What Treatment looks like these days

I have no active cancer in my body, so why am I still getting treatments?

Some days, the statement makes me mad at cancer. The good news is this treatment is so much easier for my body to handle. It’s an anti cancer immunotherapy, so it builds up my immune system to fight any of these little cancer cells that like to try and grow back. I am in a chemo chair every 3 weeks for 18 rounds. The fact that we can run some tests and have a solution shows just how far breast cancer treatment has come. I have a Porta-Cath in my chest, which is a small device with a silicon centre, leading to a vein and right into my heart. It helps keep my arm veins healthier and is quite honestly way easier and more comfortable for receiving treatment and drawing bloodwork at times.

And then we go onto the long term maintenance, which I had no idea about until I got cancer. My cancer is fed by estrogen, meaning if I have it in my body, my cancer is more likely to come back. The week I started chemo, I was put into medical menopause. Fun right? So you’ll fine me once a month at the hospital getting a giant (I’m going to call it gaged) needle in my stomach to stop production of estrogen, followed by daily estrogen blockers. These continue for 5+ years. Of course, there will another post about this because being in menopause and infertile by 35 was for sure not expected in my life, but here we are.

The good news? I just hit 6 months post radiation and I am really starting to feel strong and healthy. I’m preparing for another surgery, hopefully next month, so it’s hard to make plans for the next few months as I await being out for a little while again. I’m excited to go into a surgery strong and not sick from chemo. I’m excited for surgery to be over and to have a nice cool winter for my hot flashed. I’m excited to be able to use the word remission in 5 years. But for now, I’m really excited to have cancer feel like way less of a weight then it used to be.

So yes, I’m still in treatment, but I’m kinda getting good at it.