Everyday I am amazed that I still have my energy. For so many months the energy would return only be taken away again by another chemo infusion. I am truly grateful and filled with joy to be feeling good.
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
November 29, 2006
Monday I received good news from Dr. Davis the radiology oncologist – I have only eight more full sessions and the boosts are expected to be no more than eight. This is good because my chest is becoming “lobster red” and I have three small blisters. My underarm is more purple than red now and I have had a small amount of discomfort that ibuprofen and the gels have not completely eliminated. It's not bad and I still consider radiation far easier than chemotheraphy.
Everyday I am amazed that I still have my energy. For so many months the energy would return only be taken away again by another chemo infusion. I am truly grateful and filled with joy to be feeling good.
Everyday I am amazed that I still have my energy. For so many months the energy would return only be taken away again by another chemo infusion. I am truly grateful and filled with joy to be feeling good.
Friday, November 24, 2006
Thanksgiving
The afternoon before Thanksgiving was busy at our house. April and I have come up with a few verses:
‘Twas the afternoon before Thanksgiving and all three were at my house.
Letting Connor in the pantry kept him happy and quiet as a mouse.
Madi frosted the cookies and Jack washed the dishes.
They each told me their long list of Christmas Day wishes.
By the time they leave my mind and house are in a state of disarray.
But that does not stop me from planning our next date to play.
We had another fun day together the three kids and me.
The next time they come I think we’ll make ornaments for the tree.
These pictures also help to tell the story:
Thanksgiving Day was filled with family, friends, and good food. I hope your day was also.
Last week all of my energy returned and it is good to feel like myself again. The cumulative effect of radiation has reached me and my skin has changed from pink to red. I have a very large red square on my chest and a thin rectangle of red that runs underneath my arm and down a few inches on my side. My neck and collar bone area only look tan. So far the ibuprofen and gels are keeping me comfortable.
I know that it is going to get tougher but I will get through this just as I got through chemo - one day at time. Remembering to be grateful for today helps me to remain focused. After all, it would be a terrible thing to waste today when there is not a guarantee of tomorrow. "I know that there is nothing better than to rejoice and to do good in one's lifetime; moreover that every man who eats and drinks sees good in all his labor - it is the gift of God." Ecclesiastes 3:12-13
Thanks for checking in on me.
‘Twas the afternoon before Thanksgiving and all three were at my house.
Letting Connor in the pantry kept him happy and quiet as a mouse.
Madi frosted the cookies and Jack washed the dishes.
They each told me their long list of Christmas Day wishes.
By the time they leave my mind and house are in a state of disarray.
But that does not stop me from planning our next date to play.
We had another fun day together the three kids and me.
The next time they come I think we’ll make ornaments for the tree.
These pictures also help to tell the story:
Thanksgiving Day was filled with family, friends, and good food. I hope your day was also.
Last week all of my energy returned and it is good to feel like myself again. The cumulative effect of radiation has reached me and my skin has changed from pink to red. I have a very large red square on my chest and a thin rectangle of red that runs underneath my arm and down a few inches on my side. My neck and collar bone area only look tan. So far the ibuprofen and gels are keeping me comfortable.
I know that it is going to get tougher but I will get through this just as I got through chemo - one day at time. Remembering to be grateful for today helps me to remain focused. After all, it would be a terrible thing to waste today when there is not a guarantee of tomorrow. "I know that there is nothing better than to rejoice and to do good in one's lifetime; moreover that every man who eats and drinks sees good in all his labor - it is the gift of God." Ecclesiastes 3:12-13
Thanks for checking in on me.
Sunday, November 12, 2006
Catching Up
I'm an early riser - or at least I was. For the past couple of weeks I have been struggling to get up, eat, shower, and be at the radiologist by 10:30 am.
I love the early morning...it is my quiet time for reflection, prayer, meditation, and inspirational reading. It has also been the time that I have written most of the posts for this blog. So now you know why I have not written a post - my inner clock has been topsy-turvy.
Around the middle of October I caught a cold or a virus that turned into something ugly. I was on antibiotics for a couple of weeks then off for about five days and I have just finished another round of antibiotics. I think this time I am completely well.
Even though I feel completely well I have had an irritating tickle cough that frequently interrupts my sleep (and Randy’s) and nasal congestion that comes and goes throughout the day and night. Furthermore, a few days ago I realized that the left side of my throat felt a little swollen. For several days I assumed that all of this was the tail end of my illness or perhaps it was allergies however as it has continued, both Randy and I could not help being worried. In addition to the radiation treatment on Mondays I also see a nurse and Dr. Davis the radiation oncologist. I had been debating with myself if I would speak with Dr. Davis about these symptoms – I did not want to complain about something so minor and at the same time I was worried he would tell me these symptoms were a sign of something not good happening within my body.
Fortunately yesterday I overhead another patient telling the doctor of similar symptoms and I also overheard a portion of his explanation. So, as soon as he walked into the exam room I told him what little I had overheard and what my symptoms are. The simple explanation is that I am experiencing a normal reaction to the radiation I am receiving to the neck. What a relief it is to have an explanation that is not scary! To manage the symptoms I can use either a decongestant or a cough suppressant as needed. Although the cough suppressant did not completely eliminate the cough last night it did help and as a result of sleeping better I did wake earlier this morning.
Today is radiation session number fourteen – I am half way through the first set of twenty-eight. Last week the radiation areas began turning pink however only one tiny area is slightly stingy. I have been alternatively using a prescription gel and a mixture of 100 percent aloe vera gel and lavender oil; both are very soothing and take away the sting. I am taking 800 mg of ibuprofen twice a day to help the inflammation and it is doing a very good job.
I have been experiencing occasional aches in my hips, knees, legs, and feet however the numbness of my fingers and toes is quite a bit better. All of this is the lingering effects of Taxol and I am told that it may last as long as six months from the time of the last infusion. I also have some fatigue and even though it is nothing compared to the fatigue associated with chemotherapy it is a little bothersome. I continue to set aside time for a nap each day and it seems as though if I rest up on Saturday I am good to go by Sunday and then dragging a little again by Wednesday or Thursday. I am hopeful that taking the cough suppressant and getting better sleep at night will result in less fatigue.
I have had several lunch dates over the past couple of weeks with friends, most of who were business associates, and have very much enjoyed catching up on their business news and sharing the news of our mutual families. Most importantly, Randy and I have had a lot of time with Madison, Jackson, and Connor.
On Friday of this week I will have another infusion of Herceptin – three weeks has gone by quickly. I’m having lunch with a friend tomorrow and am looking forward to a visit with another friend who lives out of state and was a client of mine many, many years ago. I have found maple and oak leaf cookie cutters and am making plans to celebrate autumn with Madison and Jackson by baking and decorating cookies.
Last night our nephew Daniel, who recently moved back home to Missouri, called to tell us that his friend had died in a car accident just a few hours earlier. Witnesses reported that Chris swerved to miss something and his truck rolled down an embankment. In an e-mail today my sister-in-law Nancy was reminiscing about the night Chris was born. Nancy said that she walked up the country lane through the snow to the home of his parent’s and then went with them to the hospital. Chris was nine months younger than Daniel and they grew up together, in fact they were planning to move in together since Daniel had returned home. We just don’t know when something is going to happen – an accident or a serious illness. Don’t waste today – appreciate your blessings, be as good as you can be, laugh several times, and tell at least one person that you love them. To help you get started appreciating your blessings here is a picture of a bee feasting on some wildflowers that are growing in our yard.
I love the early morning...it is my quiet time for reflection, prayer, meditation, and inspirational reading. It has also been the time that I have written most of the posts for this blog. So now you know why I have not written a post - my inner clock has been topsy-turvy.
Around the middle of October I caught a cold or a virus that turned into something ugly. I was on antibiotics for a couple of weeks then off for about five days and I have just finished another round of antibiotics. I think this time I am completely well.
Even though I feel completely well I have had an irritating tickle cough that frequently interrupts my sleep (and Randy’s) and nasal congestion that comes and goes throughout the day and night. Furthermore, a few days ago I realized that the left side of my throat felt a little swollen. For several days I assumed that all of this was the tail end of my illness or perhaps it was allergies however as it has continued, both Randy and I could not help being worried. In addition to the radiation treatment on Mondays I also see a nurse and Dr. Davis the radiation oncologist. I had been debating with myself if I would speak with Dr. Davis about these symptoms – I did not want to complain about something so minor and at the same time I was worried he would tell me these symptoms were a sign of something not good happening within my body.
Fortunately yesterday I overhead another patient telling the doctor of similar symptoms and I also overheard a portion of his explanation. So, as soon as he walked into the exam room I told him what little I had overheard and what my symptoms are. The simple explanation is that I am experiencing a normal reaction to the radiation I am receiving to the neck. What a relief it is to have an explanation that is not scary! To manage the symptoms I can use either a decongestant or a cough suppressant as needed. Although the cough suppressant did not completely eliminate the cough last night it did help and as a result of sleeping better I did wake earlier this morning.
Today is radiation session number fourteen – I am half way through the first set of twenty-eight. Last week the radiation areas began turning pink however only one tiny area is slightly stingy. I have been alternatively using a prescription gel and a mixture of 100 percent aloe vera gel and lavender oil; both are very soothing and take away the sting. I am taking 800 mg of ibuprofen twice a day to help the inflammation and it is doing a very good job.
I have been experiencing occasional aches in my hips, knees, legs, and feet however the numbness of my fingers and toes is quite a bit better. All of this is the lingering effects of Taxol and I am told that it may last as long as six months from the time of the last infusion. I also have some fatigue and even though it is nothing compared to the fatigue associated with chemotherapy it is a little bothersome. I continue to set aside time for a nap each day and it seems as though if I rest up on Saturday I am good to go by Sunday and then dragging a little again by Wednesday or Thursday. I am hopeful that taking the cough suppressant and getting better sleep at night will result in less fatigue.
I have had several lunch dates over the past couple of weeks with friends, most of who were business associates, and have very much enjoyed catching up on their business news and sharing the news of our mutual families. Most importantly, Randy and I have had a lot of time with Madison, Jackson, and Connor.
On Friday of this week I will have another infusion of Herceptin – three weeks has gone by quickly. I’m having lunch with a friend tomorrow and am looking forward to a visit with another friend who lives out of state and was a client of mine many, many years ago. I have found maple and oak leaf cookie cutters and am making plans to celebrate autumn with Madison and Jackson by baking and decorating cookies.
Last night our nephew Daniel, who recently moved back home to Missouri, called to tell us that his friend had died in a car accident just a few hours earlier. Witnesses reported that Chris swerved to miss something and his truck rolled down an embankment. In an e-mail today my sister-in-law Nancy was reminiscing about the night Chris was born. Nancy said that she walked up the country lane through the snow to the home of his parent’s and then went with them to the hospital. Chris was nine months younger than Daniel and they grew up together, in fact they were planning to move in together since Daniel had returned home. We just don’t know when something is going to happen – an accident or a serious illness. Don’t waste today – appreciate your blessings, be as good as you can be, laugh several times, and tell at least one person that you love them. To help you get started appreciating your blessings here is a picture of a bee feasting on some wildflowers that are growing in our yard.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)