Hello Summer!!!!

Thought I'd post a quick update on the family. Let's kick it off with my health update. I had my most recent PET scan May 5. Areas in my lungs that showed up on my previous scan looked "improved." Chances are those areas are due to my H1N1 saga...namely just spots left from pneumonia. My oncologist still wants to follow them closely, but is willing to wait until October for my next PET.

I've decided it's time to get back on track and finish my breast reconstruction. I still have my expanders in, and was supposed to see the surgeon back in November to discuss getting those pulled out and my implants put in. Of course, I happened to be in a coma in November, and with my unclear PET scan in January, had opted to put off my visit with the surgeon. But now that things are looking better in my lungs, and physically I'm pretty much back to normal, I've scheduled an appointment the end of this month. I'm stoked about the prospect of getting implants and finishing things up. One of my expanders flipped sideways (they are triangular), so my right "breast" is a little odd looking. Plus they are at full capacity, so they're rock hard. Sleeping on my stomach is somewhat uncomfortable. It'll be nice to have something that feels more natural.

Mel is doing well. He continues to have back issues, and because of that is opting to stay home for the summer. The surgeon told him that he'd have to find a new line of work...that working in the landscaping field was not going to be an option. And with my health issues, focusing on a new career wasn't at the top of his priorities. He's considering going back to school to get certified as a teacher's aide. He's be really good at it. He's excellent with children, and has thoroughly enjoyed volunteering with the after school program this spring. He'll be helping run the Gardening Club over the summer.

Dominic continues to be as smart as ever, but also continues to have difficulties actually doing his school work. We've adjusted his ADD medication dose, and that seems to have helped a little. He's also seeing a psychologist, who is giving us some tips on how to manage his issues better.

Connor is just as crazy as usual. He's so adventurous, and has no problems speaking his mind. But he also likes to be "Dad," and his brothers get sick of Connor always telling them what to do. LOL It'll be interesting to see how things go this summer.

Duncan is still having problems wetting the bed at night, and has soiled himself three times in the past week. He had a doctor appointment on the 21st to hopefully figure out what's going on. I think part of it is that he doesn't like going to the bathroom at school. He doesn't like speaking up if someone knocks on the door, and then since he doesn't speak up they open the door on him. But I'm not sure why this would be an issue all of a sudden, when he's been fine all year. Thank Goddess the school year is almost over.

In other news, on Saturday we are planning on taking in a 3-year-old Holland Lop named Jack. His owner was an MSU student and no longer has the time to give him the attention he deserves. The cool part is he comes with all of his accessories (cage, carrier, playpen, etc.). We've talked about getting a bunny since we bunny-sat for Dominic's class two summers ago. We are so excited to meet Jack on Saturday!

We also now own bikes for everyone in the family. I've started biking to work a few times a week. It's a short, 2-mile ride, and I really enjoy it. The temperature isn't too bad at 7 a.m., and the traffic is pretty light. I'm hoping to keep it up throughout the summer. Although, I'm not sure how hot it will be when I'm riding home at 5:30 p.m. We might buy a bike carrier for the car so Mel and the boys can pick me up after work.

That's all for now. May you all have an absolutely amazing day. :0)

Happy Cancerversary to me...

So...yeah. Three years now. Time for my annual repost of some of my blogs. This one was written in May of 2008 and focuses on chemo tips. I've written similar ones on coping with mastectomies and surviving radiation. I suppose I should write something on H1N1, also. I probably will...eventually. LOL

Cancer Treatment Tips: Chemo

As I mark my one year anniversary of the beginning of chemo, I thought I’d post some cancer treatment tips. I’ve gone through just about every category of cancer treatment out there: surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, hormone therapy, biological therapy, more surgery…LOL. Today we’ll focus on chemo.

So you’ve been diagnosed with cancer. Yes, it sucks sewage, but it’s not the end of the world. And now you have to start chemo, which also sucks sewage, but again it’s not the end of the world. You can do this.

First, know that you need to reevaluate your definition of “normal.” Let’s face it – chemo is poison. It’s designed to kill all rapidly growing cells in your body (hence the hair, skin, mouth, and digestive side effects). Your body is going to be under attack for the next few months. You will be tired, and you most likely won’t be able to do everything that you’ve been doing before cancer. You may or may not be able to keep working (I did), but it’s a relatively temporary situation, and attitude can make a big difference. Just make sure you listen to your body and you’ll be fine.

One of the first things you should do when you’re getting ready to start chemo is tell your doctor/nurses if you are prone to nausea. If you had nausea with your pregnancies, or get motion sick easily, tell them before you start treatment. Sometimes your doctor will wait to see how your body reacts to the chemo drugs before prescribing anti-nausea medication. If you’re slightly more at risk for nausea, you can probably start with the medication for your first treatment and not have to go through the “wait and see” period. This is what I did, and I really didn’t have too many problems with nausea throughout my treatment. I had three different anti-nausea drugs, one (Emend- ridiculously expensive at $100/pill, but it works great) I took before getting chemo and continued for two days, one I started right after chemo and continued for two days, and one that I took as soon as I started feeling queasy (which only happened a few times).

Also, if you can get a port, do it. I have a PASV subclavical port on my left side. It was installed (LOL that makes it sound like some sort of computer hardware or car part) when I had my mastectomy. It ties directly into my superior vena cava, and means that I’m spared getting stuck in my arm for just about everything. This was (and still is) really nice. Chemo infusions can take anywhere from two to four hours or more, and it’s nice to not have to worry about moving your arms around while you sit there. Also, since I’m at risk for developing lymphedema on my right side, that arm is off limits for things like blood pressure, shots, and blood draws. Being down to just one arm available for blood draws already, it’s better to avoid possible damage to the veins in my arms from chemo.

You may need to reassess your sleeping arrangements. For the first 48 hours or so after chemo you are toxic to those around you. That means no sharing food or drinks (and wash the dishes really well), flush the toilet twice after using it, and if you have night sweats, you probably want to sleep alone (to avoid having your partner sleep in contaminated bedding). And even if you don’t have night sweats, you might want to sleep alone. You’ll most likely be up during the night, and it might be less disruptive if you’re alone. Oh, and of course, no sex (although you probably won’t be feeling up to it immediately following chemo anyway).

Expect to be tired. Chemo can be unbelievably exhausting, depending on what drugs you’re on. My first two drugs were the heavy hitters in the chemo world – Adriamycin (aka “red devil”), and Cytoxan. They really knocked me on my butt for about a week in the beginning, and closer to a week and a half towards the end of my treatment. But I got mine every three weeks, which meant I was almost back to my new “normal” before I got my next treatment. My second two drugs (Taxol and Herceptin) I received weekly, but they only knocked me on my butt for a couple days.

As you get further along in your treatment, you may have additional side effects show up. My extra side effect was mouth sores. They didn’t show up until I was closer to the end of my first three months of chemo, but man when they did they were a huge pain in the…well, mouth. It hurt to talk, it hurt to eat, and it was immensely annoying. The minute mouth sores start showing up, talk to your doctor about “magic mouth wash.” (Yes, that’s really what they call it.) It has to be specially mixed up by the pharmacist, but it’s such a relief. It’ll numb your entire mouth long enough for you to be able to get some food down.

When the nurses say your hair will be gone in three weeks, they’re probably right. They know what they’re talking about. My hair started coming out about two weeks after my first treatment, and by the third week, I couldn’t move or brush against anything without leaving pieces of hair. It was very messy (and annoying for anyone who walked behind me and got showered with hair), so I shaved my head before my second treatment. This is one of those places where you can really have fun with your cancer treatment. I chose to go bald most of the time. Sure, shopping for wigs was fun, and I have great insurance that paid for two wigs, but I never felt like me when I had them on. Plus it was summer when I was going through chemo. It was so nice to drive around with the windows down and feel the wind on my scalp. Have your kids decorate your head, get some temporary tattoos, or have a henna design put on your head. Have fun with scarves or hats, and if you get wigs, get a couple fun wigs too. I thoroughly enjoyed being bald and had as much fun with my cancer as possible.

And that’s really the key. Have fun. Cancer sucks, but it sucks a lot less when you can laugh at yourself, and find little things to enjoy. Own your cancer, don’t let it control you, and just live your life. Enjoy the here and now, relax, and go with the flow…laugh as often as possible and the time will just fly by. Before you know it, you’ll be celebrating your one year anniversary and wondering what to do with your new hair (which, if you’re like me, will be curly and uncooperative). :0)

Gung Hay Fat Choy!

Hey, whaddya know...I'm only a week late on posting this! LOL

So, Happy Chinese New Year everyone. It's now the year of the Tiger (Mel and I were born under the sign of the Tiger). We had our traditional large CNY dinner a week ago Sunday. I made jiaozi (dumplings) from scratch this year. Here's the recipe I used. They certainly are time consuming, but boy are they delicious! I'm thinking of making them once a month or so.

We had friends of the boys spending the night, so we didn't do as much to celebrate as we usually do. It was a pretty chaotic night, but fun regardless. I'm looking forward to the Lantern Festival this weekend. We'll be launching sky lanterns to celebrate. Last year was clear, although it was a bit windy. Hopefully things will be clear again this year.

Healthwise, things are pretty much the same. Still working on getting my Coumadin dosage stabilized. My PT/INR was good last week, but low this week, which means another dosage increase. I saw my oncologist last week regarding my PET scan. Blood work looked good, so they aren't sure how seriously they should take my PET results. I'll have my blood work checked again in a month and a follow-up PET scan done in May.

I also got signed up for another reflexology study for cancer patients. I have my first session tomorrow. I was part of the original study three years ago, and there were so many patients who noticed a decrease in their chemo side effects that they invented a reflexology machine. Basically you just sit down, put your foot in the machine, and it applies pressure in the appropriate points. I imagine it would be nice to be able to get reflexology while you're getting your chemo infusion. Anything that helps with the side effects is a plus in my book.

Well, I hope you're having a good week and I'll catch you all later. :0)

My Annual Update... and a Bit About Laziness

Let's face it...I'm lazy. I mean, I haven't even posted here in over two years. Well, maybe lazy isn't the right word...more like chronically unmotivated. Don't get me wrong, I do get very motivated from time to time, but I also get very bored easily and have a very short attention span.

I have a myriad of unfinished projects around the house. From the dining room ceiling (which has been unfinished for over a decade) to the laundry room (which is filled with loads and loads of clean, unfolded laundry) I start something with great enthusiasm, but usually get sidetracked with something else that will make the first task easier and more efficient, and that usually leads to another new task, and before I know it a week has gone by and I've forgotten all about the first task that started it all. I guess now that I think about it, it's more a lack of focus and follow through.

Regardless, now I'm getting sidetracked. This is supposed to be an update. I'm just going to break it down by subject (because it's the easy way).

Breast Cancer: Wow...it's been almost three years since my initial diagnosis. I continue my damned hormone therapy, which makes my body think it's 60-something. I get the usual joint pain and fatigue that comes with old age, but am confident that once my five years of therapy are up, I will bounce back to normal. I also think that the hormone therapy is the source of all of my blood clot problems. My body started being prone to blood clots about a year ago. Getting my blood drawn weekly is annoying, but it could be worse. Things can always be worse.

I just had a PET scan and am waiting on blood work results, as there were a lot of hot spots in my lungs and lymph nodes in my chest. But since it's been over a week and I haven't heard anything, I'm guessing my blood work results weren't horrible. I'm scheduled to see my oncologist on the 17th. And that brings me to my next subject...

H1N1: For those that don't know, I almost died...again...back in October. I don't know how many times I'm going to have to kick death's ass before he gets it through his thick head that I have no intentions of going anywhere yet. ::rolls eyes:: So, the short story is I got sick with the flu, a week later I was sedated and put on a ventilator, with the respiratory failure also came kidney failure, and it was three weeks before I woke up. Apparently I had a 20% chance of survival. My poor family was put through the ringer. Things were not as bad for me, as I was asleep for most of it.

I spent 7 weeks in the hospital, did 6 weeks of OT and PT, and didn't return to work full time until January 18. Now how does this relate to my PET scan? Well, pneumonia can cause a false-positive PET, so chances are all of those hot spots in my lungs are just due to the recent battle with H1N1/double pneumonia/ARDS (acute respiratory distress syndrome). I'm not worried. Even if it is cancer, it's not like I haven't been down that road before.

Wii: We got a Wii for Yule. It totally rocks and we love it! But what I love most is the Wii Balance Board, which we got with Wii Fit Plus. I've done a body test every day for the past 45 days. That little balance board character is my favorite. I do a test every day, because I HAVE to know what my damn Wii Fit Age is. LOL My life can't continue until I know (my lowest age yet is 20). And now that I've gone so long doing it daily, I just can't stop. I can't miss a single day...he would be so disappointed in me. And I just can't disappoint him. I've seen how he talks about people behind their backs, mentioning how longs it's been since he saw them. I will not allow him to ask my kids or my husband where I've been. :0) And speaking of my husband...

My Sexy Man: Mel rocks...he's just the most amazing person ever. We're going on 17 years together and he can still make me weak in the knees just by breathing on my neck. Love ya Babe!

His back injury is still healing. He seems to do well if he doesn't overdo things, and if he keeps up with his PT exercises. It's been a little over four months since his surgery and he's very pleased with the results. He's currently still off work (as it's winter and he does landscaping). He should be able to return to MSU with the new season. Although, I've asked him to consider staying home with the boys. It would be nice to not have to arrange child care for the summer, but I know he LOVES his job, and really enjoys the people he works with. It's completely his call, as his happiness is one of my highest priorities.

And now, The Crazy Monkeys: Dominic, Connor, and Duncan (aka The Crazy Monkeys) are doing well. Dominic continues to amaze me with his level of intelligence. He's in 4th grade, and is so very good at so many different subjects. He's doing 6th grade level math, and reading above 8th grade level. Unfortunately, he has the same lack of focus issues that I have. Of course, he does have ADHD and is on Concerta. I know, I know...many people do not agree with medications for ADHD. We tried controlling his diet, and continue to maintain a higher protein diet for him, but it got to the point where that alone wasn't enough, and he was starting to suffer. Things were so difficult for him, and it just wasn't worth putting him through that. Everyone has to do what's right for them and their children, and this is what works for him.

Connor is so talented, but in a different way. He's smart, and excels at school also, but he is much more of a "people" person...very empathic, and loves helping others. He's the constant mediator ("You know, I'm pretty good at breaking up fights. I have experience."). He also loves cooking and cleaning, just like his dad. He cooks dinner for us every few weeks. We just took him to an ENT doctor for the first time. The doctor had serious people skills issues, but did write a script for x-rays. Connor's been in speech therapy for a couple years, and his speech issues really impacted his reading. He's almost at grade level now, though. He tries so hard, and is so excited when he gets something right. It's wonderful to watch his progress.

Duncan...hmmm...well, Duncan got the best of both worlds. His math and reading are through the roof. He's in kindergarten, and they stopped testing him once he surpassed the 3rd grade level, as the teacher didn't have any material for testing higher than that. He frequently does Connor's homework, but won't do his own. ::shakes head:: He's very good at reading people, and he knows how to use that to his advantage. Unfortunately, he uses Connor's empathic abilities to his advantage also. He just turns on the tears, and Connor will start crying and do whatever it takes to make Duncan stop. ::sigh:: He's also quite the artist. He loves drawing, and does so on an almost daily basis.

Well, that's a (very long) update from here. I'd say that I'm going to try to keep up on this, but you can see how that goes by my lack of follow through for the past two years. LOL