So here's the short of it,
I'm a bit less tired.

And here's the long

I seem to have had a bit more energy today.  I took an Atavan last night before I went to bed, and had a good sleep.  I've read some kind of negative things about it, but since I'm not taking it very often, and it really helps me relax, I'm fine.  Today I read on the Breast Cancer site that exercise actually helps combat the fatigue that comes with the chemotherapy and radiation.  I took Sophie out for a walk when there was a break in the rain this afternoon.  Of course she got really muddy playing with her girlfriends who live on the circle,  so she got a shower when we came back in.  I made a discovery.  Lots of her fur, even some places where it's white, is really dark and only colored on the tips of the hair shaft.  I didn't notice this when she was younger. 

I've tried several things to calm the burning left over from the boost radiation.  Neither the petroleum jelly Dr, Gefter recommended nor the unpetroleum jelly that I made help at all.  The corn starch works OK but I've finally settled on using olive oil.  I heard an older woman on the radio talking about having never used cosmetics because her skin was so sensitive.  She said her beauty routine was to wash her face every night and use olive oil.  I thought, well, that's worth a try!  It's done better than anything else so that's what I'm using for now.  I'm also keeping that piece of gauze at the place where the band of my bra rubs on the burn - or if I don't have on a bra, it's skin against skin.  (Thanks for that suggestion Aunt Frances).  I'm also taking some tylenol every once in awhile.  This all seems to be helping me stay pretty comfortable now, with just a few episodes of discomfort.

 This Wednesday I have an appointment with my medical oncologist, Dr. Schlabach.  I've got lots of questions for him.  I know for sure we'll be talking about the next drug on the list which will be Tamoxifen or an Aromatase inhibitor.  I don't really know when that will occur.  I had thought it would not begin until after I finished Herceptin, and I have 21 more weeks of that - but I never asked.  Some other patients have told me that it begins right away after the radiation.  It will be whatever it will be!