Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Happy Birthday to Me!
Oh wow, it's been 5 months since I've posted. Sorry about that.
Quick version of the last five months.....
Radiation went fine, no major problems and very little fatigue. Had a fabulous 2 week trip to Hawaii in May. Helped out at school teaching sex ed for the last couple weeks of the school year. It was fun feeling like a celebrity on campus! Been enjoying the summer with Jet, going on little trips, visiting family in Michigan. I've especially enjoyed reconnecting with some old friends that I've known since I was a kid and watching our own kids play together.
On the medical front, I've continued receiving Herceptin infusions every 3 weeks and I only have 1 or 2 more. I started taking Tamoxifen in May and so far, so good. No real side effects. I also had a mammogram and ultrasound on both breasts on Friday and everything was clear!
In general, I've been feeling pretty good. I'm trying to keep up with exercise and a healthy diet. Some days/weeks are more successful than others.
In 2 days I will start back to work full time. I'm looking forward to being with my awesome coworkers again. And I'm looking forward to having a regular, consistent schedule again. But it will be quite a transition from the fairly relaxed life I've been leading for the past year to the fast paced, full steam ahead, suck-every-ounce-of-energy-and-brain-power-you-have daily existence that is teaching middle school.
And today I turned 41. It's one year and one day since my first surgery. I don't feel like or think of myself as a cancer patient anymore. In fact, sometimes, it's hard for me to believe that it ever really happened. But even so, when I blew out my birthday candle tonight, my wish was 'no more cancer'. .
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Radiation Begins
You would think that with all my free time, it would be so easy for me to keep up with my blog posts. But alas, the more time I have to do nothing, the more nothing I do. And there hasn't been all that much to report either.
All the cells in the tissue that was removed from the last surgery were healthy, so that's good.
I had all my preliminary appointments to get me ready for radiation in the last couple of weeks.
I got my little tattoos, two tiny black freckles, one right in the middle of my sternum and one over on the far side of my breast. The actual radiation treatments started yesterday.
The whole process is pretty simple. I change into a robe and wait in the special waiting room for the radiology dept. Then I go into a room with all kinds of machines and radiation warning signs and lie down on a table. I pull one arm out of the gown and raise it above my head. A red laser light shines down on me and the nice people move me around a little bit until I'm lined up just right. Then a big machine points at my boob from one side, makes some noise for a few seconds, moves to the other side. makes some more noise, and then I'm done. I don't feel anything happening but I guess it is because the nice people make sure they leave the room before the machine does its thing.
All pretty simple though I do have to go every weekday for 6 weeks. So no travel for me over Spring Break. Side effects I should expect are just skin reddening like a sunburn and fatigue. I've been given some special cream and told to apply it 4 times a day to help with the burning.
("Rub lotion on my breast 4 times a day doctor? If you insist.")
I'm also supposed to keep up with regular exercise to combat the fatigue but I shouldn't try to lose any weight. (hallelujah!) And I'm not supposed to wear a bra or go swimming/hot tubbing.
A funny story about that. I met another radiation patient this morning as I was coming into the center. We were sharing what kind of cancer we had and she asked me if I'd had to have a double mastectomy. I told her no, that I was really lucky and just had a lumpectomy but I wondered why she would ask that. Later when I caught a glimpse of how flat chested I look in my t-shirt with no bra, I realized she had asked that because I look like I've had a double mastectomy. Awesome.
Anyway, after 2 treatments, I'm a little sore and a little itchy but nothing major. Energy level is fine. (Hey I'm finally blogging, right?)
The best thing about finally starting radiation is that we can begin planning our done-with-cancer-treatment trip to Hawaii! So if you need me in the first half of May - that's where you'll find me.
All the cells in the tissue that was removed from the last surgery were healthy, so that's good.
I had all my preliminary appointments to get me ready for radiation in the last couple of weeks.
I got my little tattoos, two tiny black freckles, one right in the middle of my sternum and one over on the far side of my breast. The actual radiation treatments started yesterday.
The whole process is pretty simple. I change into a robe and wait in the special waiting room for the radiology dept. Then I go into a room with all kinds of machines and radiation warning signs and lie down on a table. I pull one arm out of the gown and raise it above my head. A red laser light shines down on me and the nice people move me around a little bit until I'm lined up just right. Then a big machine points at my boob from one side, makes some noise for a few seconds, moves to the other side. makes some more noise, and then I'm done. I don't feel anything happening but I guess it is because the nice people make sure they leave the room before the machine does its thing.
All pretty simple though I do have to go every weekday for 6 weeks. So no travel for me over Spring Break. Side effects I should expect are just skin reddening like a sunburn and fatigue. I've been given some special cream and told to apply it 4 times a day to help with the burning.
("Rub lotion on my breast 4 times a day doctor? If you insist.")
I'm also supposed to keep up with regular exercise to combat the fatigue but I shouldn't try to lose any weight. (hallelujah!) And I'm not supposed to wear a bra or go swimming/hot tubbing.
A funny story about that. I met another radiation patient this morning as I was coming into the center. We were sharing what kind of cancer we had and she asked me if I'd had to have a double mastectomy. I told her no, that I was really lucky and just had a lumpectomy but I wondered why she would ask that. Later when I caught a glimpse of how flat chested I look in my t-shirt with no bra, I realized she had asked that because I look like I've had a double mastectomy. Awesome.
Anyway, after 2 treatments, I'm a little sore and a little itchy but nothing major. Energy level is fine. (Hey I'm finally blogging, right?)
The best thing about finally starting radiation is that we can begin planning our done-with-cancer-treatment trip to Hawaii! So if you need me in the first half of May - that's where you'll find me.
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Post-Op
Well, surgery on Thursday went swimmingly. And the recovery has been super easy! Like surprisingly, remarkably easy. As in the day after surgery I walked a couple miles going into town and back, made dinner and only took ibuprofen once. Then the next day we threw a birthday party for Jet and 20 friends and then later got dressed up and went out to a grown up birthday party until late that night! Also awesome is that my boob looks fine. After the warning my doctor gave me I was prepared for a bid dent or something but it looks just the same as before. :D
Now I just have to wait for the pathology report, which I should get in a few days.
Now I just have to wait for the pathology report, which I should get in a few days.
Friday, February 10, 2012
Surgery Next Week
Another month gap in posting. No real excuse this time just not that much going on. There was some debate over whether or not to proceed with my second surgery. My surgeon got some second opinions from her "tumor board" and I had another mammogram to help clarify whether or not it was necessary to go back in to remove more tissue. She said that the results weren't conclusive but that her gut feeling was that we should do it. I figure she's the hot shit surgeon that every raves about being "the best", so if her gut feeling says do it, then I'm not going to object.
She did warn me that it would not come out as cosmetically nice as the first surgery. That first surgery actually came out amazing, way better than I expected. Except for a couple scars, my boob hardly looks any different than before. I guess after this next one it will probably look a bit deformed but at least I get to keep it.
So I'm scheduled for this coming Thursday morning (2/16) not so conveniently just 2 days before Jet's birthday party. I was up and around pretty quickly after the last surgery and this one should be even easier so I'm not too concerned about it.
Other than that, I've been feeling fine. Energy level is pretty good, I try to get some exercise almost every day. Usually it's just walking or hiking or an occasional Zumba class. Finger tips are still tingly, finger nails are still separating from the nail bed but I don't think I'll actually lose any. (but man do they look disgusting) My muscles feel real tight most of the time but that is slowly getting better. The hot flashes continue but are getting less frequent. I think my ovaries may be coming back on line.
I've been reading a bunch and going out to lunch a lot. Getting errands done and making dinner more often. Pretty simple stuff. More importantly, I'm much more accepting of how I spend my time and not feeling guilty for unproductive days. That's a small breakthrough for me.
I've also got some hair growing on my head! But I'll save that for another post. :)
She did warn me that it would not come out as cosmetically nice as the first surgery. That first surgery actually came out amazing, way better than I expected. Except for a couple scars, my boob hardly looks any different than before. I guess after this next one it will probably look a bit deformed but at least I get to keep it.
So I'm scheduled for this coming Thursday morning (2/16) not so conveniently just 2 days before Jet's birthday party. I was up and around pretty quickly after the last surgery and this one should be even easier so I'm not too concerned about it.
Other than that, I've been feeling fine. Energy level is pretty good, I try to get some exercise almost every day. Usually it's just walking or hiking or an occasional Zumba class. Finger tips are still tingly, finger nails are still separating from the nail bed but I don't think I'll actually lose any. (but man do they look disgusting) My muscles feel real tight most of the time but that is slowly getting better. The hot flashes continue but are getting less frequent. I think my ovaries may be coming back on line.
I've been reading a bunch and going out to lunch a lot. Getting errands done and making dinner more often. Pretty simple stuff. More importantly, I'm much more accepting of how I spend my time and not feeling guilty for unproductive days. That's a small breakthrough for me.
I've also got some hair growing on my head! But I'll save that for another post. :)
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
DONE WITH CHEMO!!!!
Sorry, it's been an entire month since I posted. I will use the holidays as my excuse and I'm sticking with that. It's been an eventful month though!
After my last pitiful post things got much better. I had a couple of weeks of feeling quite good. During those two weeks I spent a wonderful, relaxing weekend at Harbin Hot Springs with a large group of good friends, had a great time with my dear sister and awesome nieces who were visiting from Michigan, and celebrated Christmas.
Then on Dec. 28th I went in for my LAST chemo treatment! Hooray! (Thank you, Jen Gebbie, for hanging with me :) Interestingly, during that last treatment, I had an allergic reaction to one of my chemo drugs. A few minutes after they hooked up my last bag of fluids for the day, my palms and soles of my feet started to get really itchy. When I mentioned it to my nurse he immediately turned off my IV and then quickly switched out my chemo drug for a bag of liquid bendryl. I guess some people can have pretty serious, even anaphylactic, allergic reactions so they are real quick to respond. Mine cleared up with the benadryl and didn't pose any more problem other than the need for a serious nap. I assumed that any kind of reaction would happen the first time you received a new drug but apparently you can develop a hypersensitivity to some drugs over time. Fortunately this was my last treatment so they don't have to worry about finding a different chemo drug to replace that one.
New Years Eve was a few days after my last treatment and I didn't have high expectations for my ability to stay up late and party. But I rallied and dressed up fancy for a great party hosted by my friend Nicole. I had a blast and basically just ignored the parts of me that weren't feeling good. I didn't get to bed until almost 4am!
Last week Jet and I spent a few days in Bakersfield with our dear friends, the Hawkers. It was great to just hang out and be mellow and let the kids play together. The other fun thing about Bakersfield is I get to visit with my old friend Bill. He and I dated 25 years ago and just reconnected last year. (thank you Facebook)
I also got a wonderful present! A big group of friends pitched in and got me a beautiful Spirit Hood, which is one of those big furry hats with the long scarf and pockets. But this is not one of those cheap knock offs you find at Target, this is one of the fancy, original ones.
It is super warm and super cute and I love it! (and I had fun taking silly pictures in it!)
So tomorrow will be 2 weeks since my last treatment and I'm feeling pretty good. Just a couple of lingering side effects. One is tingly fingertips and sore nail beds. Sometimes walking is painful on my toes and I think I might lose one fingernail. I still have the weepy eyes which is mostly just annoying. My energy level is so-so but I have managed to be pretty productive the last couple of days. And then there's the hot flashes, which started during the last round.
I get them pretty frequently and they sometimes keep me up at night but they actually make me thankful that I'm bald. Taking off my hat helps cool me off very effectively. I wish I could say I'll be done with the hot flashes when all the chemo wears off but they are also a side effect of the Tamoxifen that I'll be taking for the next 5 years.
The next phase of this battle of mine will be another surgery and then radiation. I don't know about the timing of those but I should in a few days. I meet with my surgeon on Thursday and my oncologist on Friday. But for now I'm focusing on getting back into some regular exercise, eating more reasonably and creating a more regular schedule for myself. I'm thinking of looking into some volunteer work and maybe an education class to earn some units.
Even though I still have a ways to go, I feel like the worst is past me. I can't even say that any of it has been truly horrible. Distinctly unpleasant for sure, but not horrible. And I'm surrounded and supported by such wonderful, loving people from every facet of my life; family, friends, coworkers, neighbors, medical staff, just everyone. Even in the midst of all this cancer bullshit, I still feel totally blessed.
After my last pitiful post things got much better. I had a couple of weeks of feeling quite good. During those two weeks I spent a wonderful, relaxing weekend at Harbin Hot Springs with a large group of good friends, had a great time with my dear sister and awesome nieces who were visiting from Michigan, and celebrated Christmas.
Then on Dec. 28th I went in for my LAST chemo treatment! Hooray! (Thank you, Jen Gebbie, for hanging with me :) Interestingly, during that last treatment, I had an allergic reaction to one of my chemo drugs. A few minutes after they hooked up my last bag of fluids for the day, my palms and soles of my feet started to get really itchy. When I mentioned it to my nurse he immediately turned off my IV and then quickly switched out my chemo drug for a bag of liquid bendryl. I guess some people can have pretty serious, even anaphylactic, allergic reactions so they are real quick to respond. Mine cleared up with the benadryl and didn't pose any more problem other than the need for a serious nap. I assumed that any kind of reaction would happen the first time you received a new drug but apparently you can develop a hypersensitivity to some drugs over time. Fortunately this was my last treatment so they don't have to worry about finding a different chemo drug to replace that one.
New Years Eve was a few days after my last treatment and I didn't have high expectations for my ability to stay up late and party. But I rallied and dressed up fancy for a great party hosted by my friend Nicole. I had a blast and basically just ignored the parts of me that weren't feeling good. I didn't get to bed until almost 4am!
Last week Jet and I spent a few days in Bakersfield with our dear friends, the Hawkers. It was great to just hang out and be mellow and let the kids play together. The other fun thing about Bakersfield is I get to visit with my old friend Bill. He and I dated 25 years ago and just reconnected last year. (thank you Facebook)
I also got a wonderful present! A big group of friends pitched in and got me a beautiful Spirit Hood, which is one of those big furry hats with the long scarf and pockets. But this is not one of those cheap knock offs you find at Target, this is one of the fancy, original ones.
It is super warm and super cute and I love it! (and I had fun taking silly pictures in it!)
So tomorrow will be 2 weeks since my last treatment and I'm feeling pretty good. Just a couple of lingering side effects. One is tingly fingertips and sore nail beds. Sometimes walking is painful on my toes and I think I might lose one fingernail. I still have the weepy eyes which is mostly just annoying. My energy level is so-so but I have managed to be pretty productive the last couple of days. And then there's the hot flashes, which started during the last round.
I get them pretty frequently and they sometimes keep me up at night but they actually make me thankful that I'm bald. Taking off my hat helps cool me off very effectively. I wish I could say I'll be done with the hot flashes when all the chemo wears off but they are also a side effect of the Tamoxifen that I'll be taking for the next 5 years.
The next phase of this battle of mine will be another surgery and then radiation. I don't know about the timing of those but I should in a few days. I meet with my surgeon on Thursday and my oncologist on Friday. But for now I'm focusing on getting back into some regular exercise, eating more reasonably and creating a more regular schedule for myself. I'm thinking of looking into some volunteer work and maybe an education class to earn some units.
Even though I still have a ways to go, I feel like the worst is past me. I can't even say that any of it has been truly horrible. Distinctly unpleasant for sure, but not horrible. And I'm surrounded and supported by such wonderful, loving people from every facet of my life; family, friends, coworkers, neighbors, medical staff, just everyone. Even in the midst of all this cancer bullshit, I still feel totally blessed.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)