RFT. Thanks to my dear friend V-grrrl for coming up with this most appropriate name for my current battle with Ovarian Cancer. After recovering from three surgeries over the past few months to remove all evidence of the disease, this past Tuesday the fight begins again with the first round of chemo (or 7th if you count the 6 cycles from 2008). The cancer killer duo of Taxol/Carboplatin was given via an IV port that has been surgically implanted in my upper chest with a direct line to a vein. This makes it much more easier to get the chemo and the weekly blood draws as my veins are virtually invisible from the last round of chemo. Being poked and prodded in the attempts to locate a vein for an IV or to draw blood was becoming a real pain in the behind as well as the arm! Today is day three and am feeling a little achy, fluish, but that may be from the shot of Neulasta that was given yesterday to help encourage white cell growth, but also does something (?) to the bone marrow, thus the achies.
This has obviously been a difficult journey, certainly anyone that is told they have any type of cancer in the advanced stages knows they are in for some difficulties, but additionally, I dropped my GYN/Oncologist who I really trusted from my initial bout, decided to go to the Mayo Clinic, and willingly do a pretty controversial and evasive 2nd debulking surgery (during which another tumor was found!) and do a chemo regimen that usually is only done during the initial discovery of Ovarian Cancer.
Additionally, I decided to go with an oncologist here in town, that my gut told me to go with. I feel my gut was correct as he continues to add various supplements to my pharmaceutical regimen to help boost cell rejuvenation. Again, controversial, but I have found many clinical trials that show this to improve outcomes. To me, it makes sense to help my own bodies defenses in attacking this disease and kicking it's ass as far away from me as humanly possible!
And so, today I have spent most of it in bed, most not all. I will always try my best to walk out to my beautiful little patio garden, water the roses and all the other plants, say "hi" to the finches and sit for a while, see that the sky is still blue and the sun is shining above me and thank God for it all.
