Saturday, September 19, 2009

It's been a while...

Once again time has slipped past me, I cannot believe that it's been almost two weeks since my last entry. I do apologize to those of you who do check this on a regular basis, I know it's refreshing to see a new entry every once and a while.

So, radiation has been going pretty smoothly. It's so much easier than chemo. I think all the rain that we've had here in Georgia this past week hasn't helped me any. I was definitely in a funk yesterday, a hormonal roller coaster, all of which I think is normal and certainly deserved. I really just want to be done with all this. I'm over it. I want my hair back, my nails back, to have my entire days without a doctors' appointment or a radiation treatment, to feel like myself again, to just be done. Is that too much to ask? I'm trying to keep things as "normal" as possible around here, but do I really know what normal is anymore? Like my sister said a while back, get used to the "new normal". Hmm, I don't think I like that!

I went back to the gym this week to start lifting weights again. I've never really been in great shape, but oh my, I can tell it's been since March when I last lifted weights. UGH!!! I'll stick with it though and get back in the routine, that's the best thing I can do right now. I am glad I've kept up the walking this whole time, but strength training is so important too. I remember a long time ago, a guy at a gym I belonged to told me, "Muscles have memory"...hopefully mine will cooperate and bounce back in no time! It's ok though, at least I can work out and have the flexibility in my schedule to get back into it. My hope is that by the time the holidays roll around, I'll have hair and can tell I've been working out a few months! We shall see.

The radiation is going very smoothly though. My hats off to the staff, they are some really nice folks at the office where I go and make my treatments worth the trip. At this point, I have had 12 of 33 so I'm just over 1/3 of the way through. My final treatment date is Oct. 19th, believe me, I've marked my calendar! My skin is doing o.k. so far...I have aloe I'm treating it with and am sleeping extra when I can. They do say fatigue is a side effect and I've definitely noticed I can't do as much (which is very frustrating for me)...I'll get through this though so I'll give myself some slack for not getting all the "stuff" done that I should. Oh, to be all done will be a dream!
Well, it's a big football day in our household today, Florida Gators (my school) vs. Tennessee Volunteers (Dave's school)...what can I say? Goooooooo Gatorssssssss!!!!!!

Sunday, September 6, 2009

Time for an Update!

Sorry it's been a while since I last made a post, I've been staying quite busy so that is good. Here's what's been going on since I last wrote...

Dave went to Costa Rica this past week on business. While he was gone, I went in for my Radiation Simulation on Monday..this is where they tattoo me, get me marked up with a Sharpie, line me up and get me ready for my upcoming Radiation. I then had my Port Removal surgery done on Tuesday and then started Radiation on Wednesday. On Tuesday, although the port removal was a simple procedure, it was not pain free. My surgeon told me I could drive myself to and from the appointment, but I'm glad my Mom came with me. All I can say is, "OUCHHHH!!!" He used a local anesthetic (or claimed to), but it was not a fun procedure. I'm just glad it is over and done with and out of me! The port was great to have during chemo, but since I didn't have any more need for it, I wanted it out!

Wednesday was my first Radiation appointment (of 33) and that is quite painless! I think like many have said that after going through chemo, the radiation will be a piece of cake. I get "zapped" from 3 different angles and the whole procedure takes about 10 minutes. No big deal, I'll just need to keep aloe on my skin since I am so fair and burn quite easily. They said that in about the third week that fatigue will probably kick in. I'm just glad I can rest and nap when I need to so, I'll get through it.

I was having nausea this week and figured out that it was from starting Tamoxifen. I read up on the side effects and it said that when starting on this "miracle drug", nausea can be a side effect at the beginning of treatment. I'll be on this for 5 years so I'm glad the nausea shouldn't be something permanent! This drug blocks the estrogen (which my type of breast cancer feeds off of), so it will help me not to have a recurrence. It also keeps me in chemically-induced menopause, so I continue to have hot flashes. I'm just dealing with them and taking off my bandana to keep cool! It goes with the territory so I won't complain although they are not the most fun thing to deal with. Such is life!

Well, not too much else is happening. Our kitchen remodel is just waiting on the painter to paint the walls, ceiling and cabinets, then we'll be all done! We're calling it our "Aflac Kitchen" since the Cancer policy has funded this project. For that I am thankful, it was about time!