Celebrating!

Today was the last of my big chemo infusions with the combination Taxotere and Herceptin! From now on just the Herceptin every three weeks and no premeds. I am happy dancing (at least before the side effects kick in ;)

This a.m. Kenny asked me to drive him to the GNC that is closest to our house before he went to school (he has a spare first thing on Tuesdays and Thursdays). Our timing worked out perfectly, we got there just after the store opened at 1000 a.m. and there was a very attractive young girl who asked if she could help us. By the time we left the store she had convinced him that a multivitamin would be a very good thing to take every day, something I haven't been able to do so I was very happy to buy the suggested ones. Ten minutes later, as she was ringing up our purchases she told him that he should find he has more energy during his workouts, I asked if this would carry over to when he got home and needed to clean his room. She said that she always finds that putting on good music helps her with things like that - maybe I can hope that since she was so effective with the multi-vitamin sale he might try the music and room cleaning part too!

I got Kenny to school and then I went to the hospital to see my Mom. She was looking quite well for having had a fairly major surgery yesterday. One of the nurses came in and removed the dressing, everything was looking really good. They were lacking some of her history, so I went into work mode and showed them how they could find her previous hospitalizations (encounters) in the electronic health record and see the lengthy discharge summary the hospitalist placed on her record before she left for the lodge. They appreciated this and took her off one of the meds they had put her on after referencing the record. Yay! I have had great difficulty in the past convincing doctors and caregivers of the instructions that the infectious diseases physicians gave in the past regarding treating her. Now it is documented on the record for all to access.

After visiting Mom I picked up Rod at his shop and we were off to my last of the big chemo's. What a good feeling. I found myself dancing around a little to some Christmas music as I got ready for my day this morning.
Once in to the treatment area things went very smoothly with port access and I was hooked up and infusion started. The volunteers timed their arrival beautifully and gave me tea in a beautiful cup and saucer that had poinsettias on it. Rod took a couple of pictures -

I was done with both drugs by the end of about two hours. On the counter of the nurses station was a large bell. I was told that it was tradition that patients could ring the bell as many times as they wanted on their last chemo. I rang it a few times and all the nurses clapped, complimented and congratulated me (a little alliteration there ;). It was a nice feeling, most of them had been my nurses at one point or another throughout my chemo experience.

I saw a post on Pinterest that I liked while I was having my chemo, it goes like this -

 

It's a good one and very true. I will remember it as I go through the next few weeks. Take care everyone.