Shifting gears

I saw my oncologist this morning. She agreed that I should not get more Taxol, given the quick onset and severity of my peripheral neuropathy. She suggested I increase my dose of gabapentin to deal with the remaining tingling and numbnesss that I am still experiencing. 

There is a chance that the neuropathy will gradually fade, rather than be permanent. I sure hope so, because walking is difficult when it feels like one's shoes are two sizes too small.

Recently, I had a conversation with the oncology practice's dietician about adding glutamine to my diet. (It's an amino acid.) It has helped mitigate some of the other side effects I have been experiencing, including sores in my mouth and throat, and constantly watering eyes.

The plan now is to have a second MRI next week to assess the size of the tumor. If it has shrunk significantly, I will meet with a surgeon and schedule breast surgery. 

If the tumor has not receded significantly, we will try another chemotherapy drug. 

Not too concerned about the MRI. It's noisy, but not worse than being near a street crew using a jackhammer. The biggest challenge is getting up onto the table. Whoever designed the equipment did not take into account that some patients are not young and agile!