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
Tuesday, December 10, 2013
Another update
Being a teacher, I am taking advantage of this snow day. I have been enjoying my time with Hudson. He has been talking up a storm, adding new words to his vocabulary daily! He loves my "maymen" (snowmen & penguin) stuffed animals right now and spends hours playing with them. I am trying to get a cute video of him to post, but as soon as he sees the camera he stops what he is doing to say, "cheeeeee." Although adorable, it is also a bit frustrating. Hopefully a video is to come!
I have also been productive. I already vacuumed (which I could not do about 3-4 months ago), threw in a load of laundry (easier than months ago, but still cumbersome because of all the bending required to unload the washer) and made double chocolate, caramel, sea-salt bark (I found the recipe on Pinterest. Here's hoping it lives up to my expectations because the pumpkin brownies I made the other day were a bust!) Now I am finally writing an update before watching another cheesy Lifetime Christmas movie and crafting (2 more projects I found on Pinterest. I am making a felt tree for Hudson and his cousin's to play with on Christmas eve. I will post a picture when it is finished.)
Quick update:
I have an infusion of Herceptin on Thursday, Dec. 12. No appointments that day, so hopefully everything will be quick!
I had an ECHO (heart ultrasound) on Friday, Nov. 28 and will get the results soon. That is the test they do to check my heart's function to make sure the Herceptin is not causing damage. They will be every 2 months. Not invasive in anyway, just annoying.
I also had an MRI a few weeks ago. I have an appointment with my neurologist and radiologist on Monday, Dec. 16 to discuss my progress. Hoping the tumor has been shrinking over the past 3 months!!
I started physical therapy a few weeks ago and I think it is going well. I admit, I could be doing more exercises at home, but after working all day I am exhausted. Taking care of Hudson before crashing into my pillow is still about all I can handle right now. My energy is slowly improving, but I still rely heavily on coffee (either that or I am not addicted, which is quite possible) to get me through the day.
Continued prayers and positive thoughts are invited as I am not out of the woods yet, but things continue to improve.
Thanksgiving was far more enjoyable this year. Last year I could not be part of the festivities in anyway. I was in far too much pain and still only thought I had a compression fracture. I spent the night sitting on a soft arm chair with a heating pad while my family took care of Hudson. This year Frank and I hosted my mom's family. I was more involved, although I have to say my mom and cousin Erica did the majority of the cooking (which I do not mind since cooking is not my favorite thing).
I was in charge of separating the leftovers which ended up being a very overwhelming and daunting task for me. Since finishing chemo I am still suffering from "chemo brain." Mutil-step tasks sometimes seem impossible for me. I see everything in front of me and I cannot think of how to start. My brain feels like someone is spinning like a top and it is unable to stop on first step of the task in front of me. I also struggle to find the words I mean to say and sometimes say a word that really doesn't make sense. It frustrates me because I feel that I look less intelligent, especially in a professional setting. I know people understand that I am dealing with this, but my patience is dwindling. I want to be in charge of me again. I am sick and tired of dealing with chemo effects. I need to thank my family, friends and especially my co-workers who deal with me on a daily basis and have far more patience than me. My co-workers help pick up my slack and step in oftentimes right when I need them to. I want them to know how much I appreciate everything they do for me. They are really an extension of my family and I am so lucky to work where I do!! I have said it before, but taking the leap of faith 5+ years ago to become an ESL assistant in a district I never heard of before, was the best decision I EVER made (well that and marrying Frank of course!).
I am looking forward to Christmas more than I ever thought possible. Hudson is 20 months and I think he will truly be excited on Christmas morning when he comes downstairs and sees all his gifts. Last year was wonderful too, but it was more for Frank and me. Hudson was too young. We did not even wrap a single gift. This year I can't wait to watch Huddy rip the wrapping paper and then pause to throw out his "ka-ka" (trash). He is a very clean little boy!
Thanks to everyone who continues to read my blogs and follow this journey. Wishing you all happy holidays and a VERY healthy new year.
Sunday, November 3, 2013
What a pain in the port!
Sometime in September I notice that I had redness along the tube of my port that runs along my pectoral muscle just under my skin. At some point Hudson had banged into it, but I never thought much of it. A few weeks went by and the redness did not go away and it started to hurt and was warm to the touch. Since my brother has had cellulitous several times, I knew that was not good, so I called my doctor.
After an unexpected trip to Methodist, they decided to put me on a week of Keflex just in case it was infected. Well, I finished the meds and there was no change. I went back down to the doctor so she could see it again a week later and they felt it was inflamed, not infected. So, I went home still in pain with no end in sight. Another week went by and it was time to get my next infusion. Well, they didn't like how it looked so they put an IV in the side of my left forearm and told me they wanted me to get the port removed! UGH! That was not what I wanted to hear, but I also wanted the pain to end.
On Monday, October 14 I had my port removed and on Friday, October 18 they put a new one in, on the other side of my chest. (Oh I forgot to mention that the day of the infusion the week prior I also had an MRI which required an IV and she had to stick me 3 times! So within 10 days I had been pricked 7 times in the same arm/hand! OUCH!!!) I was put on another round of antibiotics, a different drug, and told it should heal up quickly now that it was out. WRONG!!!! It did not heal up. It hurt a little less and it was not hot anymore, but it was still red and swollen. I went to get my stitches out and the doctor still did not like how things looked so she had me start another round of the same drug.
This past Thursday (Oct. 31) I was back at the doctor for my treatment. She was still not happy with how it looked so I am on my third medicine. This time she gave me the big gun, Levoquin. According to the fact sheet from the pharmacy, this medicine is often given to people who have been exposed to Anthrax or who have the plague. If this medicine does not clear up this port, nothing will!!! Downside...I was finally able to have sushi again so we went last night. YUMMY...and then I got home and spent a nice long while in the bathroom. The major side effect of the drug...diarrhea. Never fun, but I am always looking for the silver lining. Hopefully I can jump start my chemo/steroid weight loss, haha!!
If this does not work I have no clue what the next step will be. Hopefully nothing too invasive or painful.
My breast MRI showed nothing in either breast and my right lymph nodes are visibly smaller when compared to the MRI I had before starting chemo! I still need radiation and months of Herceptin, so those 2 things should take care of whatever is hanging around.
Right before Thanksgiving I will get another back MRI. Fingers crossed that there is some type of visible change in the cancer/inflammation.
I will also have another heart ultrasound around Thanksgiving. I now have to get them every 2 months instead of every 3. They are just taking extra precaution because whatever number they track dropped a little bit. It is still in the normal range, but they want to make sure it does not get below that range. This is unfortunately the only major side effect of Herceptin.
Life is more normal than a few months ago but I am still dealing with some residual issues from the chemo.
- My nails are weak and are growing out and breaking and separating. Sometimes this is pretty painful.
- All of my fingertips are numb and covered with tough sort of callousy skin. Hopefully this will go away over time. It makes opening most things difficult. It also makes me extra klutzy.
- My joints ache, especially my knees, ankles, wrists and fingers. This is actually a side effect of the Herceptin. It should go away once I am done the medicine.
- Getting out of bed in the morning sometimes feels like I am stepping onto broken glass, but that only lasts a few seconds.
- Chemo brain is lessening, but I can still be a little out there! Some of that is just me though, ha!!!
- Fatigue! I drink a lot of coffee now. I should start to feel back to normal sometime around Christmas they said.
- I gained nearly 30 pounds. I have only lost about 2 1/2 of them. I would like to lose a lot more but I know that has to be a slow process.
Good news:
- I am able to start PT and now that my new port is healed, I will schedule it for very soon.
- I can drink alcohol again. In moderation of course.
- Salads, sushi, fresh fruit and ground meat are all back in my diet. YIPPIE!!!!
- I am sleeping through the night WITHOUT the help of any drugs!
A non-cancer update:
I am loving watching Hudson grow and change. He is talking up a storm and is such a happy boy. He was a FedEx guy for Halloween. He wasn't too sure about trick-or-treating at first, but by the third house he was thanking everyone for the treats. So cute!
Now that I am feeling better, I am thinking about getting things done around the house. This past weekend we bought a coffee table, bought the paint for our master bath and I FINALLY picked out the aqua for the living room and kitchen!!
Thursday, September 12, 2013
The coming months
Today was my last Taxotere infusion which means, least chemo! YIPPIE!!! That also means no more side effects from steroids after tomorrow evening. (Which means less or no more insane hunger pains, no more moon face, no more major mood swings.) No more numbness, dryness, or slight tingling, in my fingertips. No more arthritic-like tightness in my hand, foot, knee and ankle joints. No more dry mouth. No more mouth sores. No more dry or watery eyes. Etc, etc etc...
I am so ready to move on from all this. I have no idea how long it will take for all of the side effects to subside, but the fact that within a few weeks I should notice feel more like myself is extremely encouraging. I am back to work and back to mommy-hood and hopefully back to being a homemaker too, although I do not mind sharing the many tasks with Frank!
In the coming months a lot is happening even though I am done with Taxotere. Next week I have to get another echo cardiogram to make sure there is no damage to my heart. They happen every 3 months. I will also get my first "long" infusion of Herceptin. I will get it for an hour and a half instead of 45 minutes. Since it will be my last weekly infusion, Frank and I are taking soft pretzels for the whole staff and all the patients to celebrate. YUM!
On October 10 I will begin getting infusions every 3 weeks. I will also get my breast MRI. They will check my lymph nodes as well. Hopefully everything will be clear like they expect.
On Nov. 21 I will get my next back MRI. This will be my second scan since radiation. Hopefully this time some of the inflammation will be down and the doctors can get a clearer picture of the cancer shrinking!
The infusions of Herceptin will continue every 3 weeks until March or April. I will continue to have back MRIs and echo cardiograms every 3 months, breast MRIs and mammograms at least once a year. Sometime in April or May at the end of the Herceptin infusions I will get another PET scan.
I am through the worst of it. Chemo is done. Now it is time to move forward. Time to begin physical therapy to rebuild the strength in my back so that each day is a little easier. I still have a long road, but thankfully it will be less taxing and without as many drugs!
In celebration of my last day of chemo my family and friends have given me flowers. They know me so well! I do always love getting flowers :)
Flowers from the hubby!
Flowers from the in-laws!
I am so ready to move on from all this. I have no idea how long it will take for all of the side effects to subside, but the fact that within a few weeks I should notice feel more like myself is extremely encouraging. I am back to work and back to mommy-hood and hopefully back to being a homemaker too, although I do not mind sharing the many tasks with Frank!
In the coming months a lot is happening even though I am done with Taxotere. Next week I have to get another echo cardiogram to make sure there is no damage to my heart. They happen every 3 months. I will also get my first "long" infusion of Herceptin. I will get it for an hour and a half instead of 45 minutes. Since it will be my last weekly infusion, Frank and I are taking soft pretzels for the whole staff and all the patients to celebrate. YUM!
On October 10 I will begin getting infusions every 3 weeks. I will also get my breast MRI. They will check my lymph nodes as well. Hopefully everything will be clear like they expect.
On Nov. 21 I will get my next back MRI. This will be my second scan since radiation. Hopefully this time some of the inflammation will be down and the doctors can get a clearer picture of the cancer shrinking!
The infusions of Herceptin will continue every 3 weeks until March or April. I will continue to have back MRIs and echo cardiograms every 3 months, breast MRIs and mammograms at least once a year. Sometime in April or May at the end of the Herceptin infusions I will get another PET scan.
I am through the worst of it. Chemo is done. Now it is time to move forward. Time to begin physical therapy to rebuild the strength in my back so that each day is a little easier. I still have a long road, but thankfully it will be less taxing and without as many drugs!
In celebration of my last day of chemo my family and friends have given me flowers. They know me so well! I do always love getting flowers :)
Tuesday, August 27, 2013
Really quick update
I sent this email out at work to give them a quick update.
just wanted to give everyone a quick update on my health. I will be finished with weekly treatments on September 19!!!! After that I will go back to 3 week breaks between treatments and will only receive one medicine which is NOT chemo. There are no physical side effects so my hair will continue to grow and grow! Speaking of my hair, I have not worn my wig since June 27! As soon as I had enough hair to cover my scalp I shoved that thing on a shelf in my closet.
This morning I saw one of my first grade students from last year. Here is the conversation we had (remember I teach English as a Second Language).
"Hi Stephanie! It's Miss Quinn."
With a confused stare, "Is you cut your hairs?"
"I did, does it look good?"
"No."
She never did have a problem sharing her opinion! At least she is honest and it made me laugh.
I had an MRI on my back about a month ago. The area was still too inflamed from the radiation to show too much change, but nothing is worse. My lymph nodes are back to normal size and I will not need surgery to remove them. In a few months they will radiate them to make sure there are no microscopic cells floating around ready to cause another problem! I will have more scans in Oct. and Nov. but at this point my all my doctors are happy with my progress. They think things are moving along as expected and they feel we will see more of a change (as in the cancer is shrinking) once the "injury" from radiation has had more time to heal.
As I was driving into school this year I thought back to last year at this time. I was in so much pain and had no idea why. I could barely get out of bed in the morning and never slept through the night without heavy pain medication. I can now carry my son all over the house, push his stroller and do normal things like grocery shop. We ordered my new car so that I can have a car seat in the back and begin taking Hudson to daycare myself again.
Thank you for everything you did last year to help me through the tough times. I never thought I could handle something this difficult, but the support of colleagues like you made it possible. I am looking forward to this new school year and the opportunity to work with only Kindergarten and first grade for the first time!
Once the 5K is over I will hopefully have more time to write more blogs.
just wanted to give everyone a quick update on my health. I will be finished with weekly treatments on September 19!!!! After that I will go back to 3 week breaks between treatments and will only receive one medicine which is NOT chemo. There are no physical side effects so my hair will continue to grow and grow! Speaking of my hair, I have not worn my wig since June 27! As soon as I had enough hair to cover my scalp I shoved that thing on a shelf in my closet.
This morning I saw one of my first grade students from last year. Here is the conversation we had (remember I teach English as a Second Language).
"Hi Stephanie! It's Miss Quinn."
With a confused stare, "Is you cut your hairs?"
"I did, does it look good?"
"No."
She never did have a problem sharing her opinion! At least she is honest and it made me laugh.
I had an MRI on my back about a month ago. The area was still too inflamed from the radiation to show too much change, but nothing is worse. My lymph nodes are back to normal size and I will not need surgery to remove them. In a few months they will radiate them to make sure there are no microscopic cells floating around ready to cause another problem! I will have more scans in Oct. and Nov. but at this point my all my doctors are happy with my progress. They think things are moving along as expected and they feel we will see more of a change (as in the cancer is shrinking) once the "injury" from radiation has had more time to heal.
As I was driving into school this year I thought back to last year at this time. I was in so much pain and had no idea why. I could barely get out of bed in the morning and never slept through the night without heavy pain medication. I can now carry my son all over the house, push his stroller and do normal things like grocery shop. We ordered my new car so that I can have a car seat in the back and begin taking Hudson to daycare myself again.
Thank you for everything you did last year to help me through the tough times. I never thought I could handle something this difficult, but the support of colleagues like you made it possible. I am looking forward to this new school year and the opportunity to work with only Kindergarten and first grade for the first time!
Once the 5K is over I will hopefully have more time to write more blogs.
Thursday, August 8, 2013
Comments from a Caretaker
A few months ago I had the chance to see just how far my words were reaching. A perfect stranger, Cameron, sent me a message asking me to read his wife's story. He was willing to share his personal story with me and give some important insight from the often overlooked caretakers. Cancer does not just affect the patient. It is a family ordeal. This wonderful husband helped his wife through the battle of her life and more than 7 years later they are sharing their story. Please read his words and forward his story on to anyone who may benefit from it.
Below are Cameron's exact words:
Thankfully, we had friends to give us help: everything from words of encouragement to desperately needed financial assistance. Words cannot express how grateful we are to them. My strongest advice to anyone going through a situation like this is to accept help every time it’s offered. There is no room for pride when a loved one’s life is on the line. Even the smallest offer of help can be a weight off your shoulders, and will remind you that you’re not in this fight alone.
There are not many things in life that are more difficult than caring for a cancer patient. With all the emotions and pressures that a caregiver may experience, it is important to never give up hope. Bad days are inevitable, but even in those moments of weakness you can never give up hope that you will come through this okay.
After undergoing surgery in Boston and months of treatments, Heather beat mesothelioma, a feat accomplished by far too few people. Seven years after her diagnosis, she is healthy and cancer-free. This experience taught me so much about what people are capable of when they simply never give up hope and always believe in themselves.
I took those lessons to heart, and went back to school two years after Heather’s diagnosis. When I graduated, I was at the top of my class and was given the honor of speaking at graduation. I told my class that just a few years earlier, I never could have imagined being on that stage, but as long as we never give up hope, anything is possible. Lily and her mother were in the audience to cheer me on, and that was the greatest reward of all.
Below are Cameron's exact words:
Focus on
the Positive When Dealing with Cancer
Most people have experienced a day that will forever be in their memories. My wife and I will never forget November 21, 2005. This was the day that my wife was diagnosed with malignant pleural mesothelioma. As for me, this was the day that I began the task of caring for a cancer patient. Before that, our lives had never been better. We had just celebrated the birth of our daughter Lily a few months earlier, and we were looking forward to the holidays, excitedly planning for our daughter’s first Christmas. However, the cancer diagnosis quickly changed our plans.
Once the doctor began to explain mesothelioma to us, I understood the challenges that would come with being my wife’s caregiver. Mesothelioma is an extremely deadly disease, and most people diagnosed do not survive past a year. After the doctor told us the treatment options that we could pursue, my wife was still shocked and speechless. We had three options: a local university hospital, an excellent regional hospital that unfortunately lacked a mesothelioma program, or a specialist in Boston by the name of David Sugarbaker. We waited silently for Heather to show some sort of interest in one of the options, but she was shocked and utterly terrified. I knew she needed help, so I made the decision for us to travel to Boston for treatment with the mesothelioma specialist.
Over the next two months, our lives consisted of complete chaos. Since I had to take care of Heather, I could only work part-time. As for Heather, she could no longer work after she was diagnosed with cancer. Because I was taking care of my wife, making travel arrangements to Boston, and taking care of Lily, I became overwhelmed with these responsibilities. I was afraid of losing Heather, and as much as I tried to stay positive I often found myself picture the worst case scenario – Heather passing away, and me being left to raise Lily alone. More than once, I found myself breaking down in tears on the kitchen floor under the pressure and fear. However, I never let Heather see me in these weak moments. I always did my best to remain strong and positive for her.
Most people have experienced a day that will forever be in their memories. My wife and I will never forget November 21, 2005. This was the day that my wife was diagnosed with malignant pleural mesothelioma. As for me, this was the day that I began the task of caring for a cancer patient. Before that, our lives had never been better. We had just celebrated the birth of our daughter Lily a few months earlier, and we were looking forward to the holidays, excitedly planning for our daughter’s first Christmas. However, the cancer diagnosis quickly changed our plans.
Once the doctor began to explain mesothelioma to us, I understood the challenges that would come with being my wife’s caregiver. Mesothelioma is an extremely deadly disease, and most people diagnosed do not survive past a year. After the doctor told us the treatment options that we could pursue, my wife was still shocked and speechless. We had three options: a local university hospital, an excellent regional hospital that unfortunately lacked a mesothelioma program, or a specialist in Boston by the name of David Sugarbaker. We waited silently for Heather to show some sort of interest in one of the options, but she was shocked and utterly terrified. I knew she needed help, so I made the decision for us to travel to Boston for treatment with the mesothelioma specialist.
Over the next two months, our lives consisted of complete chaos. Since I had to take care of Heather, I could only work part-time. As for Heather, she could no longer work after she was diagnosed with cancer. Because I was taking care of my wife, making travel arrangements to Boston, and taking care of Lily, I became overwhelmed with these responsibilities. I was afraid of losing Heather, and as much as I tried to stay positive I often found myself picture the worst case scenario – Heather passing away, and me being left to raise Lily alone. More than once, I found myself breaking down in tears on the kitchen floor under the pressure and fear. However, I never let Heather see me in these weak moments. I always did my best to remain strong and positive for her.
Thankfully, we had friends to give us help: everything from words of encouragement to desperately needed financial assistance. Words cannot express how grateful we are to them. My strongest advice to anyone going through a situation like this is to accept help every time it’s offered. There is no room for pride when a loved one’s life is on the line. Even the smallest offer of help can be a weight off your shoulders, and will remind you that you’re not in this fight alone.
There are not many things in life that are more difficult than caring for a cancer patient. With all the emotions and pressures that a caregiver may experience, it is important to never give up hope. Bad days are inevitable, but even in those moments of weakness you can never give up hope that you will come through this okay.
After undergoing surgery in Boston and months of treatments, Heather beat mesothelioma, a feat accomplished by far too few people. Seven years after her diagnosis, she is healthy and cancer-free. This experience taught me so much about what people are capable of when they simply never give up hope and always believe in themselves.
I took those lessons to heart, and went back to school two years after Heather’s diagnosis. When I graduated, I was at the top of my class and was given the honor of speaking at graduation. I told my class that just a few years earlier, I never could have imagined being on that stage, but as long as we never give up hope, anything is possible. Lily and her mother were in the audience to cheer me on, and that was the greatest reward of all.
His video link: http://www.mesothelioma.com/heather/#.UgKn1NKG2So
Please share your caregiver stories and tips with me and all my fellow readers. I would love to hear from you. Thanks for reading!
Monday, July 8, 2013
A Couple of Things....
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!
Monday, June 17, 2013
Steroids...UGH!
At this point I have mentioned several times how much I DISLIKE the side effects of the steroids I have to take to supress the side effects of the chemo. It seems silly that I take a TON of drugs to get rid of problems just to deal with a whole bunch of other problems. I had a productive conversation with my doctor today and we agreed, after I shared my daily steroid play-by-play with her, that I could cut back on the amount I am taking. Here is how my weeks have been unfolding...
Sunday - Full of unharnessable energy. At 730 am I take my first 8mg of steroids. By 8am I am full of energy and pacing around the house. I am unable to harness any amount of energy to actually accomplish anything. I compare myself to a student who has ADHD. I imagine if they could find a way to explain how it feels to be inside their brain it would be how I feel after the first dose of steroids. I have 20 different ideas I would like to complete but my brain is completely unable to focus on any one of them for more than a few seconds. Therefore, I am never able to finish anything. Sometimes I start to staighten up and within a minute I am walking away thinking of something compeltely different. ANNOYING. Just around the time it begins to calm down I have to take 8mg more at 730pm. Once again the pacing begins and I scroll aimlessly through Facebook, Pinterest etc or flip through the TV because nothing keeps my attention. By 1030pm I take an Ambien so that I can hopefully be tired enough to sleep by 1130pm. I have to time everything correctly so that I am not wide awake at 4am. This is my summer vacation. I should at least sleep later than my alarm for work!
Monday - Chemo day/I-might-lose-it-on-you-at-any-time-day. When the steroids are given through the IV they do not bother me as much. Well, it is either that or because they also give me 50 mg of Benadryl and are pumping me full of toxic metal. One or the other. I always fall asleep during the last hour of my infusion and then kind of sit in the car like a zombie the entire ride home. Once I am home I am awake, but again not able to focus. I have to take an Ambien to sleep again. Ask the baby gate how it feels to get the brunt of my wrath! After my first week of these new drugs I had a MAJOR meltdown. I was trying to put the gate at the top of the steps so Huddy would not fall down them. Well, instead I shut the gate on my thumb and a whole lot of F*CK this and F*CK that came flying out my mouth. Then I stormed upstairs and threw myself on the bed and SOBBED for a good ten minutes. The whole time just yelling and wondering how 5 adults (my mom, dad, stepmom, husband and brother) could not put up the gate for me or keep an eye on Hud. It was not my best moment! After my cry, I came down, apologized and it was over. But yikes! I never know when a roid rage will get the best of me.
Tuesday - I become a genius! - All those ideas I could not focus on become ALL I can focus on. I come up with ideas for work, the house, random projects that really do not need to be done and they all come flying out of my mouth a milllion miles a minute. I sound like someone who drank 4 cups on coffee before even getting to work. I write them all down so that I do not forget them. I thought of some great ideas for our ESL orientation next September as well as ideas to utilize our technology teacher, ha. I also wrote down every project I hope to get down this summer around the house. Hopefully I can harness my energy long enough to actually do them.
Wednesday - Do not bother looking at or talking to me! - My husband and mother have been forewarned that if they would like to keep their sanity, they should probably avoid me at all costs. EVERYTHING pisses me off. Especially answering questions. It doesn't matter if they are asking me if I would like a drink or where something is. They all piss me off. I will not answer them. It is better for everyone if they figure things out for themselves on Wednesdays, haha.
Thursday - The grand exit of the steroids. I believe I live through an exorcism on Thursday nights. I sweat, cry, flop around in bed and have terribly realistic nightmares. I wake up at least once an hour. I change my pajamas multiple times because I am soaked from sweating. I pee at least 15 times. It is a terrible night. No amount of Ambien is going to help me sleep through it either. It SUCKS! But, by the morning the steroids are out of my system. I just need to change my sheets and take a 30 minute shower to feel clean again.
(Tuesday through Thursday also comes with my LEAST favorite side effect...ACID REFLUX! It is bad. I take 75mg of Zantac each morning and each night and suck down as much Gaviscon as I am allowed and still everything burns my throat. I am talking saltine crackers, bananas...everything! I can sometimes stomach a Special K protein shake without a lot of kickback but I do not eat much on those days. Cutting down to half the amount of steroids will hopefully cut down to half the amount of acid. Fingers crossed.)
Friday & Saturday - Pretty much back to normal - It seems I get 2 good days out of the week before having to start the routine all over again. Thank God this is not a forever thing. It is only for about 10 more weeks.
I forgot to mention about the hunger. I eat like a beast on Sunday and Monday. I am the most hungry then. I have gained a total of 10 pounds in the past 3 months. I am not thrilled about it by any means, but my doctor is glad I am not losing. Plus she told me I was just far too skinnny to begin with. I tend to disagree but once I am done the medicine I can get back into shape.
Good news is - NO STEROIDS next week. I have to take a week off of the Taxotere for a few reasons. I already have a little bit of nerve damage to the very tips of my fingers. If I do not take a break from the meds, the damage could become permanent. I do not want that. Also, my fingernails are more likely to FALL OFF without taking a break. That is just GROSS. I will gladly take a week off to save those babies. I will most likely still have lines that show up in the nail beds and look like fungus, also gross, but that will eventually grow out a few months after finishing the meds.
So, the point of this entry...steroids suck, but not as much as cancer. All the things I am doing are to kill those little asshole cells so that I can move on with my life. As much as it sucks now, it makes for a funny blog entry. Hope you had a few laughs from this one. I sure did. I choose to laugh. It is more fun than crying!
Sunday - Full of unharnessable energy. At 730 am I take my first 8mg of steroids. By 8am I am full of energy and pacing around the house. I am unable to harness any amount of energy to actually accomplish anything. I compare myself to a student who has ADHD. I imagine if they could find a way to explain how it feels to be inside their brain it would be how I feel after the first dose of steroids. I have 20 different ideas I would like to complete but my brain is completely unable to focus on any one of them for more than a few seconds. Therefore, I am never able to finish anything. Sometimes I start to staighten up and within a minute I am walking away thinking of something compeltely different. ANNOYING. Just around the time it begins to calm down I have to take 8mg more at 730pm. Once again the pacing begins and I scroll aimlessly through Facebook, Pinterest etc or flip through the TV because nothing keeps my attention. By 1030pm I take an Ambien so that I can hopefully be tired enough to sleep by 1130pm. I have to time everything correctly so that I am not wide awake at 4am. This is my summer vacation. I should at least sleep later than my alarm for work!
Monday - Chemo day/I-might-lose-it-on-you-at-any-time-day. When the steroids are given through the IV they do not bother me as much. Well, it is either that or because they also give me 50 mg of Benadryl and are pumping me full of toxic metal. One or the other. I always fall asleep during the last hour of my infusion and then kind of sit in the car like a zombie the entire ride home. Once I am home I am awake, but again not able to focus. I have to take an Ambien to sleep again. Ask the baby gate how it feels to get the brunt of my wrath! After my first week of these new drugs I had a MAJOR meltdown. I was trying to put the gate at the top of the steps so Huddy would not fall down them. Well, instead I shut the gate on my thumb and a whole lot of F*CK this and F*CK that came flying out my mouth. Then I stormed upstairs and threw myself on the bed and SOBBED for a good ten minutes. The whole time just yelling and wondering how 5 adults (my mom, dad, stepmom, husband and brother) could not put up the gate for me or keep an eye on Hud. It was not my best moment! After my cry, I came down, apologized and it was over. But yikes! I never know when a roid rage will get the best of me.
Tuesday - I become a genius! - All those ideas I could not focus on become ALL I can focus on. I come up with ideas for work, the house, random projects that really do not need to be done and they all come flying out of my mouth a milllion miles a minute. I sound like someone who drank 4 cups on coffee before even getting to work. I write them all down so that I do not forget them. I thought of some great ideas for our ESL orientation next September as well as ideas to utilize our technology teacher, ha. I also wrote down every project I hope to get down this summer around the house. Hopefully I can harness my energy long enough to actually do them.
Wednesday - Do not bother looking at or talking to me! - My husband and mother have been forewarned that if they would like to keep their sanity, they should probably avoid me at all costs. EVERYTHING pisses me off. Especially answering questions. It doesn't matter if they are asking me if I would like a drink or where something is. They all piss me off. I will not answer them. It is better for everyone if they figure things out for themselves on Wednesdays, haha.
Thursday - The grand exit of the steroids. I believe I live through an exorcism on Thursday nights. I sweat, cry, flop around in bed and have terribly realistic nightmares. I wake up at least once an hour. I change my pajamas multiple times because I am soaked from sweating. I pee at least 15 times. It is a terrible night. No amount of Ambien is going to help me sleep through it either. It SUCKS! But, by the morning the steroids are out of my system. I just need to change my sheets and take a 30 minute shower to feel clean again.
(Tuesday through Thursday also comes with my LEAST favorite side effect...ACID REFLUX! It is bad. I take 75mg of Zantac each morning and each night and suck down as much Gaviscon as I am allowed and still everything burns my throat. I am talking saltine crackers, bananas...everything! I can sometimes stomach a Special K protein shake without a lot of kickback but I do not eat much on those days. Cutting down to half the amount of steroids will hopefully cut down to half the amount of acid. Fingers crossed.)
Friday & Saturday - Pretty much back to normal - It seems I get 2 good days out of the week before having to start the routine all over again. Thank God this is not a forever thing. It is only for about 10 more weeks.
I forgot to mention about the hunger. I eat like a beast on Sunday and Monday. I am the most hungry then. I have gained a total of 10 pounds in the past 3 months. I am not thrilled about it by any means, but my doctor is glad I am not losing. Plus she told me I was just far too skinnny to begin with. I tend to disagree but once I am done the medicine I can get back into shape.
Good news is - NO STEROIDS next week. I have to take a week off of the Taxotere for a few reasons. I already have a little bit of nerve damage to the very tips of my fingers. If I do not take a break from the meds, the damage could become permanent. I do not want that. Also, my fingernails are more likely to FALL OFF without taking a break. That is just GROSS. I will gladly take a week off to save those babies. I will most likely still have lines that show up in the nail beds and look like fungus, also gross, but that will eventually grow out a few months after finishing the meds.
So, the point of this entry...steroids suck, but not as much as cancer. All the things I am doing are to kill those little asshole cells so that I can move on with my life. As much as it sucks now, it makes for a funny blog entry. Hope you had a few laughs from this one. I sure did. I choose to laugh. It is more fun than crying!
Monday, June 10, 2013
Talk About a Stressful Day...
Poor Hudson had a little sore under his left armpit over the weekend and when I checked it this morning it had tripled in size, was raw and peeling and he cried if I touched it! I knew he had to get to the doctor, but.....I had chemo. So, the phone calls to grandparents commenced. We were able to get Frank's parents and my mom to help watch him and get him to the doctor. THANK GOD!
But, that meant we left a few minutes later than necessary to get to the doctor. No biggie, right? WRONG. We drove more than 15 minutes away with the car seat in the back of our car! So, we turned around and called the doctor to left them know we would be a little late. Somehow we were only 16 minutes late, impressive seeing as rain usually means all people forget how to drive. When we pulled into the parking lot, I opened the door to grab my wallet and of course my entire laptop bag landed directly onto the end of my second toe. Damn that hurt. It still hurts, actually!
While I was at my appointment, everything went smoothly. All drugs were the correct dosage so there was no extra waiting. Instead of leaving at 5 we were home by 4 this time. All positive things!
The worst part of the day was waiting for my mom to call us and let us know what was wrong with Hudson. I cried on the drive to the doctor because I could not be with him at his appointment. All the moms out there know how much you want to comfort your sick babies. He has a form of cellulitis. The doctor swabbed it to identify the actual bacteria, but until then he is on an oral and cream antibiotic for the next week. He cried in the tub when the water ran down his arm, poor thing. I gave him Motrin to help take the pain away for him.
When we got home it was spitting outside a little but we took Huddy out to walk around the driveway anyway. He had a long day, but loves his time outside. I went out without a hat and let the rain bounce off my almost bald head. A while later we were sitting on the porch and my mom came over to me with a strange look on her face. "What's on your head?" she asked. I had no clue. After closer examination, she realized it was bird poop. Apparently the rain drops I felt under the tree were actually bird shit! It was a three baby wipe cleanup! I know the belief is it's good luck when a bird poops on your head and I certainly could use any amount of luck. But, to whoever spreads the luck out there, do you think next time it could be a little less messy? Perhaps a four leaf clover or a cute little ladybug landing on my hand. Thanks!
But, that meant we left a few minutes later than necessary to get to the doctor. No biggie, right? WRONG. We drove more than 15 minutes away with the car seat in the back of our car! So, we turned around and called the doctor to left them know we would be a little late. Somehow we were only 16 minutes late, impressive seeing as rain usually means all people forget how to drive. When we pulled into the parking lot, I opened the door to grab my wallet and of course my entire laptop bag landed directly onto the end of my second toe. Damn that hurt. It still hurts, actually!
While I was at my appointment, everything went smoothly. All drugs were the correct dosage so there was no extra waiting. Instead of leaving at 5 we were home by 4 this time. All positive things!
The worst part of the day was waiting for my mom to call us and let us know what was wrong with Hudson. I cried on the drive to the doctor because I could not be with him at his appointment. All the moms out there know how much you want to comfort your sick babies. He has a form of cellulitis. The doctor swabbed it to identify the actual bacteria, but until then he is on an oral and cream antibiotic for the next week. He cried in the tub when the water ran down his arm, poor thing. I gave him Motrin to help take the pain away for him.
When we got home it was spitting outside a little but we took Huddy out to walk around the driveway anyway. He had a long day, but loves his time outside. I went out without a hat and let the rain bounce off my almost bald head. A while later we were sitting on the porch and my mom came over to me with a strange look on her face. "What's on your head?" she asked. I had no clue. After closer examination, she realized it was bird poop. Apparently the rain drops I felt under the tree were actually bird shit! It was a three baby wipe cleanup! I know the belief is it's good luck when a bird poops on your head and I certainly could use any amount of luck. But, to whoever spreads the luck out there, do you think next time it could be a little less messy? Perhaps a four leaf clover or a cute little ladybug landing on my hand. Thanks!
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
New Round of Treatments
Well, it is noon (on Monday, June 3rd) and I have yet to begin my infusion. My appointment with my doctor was scheduled for 10am but I did not see her until around 11am! We did not get across the hall to infusion until 1130 and I am still sitting here waiting for my medicines. Today is going to be an extra long day.
Finally, got started at 12:30pm! The round of drugs starts with 50mg of Benadryl! I will be sleeping in no time. Although the steroids might wake me right back up.
**It is now 6:07am on Tuesday morning and I am wide awake thanks to those pesky steroids. I have to take a dose at 8am and another at 8pm so I am hoping to get a lot of stuff done around the house with the crazy energy they give me.
Anyway, let me get back to sharing about yesterday's treatment. So, I was very tired after the Benadryl but unable to sleep. I was out of it though. I was talking slow and my eyes were heavy. During that time I had to wait for almost an hour for the pharmacy to remake a new dose of the steroids since they made far too much to begin with. That held everything up since nothing else could be administered until after I got them.
During this time of waiting, I thought it would be a great time to send an email to my co-worker asking her to pay for my coffee order since I was going to miss the deadline. Side note: I teach English as a Second Language and my co-worker is bilingual in English and Spanish. I however, studied French for seven years (know hardly any anymore) and only took one semester of Spanish. Before I went to hit send I tried to proofread my email through the blurry Benadryl eyes and much to my surprise, the email was in SPANISH! Not sure how accurate, but from what I do know, I am sure I asked her..."Would you pay...coffee with milk? Haha! Apparently a different part of my brain was triggered when that IV began to drip Benadryl.
**It is now after 9pm on Wednesday night and I am just getting around to finishing up this entry. I had a very good day yesterday. The steroids kept me going until about 2pm. From 11am until 2pm my mom and I went to Chipotle for lunch, AC Moore for craft supplies and Carter's to find a new hat for Huddy's big head (no luck there). We got home and I crashed. I was out for over an hour but other than fatigue, I felt great. It was not comparable to the last treatments at all. No body aches, no nausea, no dizziness, just a little tingly in the heals of my feet for a few seconds twice (that can become more of a problem as the medicine begins to build up in my system though.)
Today I went to work until 2pm (or as I like to call it, nap time). That is when I hit the wall of exhaustion again. But other than that, again I felt great. I was able to enjoy our morning picnic with our ESL students and had a chance to begin cleaning up my classroom. I came home, took my nap, had dinner with my in-laws and then came up to bed to finish Hudson's photo book. The 50% off sale ended tonight, so I had to get it done!
Now I am trying to calm down so I can get a decent night's sleep tonight. If all my treatments are like this, my summer will be pretty enjoyable!
Finally, got started at 12:30pm! The round of drugs starts with 50mg of Benadryl! I will be sleeping in no time. Although the steroids might wake me right back up.
**It is now 6:07am on Tuesday morning and I am wide awake thanks to those pesky steroids. I have to take a dose at 8am and another at 8pm so I am hoping to get a lot of stuff done around the house with the crazy energy they give me.
Anyway, let me get back to sharing about yesterday's treatment. So, I was very tired after the Benadryl but unable to sleep. I was out of it though. I was talking slow and my eyes were heavy. During that time I had to wait for almost an hour for the pharmacy to remake a new dose of the steroids since they made far too much to begin with. That held everything up since nothing else could be administered until after I got them.
During this time of waiting, I thought it would be a great time to send an email to my co-worker asking her to pay for my coffee order since I was going to miss the deadline. Side note: I teach English as a Second Language and my co-worker is bilingual in English and Spanish. I however, studied French for seven years (know hardly any anymore) and only took one semester of Spanish. Before I went to hit send I tried to proofread my email through the blurry Benadryl eyes and much to my surprise, the email was in SPANISH! Not sure how accurate, but from what I do know, I am sure I asked her..."Would you pay...coffee with milk? Haha! Apparently a different part of my brain was triggered when that IV began to drip Benadryl.
**It is now after 9pm on Wednesday night and I am just getting around to finishing up this entry. I had a very good day yesterday. The steroids kept me going until about 2pm. From 11am until 2pm my mom and I went to Chipotle for lunch, AC Moore for craft supplies and Carter's to find a new hat for Huddy's big head (no luck there). We got home and I crashed. I was out for over an hour but other than fatigue, I felt great. It was not comparable to the last treatments at all. No body aches, no nausea, no dizziness, just a little tingly in the heals of my feet for a few seconds twice (that can become more of a problem as the medicine begins to build up in my system though.)
Today I went to work until 2pm (or as I like to call it, nap time). That is when I hit the wall of exhaustion again. But other than that, again I felt great. I was able to enjoy our morning picnic with our ESL students and had a chance to begin cleaning up my classroom. I came home, took my nap, had dinner with my in-laws and then came up to bed to finish Hudson's photo book. The 50% off sale ended tonight, so I had to get it done!
Now I am trying to calm down so I can get a decent night's sleep tonight. If all my treatments are like this, my summer will be pretty enjoyable!
Q & A
Hello fellow readers!
It has come to my attention as I run into people around town or at work, that people have lots of questions for me. I am an open book. I started this blog to educate people about my experience and the more I can help others, the better.
So...you got questions...I got answers. I am in no way claiming to be an expert, but I will speak from my personal experiences to help inform.
Feel free to post questions on here in the comments section or message me on Facebook. You can even post the question right on the Event, Wear Pink March 7, 2013. I will read through every question and write a big question and answer entry.
Thanks for reading!
PS - Stay tuned for some entries from the husbands of fellow cancer survivors. I think it is important for them to share their point of view as well.
It has come to my attention as I run into people around town or at work, that people have lots of questions for me. I am an open book. I started this blog to educate people about my experience and the more I can help others, the better.
So...you got questions...I got answers. I am in no way claiming to be an expert, but I will speak from my personal experiences to help inform.
Feel free to post questions on here in the comments section or message me on Facebook. You can even post the question right on the Event, Wear Pink March 7, 2013. I will read through every question and write a big question and answer entry.
Thanks for reading!
PS - Stay tuned for some entries from the husbands of fellow cancer survivors. I think it is important for them to share their point of view as well.
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