Today marks the end of a chapter that I'm thrilled to put behind me. After 20 weeks, which included 16 chemo appointments (4 infusions in Round 1 and 12 infusions in Round 2), I...AM...DONE!!! Praise the Lord!! 🙏 I'm so excited about it that I don't know if I'll be able to sleep tonight—and not only because of the steroids they give me to help prevent nausea! 😄

So, what's next? Three weeks from today and every three weeks through March 2022, I'll go in for only a monoclonal antibody infusion. The drug is called trastuzamab (a.k.a. herceptin, I believe), and it is not a chemo drug so it won't have all the awful side effects of chemotherapy. From what I understand, this antibody therapy targets HER2+ cancer cells, which is the type of breast cancer I was diagnosed with. If I remember correctly, it basically decreases the chance even more of cancer returning. So I say: Bring it on!! And in October, I have my final (I hope!) reconstructive surgery, which a couple of friends who went through this process a year ago said is a walk in the park compared to the first surgery and chemo (and radiation for one of them).

Thank you SO MUCH to all of you for walking virtually through this cancer journey by my side, supporting me, encouraging me, praying for me, bringing meals, sending cards and gifts to cheer me up, etc. I thank God for each and every one of you!! 🙏 You've been a blessing to me!!

I'm going to end with a passage that has given me strength throughout this journey.

Do you not know?
    Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
    the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
    and His understanding no one can fathom.
He gives strength to the weary
    and increases the power of the weak.
Even youths grow tired and weary,
    and young men stumble and fall;
but those who hope in the Lord
    will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
    they will run and not grow weary,
    they will walk and not be faint.

—Isaiah 40:28–31

Thanks for checking in! ❤️ God's blessings to you!