Tomorrow will be 4 weeks since my last piece of planned treatment, and co-incidentally the anniversary of the mammogram that started it all off. I have had a wide area excision and sentinel node biopsy, 4 rounds of EC chemo, 12 weeks of Paclitaxel, 5 days of radiotherapy, 2 shots of Zometa, and a microwave ablation of the tumour on my liver. I have learned that I am a candidate for Pembrolizumab immunotherapy and look forward to a future of regular scans, and immunotherapy plus more chemo if/when it reappears.
Chemo finished at the end of October. Long term, possibly permanent side effects, are a bit of peripheral neuropathy in my fingers and toes. Nothing much, comes and goes, usually worse towards the end of the day. The big toe on my left foot is also very sore through nail damage and I am a bit prone to cracks and itching between the toes. My hair is growing back well and I now have normal eyebrows and lashes.
Radiotherapy finished at the end of November. I thought I had got away without any burning, but a two inch wide band of skin all round the underside and side turned red last week. It was particularly itchy and sore around the scar tissue. It is just like having bad sunburn and is now peeling.
My abdomen is still a little sore from the ablation, but nothing much. Much the same as the breast has never been completely right since surgery.
I am exhausted. I have never slept so much in my life, I lie in and will happily dose off in front of the TV. It’s hard to make myself exercise as much as I should, although I do feel better when I do so. Running seems a long way off.
Awaiting the biopsy from my liver and more scans to see what if anything is now going on.
