Things to do while waiting for your doctor

Today the port was removed from my arm. My surgeon did this enjoyable procedure in her office. She started by shooting my arm up with loads of lidocaine. The nurse warned me it would hurt and said she would hold my hand to squeeze hers, if needed. I did. OWWWWW!!! At least my arm numbed up quickly and I didn't feel the subsequent injections nearly as much. My surgeon then started to dig the thing out. Digging it out from scar tissue. EWWW. She told me that it was easier to remove a port that's been in place for awhile rather than one that's been there for a short period. Apparently scar tissue softens over time, therefore easier to mess with. Mine was at the tough as nails stage. The nurse also told me I might feel the tiny tube that is threaded up a vein in your arm to somewhere over your heart. Another reason why I was anxious to get it out! Anyway, I did feel a little flutter as she was pulling it out. Very weird.

Before the doc came in to remove the port, I was sitting in the room with nothing to do. I read everything on the walls, then just sat there looking out the window. I saw this thing in the tree and I first thought it was some big hawk or something. Upon closer inspection I discovered it was an owl! Very cool. I grabbed my phone to take a few pics (Yes, I know they're too dark).

Then another one appeared and a turf war ensued.

After a few moments, the intruder swooped down from the tree and not too long after that the other one left, too. And they really do swoop! When my doc and her nurse came in the room I exclaimed, "There was an owl in the tree out there!" They said, "An owl?!" in a tone that suggested they were perhaps just humoring me. Just like you all are doing right now.

After I came home, I rested for awhile then made angel hair pasta with olive oil and garlic. I also had a glass of Pinot Grigio to celebrate. One more thing checked off my to-do list!

Phase 2 Complete!!

I had my last radiation treatment yesterday! Good thing, because the skin in one area hurts a bit and is starting to peel. Gross. The Silvadene cream helps. I received a cute graduation certificate from the staff. Yay!

After the last zap, I went to the Cancer Institute to see my medical oncologist to begin phase 3. I received my script for Tamoxifen and he reviewed potential side effects. Hot flashes are a common side effect. I've been having hot flashes for a few months, but lately they haven't been as bad. That's about to change, I think! My doc recommended black cohosh to help alleviate them. I also have clearance to start taking vitamins and supplements again. I see him and my radiation oncologist at the end of May. I'll have a follow up mammogram around that time and a PET scan around the end of October. I had my CBC done via a vein in my hand because my port wouldn't cooperate yesterday. All the counts are back in the normal range and I'm very happy to see my red blood count back up. Between that and finishing treatment my fatigue should begin to lessen.

A friend asked me if I'll continue to blog and yes, I think I will. I'll have to figure out how to keep it interesting!

Now I'm looking forward to my 2 trips, the first one is the wedding in the Keys. I have a feeling my trip to Pennsylvania for Easter is going to include some icky weather. If I can just remember to pack a coat! I tend to forget to do that. My sister Anita asked me if I had any special requests for Easter dinner. I told her ham and cheese pie will make me very happy! I think I'll fit some chocolate in, too. Anyway, I'm really looking forward to seeing everyone.

Thanks again to all the incredible support I've received during my big adventure....I'll never forget it! And most of all, I thank GOD for being my rock and my comforter.

RIP Myron Cope

File under: "It's a Small World"

Every winter a couple from my home church in Pennsylvania trek down here to Florida in their RV to spend a month. There is another couple, who I vaguely knew, that spends 4 months every winter in Orange City. I got a call from the couple who were in the area on Wednesday and they were going to visit the O.C. couple and invited me to meet them there. I stopped by after my radiation treatment (it's about halfway between my home and the hospital) and we all had a great visit, talking nonstop for about 2 1/2 hours. Dave (of the O.C. couple) told me he has a brother in DeLand. Amazingly, the brother lives 1/2 mile up the main road from where Joe and Linda live! And the wife is a breast cancer survivor. She volunteers taking people to chemo and various doctor appts. We are all going to get together soon. Funny, huh?

My other "small world" experience was on Tuesday, when 2 techs came by to hook up my security system. The house had everything hard-wired when it was built. There are reasons I decided to go to security monitoring, but I won't go into it here. Anyway, through casual chit-chat, I discovered that one guy's brother was one of my techs at my last at&t job! He moved to NJ after our office closed, but we keep in touch. Two "small world" events 2 days in a row! I truly believe there are no coincidences in life.

On to medical stuff... on an earlier post, I mentioned a pesky spot under my arm that was starting to get irritated. It's now an open wound and it hurts! I got a script for a burn cream called Silvadene and it's supposed to work really well. My booster zaps don't hit that area anymore so it should heal quickly. I hope! I am also still tired....typical at the end of rad treatments. At this point, tired is equivalent to laziness. I don't feel like doing much besides reading and watching TV. And I've been lousy at getting back to people, so please don't take it personally!

I'm tired of being tired!! And I've been told it could take up to a year to start feeling normal again. I've never considered myself "normal" by any stretch of the imagination, so how will I know??

Last full week of rads!

My cousin Darryl and his wife, Laurie, were in Orlando for a long weekend, but we didn't get to hook up. They were last here in the summer and we did the Disney thing. Between my tiredness and a few other things, we couldn't make it work this time. :( They did have a marvelous time getting some sun and fun, though. :)

Now that I'm getting my booster treatments, the zaps are focused on the area where my cancer was. Good thing, because the skin where the axillary lymph nodes were removed was starting to get irritated. The aloe vera gel does a good keeping things from getting too bad. When my radiation oncologist marked me for the boosters, he said it was hard to tell exactly where the tumor was on the CT scan because the area has healed so well. That's good, as long as I'm getting zapped in the right place!

I see my medical oncologist next Tuesday and I'll probably begin taking Tamoxifen then. I get my port removed on the 29th at my surgeon's office. The end of my big adventure is in sight!

Home stretch in sight

Tomorrow is my last standard dose radiation treatment, Friday begins the booster, of which I'll receive 8. Then I'm done getting zapped! On to Tamoxifen after that.

I've been wearing bandannas 90% of the time, sometimes with a cap and I rarely wear a wig. Today is the first day I just wore a cap. My hair is just about filled in everywhere and it's getting thick. Now I'm just waiting for it to grow longer! There's not as much gray as I thought there'd be, but enough to make me want to color it soon. Need the okey-dokey from my doc first.

I love watching the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show every year and last night they awarded Best in Show. We had tornado watches all day and it was raining off and on. Well, I was losing the satellite signal now and then and don't you know, the minute the judge was carrying the ribbon and would announce the winner in 2 seconds, I lost the signal again! Grrr! It came back after the all the hullabaloo was over, but I did see a quick snippet of the winner: a 15-inch beagle named Uno. Check out the back of the ribbon...is that a piece of cardboard stapled to the ribbon? For such an uppity event, you wouldn't expect that! "What, this is just flimsy cardboard? I'm insulted!" I was glad a frou-frou dog didn't take the top prize for a change. I always root for the Italian Greyhound, but I am convinced the breed gets little respect and attention! Waaaaa....

If you like dog shows, dogs in general or just great satire, check out the movie "Best in Show." One of my favorites. I can't help but think of Fred Willard doing the color commentary at the "Mayflower Kennel Club Dog Show" when watching the real thing. Hilarious movie!

A little over 2 weeks to go!

My last radiation treatment is Feb. 26th and it is fast approaching! I'm definitely feeling the fatigue from the treatments, but otherwise I feel pretty good. Thank you, God!

Weekend was good. On Friday I went to the Cancer Institute to have my port flushed. Gotta do that once/month. I mentioned to the chemo nurse that I'd be getting it out soon and she said I should wait in case I need an iron infusion or something like that. I seem to be getting different opinions on this. All I know is my insurance changes to Aetna on March 1st and I now know that my surgeon does not participate in it. My medical oncologist is the first one to suggest I get it out now, so I'll probably go with his suggestion.

The weather has been great. On Saturday Linda, Marissa, Angela and I went to Whole Foods Market in Winter Park. They were extremely busy and it was hard to stop at look at anything without getting in someone's way. They have one of the best selections of cheese I've ever seen. We tasted this imported parmesan that was amazing. Now I wish I would've bought some. I just purchased steel cut oats. I'll go sometime on a weekday when it's less busy and I can look around more. Yesterday I made sauce and meatballs and went to my brother's for the afternoon. We ate pasta and drank some wine. I took the dogs for a walk while I was there. They were very happy.

I'm planning my first post-treatment road trip! I'm going to a wedding in Islamorada in the Florida Keys early next month. The bride is a former co-worker. She and her groom are getting hitched on the beach at sunset. I've never been to the Keys and I can't wait!!

A couple of weeks after that I'm traveling to Pennsylvania for Easter. I haven't visited for almost a year and a half which is the longest I've ever been away from my hometown. I'm incredibly anxious to see everyone. My niece Chrissy is planning a birthday party for her 2 boys (born different years, but in the same month). Woo hoo, back-to-back trips for me!!

Membership has its privileges

After my treatment today I went to Wal-Mart, which is right around the corner from the hospital. I needed to get some household stuff and a few groceries. The checkouts were backed up, even the self check-out ones. I asked an employee if they could open up some more lanes and she got me a clerk who opened one up for me. Then I stopped at Wendy's for a fish sandwich (not particularly healthy, but hey, it's fish!) and I was told to pull up to wait for the sandwich. I also got an iced tea and sipped on it while waiting. When the girl brought my sandwich, she also brought me another iced tea because, she said, "you had to wait." Cool. Now did these good things happen to me because I was wearing a pink BC survivor shirt and a bandanna?? I should wear those things every day! ;-)

I'm giving up playing games on Pogo for Lent. I'm already going through withdrawal. My habit has been to play games in the morning while munching on cereal and usually I continue playing long after that. This was one of my New Year's resolutions and I haven't been successful, so that's why I decided to take a 40 day break. I think I'm going to discover exactly what a ridiculous time-waster it is!

I received a brochure in the mail today from Florida Hospital promoting a new treatment program called Interactive Metronome, used in occupational therapy, among other things. I wrote the copy! It was cool to get that in the mail. Yay me.