So a bunch of things have happened since my last entry.
I scheduled my follow-up MRI for two weeks from today. I am terrified to get the results. The actual test is no picnic either, but I am scared they will find that the radiation did not get rid of all the cancer! Please cross your fingers & toes, send good vibes, prayers etc. I will need all the positivity possible to keep me going. Whenever I have tests my stomach goes nuts! I can hardly eat, and I spend a lot of time in the bathroom. Maybe I will lose pound or two of the nearly 12 pounds I have gained thus far.
About two weeks ago I finally got my meet my new friend, Marjorie Stromberg Miller. The wife of one of my childhood friends, who is also a fellow breast cancer survivor. Please follow her blog as well... http://marjiepinkandpearls.blogspot.com/ She is such an inspiration and has done so much to educate the public about the young women effected by this disease.
She has made several connections throughout the past two years and one of those is with Fighting Pretty https://www.facebook.com/?ref=logo#!/FightingPretty?fref=ts They are a group that helps women fighting cancer to feel strong, and beautiful every day! They send out pretty packages to women fighting cancer full of wonderful things to boost their mood and make them feel pretty! Below is a picture of my package (minus the fun water bottle. It was in the dishwasher because I use it so often!) Yes, that is lace underwear in the middle and the thing that looks like a rose is an awesome neon pink scarf with leopard-print trim. Getting the package was such a surprise and truly came on a day that I needed a boost. The best part is the mini-pink boxing gloves. The women who started the group ask that each recipient hold onto the gloves while they are going through their fight. Once they are finished, they write their name on them and send them on to another woman who needs them to help her through her fight and so on. I think that is so cool. What a neat way to connect women who may never meet. Thank you Marjie and Fighting Pretty for my package. I love it!
On June 22 I went to Relay for Life and participated as a SURVIVOR! It was very hard for me. I did not talk to many people. I did meet another young woman, named Meredith, who is in her early 30s, has a four year old and two year old daughter and was only 3 weeks post DOUBLE mastectomy! I was shocked she was walking laps around the track. I did feel an immediate connection with her and we shared our stories but other than that I felt like hiding. I cannot explain it, but I am not ready to be part of the survivor's community. It is too overwhelming still. I appreciated my friend Carolyn for including me (she runs the event at North Penn High School) but I think I need to hold off on events like that for a while. I am not ready to identify myself in that way. All in good time.... Below is a picture (from left to right) of me going through my bag-o-goodies, signing the pink, Survivor's Fire Truck, walking the survivor's lap around the track and Frank and Huddy watching mommy walk.
Have I mentioned how awesome my husband is? Well, if not, he is AMAZING! He is so supportive, comes to any appointment I ask him to, cleans up around the house, does yard work, takes care of Hudson, etc, etc. We have had a difficult three years, and he has been by my side all along. Even when I was bloody, incoherent from Morphine, drains were hanging from my body and I was unable to take myself to the bathroom or even get out of bed. He has put up with major mood swings, crying, yelling, cursing, and sometimes laughing. I may not always let him know, but I am very grateful to have him in my life. (I am very lucky to have all my family and friends as well!)
When he got home from work last Monday, after my chemo treatment, he walked in with these lovely flowers just because. He got them at Produce Junction in three different bunches because he knows I love to arrange flowers into vases myself. He figured I would need something to do the following day while I was going crazy from the steroid power! He was right. I spent more than a half hour messing with them and I thought they looked pretty nice. They are still alive and going strong a week later :)
Treatment went smoothly today. I did not have to see the doctor today so that saved more than an hour. I am hoping there will be more weeks in the future when I can skip the doctor and just do treatment. It makes everything so much faster.
I just took an Ambien. Sweet dreams everyone!
