July 5th 2015

This morning I found myself thinking about what was I doing a year ago. If my calculations are correct, I was just approaching half way (6 treatments) on part 2 of the chemo treatments.  Suzanna had just come home from the hospital with the twins and I didn't do much of anything to celebrate July 4th.

This year, I have had the first round of checkups-well maybe 2nd in a way.  The last couple of days in December 2014 I had a check-up with radiation involving meeting with the physician's assistant.  All was well.  The end of April I met with the oncology nurse practitioner for an exam and follow up to a mammogram, blood work, etc.  Again I was blessed with "all looks good".  I was cautioned that I should give myself 2 years to get back to normal.

My energy and stamina level is much better, however, it has a long way to go.  I finished my last radiation treatment about 7 months ago.  Since then I those levels have increased steadily with set backs when I had a cold, ear infections, or don't rest enough or push too hard.  There are times when I feel really good and feel I can take on most anything.  When that happens, it is usually earlier in the day or after I have had a good nap.
I am very grateful.  A lot of the time I feel "like me" again.

Wow! I didn't realize that it had been so long since I last posted on this blog.  How time has flown!

As I reread my last post, I was to go for a check up.  There wasn't really anything much new.  I was doing fine.  My next check up will be the end of April.  I will have a mammogram before I go.  I believe he said I will have 3 per year of the breast where the tumor was.  This will be for both as it was a year ago.  I also received a call from the office of the doctor who did the colonoscopy wanting to set up the year check on that.  Yeah! (sarcastic) There was a place he wants to check.  The biopsy was fine a year ago, but he wanted to check it.  April looks like a month to see doctors.  It has been nice to not see them for awhile.

Last Saturday, I decided I was done with my wig.  Since then I am going with the real Sara hairdo.  My hair is getting longer (maybe a couple of inches in places), but still very short.  It is dark with gray in it.  Some places seem to be curly.  Time and more length will tell.  Benjamin made some hair wax for me to help it stay in place.  I love not wearing anything on my head.  I have never liked wearing them.  I still wear a knit hat if it is cold.

I am getting stronger.  With that it is often harder to be as careful is wise if I want to feel good.  I rest some every day, but sometimes not enough and I pay for it when I don't.  I know I have been pushing it too hard last week, so I notice my vision isn't as good and I don't feel well.  I have done better at resting today.  I have taken 3 short naps.  Hopefully I will feel better tomorrow and this week.  I am so grateful for the improvement in how I feel and that I can do so much more.

I am really not good with selfies, but I decided I would try one to show my hair.

My New Hair Style
March 1, 2015

Follow Ups

Wow! 

In a couple of days, I will be having my 6 weeks check up following Radiation

 and 3 month check up following Chemo.  

In a way it is hard to believe it has been that long.  In other ways ...  I am feeling better and stronger.  I get frustrated at times, but it is because I unrealistically feel it should be faster.  Some of the side effects of the treatments are slower to leave such as the weakness, achy feeling in my fingers and sometimes obvious numbness in my toes, the nails returning to normal, etc.  However, there are fewer times of noticing the numbness although every once in awhile my toes will have a shooting pain-like a light electric shock; I am doing more and the tiredness is less and naps bring back energy' the fingernails are getting close to being all back to normal; the 2 toenails are beginning to show signs of growing out normally; and my hair is growing and getting thicker and has dark among some gray.  

I am working at trying to be patient and to build "line upon line, precept upon precept" in regaining my strength and stamina, returning to a more active lifestyle, and discovering what my retirement is about.  I know I have "things to do" that are and will be productive and meaningful to me and others.  I am just not sure what that picture looks like yet.  I treated myself to a Jawbone UP 24 for Christmas to help with the strength and stamina.  Benjamin and Suzanna helped me get it up and running, so to speak, yesterday.  The rest is "here a little, there a little".  

As I look back at 2014, it has been a good year.  There have been some very hard challenges and times that were difficult both physically and emotionally, but there have been some really good and touching things as well.  One of the strongest things is the verification and the evidence of my Heavenly Father's love and protective, supportive hand in my daily life.  Another was the outpouring of love and support of my family and friends.  I am so grateful for each of you.  

I am excited for 2015.  I feel it will be a year of with changes and progress.  

Recovering from Radiation and Beginning to Feel Better

Here it is December 3rd, already!  Thanksgiving is over and Christmas and New Years is on the horizon.  It is wonderful to not be going to radiation treatments every day.  The last few weeks of radiation, my skin was very sore in places.  However, it is doing well now. The places that were burned the worst peeled, but that went pretty well and quickly.  Better than I thought it might.  My doctor has said that my skin would be pretty well healed by Thanksgiving and it was.  Tuesday I gave my self the last blood thinner shot.  Yeah!  That had lasted 6 months.  I went for a check-up with the lymphedema clinic yesterday.  I began wearing the compression sleeve last week, but forgot a couple of days.  However, the measurements of my arm were good.  I will go back in 6 months for a check-up.  I believe that the greatest blessings from going there are the knowledge and information that I received and gained.  I learned about it, what to watch for, and how to take care of my arm which is now a weaker part of my body.  I am grateful.
I am feeling better and stronger than I was.  However, I have to be constantly vigilant to not over do and then not feel as well.  I was told at the beginning that it would take 6 months to get  back to normal.  I am having some challenges with vision which seems to be worse when I am not feeling well.  I had a complete eye exam week before last and found my eyes are healthy and doing well.  I am grateful.  At the end of the month I have a 6 week check-up with the radiologist and a 3 month check-up with the oncologist.
I am trying to take things slowly and finding joy in accomplishing more on my own.
Thank you again for your prayers, cards, calls, visits, kind gestures and gifts.  I love and appreciate you very much.

20 Weeks of Chemo and 6 1/2 Weeks of Radiation Completed!!!!!!

All treatments completed-16 of chemo and 33 radiation!!!  Certificate of Completion and Sparkling Cider from radiation clinic.  Flowers came with the thought and feeling from Suzanna, Benjamin, and Shannon that they are perfect to represent the beginning of the rest of my life-a new chapter!

3 More Radiation Treatments

Officially 30 radiations completed and 3 more to go.  It is almost unreal that after Wednesday I will have completed all 33 radiation treatments.  The last couple of weeks have been harder in this round of treatments.  I have been more tired, but also I have had more pain with my skin being sore.  However, the alternating tylenol and ibuprofen have helped a lot along with 98% aloe vera, neosporen+ cream, and Aquafor.  Thursday I noticed that the first sore and very red places are now beginning to heal.  That was encouraging also.
I have postponed my last lymphedema session until December.  It was really getting to me with the pain and the sleeve.  My therapist agreed that I needed to get through these last weeks of radiation and heal before we continue, especially since my swelling isn't too bad.  I continue to do the lymph massage and that seems to keep it doing well.

Prayer Answered

This past week has been more of a struggle than the previous ones.  On Friday the soreness or pain from the damaged skin increased.  Interestingly I prayed that I might know how to take care of my skin and myself better (I have prayed for this often throughout the last months of treatment, as I realized I have a responsibility in all of this too.), later as I thought back over the day, I realized that is just what happened.  While waiting a few minutes for my treatment Friday morning, one of the therapists that I don't see every day walked by.  She asked how I was doing and my skin, I showed her.  She said that it looked pretty angry and asked about pain and if they had given me more on Tuesday.  She said that she'd talk to the nurse and they would talk with me after my treatment.  The other therapists asked me to wait when I got dressed and the nurse would come and get me.  We went to one of the examining rooms.  Dr McCallister wasn't in, but Dr.  Harris was. (I hadn't heard of him before.)  She talked with me and then he came in, looked at my skin and then asked me about and shared with me things I can do to help manage the pain and care for the skin.  It was really helpful.  I'm sure I would have learned more sooner, but I hadn't had much of a problem with it before.  I'm so grateful for prayer and the great love that my Heavenly Father shows to me always.