My world has been rocked

wpr said:

Looks like we made it!
Today was Rhonda's final chemo treatment.
SHE RANG THAT BELL!

This process has taken more than a year to complete. We went through:
First the shock of the diagnosis.
Then what I call the "Big Chemo" treatments to kill the cancer cells. They used 4 and 3 different chemo drugs. Each treatment lasted 4-6 hours. The hospital was on COVID lock down so I sat in the waiting room while she was being treated. It was 90% successful.
Surgery to remove the tumor.
Radiation. 5 days a week for 4 weeks. It doesn't seem like much but it was a grind for both of us.
Because her receptors were triple positive (estrogen, progesterone and HER2) she had to go through what I call "Little Chemo". It was only one chemo drug and it targeted the HER2. Slowly but surely it destroyed the protein. Slowly but surely she got more and more fatigued. 14 treatments. They were usually every 3 weeks.
There were 3 times her treatment was pushed back. Three times her port was malfunctioning.
This past month or two she slept as much as a newborn does. It was frustrating to her but that is what happens when you don't have any protein in your body. She has no appetite. She is down to eating just cottage cheese with peaches and yogurt.
Before the chemo infusion she is given steroids to counteract the swelling the chemo causes. The steroids keep her up at night. Typically she does not sleep at all the day of her treatments no matter how tired she is.
Any plans for a celebration are on hold. She is heading back to bed. Hopefully she will gain her strength over the next few months.
She didn't want to do a gift exchange with me. That's fine, we really don't need anything. If we do, we don't wait for a birthday or some significant day to get it, we just buy it then. Last week I did find something online that I wanted to give her. A scented candle with an elderly couple walking together. The sentiment was about our journey together. She was a little upset because she didn't get anything for me. I told her the candle sums up our lives together, especially this past 16 months. She agreed. She liked the scent (Good for me. I never even thought about it.) and it did sum up our "adventure.) The next day I brought out her second gift. Another candle. This one says, "I'm sorry your boobies tried to kill you." I laughed. She laughed and said it was appropriate.
Today I gave her a third gift. A necklace with a pink tourmaline stone. The sales clerk at the jewelry store said it is the same shade of pink as breast cancer awareness.
I am so proud of her.
While treatments are over the healing process is going to take time.
I think I need a nap.

Click to expand...

wpr said:

Looks like we made it!
Today was Rhonda's final chemo treatment.
SHE RANG THAT BELL!

This process has taken more than a year to complete. We went through:
First the shock of the diagnosis.
Then what I call the "Big Chemo" treatments to kill the cancer cells. They used 4 and 3 different chemo drugs. Each treatment lasted 4-6 hours. The hospital was on COVID lock down so I sat in the waiting room while she was being treated. It was 90% successful.
Surgery to remove the tumor.
Radiation. 5 days a week for 4 weeks. It doesn't seem like much but it was a grind for both of us.
Because her receptors were triple positive (estrogen, progesterone and HER2) she had to go through what I call "Little Chemo". It was only one chemo drug and it targeted the HER2. Slowly but surely it destroyed the protein. Slowly but surely she got more and more fatigued. 14 treatments. They were usually every 3 weeks.
There were 3 times her treatment was pushed back. Three times her port was malfunctioning.
This past month or two she slept as much as a newborn does. It was frustrating to her but that is what happens when you don't have any protein in your body. She has no appetite. She is down to eating just cottage cheese with peaches and yogurt.
Before the chemo infusion she is given steroids to counteract the swelling the chemo causes. The steroids keep her up at night. Typically she does not sleep at all the day of her treatments no matter how tired she is.
Any plans for a celebration are on hold. She is heading back to bed. Hopefully she will gain her strength over the next few months.
She didn't want to do a gift exchange with me. That's fine, we really don't need anything. If we do, we don't wait for a birthday or some significant day to get it, we just buy it then. Last week I did find something online that I wanted to give her. A scented candle with an elderly couple walking together. The sentiment was about our journey together. She was a little upset because she didn't get anything for me. I told her the candle sums up our lives together, especially this past 16 months. She agreed. She liked the scent (Good for me. I never even thought about it.) and it did sum up our "adventure.) The next day I brought out her second gift. Another candle. This one says, "I'm sorry your boobies tried to kill you." I laughed. She laughed and said it was appropriate.
Today I gave her a third gift. A necklace with a pink tourmaline stone. The sales clerk at the jewelry store said it is the same shade of pink as breast cancer awareness.
I am so proud of her.
While treatments are over the healing process is going to take time.
I think I need a nap.

Click to expand...