I've been thinking of writing this blog post since the end of August! I realize I've lost most of my readers by now, but I would still like to share the "after cancer" life. Many who stop by here have cancer, and I feel it might be helpful for them to know what life might be like after treatment is over. Also, it's important to me to let others, who haven't experienced cancer, know what life can be like.
How many of you thought that if you get cancer, and it hasn't spread, that you go through some treatments that make you sick and lose your hair, and then when you are finished you go on your merry way--never to think about cancer again? Show of hands?? Mine is raised too! I think I probably realized that life might be a little different for a survivor--you know, they stop and smell the roses more, that type of thing. Let me share a bit with you what life is really like.
FOLFOX is the standard chemo regimen for colorectal cancer. It does a great job of killing cancer cells. It also kills good things--like nerves, hair follicles, toenails, the skin on the hands and feet, etc. I've heard of people losing their hearing and having heart attacks from it. If you've ever had FOLFOX, you will probably have some sort of after effects from it. 4.5 years after finishing, I still have burning, numbness, and tingling in my hands and feet. I also had AC+T chemo for breast cancer. I completely lost my hair (which is still thinner now than before), and the Taxol made my neuropathy worse. It's another nasty combo that can also cause heart trouble.
Then there is the colon surgery. If you are fortunate enough to have a tumor that is high in the colon, you may not have as many issues as a person with a low tumor. But it is still a major surgery, and your colon will work differently, and there is always the risk of strictures and blockages caused by scar tissue. People with low tumors (like mine) have all sorts of changes in their bowels. Some days they can hardly leave the bathroom, and then, without warning they can be constipated for for several days. Some can't work because the issues are so bad. Some who had a temporary stoma, that was reversed and their colon was reconnected, have asked to go back to a bag because having to constantly "go" is ruining their life. Breast cancer surgery can cause "frozen shoulder" which can last for years, and some people never regain full use of their arm/s. Some surgeries move muscle around and then those people need physical therapy, and, again, they may never be able to get back to where they were before surgery. If lymph nodes are removed that person will always be at risk for lymphedema--which is swelling in the arm. They may need special massages, phys. therapy, and wear special sleeves. Once it starts, it never goes away. Oh, and it's usually not just one surgery for breast cancer, but many, over the course of many years. Did you expect your co-worker who had breast surgery to come back to work and be able to lift and carry and do everything they did before? Well, they may need to do things differently, and may be gone a lot for therapies and surgeries--be kind to them! And pray it never happens to you!
Some people who have cancer also have to have radiation. I had it for both my colorectal cancer, and my breast cancer. For some, this is the worst of all. There are lots of internal organs that also get blasted, esp. when the cancer is in the stomach or pelvic area. There are too many problems that can happen to even list here. Some are scar tissue build-up, colon and bladder scar tissue and bleeding, skin that never heals or is always easily irritated, weakening of structures that can lead to fistulas, hernias, and ruptures, and on and on. Other than tightening of the skin on my chest and armpit, I have not had too many side effects of the rads I had for breast cancer. It most likely caused some scarring on my heart and lungs, but hopefully I will never notice that. It also increased my risk for skin cancer and lung cancer--it is radiation after all! Both chemo and rads increase risk for cancer in the future.
Ok, those are only some things that can happen to colorectal and breast cancer survivors--there are many other types of cancer, each with their own set of problems. If you read all that, I want to thank you. You are a person who cares about others and wants to be aware of what people with cancer go through. Expecting your friend, co-worker, or loved one to be back to "normal" after their cancer is gone is not helpful. Ask them how they are doing, what side effects they still have, what help they may still need. I have a friend that just finished a long and difficult treatment for stage 4 colorectal cancer, and she is getting a break, but no one knows for how long. Her family has been pressuring her to go back to work, and they don't want to hear about any of her problems--she was even told she was making stuff up while she was still getting chemo!! I can't imagine! I'm sooooo very thankful for my family. They know I still have some difficult days, and sometimes I need to miss an event (which when I do I usually end up in tears because I'm sad and frustrated I have to stay home!). Thankfully, those days are getting fewer. 5.5 years out from my colon resection things are still slowly improving. I'm STILL learning what I can and can't eat, although sometimes there is just no rhyme or reason to it! Overall, I am doing better, and even my fatigue is better and I'm not completely exhausted every day after work.
Today is a "bad tummy" day, which causes me a lot of pain (you know, all those radiated areas!), and I came home from work and took a pain pill. (Which is why I have time to sit and write this--I can't do much else right now!) I hurt so bad that I wasn't going to suffer one more minute! Taking a pain pill is very rare--I took a 1/2 a pill about 2-3 weeks ago, and before that it had been about 6 weeks since I needed one. I had another surgery on my backside in Aug, and will need another one soon. Repairing things "back there" is tricky. One wrong cut could leave me needing diapers or a colostomy (bag) for the rest of my life. Also, radiated skin doesn't heal very well, so I could end up with a gaping wound that takes months and months to heal.
I had acupuncture this summer for neuropathy, and it helped a bit, but I think I'll save that for another post. I also need to tell you about my trip to Florida with my "Pearls" (breast cancer sisters!)! There are some blessings that came out of my cancer journey, and they are a huge blessing to me!
So, that gives me a few reasons to update again soon! If anyone with cancer comes across this blog, and wants to talk more, my e-mail address is nuttyoaks at gmail dot com. I have some great resources I can share with you, and am always willing to share my experiences and help you through your treatment!
God bless you all! Look for another update soon!
Tina
Showing posts with label radiation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label radiation. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 7, 2014
Monday, August 26, 2013
Past...Present...Future
I recently got an e-mail notification that someone left a comment on my last blog entry...which was in March! I couldn't believe it had been that long...surely I updated in May or June? Nope. So, I'm pretty sure no one will read this, but I thought it was time to do a little update!
Since my last update I've had a DEXA (bone density) scan, MRI, CT scans, labs, and port flushes. All is well! My bones show some "pre" osteoporosis, so I need to take calcium (which I keep forgetting to take!). I'm still eating mostly low-residue, but have the occasional wheat bread, salad, fruits, and veggies. The trick is to spread them out throughout the week, and not overdo it. I mostly avoid carrots, cucumbers, and spaghetti sauce, but might have a small amount now and then.
I see my oncologist in 2 days, but not sure what we will talk about since I already have all the results of the tests I did last week! I'm sure he'll ask about Rich, my grandchildren, and especially my adopted grandson, Charlie. This time I'll have some more family news to share! (More on that later...) I am most interested to find out if I can start going 1 year between scans, and do I really need those labs every 3 months? I am 4.5 years out from the colon cancer dx, and 3.5 years from the breast cancer dx. I know my onc. was worried about me, with all that cancer, but I'm doing well now. And as our insurance covers less and less, we have to pay more and more of the costs of all the tests!
My worst complaint has been fatigue. I planned to work on that this summer, and talk to my primary care physician (PCP) if things didn't improve. I think the fatigue has improved a bit. Last summer, even though I don't work in the summer, I was still tired a lot. Many days, by mid-afternoon, I was just as tired as if I had worked. Not good. Then of course during the school year I felt awful. I worked 4.25 hours, and then came home and could barely function most days. I was VERY frustrated! I do know my job is draining, and does sap a lot of my energy (I don't know how anyone lasts for 6.5 hours, much less the teachers who work WAY beyond that!), but I shouldn't feel that bad! So, this summer, I have been eating a bit better--cutting down on chemicals and processed foods--and exercising more (which I will do when I'm done writing this). I am eating less, and have lost just a few pounds, but at least I've made the scale go down instead of up for the first time since chemo! I'm learning what my body can do with and without (my body does NOT like to be hungry). I started using the 'myfitnesspal' website, which counts calories for you, and helps you figure out how many calories you need each day to lose the amount you want to lose. It's been helpful for portion control. So, overall, I feel better.
I start back to work a week from tomorrow! I REALLY, REALLY hope I feel better this year! I get done with work at 1:30, which should leave me plenty of time to do other stuff. Praying I have the energy I need! As much as I would love to not have to work at all, I do think getting back into a routine is good for me. I make better use of my time when there is routine. And I really do like working with the kids!
I see my oncologist in 2 days, but not sure what we will talk about since I already have all the results of the tests I did last week! I'm sure he'll ask about Rich, my grandchildren, and especially my adopted grandson, Charlie. This time I'll have some more family news to share! (More on that later...) I am most interested to find out if I can start going 1 year between scans, and do I really need those labs every 3 months? I am 4.5 years out from the colon cancer dx, and 3.5 years from the breast cancer dx. I know my onc. was worried about me, with all that cancer, but I'm doing well now. And as our insurance covers less and less, we have to pay more and more of the costs of all the tests!
My worst complaint has been fatigue. I planned to work on that this summer, and talk to my primary care physician (PCP) if things didn't improve. I think the fatigue has improved a bit. Last summer, even though I don't work in the summer, I was still tired a lot. Many days, by mid-afternoon, I was just as tired as if I had worked. Not good. Then of course during the school year I felt awful. I worked 4.25 hours, and then came home and could barely function most days. I was VERY frustrated! I do know my job is draining, and does sap a lot of my energy (I don't know how anyone lasts for 6.5 hours, much less the teachers who work WAY beyond that!), but I shouldn't feel that bad! So, this summer, I have been eating a bit better--cutting down on chemicals and processed foods--and exercising more (which I will do when I'm done writing this). I am eating less, and have lost just a few pounds, but at least I've made the scale go down instead of up for the first time since chemo! I'm learning what my body can do with and without (my body does NOT like to be hungry). I started using the 'myfitnesspal' website, which counts calories for you, and helps you figure out how many calories you need each day to lose the amount you want to lose. It's been helpful for portion control. So, overall, I feel better.
I start back to work a week from tomorrow! I REALLY, REALLY hope I feel better this year! I get done with work at 1:30, which should leave me plenty of time to do other stuff. Praying I have the energy I need! As much as I would love to not have to work at all, I do think getting back into a routine is good for me. I make better use of my time when there is routine. And I really do like working with the kids!
A little family update: Rich is doing well at his new job--he's been there about a year and a half. Pay and benefits are good, and it's just 'normal' work stress, not the stress and low morale of his previous job. SO BLESSED to be out of that place! His drive is too long (26 miles one way), and sometimes we worry about lay-offs, but over all it's good.
Rachel and her husband are doing foster care now, and are in the process of adopting another child! This is a child placed with them soon after they got their license. He's 2 and has down syndrome also. He is active, and smart, and lets you know what he thinks about things! :) They also have a very sweet little baby girl that we would all love to keep in the family, but it looks like the baby's mom will be able to take her to live with her soon. Praying God will do what's best for baby, and if she has to go, I hope we'll still be able to see her once in awhile! Rachel's older 2 boys are doing very well, even with other kids coming and going! Charlie just turned 6 and will be in kindergarten this year! He is our super-hero! Brennan will be 4 soon. He is as smart as ever, and there is no end to the amusing things he says! Love those boys!
Alyssa, hubby, and baby girl are doing GREAT. Selah is 10 months old. She is really picking up things fast--she always amazes us! She'll be walking soon, I think. She is soooo adorable! We get to watch her often, and she is a smiley, happy little girl!
Our youngest, Shonna, is starting her 2nd year at the U, and she is majoring in journalism. She has a lot of talent as a writer. She is a junior now, and has 3 semesters left. She may get a minor also (but I forgot in what! Oops!). She moved out of my sister's house into an apartment closer to school. I don't always see her as often as I would like, but we did get to spend some time shopping and antiquing recently, and I enjoyed that!
Our youngest, Shonna, is starting her 2nd year at the U, and she is majoring in journalism. She has a lot of talent as a writer. She is a junior now, and has 3 semesters left. She may get a minor also (but I forgot in what! Oops!). She moved out of my sister's house into an apartment closer to school. I don't always see her as often as I would like, but we did get to spend some time shopping and antiquing recently, and I enjoyed that!
We all managed to get to Duluth for a few days this summer. Alyssa, hubby, baby, and Shonna were with us at the beginning, then Shonna's boyfriend joined us, then Alyssa and fam had to leave, and Rachel and her 4 kids joined us the last day! So we got to spend time with everyone (except Rachel's husband), just not at the same time! Next year I'm thinking about staying at a resort/lodge/cabin type of place a little farther up, right on Lake Superior. I think it would be better for the kids if we can find a place that has a nice play area and beach. I'm still thinking about getting away with just my hubby for a night or two up north this fall. We'll see~we might be too busy building a deck!
When I stop to think about where I was this time 4 years ago, I am amazed that I am here, cancer-free, and so blessed. 4 years ago I had just finished radiation, was weak and tired, was being treated for C-diff and giving myself shots for a blood clot, and had endured a very painful summer. I was healing and gaining my strength back to do 8 more rounds of FOLFOX. Little did I know the next summer I would be doing another difficult chemo regimen for breast cancer! That is all behind me now. These last scans I didn't even have any "scanxiety", except for that brief moment when I saw my oncologist's phone number on my cell phone. His nurse was calling me to tell me all my tests were good!
I make a point of remembering what I've been through every now and then, because it helps me to be grateful for every moment I am blessed with. It reminds me of the wonderful ways God showed up for me and helped me through those difficult times.
My future? It looks fabulous. Retirement someday with the man I love, doing the things we love and enjoy, being a grandma, and spending time with my children, grandchildren, and foster "grandchildren". Yep, looks pretty good from here!
Love and blessings!
Love and blessings!
Tina
PS Rich and I also went on our first 'real' vacation together in June--we went to Las Vegas! But that is another story for another day... ;)
Monday, February 11, 2013
Four Years!
February 6th was the 4 year anniversary of my tumor being found during a colonoscopy. I was having some symptoms that my primary Dr.(pcp) and gastro Dr. both thought were irritable bowel or colitis. Thankfully, before my pcp looked further into my symptoms, she wanted me to have a colonoscopy, and then we'd know more what we were dealing with. We were ALL surprised when the tumor was found. The gastro doc doing the procedure saw it right away (I was given some good drugs, but was fully awake) and said "See that? That shouldn't be there". After the exam the doc came in and told us he was sure it was cancer, although we needed to wait for the pathology report for the 'official' word. I am so grateful Rich was with me! We just held each other when the Dr. left. Then he came back, and told me he had set up a CT scan for me that afternoon. Things moved really fast! I remember the nurse giving me a hug when she walked us out and telling me I was going to be ok. That was so sweet, and yet scared me because I didn't really realize the gravity of the situation yet. Thanks to my 'happy drugs', I wasn't too upset yet--I told Rich in the truck after to stop looking so gloomy! Poor guy, he just found out his wife had cancer! I'm sure he was overwhelmed! (I don't think I'll ever know how hard all of this was on him, as he did a good job of keeping it from me. He was an EXCELLENT caregiver, and I'll always be grateful for that!)
Like I said, things moved quickly. My CT scan didn't show any other areas of cancer (except a possible lymph node). My gastro doc also contacted a surgeon, and an appt. to see him was scheduled, then my pre-op, then the surgery on Feb. 20th, just 2 weeks later. During surgery, 18" of my colon was removed and I was able to be reconnected. I came close to needing a colostomy, but am thankful I didn't! It was a tough surgery, and I was in the hospital 8 days. 2 of 20 lymph nodes had cancer, and I was stage 3b.
My wonderful oncologist told me this type of cancer could be CURED. Because of my young age (44), I was given everything they could possibly throw at me! None of my chemos were reduced, even with bad side effects. Once he even let me get chemo when my counts were really low--the nurse had to go ask him if the orders were correct! But he knew my counts always bounced back quickly when I had a neupogen shot, so he wasn't worried! I think it made a difference that my onc knew me well enough to know that I really wanted to complete all the treatments. If I had said it was too hard and I wanted to back off a bit he probably would have, as I think he would have respected my wishes. Same thing with radiation. That was even more difficult, and I was told I didn't need to finish, but it was important to me to finish those last 3, and I did! Although, I have to say, I never realized all the side effects I would have to live with!
Sometimes I have a hard time remembering how awful it all was, and other times I remember too well! I get frustrated dealing with painful side effects, but mostly, I am just so glad to be living life, cancer free. I am enjoying my children and grandchildren. My girls are such a blessing to me! They really stepped up and did everything they could to help me get through those tough days of cancer treatment. I'm sure it was hard to watch their mom get cancer TWICE. They are amazing young women!
Enough reminiscing...my 6 month CT scans are coming up next Monday, Feb. 18th. I'll also get my labs done that day too. Then the following week I see my oncologist and have a mammogram. This coming Thurs. (the 14th) I'll see my colorectal surgeon about the fistula, and I'm thinking I'll have to have surgery on that soon. That is a side effect from surgery and radiation. :(
1 more year and I'll hit that 5 year mark! I'm going to ask Dr. J about being 'cured'; if that still fits my case or not. I don't remember if the breast cancer will ever be considered cured--maybe because I was only stage 2b, I can be cured of that too. I'm not sure--I hope I remember to ask! April 1st will be 3 years from the breast cancer diagnosis.
Life goes on, and God is good! :)
Love,
Tina
Like I said, things moved quickly. My CT scan didn't show any other areas of cancer (except a possible lymph node). My gastro doc also contacted a surgeon, and an appt. to see him was scheduled, then my pre-op, then the surgery on Feb. 20th, just 2 weeks later. During surgery, 18" of my colon was removed and I was able to be reconnected. I came close to needing a colostomy, but am thankful I didn't! It was a tough surgery, and I was in the hospital 8 days. 2 of 20 lymph nodes had cancer, and I was stage 3b.
My wonderful oncologist told me this type of cancer could be CURED. Because of my young age (44), I was given everything they could possibly throw at me! None of my chemos were reduced, even with bad side effects. Once he even let me get chemo when my counts were really low--the nurse had to go ask him if the orders were correct! But he knew my counts always bounced back quickly when I had a neupogen shot, so he wasn't worried! I think it made a difference that my onc knew me well enough to know that I really wanted to complete all the treatments. If I had said it was too hard and I wanted to back off a bit he probably would have, as I think he would have respected my wishes. Same thing with radiation. That was even more difficult, and I was told I didn't need to finish, but it was important to me to finish those last 3, and I did! Although, I have to say, I never realized all the side effects I would have to live with!
Sometimes I have a hard time remembering how awful it all was, and other times I remember too well! I get frustrated dealing with painful side effects, but mostly, I am just so glad to be living life, cancer free. I am enjoying my children and grandchildren. My girls are such a blessing to me! They really stepped up and did everything they could to help me get through those tough days of cancer treatment. I'm sure it was hard to watch their mom get cancer TWICE. They are amazing young women!
Enough reminiscing...my 6 month CT scans are coming up next Monday, Feb. 18th. I'll also get my labs done that day too. Then the following week I see my oncologist and have a mammogram. This coming Thurs. (the 14th) I'll see my colorectal surgeon about the fistula, and I'm thinking I'll have to have surgery on that soon. That is a side effect from surgery and radiation. :(
1 more year and I'll hit that 5 year mark! I'm going to ask Dr. J about being 'cured'; if that still fits my case or not. I don't remember if the breast cancer will ever be considered cured--maybe because I was only stage 2b, I can be cured of that too. I'm not sure--I hope I remember to ask! April 1st will be 3 years from the breast cancer diagnosis.
Life goes on, and God is good! :)
Love,
Tina
Monday, December 3, 2012
Scope Day
I had my colonoscopy today and it's all clear! I'm good for FIVE years! Woo-hoo! Last time it was 3 years, and now I've advanced to 5. I am so glad, because the prep was really rough. A person who has had 18" of their colon removed responds differently to the prep. Next time the prep will be modified to avoid all the painful cramping! I still have some nausea this evening, so have been taking it easy. Resting a lot, drinking lots of water, and not eating too much yet.
I was able to watch the procedure on the monitor, and I clearly saw the radiated part of my colon. It's very red looking, and bleeds easily. I was told this at my last scope too, but this time I saw it more clearly. It's not inflamed, so that is good.
I'm just so glad it's over with. It's been a miserable 2 days!
Guess who needs to get his done this next year? Yep! Hubby turns 50 soon! Anyone else that is reading this that is 50 or over, and has not had their colonoscopy yet, GET IT DONE! Call your primary physician, and get it set up asap! And if you have any changes to your bowel habits, or mucus and/or blood, get to your Dr. now and get it checked out! Colon cancer can be cured if it is found early enough. I waited about 18 months before I told my Dr. about my problems. I had some other medical problems I wanted to take care of first. I sure wish I hadn't waited. I still would've had cancer, but I may have been able to skip the radiation--boy wouldn't that be nice if I didn't have to deal with those side effects!
Love and Blessings!
Tina
I was able to watch the procedure on the monitor, and I clearly saw the radiated part of my colon. It's very red looking, and bleeds easily. I was told this at my last scope too, but this time I saw it more clearly. It's not inflamed, so that is good.
I'm just so glad it's over with. It's been a miserable 2 days!
Guess who needs to get his done this next year? Yep! Hubby turns 50 soon! Anyone else that is reading this that is 50 or over, and has not had their colonoscopy yet, GET IT DONE! Call your primary physician, and get it set up asap! And if you have any changes to your bowel habits, or mucus and/or blood, get to your Dr. now and get it checked out! Colon cancer can be cured if it is found early enough. I waited about 18 months before I told my Dr. about my problems. I had some other medical problems I wanted to take care of first. I sure wish I hadn't waited. I still would've had cancer, but I may have been able to skip the radiation--boy wouldn't that be nice if I didn't have to deal with those side effects!
Love and Blessings!
Tina
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
A Loooong Overdue Update!
Well, I've been putting off updating, because so much has happened since March (I can't believe it's been that long!) that this could be a REALLY long post. I'll do my best to shorten all the news, and hopefully update more often!
Let's start with my health~thankfully not much has changed! I still have the Seton thingy in my fistula, and it's feeling a bit better (although sore now from sitting so long!). I recently had an ultrasound of the area, but I can't get in to see my surgeon again until Aug 7th to find out the results and what we do next. Remember, this was caused by the radiation I had for colon cancer, and the radiated skin makes this a bit more tricky. For now, we wait and see what the surgeon says. She is really good, and I trust her judgement.
In May I had my 3 month check up with my oncologist and had my labs done. Everything looks good--some things, like hemoglobin and platelets, have improved. I continue to have problems with neuropathy, esp. in my feet, I continue to be tired a lot, and I still have a lot of bowel issues from my Low Anterior Resection. But I'm happy to be here, and be alive! My surgery was over 3 years ago--can you believe it?!
In Aug. I'll have labs, CT scans, MRI, and see my onc. again. I had an MRI and Mammogram in Feb., but he wants to start staggering them and doing one of them every 6 months. So, I'll have the MRI in Aug., and the mammo next Feb. My oncologist is keeping a close eye on me, so if there ever is a recurrence, of either cancer, we'll catch it early!
Ok, on to other news! In my last post I wrote about Rich going to a job interview that sounded promising--well he got that job! The pay is BETTER, the people are nice, and the job is interesting, rewarding, and less stressful! The drive is about 24 miles one way (nearly double what he drove before), but it's not so bad. He leaves early to beat the worst of the rush, and he is trying different routes. What we thought might be a major trial, was God just answering my many prayers to get Rich a better job! We have an AMAZING God (and He is amazing whether or not we go through difficult times!). Rich was miserable at the other place the last few years. Life is too short to live like that!
I have not found another job, and am thinking my little part time job at the school is really a blessing. Although it doesn't bring in much money (enough for a car payment or 2), I get to spend more time with my girls and grandkids. And those 3.25 hours a day I do work wear me out, so longer hours would be worse! I still keep my eyes open for a quieter paperwork kind of job though. That wouldn't wear me out as much as working with kids does. But then I wouldn't have summers off, would I?
Now for the REALLY GOOD news! Alyssa is pregnant!! And she is having a GIRL! I am sooooo excited! I was really hoping for a girl, because we've got the 2 boys. Alyssa was hoping for a girl too, because she LOVES pink! She warned Jaren that there might be 'pink overload'. He is so good to her. It makes him happy just to see her so happy about the baby. Funny thing is, this wasn't planned, and they had actually just talked about putting off having kids for a long time. God had other plans for them! They will be great parents, and they will have lots of help! Baby girl is due Nov. 5th.
Brennan and Charlie are growing like little weeds! Charlie is walking with a walker, and can walk holding on to furniture. He is so awesome. He is happy, giggly, and loves to hug and be held! He'll soon be 5! Brennan will be 3 the end of Sept. He is so funny and has a great sense of humor. Talks and sings all the time.
Alyssa and Jaren bought a house only 4 miles away. They moved in mid-May. Rachel and Ken sold their house in just a few days, and bought a house a little farther away. They are about 25 min. away, instead of 5, but are a little closer to Ken's work. Rachel is always planning and thinking about the next child they will adopt, but for now, there is work to be done on their new house, and 2 adorable little boys to give lots of attention to!
Shonna did move back home and we are so happy to have her back in MN! She will be going to the the U of M! Not the school I ever expected, but it is a lot less expensive than the Christian schools (even with some good scholarships she got!). She adopted 2 cute bunnies, and they are taking up most of my family room! But I love rodents, and these 2 are cute and have a lot of personality! Shonna will eventually be going to live down the street with my sister.
Ok, how did I do? Not too long I hope! I plan to do a post soon on some of the emotions and issues we cancer survivors can have. I've experienced a lot of highs and lows lately. But that's for another day....
May God greatly bless each reader that stops by here...love to all!
Tina
Let's start with my health~thankfully not much has changed! I still have the Seton thingy in my fistula, and it's feeling a bit better (although sore now from sitting so long!). I recently had an ultrasound of the area, but I can't get in to see my surgeon again until Aug 7th to find out the results and what we do next. Remember, this was caused by the radiation I had for colon cancer, and the radiated skin makes this a bit more tricky. For now, we wait and see what the surgeon says. She is really good, and I trust her judgement.
In May I had my 3 month check up with my oncologist and had my labs done. Everything looks good--some things, like hemoglobin and platelets, have improved. I continue to have problems with neuropathy, esp. in my feet, I continue to be tired a lot, and I still have a lot of bowel issues from my Low Anterior Resection. But I'm happy to be here, and be alive! My surgery was over 3 years ago--can you believe it?!
In Aug. I'll have labs, CT scans, MRI, and see my onc. again. I had an MRI and Mammogram in Feb., but he wants to start staggering them and doing one of them every 6 months. So, I'll have the MRI in Aug., and the mammo next Feb. My oncologist is keeping a close eye on me, so if there ever is a recurrence, of either cancer, we'll catch it early!
Ok, on to other news! In my last post I wrote about Rich going to a job interview that sounded promising--well he got that job! The pay is BETTER, the people are nice, and the job is interesting, rewarding, and less stressful! The drive is about 24 miles one way (nearly double what he drove before), but it's not so bad. He leaves early to beat the worst of the rush, and he is trying different routes. What we thought might be a major trial, was God just answering my many prayers to get Rich a better job! We have an AMAZING God (and He is amazing whether or not we go through difficult times!). Rich was miserable at the other place the last few years. Life is too short to live like that!
I have not found another job, and am thinking my little part time job at the school is really a blessing. Although it doesn't bring in much money (enough for a car payment or 2), I get to spend more time with my girls and grandkids. And those 3.25 hours a day I do work wear me out, so longer hours would be worse! I still keep my eyes open for a quieter paperwork kind of job though. That wouldn't wear me out as much as working with kids does. But then I wouldn't have summers off, would I?
Now for the REALLY GOOD news! Alyssa is pregnant!! And she is having a GIRL! I am sooooo excited! I was really hoping for a girl, because we've got the 2 boys. Alyssa was hoping for a girl too, because she LOVES pink! She warned Jaren that there might be 'pink overload'. He is so good to her. It makes him happy just to see her so happy about the baby. Funny thing is, this wasn't planned, and they had actually just talked about putting off having kids for a long time. God had other plans for them! They will be great parents, and they will have lots of help! Baby girl is due Nov. 5th.
Brennan and Charlie are growing like little weeds! Charlie is walking with a walker, and can walk holding on to furniture. He is so awesome. He is happy, giggly, and loves to hug and be held! He'll soon be 5! Brennan will be 3 the end of Sept. He is so funny and has a great sense of humor. Talks and sings all the time.
Alyssa and Jaren bought a house only 4 miles away. They moved in mid-May. Rachel and Ken sold their house in just a few days, and bought a house a little farther away. They are about 25 min. away, instead of 5, but are a little closer to Ken's work. Rachel is always planning and thinking about the next child they will adopt, but for now, there is work to be done on their new house, and 2 adorable little boys to give lots of attention to!
Shonna did move back home and we are so happy to have her back in MN! She will be going to the the U of M! Not the school I ever expected, but it is a lot less expensive than the Christian schools (even with some good scholarships she got!). She adopted 2 cute bunnies, and they are taking up most of my family room! But I love rodents, and these 2 are cute and have a lot of personality! Shonna will eventually be going to live down the street with my sister.
Ok, how did I do? Not too long I hope! I plan to do a post soon on some of the emotions and issues we cancer survivors can have. I've experienced a lot of highs and lows lately. But that's for another day....
May God greatly bless each reader that stops by here...love to all!
Tina
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Still Cancer Free!
Just had my CT scans and blood tests yesterday, and I already have the results--everything looks good! Thank you God! I'll see the onc next Wed., and the only thing I have a question about is why my white blood cells have dropped a bit below range. I think it's my body still recovering from all the chemo and radiation I had. He'll also let me know if I still have to have the scans every 6 months, or if I can go longer between scans. I am on the fence about this. I like knowing there is no cancer in my body, but the ct scans themselves pose a risk because of the radiation. I'll trust my oncologist's decision--he a great doc!
I have more tests at the end of the month--a mammogram and MRI, then I'll be free of tests for a while! Yay!
Stayed home from work today with a stuffed up head. Didn't sleep much last night and had stomach problems from that barium contrast stuff I had to drink yesterday for the scans. Man that stuff messes up my stomach! My frequent trips to the bathroom caused other issues, which eventually required a percocet for pain! It's been 2.5 years since I finished radiation for the colon cancer--I hope someday my skin will heal and I won't have these painful "issues" anymore!
Speaking of which, tomorrow is my little procedure to try to drain the fistula on my backside--another side effect of radiation. I have many people praying for me because with my sinus problems they might not let me go under anesthesia. I really want to get this done, but if doesn't happen, I'm going to trust that it's God's will, and He knows what's best for me!
So it's a mixed bag of news tonight. The reason I'm fitting all this medical stuff into one month is because our health insurance coverage will end at the end of Feb. Rich lost his job a few weeks ago. :( After 27 years they let him go. I can't even begin to explain the feelings we have had over this. Some of the folks he worked with are devastated by this. He was a great boss. I have been praying that he would get another job, because he has been miserable for over a year. They made things difficult for him; I think they were trying to get him to fail--well HE DIDN'T! They had to come up with some lame excuse. A bunch of people that he worked with (recently and in the past) got together for a little party for him. It was real nice--lots of people he hasn't seen in a long time--really lifted his spirits! We are trusting in God, knowing that this is an answer to prayer. As stressful as this is, it's so nice to have Rich around and be able to do more things together. Before he was always either working, or exhausted. That's no way to live. I know God has more for us than that!
That's all for now--getting sleepy and need to get to bed soon!
Blessings to all!
Tina
I have more tests at the end of the month--a mammogram and MRI, then I'll be free of tests for a while! Yay!
Stayed home from work today with a stuffed up head. Didn't sleep much last night and had stomach problems from that barium contrast stuff I had to drink yesterday for the scans. Man that stuff messes up my stomach! My frequent trips to the bathroom caused other issues, which eventually required a percocet for pain! It's been 2.5 years since I finished radiation for the colon cancer--I hope someday my skin will heal and I won't have these painful "issues" anymore!
Speaking of which, tomorrow is my little procedure to try to drain the fistula on my backside--another side effect of radiation. I have many people praying for me because with my sinus problems they might not let me go under anesthesia. I really want to get this done, but if doesn't happen, I'm going to trust that it's God's will, and He knows what's best for me!
So it's a mixed bag of news tonight. The reason I'm fitting all this medical stuff into one month is because our health insurance coverage will end at the end of Feb. Rich lost his job a few weeks ago. :( After 27 years they let him go. I can't even begin to explain the feelings we have had over this. Some of the folks he worked with are devastated by this. He was a great boss. I have been praying that he would get another job, because he has been miserable for over a year. They made things difficult for him; I think they were trying to get him to fail--well HE DIDN'T! They had to come up with some lame excuse. A bunch of people that he worked with (recently and in the past) got together for a little party for him. It was real nice--lots of people he hasn't seen in a long time--really lifted his spirits! We are trusting in God, knowing that this is an answer to prayer. As stressful as this is, it's so nice to have Rich around and be able to do more things together. Before he was always either working, or exhausted. That's no way to live. I know God has more for us than that!
That's all for now--getting sleepy and need to get to bed soon!
Blessings to all!
Tina
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
February is looking Busy!
Seems I'm doing about 1 blog a month now. I guess that's good--means nothing too bad is happening health-wise! :) Life is busy though, and that's good too.
Work is going well. Every time I complain about it I remember 1. it's only 3 hours, and 2. I get lots of days off! The 3 hours part can be deceiving though. It's a very busy 3 hours, and 1 hour of it is outside. It gets hard on my neuropathy, not to mention my poor aging skin! I have other problems that are aggravated by so much walking around too.
There is another job, though, that I've been thinking about, and may see if I can do it temporarily over the summer. It involves lots of paper work, and sounds like heaven! My sister was describing it to me and everything she said just made it sound better and better. Most people wouldn't like to be searching through stacks of papers and working on the computer, but to me, that is the PERFECT job. The pay is less, but I would be working year round and therefore would be making more money annually than I do now. Just something I'm thinking about at this point.
Another job I would like to do would be helping out the elderly--especially with their computers. Many want to get e-mail and be on Facebook to see what everyone is doing, and look at pictures, but don't know how. Think anyone would hire me to come over once or twice a week and help them get online? It's just one of those thoughts that tumble around in my head!
Excuse me if I ramble on a bit today. I had to take a pain pill, and that makes me a little loopy! I will fill you in a bit on some issues I have been having, but don't want to get in to too much detail because of the "delicate" nature of these issues. (If you have read my blog from the beginning, you know that I used to just tell it like it is, since it's hard not to when talking about colon and breast cancer. But it's been awhile since I've had to talk much about these things). Last Thursday I saw the colon-rectal surgeon again that I saw back in Oct. or Nov. I definitely have a fistula this time. My backside has been very painful; some days worse than others (like today). There are also tender skin issues from radiation and today is a day when both things are painful at the same time! A fistula is a tunnel that develops under the skin, between two organs, or from the inside to the skin surface. Normally the surgeon would cut the top off of it and then it would fill in and close up with scar tissue. I can't have surgery back there because my radiated skin might not heal. Also my surgeon told me the procedure could leave me incontinent (because of radiation or my colon resection, or maybe both)--no thanks!! In Feb. I will be having a procedure where my surgeon can "explore" the area and hopefully put in a tiny tube to help it drain (not sure if this will help it close up?). This will be done under anesthesia. Sounds fun doesn't it? Another side effect of that wonderful radiation. (A side note--someone asked me how to word a blurb about the radiation her daughter would be having--I told her the right way to word it, then told her there are many other words I could put with the word radiation--and none of them very nice!! It's the only time I swear, or think of swearing, these days!)
Also coming up in Feb. will be my labs, ct scans (for colon cancer), and 3 month visit with my oncologist; also a visit with my primary for a pre-op check up. I plan on talking to her about my neuropathy at that time, to see if there is anything more I should be doing to keep it from getting worse. So, it will be a busy month! Feb. 6th will be 3 years since my tumor was found during a colonoscopy, and on the 20th it will be 3 years since 18" of my colon was removed.
March is my "breast cancer" month. I'll have a mammogram and MRI.
It's crazy what I've been through in the last 3 years! Sometimes it seems so far away, and other times it seems like it was just yesterday I was lying in bed in a chemo fog, unable to even shower! I am so grateful to still be here, 3 years later. Even with all the side effects, life is still wonderful. The blog community has lost several lovely people to cancer the last few months (from young children, to mom's with young children, to the elderly), and others have had their cancer get worse. I know how blessed each day is that I am cancer-free. My prayer list grows long...
Well, I think that's enough for today. Maybe in a few days I'll post more about non-cancer related parts of my life (like my awesome little grandsons!). Stay tuned!
Love and blessings!
Tina
Work is going well. Every time I complain about it I remember 1. it's only 3 hours, and 2. I get lots of days off! The 3 hours part can be deceiving though. It's a very busy 3 hours, and 1 hour of it is outside. It gets hard on my neuropathy, not to mention my poor aging skin! I have other problems that are aggravated by so much walking around too.
There is another job, though, that I've been thinking about, and may see if I can do it temporarily over the summer. It involves lots of paper work, and sounds like heaven! My sister was describing it to me and everything she said just made it sound better and better. Most people wouldn't like to be searching through stacks of papers and working on the computer, but to me, that is the PERFECT job. The pay is less, but I would be working year round and therefore would be making more money annually than I do now. Just something I'm thinking about at this point.
Another job I would like to do would be helping out the elderly--especially with their computers. Many want to get e-mail and be on Facebook to see what everyone is doing, and look at pictures, but don't know how. Think anyone would hire me to come over once or twice a week and help them get online? It's just one of those thoughts that tumble around in my head!
Excuse me if I ramble on a bit today. I had to take a pain pill, and that makes me a little loopy! I will fill you in a bit on some issues I have been having, but don't want to get in to too much detail because of the "delicate" nature of these issues. (If you have read my blog from the beginning, you know that I used to just tell it like it is, since it's hard not to when talking about colon and breast cancer. But it's been awhile since I've had to talk much about these things). Last Thursday I saw the colon-rectal surgeon again that I saw back in Oct. or Nov. I definitely have a fistula this time. My backside has been very painful; some days worse than others (like today). There are also tender skin issues from radiation and today is a day when both things are painful at the same time! A fistula is a tunnel that develops under the skin, between two organs, or from the inside to the skin surface. Normally the surgeon would cut the top off of it and then it would fill in and close up with scar tissue. I can't have surgery back there because my radiated skin might not heal. Also my surgeon told me the procedure could leave me incontinent (because of radiation or my colon resection, or maybe both)--no thanks!! In Feb. I will be having a procedure where my surgeon can "explore" the area and hopefully put in a tiny tube to help it drain (not sure if this will help it close up?). This will be done under anesthesia. Sounds fun doesn't it? Another side effect of that wonderful radiation. (A side note--someone asked me how to word a blurb about the radiation her daughter would be having--I told her the right way to word it, then told her there are many other words I could put with the word radiation--and none of them very nice!! It's the only time I swear, or think of swearing, these days!)
Also coming up in Feb. will be my labs, ct scans (for colon cancer), and 3 month visit with my oncologist; also a visit with my primary for a pre-op check up. I plan on talking to her about my neuropathy at that time, to see if there is anything more I should be doing to keep it from getting worse. So, it will be a busy month! Feb. 6th will be 3 years since my tumor was found during a colonoscopy, and on the 20th it will be 3 years since 18" of my colon was removed.
March is my "breast cancer" month. I'll have a mammogram and MRI.
It's crazy what I've been through in the last 3 years! Sometimes it seems so far away, and other times it seems like it was just yesterday I was lying in bed in a chemo fog, unable to even shower! I am so grateful to still be here, 3 years later. Even with all the side effects, life is still wonderful. The blog community has lost several lovely people to cancer the last few months (from young children, to mom's with young children, to the elderly), and others have had their cancer get worse. I know how blessed each day is that I am cancer-free. My prayer list grows long...
Well, I think that's enough for today. Maybe in a few days I'll post more about non-cancer related parts of my life (like my awesome little grandsons!). Stay tuned!
Love and blessings!
Tina
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Cancer: The Gift That Keeps On Giving
The title of my blog is something you hear frequently in the cancer world. It's not very often a person who has had cancer doesn't have some lingering side effects, either physical or psychological, or both. I have been dealing with some painful side effects lately. 2 years ago I finished radiation for my colon cancer, and I am still suffering from the damage that caused. It's not something I can talk about in too much detail, because it's just too personal, but I'll just say that some pretty tender tissues are fried! And having 18" of colon removed causes some changes in the gastro system that contribute to the problem also. I complain to my dear husband, and today I gave my nurse an earful! I had to go in to get my port flushed, and my usual nurse, whom I adore, was there. She started asking how I was doing and I said fine, except....then I told her everything, in detail. It was SO NICE to be able to tell someone what's been going on with me. And really, I wouldn't have told her so much, except, being the great nurse she is, she kept asking questions, and of course she will fill my oncologist in on everything too. I told her I may be needing some more Percocet soon, as my bottle is a year old, so it's good that she will be filling the doc in on everything. That way when I come asking for more drugs, he'll know why. :) Percocet not only stops the pain, but it also slows down my system, which is helpful.
My shoulder has been hurting more lately, and that all started after my mastectomy. I thought it was all better, but it started hurting again mid August. Sometimes if I hold my arm a certain way for a while, when I move it, I get really sharps pains. Like it gets stuck and it takes a bit for it to move without hurting again. The pain is right in front of my shoulder socket--kind of a weird place. Then the last few days it's started hurting up by the clavicle. That is a spot that was hit by radiation, so that concerns me a little bit. If either of these continue, I will go see my primary physician.
Then there is the ever present neuropathy. There was an article recently about a study done on Oxaliplatin, which is the chemo that causes the most trouble with neuropathy. It showed that in many cases, the neuropathy got worse for a few months after chemo, and is sometimes permanent. They are finding that it is worse than they thought. My neuropathy really is just a minor nuisance though. I'm so thankful it isn't painful like some people's.
Who knew that cancer keeps giving and giving? Sort of like the song that never ends...except this is the disease that never ends!
Ok, after all that negative stuff I just want to say that life is really good right now, and I count my many blessings everyday! God is good, I'm alive, my cancer has not spread, my family is wonderful, and I have the 2 cutest grandsons ever!
Speaking of the boys, Charlie is healing really well from surgery. Brennan is very happy to have his family all back together and at home! He missed his brother! He gave him lots of hugs, and played with him a lot those first few days at home. Charlie will be resuming physical, occupational and speech therapy 2 days a week next week, and starting preschool in 2 weeks!
May God bless you all!
Tina
My shoulder has been hurting more lately, and that all started after my mastectomy. I thought it was all better, but it started hurting again mid August. Sometimes if I hold my arm a certain way for a while, when I move it, I get really sharps pains. Like it gets stuck and it takes a bit for it to move without hurting again. The pain is right in front of my shoulder socket--kind of a weird place. Then the last few days it's started hurting up by the clavicle. That is a spot that was hit by radiation, so that concerns me a little bit. If either of these continue, I will go see my primary physician.
Then there is the ever present neuropathy. There was an article recently about a study done on Oxaliplatin, which is the chemo that causes the most trouble with neuropathy. It showed that in many cases, the neuropathy got worse for a few months after chemo, and is sometimes permanent. They are finding that it is worse than they thought. My neuropathy really is just a minor nuisance though. I'm so thankful it isn't painful like some people's.
Who knew that cancer keeps giving and giving? Sort of like the song that never ends...except this is the disease that never ends!
Ok, after all that negative stuff I just want to say that life is really good right now, and I count my many blessings everyday! God is good, I'm alive, my cancer has not spread, my family is wonderful, and I have the 2 cutest grandsons ever!
Speaking of the boys, Charlie is healing really well from surgery. Brennan is very happy to have his family all back together and at home! He missed his brother! He gave him lots of hugs, and played with him a lot those first few days at home. Charlie will be resuming physical, occupational and speech therapy 2 days a week next week, and starting preschool in 2 weeks!
May God bless you all!
Tina
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Herceptin #13 Update
Wow, it's been 2 weeks since I posted last! I think about it a lot, I just don't like taking the time to do it!
Last week I had another MUGA scan (for heart function). My heart function was 65% before I started treatment (which is very good), and after starting Herceptin it went down to 51. Then my onc. put me on Enalapril (a blood pressure med), and my heart function has increased to 56! And I haven't had any side effects from the med. I was worried about my bp dropping too low, but I am on a very low dose and am tolerating it well.
Other good news--my hemoglobin finally made it up to 12, which is the bottom of the normal range. It hasn't been normal since last April.
We scheduled some upcoming tests--a CT scan and another MUGA on Feb. 21st (6 weeks), and an MRI and mammogram sometime in April. The CT scan is for the colon cancer--to watch for a recurrence. My onc. wants me to have them every 6 months for awhile. He said because I'm so young, he wants to make sure if anything does show up again we catch it early. He did say, though, that he thinks we did a pretty good job of fighting it so it shouldn't come back!
I do not need another colonoscopy for 2 years (3 years from my last one), and after this mammo and mri I won't need another one for a year.
Some side effects I still have are neuropathy (numbness) in my fingers and feet, and just tired and out of shape! I am starting to work on building my strength and stamina. I have a lot of damage from the colon cancer radiation, and also issues that have to do with missing 18" of my colon! These are annoyances that I will have to live with, although they may get better with time. I am also praying that God will take these problems away and restore to me what cancer has taken. I can be very persistent! I also need to continue to stretch my left arm and shoulder, or it quickly stiffens up. When I had my MUGA last week I had to have my left arm above my head for 10 minutes and that really hurt! Stretching helps a lot, I guess I just have to keep doing it!
I am very pleased with how well my skin did with radiation. I was expecting much worse! The scar area peeled, but it didn't hurt. The whole area, including by the clavicle, is tan looking, and will probably always be that way. I will need to protect it with sunscreen anytime it's exposed (like with tank tops and scoop neck tops) for the rest of my life.
Family update: Shonna is still here on break. She goes back to KC this weekend. Alyssa and Jaren will be leaving on a mission trip next weekend (the 22nd). Rachel and Ken are almost ready to submit all their paperwork to the country they are adopting from. Hopefully they will get to go over sometime in March or April. They have to wait for the country to contact them with the date.
Life is good! God is better!!
Love and blessings!
Tina
Last week I had another MUGA scan (for heart function). My heart function was 65% before I started treatment (which is very good), and after starting Herceptin it went down to 51. Then my onc. put me on Enalapril (a blood pressure med), and my heart function has increased to 56! And I haven't had any side effects from the med. I was worried about my bp dropping too low, but I am on a very low dose and am tolerating it well.
Other good news--my hemoglobin finally made it up to 12, which is the bottom of the normal range. It hasn't been normal since last April.
We scheduled some upcoming tests--a CT scan and another MUGA on Feb. 21st (6 weeks), and an MRI and mammogram sometime in April. The CT scan is for the colon cancer--to watch for a recurrence. My onc. wants me to have them every 6 months for awhile. He said because I'm so young, he wants to make sure if anything does show up again we catch it early. He did say, though, that he thinks we did a pretty good job of fighting it so it shouldn't come back!
I do not need another colonoscopy for 2 years (3 years from my last one), and after this mammo and mri I won't need another one for a year.
Some side effects I still have are neuropathy (numbness) in my fingers and feet, and just tired and out of shape! I am starting to work on building my strength and stamina. I have a lot of damage from the colon cancer radiation, and also issues that have to do with missing 18" of my colon! These are annoyances that I will have to live with, although they may get better with time. I am also praying that God will take these problems away and restore to me what cancer has taken. I can be very persistent! I also need to continue to stretch my left arm and shoulder, or it quickly stiffens up. When I had my MUGA last week I had to have my left arm above my head for 10 minutes and that really hurt! Stretching helps a lot, I guess I just have to keep doing it!
I am very pleased with how well my skin did with radiation. I was expecting much worse! The scar area peeled, but it didn't hurt. The whole area, including by the clavicle, is tan looking, and will probably always be that way. I will need to protect it with sunscreen anytime it's exposed (like with tank tops and scoop neck tops) for the rest of my life.
Family update: Shonna is still here on break. She goes back to KC this weekend. Alyssa and Jaren will be leaving on a mission trip next weekend (the 22nd). Rachel and Ken are almost ready to submit all their paperwork to the country they are adopting from. Hopefully they will get to go over sometime in March or April. They have to wait for the country to contact them with the date.
Life is good! God is better!!
Love and blessings!
Tina
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Done With Radiation!!!
Yes!! Today I finished radiation! I AM SO HAPPY TO BE DONE!! I had 33 treatments, starting the end of Oct. There were 4 delays--3 because of the machine, and 1 to give the skin a break.
Overall, I am pleased with how well my skin held up. There are areas that are very red, and could get a little worse the next few days, but hardly any pain at all. Just some discomfort now and then, and some itchiness. My fatigue is the worst part. It's almost as bad as when I had chemo! The fatigue might last a few weeks.
I was told to keep moisturizing for a few weeks, and to keep that area covered with sun block anytime it is exposed (like my clavicle area if I wear tank tops, because the lymph nodes there were radiated). I will need to do this for the rest of my life. Also the area will have a tan look forever.
I have some"cording" on my inner arm on that side. It is deep inside from the armpit to the elbow, and hurts if I touch it or reach for anything. Cording has something to do with the tendons, where they feel like cords and are very painful. I don't think I'll need a physical therapist, I just have to do a lot of stretching.
I brought my "team" (techs, nurse, doc, and front desk staff) some treats--a bowl of fresh fruit, and some homemade treats. I got a few hugs, and was told they never wanted to see me again (unless it was to just stop in and say hi!). They are a great, caring bunch of people.
Nothing new with my heart. I seem to be tolerating the new med ok--no signs of low blood pressure. I have my next heart scan on Dec. 29th. Next Wed. I'll have another Herceptin infusion and more blood tests. I won't see my onc. until 3 weeks after that.
Did I mention I was tired? I have been doing a lot of shopping after rad. treatment, and including tomorrow (Thurs.) I will have had Brennan here 3 days this week. I love that kiddo, but I really don't have the energy for him right now! But he sure makes me laugh! Tomorrow won't be so bad because I can take it easy in the morning since I don't have to go to rads! Then B. will be here around 1:30. Then Friday will be my first day with NOTHING scheduled! I am staying home and getting some Christmas stuff done--like wrapping or cards and stuff. I've got most of my shopping done, and I'll do the last minute stuff next week.
Tomorrow is my mom's birthday, and Sat. is Rich's birthday. Then Christmas, and the week after that--Alyssa's birthday! She is a new years baby. :)
I hope everyone is staying warm! Even my friend in the Fort Myers, FL area is cold! I hope we get a little break from the cold soon. The cold affects my fingers and feet because of the neuropathy.
Love and Blessings!!
Tina
Overall, I am pleased with how well my skin held up. There are areas that are very red, and could get a little worse the next few days, but hardly any pain at all. Just some discomfort now and then, and some itchiness. My fatigue is the worst part. It's almost as bad as when I had chemo! The fatigue might last a few weeks.
I was told to keep moisturizing for a few weeks, and to keep that area covered with sun block anytime it is exposed (like my clavicle area if I wear tank tops, because the lymph nodes there were radiated). I will need to do this for the rest of my life. Also the area will have a tan look forever.
I have some"cording" on my inner arm on that side. It is deep inside from the armpit to the elbow, and hurts if I touch it or reach for anything. Cording has something to do with the tendons, where they feel like cords and are very painful. I don't think I'll need a physical therapist, I just have to do a lot of stretching.
I brought my "team" (techs, nurse, doc, and front desk staff) some treats--a bowl of fresh fruit, and some homemade treats. I got a few hugs, and was told they never wanted to see me again (unless it was to just stop in and say hi!). They are a great, caring bunch of people.
Nothing new with my heart. I seem to be tolerating the new med ok--no signs of low blood pressure. I have my next heart scan on Dec. 29th. Next Wed. I'll have another Herceptin infusion and more blood tests. I won't see my onc. until 3 weeks after that.
Did I mention I was tired? I have been doing a lot of shopping after rad. treatment, and including tomorrow (Thurs.) I will have had Brennan here 3 days this week. I love that kiddo, but I really don't have the energy for him right now! But he sure makes me laugh! Tomorrow won't be so bad because I can take it easy in the morning since I don't have to go to rads! Then B. will be here around 1:30. Then Friday will be my first day with NOTHING scheduled! I am staying home and getting some Christmas stuff done--like wrapping or cards and stuff. I've got most of my shopping done, and I'll do the last minute stuff next week.
Tomorrow is my mom's birthday, and Sat. is Rich's birthday. Then Christmas, and the week after that--Alyssa's birthday! She is a new years baby. :)
I hope everyone is staying warm! Even my friend in the Fort Myers, FL area is cold! I hope we get a little break from the cold soon. The cold affects my fingers and feet because of the neuropathy.
Love and Blessings!!
Tina
Sunday, November 28, 2010
I Hate Cancer
Just in case you were wondering how I really felt about it!
This morning, as I checked my e-mail, I found 2 e-mails from colon cancer survivors that now think they may have breast cancer. One woman I've "known" for a while through her blog, and the support she gave me while I was going through treatment for colon cancer, and the other I just "met" today, when she contacted me through my blog. What a bummer!
I will be praying for them both, and doing what I can to help them and answer their questions. I've mentioned the website, breastcancer.org, to both of them. There are women on that site that are going or have gone through just about everything. It can be a little overwhelming at first, because, of course, people on there share their bad experiences, but when you get connected with some others (like I am part of the "June Chemo" thread) it can be incredibly supportive. I wish there was something similar for colon cancer. None of the colon cancer sites I've found compare to the bc site.
I've found there are differences between the 2 cancers. At first, the bc didn't scare me as much as the cc. And, it still doesn't, but the it's the treatment that scares me. I hope to NEVER go through chemo again! The cc (colon cancer) was less disfiguring, and when I was done with chemo, I was DONE. With bc, the treatment seems to go on forever. Everyone is different, but many of us will have more than one surgery, chemo, radiation, and then possibly Herceptin(1 year) or an estrogen inhibitor(5 years!). I had no idea there were so many different types of bc. Then, of course, there is the loss of hair and eyelashes, which makes you look like a cancer patient--something I didn't have with cc. For me, though, the loss of my breast was the most difficult. It's not such a big deal to me now, but it sure was difficult at the time. It's something that I had to work through with God.
Then there are so many other cancers out there! We lost one of our bloggers this past week. I think it may have even been on Thanksgiving. A young woman, early 30's, who has been battling lung cancer for the past 2 years. She was such a vibrant, adventurous woman. So sad.
Well, that should give you some reason for the title of my blog!
On a better note...
I had a very nice Thanksgiving with my family. Our group was Rich, me, Rachel, Ken, Brennan, Alyssa, Jaren (he was in Iraq last year!), Shonna, and my sister, Dee. I've come down with some sinus crap, so everyone really chipped in and helped me out. Rachel and Jaren both had to work, so we had an early dinner--about 1:30. I have soooo much to be thankful to God for!! He is so good!!!
I'm starting to feel a little better today. I slept in and stayed home from church. Shonna just left to head back to Kansas City. I haven't done any shopping yet--just some looking online and gathering ideas. Hope my head clears soon, so I can get things done and not get too far behind. I'm going to have Rich get the Christmas stuff out from under the steps, and I'll work on that this week.
I've had 20 (I think) out of 33 radiation treatments so far. I've had a 4 day break, and my skin is still pretty red. My hair is coming in, but it's so light and fine that I still look bald; it'll be awhile before I can go without a hat or scarf! My eyelashes are growing, but still too sparse and short for mascara--hopefully soon!
I had my MUGA (heart function) scan on Friday, and I will get the results of that on Wed. when I see my onc. After rads on Wed. I will go to the cancer center (all at Regions Hospital), and get labs done, see my onc., and then get another Herceptin infusion. I'm hoping I will find that my hemoglobin is back up near normal, and my other counts are all ok. My Rad Onc said this radiation should not affect my white blood counts, because it's not hitting much of my bone marrow. This will be the last time I see my onc. for a while (I think), so I will ask him what the plan is for future scans and tests, for both cancers. I'll also talk to him about going back to work.
Rachel and Ken's fundraiser for their adoption is coming up on Friday. I will post more about this tomorrow, but if you click on Joshua's button on the side of my blog, you will find info there and a link to Rachel's blog. On her blog, there is a tab at the top with fundraiser info. There will be a concert, silent auction, door prizes, free cookies, and other items for sale. Hope to see many of you there!!
Blessings!!
Tina
This morning, as I checked my e-mail, I found 2 e-mails from colon cancer survivors that now think they may have breast cancer. One woman I've "known" for a while through her blog, and the support she gave me while I was going through treatment for colon cancer, and the other I just "met" today, when she contacted me through my blog. What a bummer!
I will be praying for them both, and doing what I can to help them and answer their questions. I've mentioned the website, breastcancer.org, to both of them. There are women on that site that are going or have gone through just about everything. It can be a little overwhelming at first, because, of course, people on there share their bad experiences, but when you get connected with some others (like I am part of the "June Chemo" thread) it can be incredibly supportive. I wish there was something similar for colon cancer. None of the colon cancer sites I've found compare to the bc site.
I've found there are differences between the 2 cancers. At first, the bc didn't scare me as much as the cc. And, it still doesn't, but the it's the treatment that scares me. I hope to NEVER go through chemo again! The cc (colon cancer) was less disfiguring, and when I was done with chemo, I was DONE. With bc, the treatment seems to go on forever. Everyone is different, but many of us will have more than one surgery, chemo, radiation, and then possibly Herceptin(1 year) or an estrogen inhibitor(5 years!). I had no idea there were so many different types of bc. Then, of course, there is the loss of hair and eyelashes, which makes you look like a cancer patient--something I didn't have with cc. For me, though, the loss of my breast was the most difficult. It's not such a big deal to me now, but it sure was difficult at the time. It's something that I had to work through with God.
Then there are so many other cancers out there! We lost one of our bloggers this past week. I think it may have even been on Thanksgiving. A young woman, early 30's, who has been battling lung cancer for the past 2 years. She was such a vibrant, adventurous woman. So sad.
Well, that should give you some reason for the title of my blog!
On a better note...
I had a very nice Thanksgiving with my family. Our group was Rich, me, Rachel, Ken, Brennan, Alyssa, Jaren (he was in Iraq last year!), Shonna, and my sister, Dee. I've come down with some sinus crap, so everyone really chipped in and helped me out. Rachel and Jaren both had to work, so we had an early dinner--about 1:30. I have soooo much to be thankful to God for!! He is so good!!!
I'm starting to feel a little better today. I slept in and stayed home from church. Shonna just left to head back to Kansas City. I haven't done any shopping yet--just some looking online and gathering ideas. Hope my head clears soon, so I can get things done and not get too far behind. I'm going to have Rich get the Christmas stuff out from under the steps, and I'll work on that this week.
I've had 20 (I think) out of 33 radiation treatments so far. I've had a 4 day break, and my skin is still pretty red. My hair is coming in, but it's so light and fine that I still look bald; it'll be awhile before I can go without a hat or scarf! My eyelashes are growing, but still too sparse and short for mascara--hopefully soon!
I had my MUGA (heart function) scan on Friday, and I will get the results of that on Wed. when I see my onc. After rads on Wed. I will go to the cancer center (all at Regions Hospital), and get labs done, see my onc., and then get another Herceptin infusion. I'm hoping I will find that my hemoglobin is back up near normal, and my other counts are all ok. My Rad Onc said this radiation should not affect my white blood counts, because it's not hitting much of my bone marrow. This will be the last time I see my onc. for a while (I think), so I will ask him what the plan is for future scans and tests, for both cancers. I'll also talk to him about going back to work.
Rachel and Ken's fundraiser for their adoption is coming up on Friday. I will post more about this tomorrow, but if you click on Joshua's button on the side of my blog, you will find info there and a link to Rachel's blog. On her blog, there is a tab at the top with fundraiser info. There will be a concert, silent auction, door prizes, free cookies, and other items for sale. Hope to see many of you there!!
Blessings!!
Tina
Friday, March 5, 2010
Good Lookin' Colon
Had my colonoscopy today. I'm so glad I can finally eat something other than Jell-o! The gastro doc (Dr. Jafri) talked to me about my surgery before he did the procedure and we talked about bleeding. He said radiation can often cause bleeding in the colon years later. It seems I'm always finding out something about the radiation that I didn't know before. Many effects are life-long. During the colonoscopy he showed me where the surgery was and we saw some of the red spots that cause bleeding from the radiation. There is a name for the condition--but I'm too lazy to go get my report now to look it up! If anyone REALLY wants to know--just ask and I'll let you know. The red spots are actually little blood vessels close to the surface and they bleed easily with any irritation or pressure.
I've heard that many people sleep through the procedure, but even though I get Fentynal and Versed (sp?), I always stay awake. They gave me an extra bump today during the test because it got a little uncomfortable. I probably didn't need any more drugs, but as soon as they see you're uncomfortable they quickly give you more!
I wondered why I needed to get a colonoscopy so soon--nothing has had a chance to grow in there yet. But it was good to take a look to make sure everything was ok after the surgery and radiation. Dr. Jafri wants me back in 3 years, but we'll see what my oncologist, Dr. Jahagirdar, wants. Hopefully he'll agree with Dr. Jafri!
Afterward we went to Perkins for breakfast. I didn't eat very much because my stomach was really hurting and bloated. We came home and I laid in bed, watched my soap, and fell asleep. Rich napped with me too for awhile. I feel pretty good now--but my tummy is still making lots of noise!
Well, that was probably more info than you wanted! I'm the type that likes lots of details when I read someone's blog--maybe some of you are that way too. :)
Blessings to all!
Tina
I've heard that many people sleep through the procedure, but even though I get Fentynal and Versed (sp?), I always stay awake. They gave me an extra bump today during the test because it got a little uncomfortable. I probably didn't need any more drugs, but as soon as they see you're uncomfortable they quickly give you more!
I wondered why I needed to get a colonoscopy so soon--nothing has had a chance to grow in there yet. But it was good to take a look to make sure everything was ok after the surgery and radiation. Dr. Jafri wants me back in 3 years, but we'll see what my oncologist, Dr. Jahagirdar, wants. Hopefully he'll agree with Dr. Jafri!
Afterward we went to Perkins for breakfast. I didn't eat very much because my stomach was really hurting and bloated. We came home and I laid in bed, watched my soap, and fell asleep. Rich napped with me too for awhile. I feel pretty good now--but my tummy is still making lots of noise!
Well, that was probably more info than you wanted! I'm the type that likes lots of details when I read someone's blog--maybe some of you are that way too. :)
Blessings to all!
Tina
Monday, August 17, 2009
I'm Home!
I got home today about 2pm. Its so nice to be here. I was a little worried about the pain, but so far its been under control. I ate rice and lemon pudding for supper, and haven't had any bad pain yet. There is Little Caesar's pizza in the fridge--it is soooo tempting. A few more days and I'll give pizza a try again. Craving mozzarella sticks again too!
I can't believe how fast this month is going! I've missed most of it--I have a lot of catching up to do!
Prayer request: Please pray that Dr. B. (radiation doc), Rich, and I make the right decision about whether or not to do the last 3 radiation treatments. I'm pretty much going to trust the doc, so pray he makes the right decision!
After all this, I think I'm looking forward to chemo again! (not really!)
Take care everyone!
Love,
Tina
I can't believe how fast this month is going! I've missed most of it--I have a lot of catching up to do!
Prayer request: Please pray that Dr. B. (radiation doc), Rich, and I make the right decision about whether or not to do the last 3 radiation treatments. I'm pretty much going to trust the doc, so pray he makes the right decision!
After all this, I think I'm looking forward to chemo again! (not really!)
Take care everyone!
Love,
Tina
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Going to the Hospital
Last night I decided to take my temp before bed, because I was supposed to be keeping an eye on it. It was 100.4, so I called the after hours nurse line--she talked to Dr. J, my oncologist, and he wanted me to go to the ER to be tested for some different infections and such. We got down there about 10:30, and by that time my temp was up to 101.3. They did some x-rays, lots of blood tests, stool and urine sample, and a CT scan. Turns out I have a bladder infection again. The ct scan showed that my lower bowel is inflamed, but not as bad as last time. They sent me home with 2 antibiotics. We got home about 6:30 am.
So this afternoon, I called the cancer center to talk to a nurse to see if I could take some oxycontin I had left over, and she started asking me questions about my pain and fever (100.2 earlier today). She talks to the doc and calls me back to tell me he wants to admit me to the hospital. He doesn't like the way the bowels looked on the scan, and I have another infection called C-Diff (?) in the bowels and he wants to keep a close eye on me. The nurse also said I have a "major" bladder infection, whatever that means.
When I am in a lot of pain, I actually prefer to be at the hospital. I get good pain meds, and I don't have to do ANYTHING. My food is brought to me, I have an adjustable bed, the nurses come at the push of a button--its nice! Everytime I move it hurts, so just laying in bed is all I really want to do.
I don't think I'll be there long--just enough to get some antibiotics, and reassure the doc that my bowels aren't going to explode! (or whatever he thinks is going to happen)
So, as always, prayers are appreciated!
Take care everyone!
Love,
Tina
So this afternoon, I called the cancer center to talk to a nurse to see if I could take some oxycontin I had left over, and she started asking me questions about my pain and fever (100.2 earlier today). She talks to the doc and calls me back to tell me he wants to admit me to the hospital. He doesn't like the way the bowels looked on the scan, and I have another infection called C-Diff (?) in the bowels and he wants to keep a close eye on me. The nurse also said I have a "major" bladder infection, whatever that means.
When I am in a lot of pain, I actually prefer to be at the hospital. I get good pain meds, and I don't have to do ANYTHING. My food is brought to me, I have an adjustable bed, the nurses come at the push of a button--its nice! Everytime I move it hurts, so just laying in bed is all I really want to do.
I don't think I'll be there long--just enough to get some antibiotics, and reassure the doc that my bowels aren't going to explode! (or whatever he thinks is going to happen)
So, as always, prayers are appreciated!
Take care everyone!
Love,
Tina
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Still No Radiation
Saw Dr. B today, and we decided to wait to do the radiation. I'm running a low grade fever, and even with the pain pills I'm still in a lot of pain. I will go see him on Thursday, but we'll probably wait until next Monday to start the last 3 treatments. He said its possible we might even skip the last 3 altogether, but I hope we don't have to. I really want to complete this. If it was just a matter of pain, I'd definitely finish, but there is the chance we could do permanent damage, and that I DON"T want.
Today 2 friends, Heidi and Pam, stopped by for a little visit, and they prayed over me. It was so nice to visit with some girlfriends, and it made me forget about my pain for a little bit. I hesitate to have people over because the house gets a little messy, but hopefully those that visit will care more about me than my house! Heidi and Pam are the moms of Shonna's best friends, so of course we have to talk about the girls (hee-hee--I know they hate that!). The girls are such good kids, that we certainly don't have anything to complain about! We are very proud of them!
Alyssa is still around, taking care of me when I need it. She's been busy planning her wedding/reception, Rachel's baby shower, and her friend's bachelorette party, plus cheerleading practice has started already. She and her friend Alyssa A. are the coaches.
Haven't seen much of Rachel lately. She usually stops by on Thursday to show me all her garage sale finds. She's having alot of fun shopping for her baby! (her hubby might say too much fun!)
Take care everyone! Thanks for all the prayers!
Love,
Tina
Today 2 friends, Heidi and Pam, stopped by for a little visit, and they prayed over me. It was so nice to visit with some girlfriends, and it made me forget about my pain for a little bit. I hesitate to have people over because the house gets a little messy, but hopefully those that visit will care more about me than my house! Heidi and Pam are the moms of Shonna's best friends, so of course we have to talk about the girls (hee-hee--I know they hate that!). The girls are such good kids, that we certainly don't have anything to complain about! We are very proud of them!
Alyssa is still around, taking care of me when I need it. She's been busy planning her wedding/reception, Rachel's baby shower, and her friend's bachelorette party, plus cheerleading practice has started already. She and her friend Alyssa A. are the coaches.
Haven't seen much of Rachel lately. She usually stops by on Thursday to show me all her garage sale finds. She's having alot of fun shopping for her baby! (her hubby might say too much fun!)
Take care everyone! Thanks for all the prayers!
Love,
Tina
Monday, August 10, 2009
More Changes in "The Plan"
My pain has gotten worse over the weekend, to the point where the pain pills barely help. So I didn't have radiation today, and when I saw my oncologist (Dr. J) he decided not to do the 5FU pushes(injections) I was supposed to have this week. The 5FU makes my body more sensitive to the radiation, which would be a bad thing for my body right now! He feels I've gotten enough radiation and 5FU previously, and I'll be getting more chemo soon, so its ok to skip it. We'll see what the radiation doc wants to do tomorrow, as I still have a lot of cramping and pain. Dr. J said the concern is that when the bowels get really inflamed the walls get weaker and then I am at risk for a perforated(sp?) bowel.
I have a date set for when I start my final 8 rounds of chemo--Wed., Sept. 2nd. I wanted it to be Wed. again, like before. I'll get chemo on Wed., come home with the 5FU pump, and have it removed by a nurse that comes to the house on Friday. I'll have a 3 week break before it starts--yay! As soon as I am feeling better, I plan on enjoying EVERY day!
Love and Blessings!!
Tina :-)
I have a date set for when I start my final 8 rounds of chemo--Wed., Sept. 2nd. I wanted it to be Wed. again, like before. I'll get chemo on Wed., come home with the 5FU pump, and have it removed by a nurse that comes to the house on Friday. I'll have a 3 week break before it starts--yay! As soon as I am feeling better, I plan on enjoying EVERY day!
Love and Blessings!!
Tina :-)
Friday, August 7, 2009
Doing Better! (Only 3 more!!!)
Thanks to pain pills! I had a rough couple of days, and didn't know how I was going to make it thru the last few treatments, and then I decided to take some of the remaining pain pills I have left over from after I got out of the hospital. I told Donnie (the radiation nurse) that I was going to do that and she thought it was a good idea--the pills help both with the pain and they slow down the bowels. The doc wanted to see me today when I went in for radiation, because Donnie had told him I wasn't feeling well. He agreed taking the pain pills was a good idea, and he thought maybe I should skip treatment today--but I told him I really wanted to have my treatment, because I'm almost done! He said ok, but if I'm still having pain on Monday, we'll take the day off. I feel sooo much better--hardly any pain/cramping at all.
Today Alyssa and Shonna went with to treatment, and we picked up Rich from work too. Then we went to lunch after. We were supposed to go to this little Italian place on Rice St. called Mama's, but because I had to see the doc we didn't have time. Ate at Roadside pizza instead, because its quicker. Rich had to get back to work for a meeting. I asked Alyssa yesterday to drive me, because of the pain pills, and then Shonna found out we were going out to lunch and she wanted to go too. It was a nice lunch. Later in the afternoon I took Shonna to Rosedale to get her the Macbook she's been wanting (she's helping to pay for it!). She's clogging up this laptop with all her photos and music, and the Macbook has a much better program for photo editing. She's been getting jobs taking grad pics and wedding pics, so it will help her to have a better computer.
It was a long day! I'm about ready for bed!
Thanks for the prayers--God is answering them!
Love and Blessings,
Tina
Today Alyssa and Shonna went with to treatment, and we picked up Rich from work too. Then we went to lunch after. We were supposed to go to this little Italian place on Rice St. called Mama's, but because I had to see the doc we didn't have time. Ate at Roadside pizza instead, because its quicker. Rich had to get back to work for a meeting. I asked Alyssa yesterday to drive me, because of the pain pills, and then Shonna found out we were going out to lunch and she wanted to go too. It was a nice lunch. Later in the afternoon I took Shonna to Rosedale to get her the Macbook she's been wanting (she's helping to pay for it!). She's clogging up this laptop with all her photos and music, and the Macbook has a much better program for photo editing. She's been getting jobs taking grad pics and wedding pics, so it will help her to have a better computer.
It was a long day! I'm about ready for bed!
Thanks for the prayers--God is answering them!
Love and Blessings,
Tina
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
5 Left....5 Too Many!
Its going to be a tough week...can't wait until its done! Things are starting to really hurt again, like they did before I was hospitalized last time. I think we all thought it was the 5 FU that was causing most of the trouble, but it seems that radiation is messing up my system all on its own! But, I've got to tough it out--can't stop now! Only 5 to go!
If there is anyone reading this who has to go thru the same radiation I'm going thru, please know that most people don't have side effects as bad as I do. I talked to a younger gal (early 30's?) when she had just 2 treatments left and her biggest complaint was tiredness. She napped everyday after radiation. Hers is the more common reaction, but everyone is different.
I've been throwing myself a little pity party today--but I'm done with that now. I'm alive, and have a wonderful family helping me...I have SO much to be grateful for!! Time to count my blessings!!
Amen!
Blessings to all!
Tina
If there is anyone reading this who has to go thru the same radiation I'm going thru, please know that most people don't have side effects as bad as I do. I talked to a younger gal (early 30's?) when she had just 2 treatments left and her biggest complaint was tiredness. She napped everyday after radiation. Hers is the more common reaction, but everyone is different.
I've been throwing myself a little pity party today--but I'm done with that now. I'm alive, and have a wonderful family helping me...I have SO much to be grateful for!! Time to count my blessings!!
Amen!
Blessings to all!
Tina
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Only 6 Left!
Only 6 radiation treatments left! I can't wait to be done! My last treatment will be next Wed., but I'll still have to go down to Regions Thurs. and Friday also to finish my 5FU injections. I found out from the nurses yesterday that I'll also get a "push" (injection) of the Leukovorin along with the 5FU, because it helps the 5FU work better. They'll access my port on Monday to draw blood for labs and give me my injection, and then leave it accessed for the rest of the week. I'm glad I remembered to put the Emla cream on my port before I went this last Monday. It numbs the skin so it doesn't hurt when they put the needle in. Otherwise it hurts! The nurse I usually have on Mondays, while I love her dearly, puts it in too slow, I think. I had another nurse who did it fast and it hurt alot less.
My intestines are starting to protest a little again, and the radiation is starting to bother the bladder as well. The doc gave me a scrip for something to soothe the bladder, but I haven't tried it yet.
Today Alyssa, Shonna and I went to Godfather's Pizza for lunch. We love it, but Rich doesn't, so its usually a special treat for the girls and I. Probably wasn't the best choice for my stomach, but oh well. I had white rice and lemonade for supper to make up for it! And I don't need to worry about calories because my radiation doc was concerned today that I'm still losing weight. I'm secretly thrilled, of course! Especially since I was expecting the scale to be up a little since I have my appetite back and have been eating more.
Since I didn't nap today, and don't have anything important to do tomorrow, I'm gonna try to sleep without an Ambien pill tonight. I've taken one 3 or 4 nights in a row, and I don't want to start to need them to get to sleep. I've never even taken a Tylenol PM before...I just don't like to take drugs I don't need. But, I have learned to take what I do need, to improve my quality of life. Why suffer if I don't have to?
I might try to get a haircut tomorrow or Thurs. I hate making appts. because I never know how I'm going to feel. My hair is still thinning and starting to look really flat. I REALLY want to get out to lunch with some girlfriends (I need some laughs!), but I always hesitate to make a commitment. But I am seriously needing some girl time!
Time for bed!
Goodnight everyone!
Tina
My intestines are starting to protest a little again, and the radiation is starting to bother the bladder as well. The doc gave me a scrip for something to soothe the bladder, but I haven't tried it yet.
Today Alyssa, Shonna and I went to Godfather's Pizza for lunch. We love it, but Rich doesn't, so its usually a special treat for the girls and I. Probably wasn't the best choice for my stomach, but oh well. I had white rice and lemonade for supper to make up for it! And I don't need to worry about calories because my radiation doc was concerned today that I'm still losing weight. I'm secretly thrilled, of course! Especially since I was expecting the scale to be up a little since I have my appetite back and have been eating more.
Since I didn't nap today, and don't have anything important to do tomorrow, I'm gonna try to sleep without an Ambien pill tonight. I've taken one 3 or 4 nights in a row, and I don't want to start to need them to get to sleep. I've never even taken a Tylenol PM before...I just don't like to take drugs I don't need. But, I have learned to take what I do need, to improve my quality of life. Why suffer if I don't have to?
I might try to get a haircut tomorrow or Thurs. I hate making appts. because I never know how I'm going to feel. My hair is still thinning and starting to look really flat. I REALLY want to get out to lunch with some girlfriends (I need some laughs!), but I always hesitate to make a commitment. But I am seriously needing some girl time!
Time for bed!
Goodnight everyone!
Tina
Sunday, August 2, 2009
A Very Nice Weekend!
Not a great picture of me--but note the sweatshirt! Windy and 60's!
The Clemens garden on Friday night--lots of different color themes, and water fountains.
The Musinger Garden we visited on Sat. morning.Rich and I did get away overnight on Friday, but we went to St. Cloud instead of Duluth. Duluth is so busy (and expensive!) on the weekends, and the Hell's Angels were supposed to be taking over most of the town too. When I'm done with radiation we might try to go up there on a weekday, instead of a weekend. I really should plan a trip to Chicago too, before chemo starts. Shonna wants to look at some colleges in the area. Anyone have any recommendations as to where to stay or what colleges might be good? I've never been there before. I think its about an 8 hour drive from here.
Anyways, back to the weekend. In St. Cloud there are some gardens on the Mississippi River that are so beautiful. I love being by the river! We went to one garden on Friday night, and the other one near it on Sat. morning. We ate at a Ground Round, which is one of our favorite restaurants, but there aren't any in the twin cities anymore. Its the first "real" restaurant Rich took me to, on our 2nd date. (McDonald's drive thru was our first date--and a blind date at that!) At Ground Round they used to give you a basket of peanuts and you just threw the shells on the floor. Now they give you a basket of popcorn instead. Love their shrimp! I enjoyed the whole meal, which hasn't happened in a long time! (Except for the KFC buffet the night before--that was the first time I felt like eating meat.) Before we left town Sat., we ate at a Grizzley's restaurant. I don't think we have them in the cities either, but I've seen them in Duluth before. I ate about 2/3 of my hamburger, and 1/2 my fries--tasted good, but didn't want to overdo it. Plus, we planned on stopping in Elk River on our way home for DQ!
I've been feeling pretty good, except for the tiredness. I took an Ambien last night at 12:45, when I woke up to use the bathroom. That helped me alot! Usually I can't get back to sleep after I wake up, and I toss and turn and keep Rich awake too--eventually I leave the bedroom and go out to the recliner. But the Ambien helped me get back to sleep and I slept until 6, got up briefly and fell back to sleep until about 8--awesome! What a difference a little sleep makes! I made it to church and was so happy to be there worshipping God. I can feel His presence so strongly that I cry--its just beautiful! I'm always amazed at what He has done for me!!
Well, tomorrow starts another week of radiation. I have only 8 treatments left!! I hope I can keep my energy levels up;I get so frustrated when all I do is run to radiation, then come home and nap and watch tv. There is so much I should be doing! So, pray for a good week folks!
Love you all!
Tina
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