Starsky and Hutch starts in 1-2 weeks

I saw the Radiation specialist and Oncologist this week and here's what the treatment plan is:

Chemo will start in 1-2 weeks, once a week for 12 weeks. I'll be hooked up for about 3 hours each time. They do a blood test the day before so you know whether you're good to go or not. So next step is an appointment with the Nurses at the Cancer Centre for a look around and blood test.

As I'm going to be having Herceptin every 3 weeks for a year they will also be doing regular checks on my heart. So my first drug cocktail will be the chemo drug and Herceptin together, then the next 2 weeks chemo drug only, on the 3rd week it's back to the chemo/Herceptin cancer fighting duo. Maybe I'll call them Superman and Batman or Starsky and Hutch.

I'm getting a not so harsh cocktail as it's more of a "Let's make sure there's no cancer cells lurking" rather than an "OMG she's screwed unless we do a full on armageddon assault" so that should mean the side effects won't be too horrendous and they arm you with anti-nausea stuff too. I do need to buy a thermometer and act on any temperature. The nice young registrar I saw told me the people who usually end up in hospital with infections are the ones who ignore a temperature and don't do anything about it. So I will become a temperature taking ninja.

I may not lose all my hair but it will definitely thin out, so I've decided to take charge of that and as soon as some starts to fall out I'm taking my hair down to a number 1-2 shave.

I may feel up to working in between chemo but I might not, apparently on top of the huge list of possible side effects difficulty in concentrating is right up there with nausea. I will now have a totally awesome excuse for forgetting what I walked into a room for!

The plan for now is to stay with my sister for 1-2 days and see how it goes.

Once chemo is over, I get a break for 3-4 weeks then it's Radiation. First thing they do is call you in for your tattoo. I forgot to ask if you get a choice, maybe instead of a boring old spot or cross I'll get me a smiley face :)

The radiation treatment is a short zap, done and dusted in 30 minutes, Mon-Fri for 3 weeks, then you need 3 weeks to recover as most people feel tired after it's over. My lovely Radiation Specialist Dr G ended my appointment by saying that after 30 years experience she can pretty much tell when the patient walks in the door whether they're going to cope well mentally with it and told me "I think you're going to sail thru it" That's exactly what I wanted to hear, except maybe she tells all her patients that?

I'm glad things are getting under way and that while this next stage is probably not going to be easy it could be a whole lot worse, but I've got "Starsky and Hutch" on my side and I reckon I'll get a long blonde wig or red and curly, either way I think I need to try long hair for the first time in my life.