The Amazing People You Meet

I’ve said before that it’s sometimes difficult to get up in the morning and go to my “job”.  I haven’t had a job with set hours in 11 years, so this having to be out of the house each morning thing has taken some getting used to.

While I was really dreading it at first since I was worried it would rob me of my summer, like chemo and surgery robbed me of the school year, it’s actually been a really nice summer so far.

I LOVE routine!  Our home operates much better when we have a routine going.  Radiation has forced us to be on a routine Monday – Friday and has made the summer go much smoother (at least so far).  The weather has been HORRIBLE, but the girls love going to someone’s house to play every morning and many afternoons we have fun plans as well.

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Another Week Gone By

It’s crazy to think that I’m over half way done with radiation.

Halfway done!!

Halfway done!!

WOOHOO!!!

This week has been a tough one.  I just don’t want to get up and go in the morning.  It’s not early.  It’s not painful.  It’s just ANNOYING!  This week, I confess, I struggled with having a good attitude about going quite a few mornings.

I try to remind myself why I’m going every day…fighting for my life…more time with my family.  Some days this work well.  Other days (like ones when the girls are really difficult…like a few days this week) that line of thinking doesn’t work as well and I just have to pull myself out of bed and get moving.

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Radiation Tan

Thought I’d give a quick update…

I feel great!  I have more energy than I have had in months, which is due to working out each morning and staying active with the girls. 🙂  I’m so thankful to be feeling great.

I am starting to get a bit of a radiation tan on my chest.  It’s very mild and not very noticeable, but it is there.  It’s not painful in any way but the skin is starting to change, so we’ll see how that goes.

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Radiation Week 2 – Done

We are adjusting well to this new routine of daily radiation.  I’m enjoying getting to know my technicians well and have met a few ladies in the waiting room this week.  So far no side effects and I’m feeling really good.  I even have sore muscles from working out! AND it’s a 3 day weekend – no radiation on Monday because of the holiday!!  Yay!!!

On Monday when I met with the Dr. he said to expect side effects to start after 10 treatments.  I’ve heard from others to expect them about half way through.  Who knows when and if they will appear, but so far this “honeymoon period” as the Dr. called it, is fine.  It’s nice to not be in pain (except for the sore muscles from exercising.  It’s nice to not have any fatigue, only a tired body from going to the lake and riding bikes with the girls. 🙂 read more…

Radiation Week 1 is Over!

I survived the first week of radiation.  It was a hard week getting used to the routine and the girls being some place different each morning, but we survived.  (It was also VBS each evening, which is always a very fun, but tiring week!)

I decided to take a picture each day, so here’s my week of radiation with captions that show where I am as well as how I’m feeling each day. read more…

Radiation Day 1

Uneventful.

That one word pretty much sums up radiation day 1.

I was in the room less than 15 minutes.  We waiting around to talk to the Dr. (who I meet with every week).  He was in the room for about 30 seconds since we didn’t have any questions.  Haha!  He greeted us, logged into the computer and glanced at it for a second. Then he asked us if we had any questions.  We said no.  That was it.  Seriously, 30 seconds.

Backing up a few hours…I slept horrible last night.  I kept waking up.  I finally got up around 5:20 and tears starting flowing as I thought about what was coming.  Not tears of fear, but of sadness that I had to go through it, even if it is easier than chemo and surgery.  It’s still something and it’s an every day something for what seems like a very long time.

As I spent time in God’s Word early this morning, Isaiah 26:3 was an encouragement to me.  “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You because he trust in You.” 

A note card with this verse on it is sitting on my kitchen counter as a reminder to keep my thoughts on the Lord and not on the machine that will be zapping me 33 more times.

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The Night Before Radiation…

I am getting a nice collection of “The Night Before…” posts.

Tomorrow is my first of 34 radiation treatments.  I just printed a calendar for the week with what’s going on and I hate seeing treatment and Dr. appointments on 5 of the 7 days.  🙁  But ready or not, it all starts tomorrow.

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My New Hair Style

Woohoo!!  I have enough hair to actually do something with it!  Yay!!

Also in the vlog below are updates about my back (ouch!), reconstruction, radiation and my Zometa infusion tomorrow.  All this plus regular life stuff…sigh…

Oh, and I got another tattoo today.  That makes 3.  🙂 read more…

Weekend Update

Quick update to ask for prayer this weekend.  Recovery from surgery is fine.  No pain any more.  However, from not being able to exercise my core muscles over the past couple months, I pulled a muscle in my back and have been stuck in bed since Friday morning.  I’ll leave it at that since anything more would be grumbling.  I’m very discouraged.  read more…

Meet Jennifer

Breast Cancer Patient, Chef Wife and Mom

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Resources:

verses of encouragement
How to help a friend or family member with cancer
Resources for Cancer 'Patients
cancer insurance

What to Expect:

Breast Biopsy
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PET Scan
port surgery
chemotherapy
Mastectomy
Reconstruction
oophorectomy
Radiation
neuropathy after chemo