The Day After

I have to admit, Monday having the port a cath put in has been the worst experience so far. I had a headache before I even went to the hospital for the out patient surgery. I did not eat enough the day before and was starving and I had no caffeine so had that dull achy head. Dr. Thompson is awesome as always along with the staff at Memorial Hospital. I woke up in recovery and had the same headache. My blood pressure finally came down enough and I went to another room awaiting release. In there I had some water and a cracker. I was not feeling good but wanted to get released. I went to the bathroom and just standing up all my insides erupted and I threw up three times (at least I was already in the bathroom and made no mess). The nurse was wonderful and I got back to the room, sat for a minute and she realized I just wanted to go home. She gave me a big plastic bag and said stick my head in there if I needed and for me to go home and have Joe do everything for me. I got home, fell asleep in the big blue chair, took a darvocet and when I woke up from my pill I almost felt human. The port already has been more painful and caused me more discomfort than the mastectomy. It is going to be a long week - chemo is Thursday........but I have off Friday and then the weekend to recoup maybe. I know I can take on anything given to me and God has a bigger plan for me - he just hasn't let me know what that is yet.

Talk to you tomorrow. God Bless.

A Busy Week Ahead

So, tomorrow I report to the hospital at 9:00 a.m. and then I have outpatient to insert my port at 11:00 a.m. I should be home before 5:00 p.m. or at least I am hoping. I wished they could do this with just a local but I guess not. I just hate the taste of anesthia when you wake up after surgery - yuck!

Hopefully, I will be able to go to work Tuesday and then the rest of the week will be a blurr with chemo starting Thursday. Time to find out what it is all about. I bought a new book "Any Day with Hair is a Good Hair Day" and it is very accurate with tips about cancer. I have already learned a couple tricks and make things easier and/or what to expect. I don't think I can ever have too much knowledge about all of this. The author says you are the CEO in this business of your cancer. Is she ever right. Hurry up and Wait - another chapter and that is exactly right too. Unless you are living it - things may not mean much. Well, I am sure I will not sleep well and I can have nothing to eat or drink after midnight, again.

So Much to Talk About

Finished the Chicago 3-day for a Cure and am happy I still have all my toe nails. Not ready to sign up again just because I have so much on my mind and getting a break from fundraising and walking will be nice. This is the first Saturday morning in a long, long time I haven't been up and out walking all day just to repeat it on Sunday. I have been cleaning house all day and it feels great and the house looks pretty good too.

This is going to be a busy week. Monday I will have outpatient surgery at 11:00 a.m. to insert a port near my collar bone for my upcoming treatment. It will also be used for taking blood and any other IV issues. My veins are happy to have a break. Then Wednesday I see my PCP for just a follow up. Come Thursday I start my first chemo treatment at 11:30 and it will take about 4 hours. Friday, I will return to get my day after shot to keep my white blood cell count up. This will happen every two weeks for a total of 4 infusions. Then they change drugs in my cocktail and I go back every week for 12 weeks. I should be done between Christmas and New Years if all goes well.

I have learned to take all of this one step at a time because things change very fast. I just want to get it started so I can get it finished.

Dr. Z did say I will lose my hair two weeks after first chemo - like clock work. She suggests to have a "shave your head" event and take control about day 12. I think that will be a good idea. More to come.

Rain

So it was raining this morning and I just put on my rain gear and went out the door all ready to walk in the water. Then just as the walk officially started, the rain stopped. I had to wrap my rain jacket around my waist - it was way too warm. Good job to me. Let's hope there is no rain next weekend - I really don't like walkin' wet!

I'm So Excited

One week from today we will be in camp after walking 22 miles. I just hope the weather is kind and I am able to complete the walk. I will definitely listen to my body and be careful not to get hurt. I am ready to pack up my stuff and now am looking at a cot for the tent - sounds like a great idea......

Fast Forward

Wow, what the difference a few weeks makes. On June 28th I had a mastectomy - who knew. Stage II BC - took 5 sentinal nodes all clean except for two cells in one node. Overall I am feeling real good - look a little weird - but every day feeling better. Come one week from Friday I will be in Chicago walking my first Susan G. Komen 3-Day for a Cure walk. It has an all new meaning to me - breast cancer - it still seems rather surreal but when I look in the mirror or feel my chest - I know the real meaning of it. A week after my walk I will begin chemotherapy. Six session every 3 weeks for a total of 18 weeks. By Christmas I should be done with chemo but will continue with the hercepton for an entire year also given by IV. My poor veins may go on strike. I have a deep and solid confidence that I will be okay and have never had a moment of doom and gloom - I was not given a choice to have this disease and I have no choice but to do everything within my power to rid my body of these bad cells.

My body has been through a lot, full bone scans, CT scans, blood work, Echogram, EKG, then surgery. I only missed two weeks of work and was happy and anticipate not missing much work for chemo - maybe two days every three weeks just to be on the safe side. I don't want anything to interfere with the treatment schedules. Am seeing the plastic surgeon on Monday, a new Primary Care Physican on Tuesday to help gather all the data and help with my high blood pressure and Wednesday to the dentist to have my teeth checked as your mouth is very suseptible to infection and sores. Losing my hair is a whole other post.

That is enough for now. More updates on my walk and my doctor's appointments. See ya.

How did summer get here so fast?

Wow, I miss a few days of blogging and the next thing I know it is Summer time. Where have the last few months gone? I have been experiencing a lot lately. Actually it all started May 6th and has been a whirlwind since then. I will do a separate post to discuss more.