On Monday I met with Dr. Chui primarily just to check in.
He told me that the doctors had met to discuss my case and that I will be having my reconstructive surgery first (sometime after the first of the year) to be followed by the radiation treatments.
Because we are waiting to start the radiation treatments, Dr. Chui started me on the tamoxifen Monday. I am supposed to expect heat flashes as a result of this medication...haven't had one yet but sometimes it can take several weeks for it to "peak" and then hopefully mellow out. There are other potential side effects, none of which are common or exciting enough to detail here and now.
I am also signed up for a clinical trial to study the effects of metformin vs placebo on recurrence and survival in early stage breast cancer. Metformin is a drug normally used to treat diabetes, but there is some evidence that it can lower the ability of breast cancer cells to grow...I won't know if I'm getting the metformin or a placebo, but it can't hurt me either way so I figure I'll give it a shot.
The radiation treatments will begin about 2 weeks after my reconstructive surgery, and last 6-1/2 weeks, Monday through Friday.
Today I go in for my first "fill" of the tissue expanders. I have heard it compared to getting one's braces tightened, so: it won't be fun or comfy, but it won't be worse than what I've already been through.
And Friday...oh, Friday can't come soon enough! On Friday, O, my sister and I board a plane headed for MAUI. One glorious week in Hawaii awaits (we had scheduled this trip a year ago, before I even knew what was in store for me this year). G has to stay home, having changed jobs in April of this year and not yet having enough vacation accrued...so he'll hold down the fort while I put my feet up and let my parents and sister spoil me and O!
I'll post a picture of the sunset next week. Until then...have a great weekend. Hope you're all doing a better job decorating for the holidays than I am.
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