Fighting Breast Cancer

Today I start chemo.  But, before I get my first dose my chemo doctor, Dr. N, wanted me to attend a chemotherapy “class”.  My parents waited in the lobby at the Mayo Clinic while my husband and I were ushered into a section of the Patient Library.  We were crammed into a room with 4 other couples all over the age of 60 and each given a folder with our name on it.  Inside the folder was a list of the chemo medications that I would be receiving along with the list of their respective side effects.  Just then, a nurse entered the room and began a Powerpoint slide show presentation.  Nothing like vivid text colors and silly graphics to soften the terror of chemo.   

The presentation mostly covered the side-effects of chemotherapy.  Nausea, hair loss, anemia…the list went on and on.  The nurse gave some recommendations.  “Do not use laxatives or enemas for constipation.  Use stool softeners.”  “You may have the occasional alcoholic beverage, but do not over do it by any means.”  “Do not try to conceive children while going through chemo.”  Since I was the only person still of child-bearing age, we all knew she was talking about me. 

Through out the presentation, Michael kept getting up to leave the room because he was very upset.  One of the women sitting at the table leaned over and asked me if he was going to be OK to start chemo today.  I told her that he didn’t have cancer.  I did.

Finally, the slide show was over and I went to collect the rest of my family.  I wanted to stop by the Breast Clinic to see if Dr. N had received the results of my PET scan.  That’s when my life was hit by a ton of proverbial bricks. 

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