Baby steps

Well, I saw my oncologist today and things are moving a little more slowly than I had anticipated. The two drugs I will be taking (only one of which is actually a chemo; I have mistakenly been calling them both that) have to come from a specialty pharmacy. The one our insurance uses is mail order, so it will be a few days before I get the meds.

The chemo pills are taken in three-week cycles. You take them twice a day for two weeks and then take a week off. The other drug, which is a targeted therapy, is once a day every day. After my first chemo cycle, I'll see the doctor to make sure I'm tolerating it well and start another cycle. After the second cycle, we'll do a scan to see how much (not if!) the cancer has diminished.

The good news is that I can plan my first chemo cycle so that my week off is the week of spring break. So that means I probably won't start until the week of March 22.

The bad news here is that it sounds as if the side effects can be really horrific. They've told me I'll need to take Immodium every two hours; you figure out the rest! I'm also told to be on the lookout for hand and foot disease.

Because the pills come in small amounts, I think I'll be taking something like 20 pills a day! Well, add the Immodium and I guess it's closer to 30! Yikes.

Thanks again for all the love, support and prayers. I feel very blessed.