I want a new DRRRUGGGG!!!

Last week I learned that Tamoxifen, the pill that I will have to take for the next five years to reduce the chances of the cancer coming back, is at odds with Prozac. Somehow, Prozac diminished dramatically the effect of Tamoxifen, because of how they are processed in the liver. Well, all of this is only relevant if you know that I have a brain lesion which makes me take several neurological drugs, among which is Prozac.

As a result, we made a sprint to my neurologist, who immediately knew what we were worrying about, and who changed my meds. Swoosh, with one stroke of his pen. I am wondering if my mood will change as quickly. But this far, I have been feeling great. I have a bit of headache, but that's all.

In addition, this new med is also supposed to reduce the hot flashes, which sometimes really make it hard for me to sleep. That would be an additional bonus. We shall see...

Everything that has a beginning, has an end...

And the end of this saga is here!!! Yesterday was my last radio therapy session!!! And although I am itchy and my boob hurts, I am DELIRIOUSLY HAPPY! This is over! To celebrate, we had a party some days ago, at which I broke a piggy that I had been stuffing throughout the year with little love notes that everyone who would come to visit left for me. The pic is from second before the piggy vanished... I loved the party and, at night, when everyone had left and Gabo and the rascals were fast asleep, I read all of the notes and cried so much! I am feeling so fortunate! Thank you all for being here, for calling, for sending messages, for writing, for coming to visit!!! Having you was the substance of my strength. Now, a new episode starts. Five years of hormonal treatment and recurrent tests, to make sure the Gremlin does not come back. And some other decisions to make along the way. I will tell you more about those in the near future.

My bright pink boob...

Since yesterday, my boob is bright pink, due to a medicine that I have to dab onto it to reduce the itching, swelling and general discomfort produced by radiation. It stains even black clothes. Apparently, portions of the color wash off in the shower, but it doesn't go away completely. I don't mind. The pain and the swollen sensation were already unbearable. I couldn't lie still in bed, and every night's sleep was preceded by endless turning, shifting, scratching and complaining. Of course, I still have to see if the bright, colorful liquid actually makes a change. I am sooooooooooooo tired of all of this.

It BBBUUURRRRRRRRRRRNNSS

Now, imagine the famous scene from The Exorcist, where Father Whatever sprinkles holy water on a diabolic Linda Blair, and she says, in a deep, freaky voice: "it burrrrrrrnnnnnnnnsssss". That is how I feel. My boob burns all over. It hurts and today I started to feel little yet persistent needles. No time to complain. I have to go, right now, for another session of burning radiation.

Blisters and redness... OUCH!

Two weeks of radiation are starting to show their impact. My boob hurts by only looking at it, it itches, it is red and it is developing little blisters. No under-wire bras, no tight clothing, no synthetic fabrics... No deodorant, no moisturizer, no nothing. No scrubbing in the shower, no lying on my left side. NO TOUCHING, please! OUCH!

CLEAN!!!! And radiated...

It is OFFICIAL!! 100% The blood tests are clean as well. No traces of the meano... No more Gremlins living in my boob. YAY!!!! Today I went for the first radiotherapy session. They made scans and images, to get a perfectly defined three dimensional area where the radio will hit. Then, they tattooed four little dots on the heroic boob, to make sure they get the same area each time. The procedure itself only lasts 10 minutes. And that is what I will be doing for the next six weeks, every day, at 4.30. Today it was uneventful, but supposedly you get tired as you start accumulating radiation, and the skin burns... We shall wait and see. Meanwhile, it already feels distinctly like an exit road. We are so happy! I can't believe it, but we are joking all day long, smiling, laughing, and it feels like a whole new beginning. Gabo is in excellent mood, and we are enjoying ourselves fantastically!

And the results are CLEAN!!!!

Yes, yes, yes!!! The PET scan came back clean. No malignant neoplasia this far. A tiny mass in the right boob, but apparently nothing to worry about. Now I am waiting for the blood test results, to make sure there is no tumor-like activity... But I already feel that the dice was thrown, and that I won. Let me say it again, slowly: the dice was thrown, and in this round, I won. This babe seems to be cancer free!!!