Chemo 1
Team Amy 6
My final chemo cycle got me a bit down for about 7 days: no pleasure in eating, low mood, even gave in to self-soothing tears on one occasion, and missed three days of walking/exercise. But I started bouncing back quite quickly as my taste and appetite returned, so I’m claiming this round! There is no “end of chemo bell” where I had my treatment, but I did a little celebratory jig as I left the building!
I think it’s safe to say that my overall experience of chemo has been much better than I’d imagined it would be, for which I am so very thankful. There were a few days when I just felt sorry for myself: having to spend 5 days in hospital, and generally not enjoying food for a week or two in each of the later cycles, but generally I’ve been in good spirits. HCA will vouch for the times when I got a bit ratty or uncommunicative – sorry, HCA 
. But hopefully he will agree that there were more good days than bad days. I still smile when I remember the early days back in September/October when he would hear me coming down, come out of the study and ask me how I was feeling. The look on his face when I gave him a thumbs up and said I felt absolutely fine! I guess it took us both by surprise.
The last four cycles with the change of drugs were not so nice but we got through them and I recovered enough to be able to have the next cycle on schedule. Hopefully my recovery will continue apace and the fatigue will start to improve now that I don’t need to be zapped again. It definitely hit a low point after the seven cycles.
January was one amazing month. I had my last chemo on the 18th. When I checked in at reception, I asked if they could find out if my oncologist had the results of my MRI. They said he was busy in clinic all day, but they would try to speak to him. A few minutes later, he came to see me in the treatment room to tell me himself that the MRI showed NO RESIDUAL CANCER 
. I was so surprised, I asked him if he was sure, as if he would have said so if he was not! I don’t know what to say about this news. To quote my sister, my gob is smacked! It could have gone one of four ways: further growth, no change, reduction in size, or complete response. I don’t know the average statistics for each outcome, but I hadn’t dared hope for a complete response. My oncologist threw everything at the “uninvited guest” and it got the message and scarpered.
The next day was my birthday. I was spoilt with cards, gifts, messages and flowers. It was a quiet day at home as I still needed to be careful not to pick up an infection, but it was a day to celebrate.
“Thankful” doesn’t come close to describing how I feel. But I am thankful to my oncologist and whole team of wonderful professionals who have been looking after me; to HCA for being by my side, holding my hand and walking this road with me, figuratively and literally 
; to my family who have surrounded me with their love, support and encouragement; to my friends who have checked in on me regularly and showed their care and concern for me; and not least to the One who has sustained me so far and given me peace beyond measure.
But this isn’t the end of the journey. I will still need surgery – more about that in another post – and radiotherapy, to make sure that any microscopic cells that may think it's clever to play hide and seek can be shown the door, too. The Phesgo injections will also continue every three weeks for another nine months. I’m ready.
If you are having chemo, or have recently finished treatment, I wish you well and pray that you will have great results too.
Hugs xx
