Last Chemo Treatment

Today was a landmark day because it was Mary Jo’s very last chemo treatment, halleluiah! Mary Jo is in very good spirits and excited to have this phase of the treatment behind us. We were pleasantly surprised to have such a large group of supporters at the “Spa” today. Jamie Page, Mary Jo’s mom Diane, Karen Ruth and her husband John and Marian Mazur all came in to celebrate the last “Big One”.

There were no surprises at the consultation with Dr Gall to review MJ’s blood work numbers just prior to the chemo session. Her hemoglobin count was a bit lower than last time at 10.8 but still above the 10.0 threshold. Dr Gall said this is just a result of the cumulative chemo therapy treatments. “we are putting poison in you” and this is what happens after weeks and weeks of doses, it’s very normal for the body to respond this way. All her other numbers were pretty good for a chemo patient.

We left Dr Galls office with a new prescription for Tomoxifin. Tamoxifen is an antagonist of the estrogen receptor in breast tissue. It has been the standard endocrine (anti-estrogen) therapy for hormone-positive early breast cancer. Mary Jo's breast cancer cells require estrogen to grow. Estrogen binds to and activates the estrogen receptor in these cells. Tamoxifen is metabolized into compounds that also bind to the estrogen receptor but do not activate it. Furthermore tamoxifen prevents estrogen from binding to its receptor. Hence breast cancer cell growth is blocked. Tomoxifin is taken in pill form, daily for two years.

I am hoping that MJ will be feeling well on Christmas. Although she feels pretty good today, it always takes a few days for the full effects of the chemo to get into her system. Typical is for MJ to get chemo on Monday, feel ok Tuesday and then be in bed from about Wednesday until the following Saturday or sometimes until the following Tuesday or Wednesday.