Ahh June

June has always been my favourite month. For the teacher in me, it marks the end of the year, and the beginning of summer holidays. I also have my birthday to celebrate this month. This year, though, June is extra special. Having been treated for cancer since January, I have been looking forward to June: chemo treatments are over but radiation treatments have yet to begin. Recently, I have been able to enjoy the taste of food again. And soon I will grow hair – or so I am told.

 

After four courses of chemo, I felt quite tired throughout May. There is a cumulative fatiguing effect that I could not shake for a quite a while. But I have been very fortunate: I have bounced back to my old self lately. This morning, four weeks since my last visit, I saw Dr. Dent and she shook my hand, congratulating me. It is quite an accomplishment to “sail” through chemo treatments. She examined me and declared that I was fit as a fiddle. Just to be sure, I was bled once more and asked to pee into a bottle (twice). These procedures will continue over the next several months: being part of a clinical study means constant monitoring. In fact, I have recently had a second echocardiogram and an ECG: the heart is still pumping very well. That’s good news!

 

By the way, I have agreed to another study, this one run by Roche Pharmaceuticals, called the Repository Research Project.  It has been designed to find genetic reasons why certain people respond differently to medicines; to find genetic reasons why certain people have side effects; to find genes which may cause a disease or modify it; and to develop better medicines for preventing diseases or for early treatment. I have no trouble helping with this one. Since the hospital will collect three vials of blood every six weeks, it is no problem to give a fourth one to Roche. That’s all there is to it, from my perspective. The results of this study will never be known by the likes of me, but I hope Roche makes good use of my blood.

Dr. Dent told me today that the Beatrice study will close soon. Worldwide, there are about 2000 women involved. As of yet, there has been no solid evidence that Avastin works to counter triple negative cancer; she did assure me however, that chemo alone has been proven to be very effective. We are both feeling very positive about my future.

 

To celebrate June and my good health, Bob and I are going away to Niagara-on-the-Lake this coming weekend. We plan to golf, go to the theatre, shop, dine in good restaurants and generally enjoy life. I will not be free to escape much in July, since my daily radiation treatments will greatly hinder my freedom to get away. A June escape certainly is most welcome, then.

 

This week, my orchid bloomed again after several months of lying dormant. I see it as an auspicious sign, don’t you?