First Round of New Treatment: A Full Body Immersive Experience

Look at this little gator! It's so cute and yet would very happily bite your finger off if given half a second. Very very sneaky little gator. Can't take your eye off of him for a second.

So why do I show you this cute little animal? Because just because something sounds cute, doesn't mean it can't come and bite you right in the face at any moment. That's how I feel about my treatment - Enhertu. If you wanna read about it, here's all the corporate info but here's the summary:

I'm gonna get ya when you least expect it!

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Here's the 7-day timeline just to give you some context and it'll kind of help with the visuals:

Day 1 - Infusion Day

So I don't usually do infusions on a Monday mostly because I have to work. But couldn't be helped this time so 🤷‍♀️. Infusion days have their own tempo and rhythm but basically, they are always the same. I eat a snack, pack my chemo bag, refill my water bottle, and head to the center. Center routine is always the same: labs, visit with my oncology team to talk about the day, see how I'm doing, and then sign in for infusion. Since I've been going to the same place for a while now, I know all the nurses and pharmacy staff so getting settled is super quick and simple. I hang out in the infusion chair for a while; it's heated so pretty comfy while I'm getting poked and such. And while the machines are going, I'll eat a snack, read, watch a movie, or take a nap - usually, I'm napping! After infusion, I head home, cuddle up with a blanket, work a little bit, and then just hang out.

Days 2, 3, and 4 - Steroid Days

I usually have several days of steroids that I have to take as part of my regular home med process. Speaking of which, there are a lot of at-home meds. I usually try to set them up in advance so that I don't have to think about it too hard when I'm in the middle of brain fog. I take a wide range of meds to keep the symptoms at bay. The days right after infusion days can be tricky symptom-wise - I really have to take it a few hours at a time and try to not plan too much during these days. I do a lot of chilling on the couch, resting, and hanging out with my heating pad.

Days 5, 6, and 7 - Rounding the Bend

These last few days of the week can go one of two ways: either I'm doing pretty good and can tentatively escape the confines of my bedroom OR I don't leave the bed. Typically, there's also a lot of dealing with the "standard" aftermath of having to take lots of medications - stomach aches, cramping, and the worst freaking heartburn that has ever existed in the history of the world.

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Infusion Day was pretty average and treat of all treats, I got to sit next to the windows. There aren't very many windows in the Center, but they are kind of high up so when you're reclining in the chair, you can kind of watch the clouds pass by. The chairs are always nice and heated and with some zen music -- you can just imagine the tranquility (well as tranquil as you can be in the cancer center). I mean, you kind of have to find it when you can.

Went back to work afterward and then when I got off the clock took a nap. I go to bed that night thinking that everything is good. Everything is gonna be fine..... Oh, the hubris!

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Days 2 through 7 have been just me and my constant companion: Heartburn and Acid. When I say I was spitting fire, I mean it. I was doing everything to try to combat the burn - TUMS, PEPCID, and Pepto. Different combinations to try to find the right one that makes it manageable. In the last day or so, I've finally managed to get the combination right so that's made things much easier to get through the day. It's not foolproof - two nights ago, the acid woke me up at 1AM and would not let me rest. I ended up spending two nights on the couch, much to the annoyance of my cat who insists on sleeping where I am. Also much to the annoyance of my neck because I definitely have a sore neck.

This is an accurate image of what it feels like in my chest for your viewing pleasure:

Surprisingly, while I was mostly prepared for the heartburn, there was a new symptom that I wasn't really prepared for: I had quite a bit of dizziness. Not sure if that's a permanent symptom that I should be aware of or a one-off, so probably goin' keep an eye on that.

Anyway, this one was a doozy - a super fun step back into the crazy world that is Breast Cancer Treatment. Can't wait to see what happens for the next one in 14 days.

Talk to you soon!

OLIVIA