Eight Down

I am almost at the half way mark with my infusions. With today's infusion I have done eight ... ten more to go! The infusion went well ... I got my good nurse Maria again and I was pleased. My absolute neutrophils are down to .6 this week, and I have to go on restricted activities again. Really? Really?

Before my infusion I had an appointment with my oncologist Dr. Schaffer. She is pleased with my progress and tells me that I am doing well ... that I am one of her best patients. I don't have to change anything I am doing. I asked her whether I would be on any medication after my Herceptin infusion ends in April. And much to my distress she says that I will be on something called Arimidex for five years. It's a pill that one takes everyday to suppress the estrogen that stimulates cancer. I wanted to scream bloody murder ... she wouldn't have thought I was a good patient then!

And of course when I get home I do research on Arimidex and none of it is pretty. If I had to choose now, I would choose not to do it ... I cannot deal with all the drug's side effects for five years. Why on God's green earth can't someone invent a medication without all these terrible side effects?

I'll just have to see what frame of mind I am in when April rolls around.