast + right breast final implant around the 4^th week of September.

Radiation given every weekday for 6 weeks starting late October

 If all goes as planned, and assuming she can tolerate the aggressive chemo schedule, we should be done be late November or early December (other than the Herceptin).

 So chemo starts in just over one week.  Is she excited!  Hmmm  I would say not really but is just anxious to get through and done with this.