Hah! So a lot has happened to me since my last post. I have felt soooo good that I just forgot to add anything here. As you know I did receive my last chemo. My hair is coming back, but it looks really bad! Picture Charlie Brown's Christmas Tree on top of my head! Seriously sparse, but non-the-less, hair.
I also have been trying to stay active and tone up my muscles again. I played tennis and , I think, I did pretty well. I played for over an hour and then I went to my first appt. with the Radiation Oncologist the very next day. There, I found out that playing tennis is probably not the best thing to do since I could develop lymphedema from the repetitive motion of tennis! Argh! I loved it and my thighs were hurting so bad the next day, what a great workout!
The very next day after that appt., I had my port taken out! Yay! I arrived at 8am for the pre-surgery crap; I.V., signing of the consents, meet the anesthesiologist, etc..... I of course, loved the meds they gave me and tried to hang on in the O.R.! When I did awake, I had some steri strips on my left shoulder/subclavian area and some surgi glue. All went well and my surgeon told Paul that I am not allowed to vacuum for at least two years! She meant two weeks! We all had a good laugh at that one!
So that brings me to taday. Today at 1pm, I will go to my very first radiation set up. I will get a Cat Scan to map out my anatomy for the radiation treatments. I was a mess last week after my first consultation, but I am better today with a better frame of mind. I am better and I know it and I feel great and that is all I can say! I will go in there with my big girl panties and take it like a big girl! The room is kind of creep, I won't lie. I had them give me a tour of the joint before I left last week. Evryone was at lunch and they seemed pretty open to entertaining me! The room is dimly lit with a very medicinal table in the middle of it with a pillow area to cradle my head. Then the gigantic arm of a machine will rotate over me and deliver the 600 million megawatts of radiation to the areas that are necessary; chest wall and any remaining lymph nodes. Just to put it into perspective, a chest xray has only 560 kilawatts to it! Yes, I asked, OK? Who wouldn't? haha So the Dr. said that I have a great attitude to get throuh radiation and that is what is needed, so I got that going for me.
OK, last thought? Tomorrow is my 43RD Birthday! I cannot tell you how excited I am to be turning another year older. This happens when you fear for your life or have ever been told any devestating news that may potentially threaten your life. I will never, ever complain about turning another year older and if I hear anyone else doing it, then shame on them! It could be worse! Have a great day!
God Bless!
Kathy
Monday, October 25, 2010
Friday, October 8, 2010
Goodbye chemo, hello Radiation!?
Well, Tuesday was here and gone quite quickly! I woke up, and was out the door to have my labs drawn at 7:30. Back home and awaiting the arrival of my brother Al from Cincy, I decide I am going to have a small cup of coffee; I haven't had one since Hawaii! It was OK, I made the Hawaiian coffee I saved from the trip. There is something different but I don't know what it is....hmmmm, perhaps I have lost my taste for coffee?
Al showed up around 9:15 and we chatted a bit, went to Starbucks and then headed off to chemo. I like my oncologist, but her office is so dreary, it really is. I'm thinking she needs to hire me to paint and decorate it, at least in the treatment rooms. Anyway, AL and I settle in, still in disbelief that I am actually here receiving my last treatment. We notice other patients milling about and I honestly don't think I belong here and neither does Al! On we go. My nurse Humm comes in and is ready to access the port for the LAST time! She has a lovely British accent that Al and I both are dying to try to copy once she leaves the room. She manages to access my port without any difficulty, hooray! 3 premeds in and then onto the last dose of Taxol! Al and I catch u p on things and plan some lunch. Now what do you think we should not get to eat in a tiny room for chemo surrounded by many other tiny rooms? Yep, you guessed it, we got the stinkiest gyros, full of garlic and tzaziki sauce. We stunk up that whole office for sure! Humm came in after lunch and closed our door claiming we were too "loud" but we all know it was because the room smelled so bad of garlic! haha Al and I ended up playing three card poker for $.25 a hand; soon I owed him 16 bucks, but I won it back later on!
well, the treatment was over and I was ready to get the heck out of there! Out came the needle and out side to breathe in the fresh air and beautiful day. Al pulls out a gift from the trunk in celebration of my last chemo day! A surprise from Ellen and Al and their kids. I will love it forever, as I did the first one I got just a few short months prior. We drove back to my house and decided we were going to get pizzas for dinner, so that is exactly what we did. BJ's pizza for us and Dominoes for the kiddos, their choice not mine!
So, how do I feel about all of this you may wonder? Well, a little scared, I mean the chemo was killing or killed any remaining cancer, so hopefully it did its job! I know it did its job, actually because I feel so terrific. In fact, while at the office, my oncologist gave me the OK to join the church volleyball league for the next 6 weeks. I am really looking forward to it! Lots of energy and well, I just feel good. The next phase is Radiation. Starts on or around the 19Th. I do have a couple of apt.s in between to see my surgeons to get my port out and to evaluate my reconstruction and what not. All things are going well and as planned if not a little slower than I had anticipated! No worries though, I am taking full advantage of my time off by getting some much needed things done around the house and visiting with friends and family.
Well, my parents are on there way in via Greyhound Bus Line from Hammond; that's right I said Bus! I hope there trip is going smoothly! I will meet them downtown Indy at 3pm to take them back to Greenwood.
Have a blessed day!
Kathy
Al showed up around 9:15 and we chatted a bit, went to Starbucks and then headed off to chemo. I like my oncologist, but her office is so dreary, it really is. I'm thinking she needs to hire me to paint and decorate it, at least in the treatment rooms. Anyway, AL and I settle in, still in disbelief that I am actually here receiving my last treatment. We notice other patients milling about and I honestly don't think I belong here and neither does Al! On we go. My nurse Humm comes in and is ready to access the port for the LAST time! She has a lovely British accent that Al and I both are dying to try to copy once she leaves the room. She manages to access my port without any difficulty, hooray! 3 premeds in and then onto the last dose of Taxol! Al and I catch u p on things and plan some lunch. Now what do you think we should not get to eat in a tiny room for chemo surrounded by many other tiny rooms? Yep, you guessed it, we got the stinkiest gyros, full of garlic and tzaziki sauce. We stunk up that whole office for sure! Humm came in after lunch and closed our door claiming we were too "loud" but we all know it was because the room smelled so bad of garlic! haha Al and I ended up playing three card poker for $.25 a hand; soon I owed him 16 bucks, but I won it back later on!
well, the treatment was over and I was ready to get the heck out of there! Out came the needle and out side to breathe in the fresh air and beautiful day. Al pulls out a gift from the trunk in celebration of my last chemo day! A surprise from Ellen and Al and their kids. I will love it forever, as I did the first one I got just a few short months prior. We drove back to my house and decided we were going to get pizzas for dinner, so that is exactly what we did. BJ's pizza for us and Dominoes for the kiddos, their choice not mine!
So, how do I feel about all of this you may wonder? Well, a little scared, I mean the chemo was killing or killed any remaining cancer, so hopefully it did its job! I know it did its job, actually because I feel so terrific. In fact, while at the office, my oncologist gave me the OK to join the church volleyball league for the next 6 weeks. I am really looking forward to it! Lots of energy and well, I just feel good. The next phase is Radiation. Starts on or around the 19Th. I do have a couple of apt.s in between to see my surgeons to get my port out and to evaluate my reconstruction and what not. All things are going well and as planned if not a little slower than I had anticipated! No worries though, I am taking full advantage of my time off by getting some much needed things done around the house and visiting with friends and family.
Well, my parents are on there way in via Greyhound Bus Line from Hammond; that's right I said Bus! I hope there trip is going smoothly! I will meet them downtown Indy at 3pm to take them back to Greenwood.
Have a blessed day!
Kathy
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Had a great week.....
You know your feeling better when you are trying to find more things to do around the house! I am feeling better every day. I am approaching the last day of chemo on Tuesday. My brother is coming in for the last treatment. I avoided buying a hat today based on the fact that my hair will be growing back and I wont need one anymore. In fact, a little fuzz is growing back already. It looks awkward and scraggily, and kind of ill looking, but none the less, it's hair.
I talked with my Dr.s on the phone this week as I just wanted to touch base with them and figure out when I am getting my port out. This will happen soon. I am going to ask my oncologist to call my surgeon and set it up asap! It is gross and creepy, but it was very well served.
I ended up playing cards this weekend with friends, as usual. I say as usual, because I love playing, but some of my friends are getting a bit burned out, and want to do other things....so, that stinks for me! I look forward to playing after sitting home alone all week when everyone is at school or work.
Today, shortly after I woke up, I went for a long ride in the country. It was a great day; sunny and brisk. I just felt like getting out of the house but not to the mall! I was there yesterday for a bit and wow, there were too many people there for me! I listened to Seriously Sinatra on my Sat. radio and had the best time, seriously. When I came home, I was hungry, so I made pork tacos with all of the fixings and taco rice. It was delicious!
Off to bed as I have absolutely nothing planned for tomorrow! haha
God Bless,
Kathy
I talked with my Dr.s on the phone this week as I just wanted to touch base with them and figure out when I am getting my port out. This will happen soon. I am going to ask my oncologist to call my surgeon and set it up asap! It is gross and creepy, but it was very well served.
I ended up playing cards this weekend with friends, as usual. I say as usual, because I love playing, but some of my friends are getting a bit burned out, and want to do other things....so, that stinks for me! I look forward to playing after sitting home alone all week when everyone is at school or work.
Today, shortly after I woke up, I went for a long ride in the country. It was a great day; sunny and brisk. I just felt like getting out of the house but not to the mall! I was there yesterday for a bit and wow, there were too many people there for me! I listened to Seriously Sinatra on my Sat. radio and had the best time, seriously. When I came home, I was hungry, so I made pork tacos with all of the fixings and taco rice. It was delicious!
Off to bed as I have absolutely nothing planned for tomorrow! haha
God Bless,
Kathy
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
