Chemo on the books

My appointment yesterday went well. My adjuvant therapy will be scheduled at the local cancer clinic. Considering that we had snow yesterday, I am pleased with my decision. The thought of traveling to Columbus bi-weekly, and then weekly, during the worst driving months of the year was not appealing, not that I would be the driver.

Tamoxifen is off the table for now. I first told the breast navigator that I didn't want to take it. By the time it came up in conversation with the doctor, he explained that we could discuss it again later on, and that it is not a requirement. During the winter months, I'll get the test to find out if I am carrier of the BRCA genes. You can get this test will undergoing chemo treatments. If I am carrier of the gene, new decisions on preventative health measures and procedures will need to be made.

The doctor had also taken my fertility concerns seriously, and had even scheduled an appointment for me at a fertility clinic in Columbus. But since Brandon and I had been through the fertility discussion (re: egg storage) after conversations the Cleveland hospital, we had already decided to take our chances. Infertility treatments can be brutal on the body, and to start now would delay chemo even further. Plus we may already be infertile and not even know it. When the time comes to start our own family (with more than just us and the cats), we will see what happens. And adoption is always an option.

My chemo regimen is tentatively scheduled to begin next Wednesday (the day before Thanksgiving). The schedule is dependent upon the port installation which will hopefully happen on Tuesday, but it can't be scheduled until I meet with the surgeon on Monday morning. I don't know why it can't be scheduled beforehand, but the surgeon likes to discuss the procedure with her patients before scheduling it. I understand what is entailed with the procedure, and even if I didn't, it's not like the surgeon is going to say something to me that is going to change my mind. Stupid responsible medical professionals wanting to discuss everything with me beforehand.

While I am not excited to start chemo, I am reassured to have it scheduled which means that I also have an end date in sight. And I don't totally dislike my doctor -- that's good, right?