Tomorrow I get the final treatment of maybe the first or last round of chemo depending. I am feeling cautiously hopeful. Also, we are halfway through pregnancy!
The final countdown?
So the first round of chemo treatment has been Adriamycin and Cytoxan. These drugs have been pumped into my bloodstream every three weeks and tomorrow is the last round of these drugs, treatment number four. What happens next could vary based on the outcome of my next breast ultrasound.
Option 1: the cancerous mass has not been very much affected by the drugs. The tumor is about the same size, and the spread to another lymph node is still there. In this case they will have to do another 12 weeks of different chemo drugs, this time every week.
Option 2: the tumor has shrunk significantly. They will go ahead with surgery. It will either be a lumpectomy to take out the mass, or a single mastectomy where they will cut off my right boob. My cancer would be cured!
Hopelessly devoted to #2
A little double entendre here. I really want option 2. Also, Zofran, the drug given for chemo related nausea, can cause constipation. I am also pregnant, which can cause constipation. So I am devoted…you get it.
I am really hoping for option 2. I also don’t want get my hopes up, only for the mass to have been unaffected by the treatment I have been getting. But obviously I want my cancer to be cured!
The other reason I am hoping for option 2 is birth related. If it is option 1, and I have to do 12 more weeks of chemo, they will most likely want to induce birth. This is so the time between the end of treatment and doing surgery doesn’t allow much room for the mass to grow back.
Oh, we’re halfway there
Well, technically over halfway. It is week 21! In a 40 week pregnancy that is over halfway, if I induce at 37 weeks, we are way over halfway.
My appetite has definitely grown. I don’t get many cravings, but I do have aversions. And this week you can definitely see a bump. The most exciting thing is I can feel the fetus moving around!
I cannot wait to meet our baby, but I really don’t want to induce. Inducing can lead to more tearing and increases the risk of a c-section, which I would rather not have. These things can also lead to a longer recovery time, which would be on top of a cancer surgery for me. So, universe, please give me option 2!