WARNING!!
I start radiation tomorrow and after my first treatment I will no longer be able to shave or wear deodorant under my right arm. I apologize in advance to anyone who may have to come in contact with me over the next 5 weeks. On the bright side, there is a good chance that my armpit hair may stop growing during treatment and may NEVER return. That would be a side effect I would consider a perk! Also, my amount of sweat could increase, decrease or cease all together. I am hoping for the latter! I will be sure to fill everyone in after my first few treatments.
Wednesday, August 13, 2014
Tuesday, August 5, 2014
Pity Party
*Disclaimer* I would like to apologize to all the people who have been awed by my ability to smile, laugh, make a joke and be strong throughout this whole journey. This entry will shed some light on the other side of things. Everyone has those days when shit hits the fan, everything that can go wrong does, and you lose it!
Here's what happened....
I had a personal pity party! I cried, yelled obscenities, threw things (I was able to muster up some restraint because I only threw the phone and remotes into the couch cushions), called my mom and cried some more and then threw myself on the couch for a good 15 minutes and blubbered into the pillow. Then it was over. I felt much better, although I was exhausted. Crying has always taken a lot of out me. Maybe because when I cry, I really cry. Tears pour out in buckets, my nose runs like a waterfall and my whole body shakes. It is not a pretty site. Thankfully, Frank was still at work when this happened, and I think Hudson was napping (pretty bad I can't keep track of my kid!).
Here's why it happened...
On July 22 I went for my follow-up appointment at Fox Chase. I had to get a current PET scan before the doctors felt comfortable deciding if I should have radiation. I went to the appointment alone (which does not happen often, but I had met everyone before and felt fine with whatever decision would be made). My doctor said my PET scan looked great, no signs of cancer anywhere! That was great news. However, because my cancer is not typical in any way and I am so young, the team felt it would be a good idea to be aggressive (hopefully more so than the cancer) and radiate any possible, invisible cells floating around. I was fine with the decision, made my appointment for my radiation plan and called Frank to give him the update. No big deal, everything was going to be easier than chemo. So I would be tired. I am ALWAYS tired. I will just drink more coffee!
Then I got a phone call which set me on my pity party track. The day after my appointment I had a message from my radiation oncologist. She needed me to call her back as soon as possible (heart and stomach sank, vomit moving up into my throat). When a doctor you needs you to call them back, the news is never anything you want to hear!
My doctor had spoken with her chemist and he was not comfortable radiating over my port. (For those of you just joining this blog...My port was originally inserted on the left, but had to be moved to the right due to infection. The cancer was in my right breast, so now the port is laying right in the radiation area!) I needed to get my port removed immediately or radiation could not occur. It has something to do with the metal inside and the radiation bouncing off of the metal uncontrollably (probably something I would like to avoid!).
Hence the pity party...After hanging up with my doctor, I was in shock, and really angry. What can't anything go smoothly for me? I am so tired of having road blocks throughout EVERY part of this process. Most of the time I laugh it off. Oh well, it is what it is. Not this time. Ten minutes after getting off the phone with Fox Chase, I called the radiation department at Methodist to schedule the appointment for removal. The woman who answered the phone with an attitude, not what I needed. She told me I couldn't schedule, my doctor had to. She actually said, "Who told you to call? You aren't a doctor. (with a tone!)." That was all it took. I began fighting back tears, told the woman she was a bitch and reminded her that she chose a job answering the phone for patients who have health issues and she should really work on her delivery! Then I hung up and called my oncologist's office. Thankfully, the secretary was able to help me out and was very calming as I tried to tell her what I needed through my tears. After I hung up the previously mentioned pity party occurred.
I always try to find the silver lining in all of this cancer crap, so here is what Frank, my husband, helped me realize.
1. I will no longer need to go down to Methodist every 6 weeks to get my port flushed. That means no extra half days off work!
2. I no longer have to worry about Hudson, my son, accidentally hitting, punching, or pushing on my port. Let me tell you, it does NOT feel good.
UPDATE:
I had my port removed on Monday, July 28th with no issues. On Friday, August 1st I had my radiation plan. The planning took about an hour. I already love my tech, Mike. He has a great personality and made the process really easy. I was very stressed out about getting the tattoos (which are used to ensure that the lasers are lined up in the same place for each treatment). He waited to do them until the very end and he talked me through the whole process. They only pinched for a few seconds and are not too ugly. They look like little blue freckles. I already have thousands of brown freckles, so what's a few more dots on my body?
My first treatment will be Thursday, August 14 at 2pm. First treatments take longer and are newbies are scheduled at 2 to make sure they have enough time to get everything done (according to Mike the tech). After that, I will go at 7:45am for 24 more treatments. I should mention that I am going to Fox Chase Buckingham (not Jefferson) which is only about 20/25 mins from my house. I also get to drive on back, twisting, farm roads instead of the highway. WAY LESS STRESSFUL! I should be finished on Sept. 18. Then hopefully all the treatments and surgeries will be over and all I will have to do is go to check-ups and get 1 mammogram, 1 breast MRI and 1 back MRI each year. No biggie!
Here's what happened....
I had a personal pity party! I cried, yelled obscenities, threw things (I was able to muster up some restraint because I only threw the phone and remotes into the couch cushions), called my mom and cried some more and then threw myself on the couch for a good 15 minutes and blubbered into the pillow. Then it was over. I felt much better, although I was exhausted. Crying has always taken a lot of out me. Maybe because when I cry, I really cry. Tears pour out in buckets, my nose runs like a waterfall and my whole body shakes. It is not a pretty site. Thankfully, Frank was still at work when this happened, and I think Hudson was napping (pretty bad I can't keep track of my kid!).
Here's why it happened...
On July 22 I went for my follow-up appointment at Fox Chase. I had to get a current PET scan before the doctors felt comfortable deciding if I should have radiation. I went to the appointment alone (which does not happen often, but I had met everyone before and felt fine with whatever decision would be made). My doctor said my PET scan looked great, no signs of cancer anywhere! That was great news. However, because my cancer is not typical in any way and I am so young, the team felt it would be a good idea to be aggressive (hopefully more so than the cancer) and radiate any possible, invisible cells floating around. I was fine with the decision, made my appointment for my radiation plan and called Frank to give him the update. No big deal, everything was going to be easier than chemo. So I would be tired. I am ALWAYS tired. I will just drink more coffee!
Then I got a phone call which set me on my pity party track. The day after my appointment I had a message from my radiation oncologist. She needed me to call her back as soon as possible (heart and stomach sank, vomit moving up into my throat). When a doctor you needs you to call them back, the news is never anything you want to hear!
My doctor had spoken with her chemist and he was not comfortable radiating over my port. (For those of you just joining this blog...My port was originally inserted on the left, but had to be moved to the right due to infection. The cancer was in my right breast, so now the port is laying right in the radiation area!) I needed to get my port removed immediately or radiation could not occur. It has something to do with the metal inside and the radiation bouncing off of the metal uncontrollably (probably something I would like to avoid!).
Hence the pity party...After hanging up with my doctor, I was in shock, and really angry. What can't anything go smoothly for me? I am so tired of having road blocks throughout EVERY part of this process. Most of the time I laugh it off. Oh well, it is what it is. Not this time. Ten minutes after getting off the phone with Fox Chase, I called the radiation department at Methodist to schedule the appointment for removal. The woman who answered the phone with an attitude, not what I needed. She told me I couldn't schedule, my doctor had to. She actually said, "Who told you to call? You aren't a doctor. (with a tone!)." That was all it took. I began fighting back tears, told the woman she was a bitch and reminded her that she chose a job answering the phone for patients who have health issues and she should really work on her delivery! Then I hung up and called my oncologist's office. Thankfully, the secretary was able to help me out and was very calming as I tried to tell her what I needed through my tears. After I hung up the previously mentioned pity party occurred.
I always try to find the silver lining in all of this cancer crap, so here is what Frank, my husband, helped me realize.
1. I will no longer need to go down to Methodist every 6 weeks to get my port flushed. That means no extra half days off work!
2. I no longer have to worry about Hudson, my son, accidentally hitting, punching, or pushing on my port. Let me tell you, it does NOT feel good.
UPDATE:
I had my port removed on Monday, July 28th with no issues. On Friday, August 1st I had my radiation plan. The planning took about an hour. I already love my tech, Mike. He has a great personality and made the process really easy. I was very stressed out about getting the tattoos (which are used to ensure that the lasers are lined up in the same place for each treatment). He waited to do them until the very end and he talked me through the whole process. They only pinched for a few seconds and are not too ugly. They look like little blue freckles. I already have thousands of brown freckles, so what's a few more dots on my body?
My first treatment will be Thursday, August 14 at 2pm. First treatments take longer and are newbies are scheduled at 2 to make sure they have enough time to get everything done (according to Mike the tech). After that, I will go at 7:45am for 24 more treatments. I should mention that I am going to Fox Chase Buckingham (not Jefferson) which is only about 20/25 mins from my house. I also get to drive on back, twisting, farm roads instead of the highway. WAY LESS STRESSFUL! I should be finished on Sept. 18. Then hopefully all the treatments and surgeries will be over and all I will have to do is go to check-ups and get 1 mammogram, 1 breast MRI and 1 back MRI each year. No biggie!
Sunday, June 8, 2014
Reaching a Milestone and Other Stuff
April 21, 2014 will now go down in my personal history books as the day of my LAST infusion!!! 13 LONG months, 30 infusions, 2 pictures.
Picture 1. First infusion - March 7, 2013...typing away on a blog entry.
Picture 2. Last infusion - April 21, 2014 - shorter hair, 25 pounds heavier, but feeling much lighter knowing that a HUGE part of my treatment is over!!
When I came into work the day following my treatment, this is what I found in the faculty room! I cannot say it enough, I love where I work and the people I work with. THANK YOU for all you have done for me over the past several years.
April 23 marked my third wedding anniversary so I figured that would be the perfect date to have my next surgery (I hope you sense the sarcasm in that statement). It was either that date or wait another three weeks. My husband Frank and I discussed this and we both agreed the sooner the surgery, the sooner the radiation and the sooner this would be over. We will have more anniversaries. We can celebrate properly then. We did stop by at our wedding church and ate dinner at the same restaurant we had our rehearsal dinner a few days before our actual anniversary. Here are a few pictures we took. The magnolia tree was in many of our wedding photos. Sadly it got a little damaged during this past winter's ice storms, but it is still beautiful.
The surgery I had was to remove the lymph nodes from my right armpit that had previously been infected with the breast cancer. The nodes did not light up during my last PETscan so doctors were hopeful that removing them would just be to reassure everyone that the cancer was indeed dead. I won't keep you waited anymore....my lymph nodes were just calcification and scar tissue. The cancer was DEAD! The chemo worked. This also helps put my doctors and me at ease about my back as well. Since the chemo alone killed the cancer in my armpit, then most likely the tumor in my back (which had chemo and radiation) is dead as well! All of my doctors are happy and so am I!
The surgery, and preparations and my recuperation all went smoothly. (Keep in mind that I have had countless procedures and doctors appointments over the past five years, so my view on all this may be skewed, but I was happy considering everything).
Step 1. Pre-op testing - I needed an EKG, chest X-ray and blood work. All standard before any surgery. The EKG literally took less than two minutes. It took longer to hook up the wires than do the test. The x-ray was quick too. The lobby was packed so I thought for sure I would be waiting a while. Thankfully they called my name before everyone else and the x-ray was a five minute thing. The blood work was painless because they were able to draw it right through my port before my infusion. It also saved my vein from another prick (or 3).
The morning of my surgery my in-laws came over early so we could leave. They took care of getting Hudson to daycare
We arrived at the hospital around 8am and everything went very smoothly.
First perk to the day...the other surgeon who was scheduled before my surgery had a cancellation. My surgery was moved up by several hours!
The normal IV nurse was out sick. That may not seem like a perk, but it was. It meant that I had to get my IV put in at anesthesia. They use lidocaine before actually inserting the giant needle needed for administering surgical drugs. I did NOT feel a thing! PERK!
They rolled me back to the ER around 9:15am. Only an hour and fifteen minutes after I checked in!!! In hospital time that is like 5 minutes. Another pleasant surprise.
The surgery took about 2 hours. My surgeon was able to easily locate the lymph nodes and remove them with no trouble (after they found a way to hold my lat-flap out of the way, haha). I was originally told I would wake up with a drain to help prevent fluid build-up and that I would have to stay over night. Thankfully, NEITHER thing happened. The area affected by the surgery was much smaller than expected so I did not have a drain. Since everything else went smoothly and I had time in the afternoon in recovery, my doctor felt comfortable sending me home to sleep in my own bed! I did not have to spend the night away from Hudson :) I was one happy mommy.
The first two nights following the surgery were a little rough. I had a tough time sleeping more than two hours at a time. Thank God for DVR and On Demand. I caught up on all my shows in the middle of the night and then spent the next two days acclimating to a normal person's schedule. Frank slept in the guest room and took the monitor with him so that Huddy would not wake me up in the middle of the night. I also needed space and lots of pillows to make sure my armpit was comfortably padded.
I went for my first follow-up a week after surgery and my doctor was very happy with how things were healing. A few weeks later I went back and everything looked great. I was cleared to continue back to my normal PT plan and I am back there regaining my strength.
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Many weeks have passed since I started this entry. Life has been crazy busy but much more normal again. It has been more than 6 weeks since my last infusion and my body is just started to feel like the one I used to know. My joints hurt less, my back is not as tight and I feel that my energy level is climbing back up closer to normal!
Picture 1. First infusion - March 7, 2013...typing away on a blog entry.
Picture 2. Last infusion - April 21, 2014 - shorter hair, 25 pounds heavier, but feeling much lighter knowing that a HUGE part of my treatment is over!!
When I came into work the day following my treatment, this is what I found in the faculty room! I cannot say it enough, I love where I work and the people I work with. THANK YOU for all you have done for me over the past several years.
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April 23 marked my third wedding anniversary so I figured that would be the perfect date to have my next surgery (I hope you sense the sarcasm in that statement). It was either that date or wait another three weeks. My husband Frank and I discussed this and we both agreed the sooner the surgery, the sooner the radiation and the sooner this would be over. We will have more anniversaries. We can celebrate properly then. We did stop by at our wedding church and ate dinner at the same restaurant we had our rehearsal dinner a few days before our actual anniversary. Here are a few pictures we took. The magnolia tree was in many of our wedding photos. Sadly it got a little damaged during this past winter's ice storms, but it is still beautiful. The surgery I had was to remove the lymph nodes from my right armpit that had previously been infected with the breast cancer. The nodes did not light up during my last PETscan so doctors were hopeful that removing them would just be to reassure everyone that the cancer was indeed dead. I won't keep you waited anymore....my lymph nodes were just calcification and scar tissue. The cancer was DEAD! The chemo worked. This also helps put my doctors and me at ease about my back as well. Since the chemo alone killed the cancer in my armpit, then most likely the tumor in my back (which had chemo and radiation) is dead as well! All of my doctors are happy and so am I!
The surgery, and preparations and my recuperation all went smoothly. (Keep in mind that I have had countless procedures and doctors appointments over the past five years, so my view on all this may be skewed, but I was happy considering everything).
Step 1. Pre-op testing - I needed an EKG, chest X-ray and blood work. All standard before any surgery. The EKG literally took less than two minutes. It took longer to hook up the wires than do the test. The x-ray was quick too. The lobby was packed so I thought for sure I would be waiting a while. Thankfully they called my name before everyone else and the x-ray was a five minute thing. The blood work was painless because they were able to draw it right through my port before my infusion. It also saved my vein from another prick (or 3).
The morning of my surgery my in-laws came over early so we could leave. They took care of getting Hudson to daycare
We arrived at the hospital around 8am and everything went very smoothly.
First perk to the day...the other surgeon who was scheduled before my surgery had a cancellation. My surgery was moved up by several hours!
The normal IV nurse was out sick. That may not seem like a perk, but it was. It meant that I had to get my IV put in at anesthesia. They use lidocaine before actually inserting the giant needle needed for administering surgical drugs. I did NOT feel a thing! PERK!
They rolled me back to the ER around 9:15am. Only an hour and fifteen minutes after I checked in!!! In hospital time that is like 5 minutes. Another pleasant surprise.
The surgery took about 2 hours. My surgeon was able to easily locate the lymph nodes and remove them with no trouble (after they found a way to hold my lat-flap out of the way, haha). I was originally told I would wake up with a drain to help prevent fluid build-up and that I would have to stay over night. Thankfully, NEITHER thing happened. The area affected by the surgery was much smaller than expected so I did not have a drain. Since everything else went smoothly and I had time in the afternoon in recovery, my doctor felt comfortable sending me home to sleep in my own bed! I did not have to spend the night away from Hudson :) I was one happy mommy.
The first two nights following the surgery were a little rough. I had a tough time sleeping more than two hours at a time. Thank God for DVR and On Demand. I caught up on all my shows in the middle of the night and then spent the next two days acclimating to a normal person's schedule. Frank slept in the guest room and took the monitor with him so that Huddy would not wake me up in the middle of the night. I also needed space and lots of pillows to make sure my armpit was comfortably padded.
I went for my first follow-up a week after surgery and my doctor was very happy with how things were healing. A few weeks later I went back and everything looked great. I was cleared to continue back to my normal PT plan and I am back there regaining my strength.
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Many weeks have passed since I started this entry. Life has been crazy busy but much more normal again. It has been more than 6 weeks since my last infusion and my body is just started to feel like the one I used to know. My joints hurt less, my back is not as tight and I feel that my energy level is climbing back up closer to normal!
Monday, February 3, 2014
News and what comes next
Since it has been a month since I received GOOD news (for once) I thought maybe I should share it. I have been telling people in person as I see them, but I have not let myself sit down and actually type this all out. Maybe it is because I am somewhat still in denial, maybe it is because I am afraid I will somehow jinx myself, but since Frank keeps asking me when I am going to blog so that everyone else knows the news, I guess it is time. Today is another snow day, so while Hudson sleeps, I will type.
On Dec. 28 I had another PET/CT scan and on January 2, 2014 I got my results as I met with my new surgeon. The lymph nodes in my right arm pit as well as the tumor in my vertebrae did NOT light up which means the PET/CT scan did not show any visible cancer! However, this does not mean I am done with everything. There is still more to my cancer journey, but my oncologist is very happy with the results. So what does this mean for the next few months?
1. Four more Herceptin infusions. My last infusion is April 17, 2014.
2. Surgery to remove the lymph nodes in my armpit (not all, just the ones that had cancer and a few around them). They will do pathology to them to make sure there are no teeny, tiny cancer cells still inside that were too small to light up. This will increase my chance of possibly developing edema in my right arm, but I will deal with that if it ever happens. No date for this yet, but most likely the first week of May.
3. 5 weeks of radiation to the right breast area. This will hopefully ensure that any and all microscopic cells are killed. Thankfully there is a new Fox Chase Cancer center in Furlong with a full treatment center which I will be able to get my treatments. This will save me from traveling down to the city every day Monday-Friday for 5 weeks. Before treatments can begin I will have to heal for a month so I will most likely have treatments until the first week of July and then I can have more of my life back.
Unrelated-to-cancer updates
1. Huddy saves I love you now! That is the greatest thing EVER!!!!! He says, "I yuv you momma!"
2. When you ask Hudson his name he says, "Hud-ee" and points to himself. Adorable.
3. We picked out tiles for the foyer (can't do the project though until our steps get redone, long story). We also picked out the vanity and light fixture for the powder room. So, as soon as possible, we will get done.
4. We have five new "family members." Welcome, Huddy's fishies. We set up an aquarium. The first night 3 died from shock, but thankfully Petco replaces them if they die within 30 days of purchase. Hudson has no idea that some of them are not the same.
5. Huddy does not like his sled or walking in all this snow. Hopefully that will change soon.
Time for a family hike around the neighborhood to enjoy the winter wonderland.
On Dec. 28 I had another PET/CT scan and on January 2, 2014 I got my results as I met with my new surgeon. The lymph nodes in my right arm pit as well as the tumor in my vertebrae did NOT light up which means the PET/CT scan did not show any visible cancer! However, this does not mean I am done with everything. There is still more to my cancer journey, but my oncologist is very happy with the results. So what does this mean for the next few months?
1. Four more Herceptin infusions. My last infusion is April 17, 2014.
2. Surgery to remove the lymph nodes in my armpit (not all, just the ones that had cancer and a few around them). They will do pathology to them to make sure there are no teeny, tiny cancer cells still inside that were too small to light up. This will increase my chance of possibly developing edema in my right arm, but I will deal with that if it ever happens. No date for this yet, but most likely the first week of May.
3. 5 weeks of radiation to the right breast area. This will hopefully ensure that any and all microscopic cells are killed. Thankfully there is a new Fox Chase Cancer center in Furlong with a full treatment center which I will be able to get my treatments. This will save me from traveling down to the city every day Monday-Friday for 5 weeks. Before treatments can begin I will have to heal for a month so I will most likely have treatments until the first week of July and then I can have more of my life back.
Unrelated-to-cancer updates
1. Huddy saves I love you now! That is the greatest thing EVER!!!!! He says, "I yuv you momma!"
2. When you ask Hudson his name he says, "Hud-ee" and points to himself. Adorable.
3. We picked out tiles for the foyer (can't do the project though until our steps get redone, long story). We also picked out the vanity and light fixture for the powder room. So, as soon as possible, we will get done.
4. We have five new "family members." Welcome, Huddy's fishies. We set up an aquarium. The first night 3 died from shock, but thankfully Petco replaces them if they die within 30 days of purchase. Hudson has no idea that some of them are not the same.
5. Huddy does not like his sled or walking in all this snow. Hopefully that will change soon.
Time for a family hike around the neighborhood to enjoy the winter wonderland.
Friday, January 3, 2014
LISTS!
I am pretty sure I already mentioned this once before in a post, but I LOVE LISTS! Doesn't matter what the topic is, I just love writing them. So, I figured making several lists to summarize my year would be a fun way to blog this time. I hope you enjoy reading my lists as much as I loved writing them!
Cancer-related stuff I have had to endure throughout 2013 (in order the best I could remember. When it is in a list like this, it really makes me say, "WOW!" I wrote about most of these in past blogs, so feel free to read other posts if you would like more information.)
- Kyphoplasty & Bone Biopsy - Mid January
- PET CT Scan #1 - February
- Chest Port Insertion - Monday, February 18
- Radiation fitting - Thursday, February 21
- Started Chemo - Thursday, March 7 - Did not finish until September 19 - 4 different types of medication - continued Herceptin every 3 weeks since Sept. 19 and will continue through mid April - then everything will be reviewed and my treatment path will be decided from there
- Radiation to my back - End of March
- More than 20 blood tests - my poor veins
- 4 or 5 Echocardiograms (somehow I lost count!) - An ultrasound of my heart to make sure it is strong enough to handle some of the chemo meds.
- Ongoing appointments with my oncologist - at this point it is over 20!
- 4-5 appointments with my radiologist & neurosurgeon
- Chest port infection - End of September through October - took 4 different antibiotics before the final one actually made a difference
- Chest port removal - Monday, Oct. 14
- NEW chest port insertion - Friday, Oct. 18
- Annual breast MRI
- 3 back MRIs with and without contrast - all of them required multiple attempts for the IV due to my tiny veins
- Began physical therapy in November - had 7 appointments - will continue this in the new year as well
- PET CT Scan #2 - Dec. 30 - What a way to end the year! These results better be better than the first time!!
The Unexpected Silver Linings to Chemo (I had to find someway to get through a crappy situation)
1. No shaving for months - this meant saving on razors and our water bill because my showers were shorter, ha!
2. Loss of hair - no washing, no drying, no styling, no haircuts - all of those saved time and since it was summer, I stayed cooler. However, now that my hair is back, I love it more than ever. I am working on getting some sort of style, but people tell me I can really pull off short hair. Frank also liked to point out that there were no longer piles of my shedding (which happened on a daily basis before chemo) all over the bathroom floor, or in our bed etc!
3. No more psoriasis - I was so worried my scalp would be covered with gross, flaky patches once my hair fell out. Thankfully, certain chemo meds are given to control psoriasis so I did not have to deal with all that itching for months. Unfortunately it has started to come back, but it was nice to get a 6 month break.
4. Period - My "friend" only visited 7 times throughout the year instead of 12. I did not have my period all summer which was nice for the beach and swimming! (Sorry guys, I know you don't like reading about this.)
5. Diet -I could pretty much eat anything I wanted, except anything raw and uncooked.
Personal Accomplishments - in no particular order (some big, some really small, but all noteworthy)
- Before I had my radiation and the cancer in my back started dying, I was unable to sleep in bed with Frank. I had to sleep in a recliner next to him. I am happy to say that I am back in my own bed and I do not need tons of pillows propping me up. I am able to toss and turn and kick the crap out of Frank all night again. He loves it, haha!
- I finally got my new car. It was a sad day because I had to say goodbye to my precious green beetle, but it was time to grow up. I need a mommy car so that Hudson has somewhere to safely sit. I got a blue Subaru Outback. I love it, but when I see a green beetle drive by a little part of my heart aches :(. One day I will get another one.
- In October I began dropping Huddy off and picking him up from daycare one-two times a week. It had been many months since I was able to do that myself.
- I once again hosted the Miles for Kyle 5K in September. Last year I had a broken back (and did not know yet) and this year I was still going through chemo. I must be crazy. We raised a ton of money for Kyle's scholarship though, so it was all worth it.
- I FINALLY picked a paint color for the kitchen (Palladian blue by Benjamin Moore) and Frank is almost done painting. I helped by taping and painting under the bar since that did not require as much physical work.
- I can push Huddy in the stroller and take him for walks without the assistance of anyone.
- I vacuum, do some laundry and unload the dishwasher again. Sometimes my back is still too tired, but the important thing is I AM able to do it.
-I usually go days to weeks WITHOUT Motrin or Tylenol because my back does not hurt everyday, all day! YIPPEE!!
- I no longer need help getting in and out of shirts.
Goals for the 2014
1. Read more
2. Ride my bike again
3. Go on a real vacation
4. Lose more chemo weight
5. Craft more
6. See my friends more often
7. Have more game nights
8. Try to enjoy cooking
9. Re-do the foyer and powder room
Cancer-related stuff I have had to endure throughout 2013 (in order the best I could remember. When it is in a list like this, it really makes me say, "WOW!" I wrote about most of these in past blogs, so feel free to read other posts if you would like more information.)
- Kyphoplasty & Bone Biopsy - Mid January
- PET CT Scan #1 - February
- Chest Port Insertion - Monday, February 18
- Radiation fitting - Thursday, February 21
- Started Chemo - Thursday, March 7 - Did not finish until September 19 - 4 different types of medication - continued Herceptin every 3 weeks since Sept. 19 and will continue through mid April - then everything will be reviewed and my treatment path will be decided from there
- Radiation to my back - End of March
- More than 20 blood tests - my poor veins
- 4 or 5 Echocardiograms (somehow I lost count!) - An ultrasound of my heart to make sure it is strong enough to handle some of the chemo meds.
- Ongoing appointments with my oncologist - at this point it is over 20!
- 4-5 appointments with my radiologist & neurosurgeon
- Chest port infection - End of September through October - took 4 different antibiotics before the final one actually made a difference
- Chest port removal - Monday, Oct. 14
- NEW chest port insertion - Friday, Oct. 18
- Annual breast MRI
- 3 back MRIs with and without contrast - all of them required multiple attempts for the IV due to my tiny veins
- Began physical therapy in November - had 7 appointments - will continue this in the new year as well
- PET CT Scan #2 - Dec. 30 - What a way to end the year! These results better be better than the first time!!
The Unexpected Silver Linings to Chemo (I had to find someway to get through a crappy situation)
1. No shaving for months - this meant saving on razors and our water bill because my showers were shorter, ha!
2. Loss of hair - no washing, no drying, no styling, no haircuts - all of those saved time and since it was summer, I stayed cooler. However, now that my hair is back, I love it more than ever. I am working on getting some sort of style, but people tell me I can really pull off short hair. Frank also liked to point out that there were no longer piles of my shedding (which happened on a daily basis before chemo) all over the bathroom floor, or in our bed etc!
3. No more psoriasis - I was so worried my scalp would be covered with gross, flaky patches once my hair fell out. Thankfully, certain chemo meds are given to control psoriasis so I did not have to deal with all that itching for months. Unfortunately it has started to come back, but it was nice to get a 6 month break.
4. Period - My "friend" only visited 7 times throughout the year instead of 12. I did not have my period all summer which was nice for the beach and swimming! (Sorry guys, I know you don't like reading about this.)
5. Diet -I could pretty much eat anything I wanted, except anything raw and uncooked.
Personal Accomplishments - in no particular order (some big, some really small, but all noteworthy)
- Before I had my radiation and the cancer in my back started dying, I was unable to sleep in bed with Frank. I had to sleep in a recliner next to him. I am happy to say that I am back in my own bed and I do not need tons of pillows propping me up. I am able to toss and turn and kick the crap out of Frank all night again. He loves it, haha!
- I finally got my new car. It was a sad day because I had to say goodbye to my precious green beetle, but it was time to grow up. I need a mommy car so that Hudson has somewhere to safely sit. I got a blue Subaru Outback. I love it, but when I see a green beetle drive by a little part of my heart aches :(. One day I will get another one.
- In October I began dropping Huddy off and picking him up from daycare one-two times a week. It had been many months since I was able to do that myself.
- I once again hosted the Miles for Kyle 5K in September. Last year I had a broken back (and did not know yet) and this year I was still going through chemo. I must be crazy. We raised a ton of money for Kyle's scholarship though, so it was all worth it.
- I FINALLY picked a paint color for the kitchen (Palladian blue by Benjamin Moore) and Frank is almost done painting. I helped by taping and painting under the bar since that did not require as much physical work.
- I can push Huddy in the stroller and take him for walks without the assistance of anyone.
- I vacuum, do some laundry and unload the dishwasher again. Sometimes my back is still too tired, but the important thing is I AM able to do it.
-I usually go days to weeks WITHOUT Motrin or Tylenol because my back does not hurt everyday, all day! YIPPEE!!
- I no longer need help getting in and out of shirts.
Goals for the 2014
1. Read more
2. Ride my bike again
3. Go on a real vacation
4. Lose more chemo weight
5. Craft more
6. See my friends more often
7. Have more game nights
8. Try to enjoy cooking
9. Re-do the foyer and powder room
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