The Right Decision

Although my side ache continued, we spent a wonderful Monday driving to Half Moon Bay with Debbie and David and headed up to Princeton to have lunch at Mezzaluna, an old favorite.  I was able to walk to the restaurant from the parking lot by Barbara's Fish Trap.  We had a wonderful lunch (more like a dinner) with dessert, but my side ache returned and I needed to use a borrowed wheelchair for the rest of the walk. It was great to walk along the ocean, and down the pier to watch the fisherman catching an eel!  We stopped at several souvenir shops and enjoyed looking at their sea glass jewelry.  Debbie bought a beautiful plate for her china cabinet.  We stopped for them to buy some flowers but it was the end of the weekend and there wasn't much left.
Tuesday night I enjoyed an evening with my daughter Chelsea and her three best friends and their

Moms for a Mother~Daughter Dinner at Celia's.  It was the first time we've all been together since Ginger and Ofilio's wedding in Sept. so it was fun to catch up!
Wed. we had blood work done at PAMF Mt. View,  then my appt with Dr. Chen's NP Eva.  She was wonderful and it was a group decision that I discontinue the IP treatment chemo due to the multiple side effects I have experienced.  I had been approved by the Clinical Trial to switch to the IV arm of the study so I could continue and start Avastin the next day.  My friend Karen Cooper picked me up and we went out to lunch at TGI Fridays, where we used

to hang out in high school!  She brought me a beautiful pashmina shawl blessed and some magical hand cream.  It was wonderful to catch up and it definitely raised my spirits.  My left foot was swelling again, so we headed home and I took a nap with my foot elevated.  We had a nice visit from our friend Nancy Anderson for dinner on Wed. night, but I did get to bed early for my chemo date.
Thurs morning we were off to the Infusion Center at 9:00am where I received pre-chemo drugs, Benedryl and the long lasting anti nausea IV Aloxi.  Chemo drugs were Taxol for 60 minutes, Carboplatin (replaces the Cistoplatin) for 30 mins. and at last Avastin for 90 minutes.  I

tolerated all well and thoroughly enjoyed a foot massage by a volunteer massage therapist!  My chemo nurses, Katie and Christine took extra care and I appreciate them so much.  We left the Infusion Center around 2:30.  I enjoyed a nice dinner and again, early to bed.
Friday was a fasting day before checking in at El Camino Hospital at 1:30pm for surgery at 3:30 to have my IP port removed.  I am so happy for this procedure and was reassured by Dr. Chen's visit to me  before surgery that it was the right decision.  He assured me I would not have any regrets but that it was not good to have so many side effects, so that was reassuring.  Dr. Lee put me under just in a twilight state, but I don't remember a thing.  They just used a local anesthetic and popped the port right out, suturing the original incision inside and glue on the outside!  YAY!  Also, all meds were given in my IV power port, so no extra IV's had to be placed!  We were released at 6:30pm and home to a great dinner Debbie prepared.  The only effects I felt was slight nausea, back aching which I expected and some flushing which I have meds for all.  I got a good nights sleep and today I am on my medicine regimen and just relaxing.  I think this is the right decision and I have not felt a side ache yet so far!  Hope it is gone for good!  My chemo schedule now will be the three chemos week one Thursday, week two Thurs. will be Taxol, week three Thurs. Taxol, then week four begins the three chemos, Taxol, Carbo and Avastin until the first week in Sept. when I will have a scan to see where we are, then begins 16 cycles of Avastin only.  Thanks for checking in!