On the news and upcoming appointments

by | Feb 14, 2017 | Blog | 9 comments

First of all, Happy Valentine’s Day.  Tonight is a busy night for our family, so we celebrated on Sunday evening.  The girls decorated the dining room and we enjoyed a wonderful steak dinner prepared by our favorite chef. 🙂

I’m feeling good most days.  About once a week my body hurts a lot…not sure why.  It’s that same pain from the inside out. Sometimes Tylenol helps.  Sometimes it doesn’t.  I can’t pinpoint it to anything I’m doing, but it’s annoying.  I usually end up in bed early on those days.  Other than that, I’m keeping up with our crazy busy life and am so thankful to be feeling great and healthy enough to keep up with the girls.  It’s hard to believe it’s been almost a year since I finished chemo.

Yesterday, I had the privilege of supporting the oncology certified esthetician I’ve told you about before.  She operates out of the Breast Center at Valley Medical Center and while she has many regular paying clients, she also donates some of her services to cancer patients.  She was being interviewed by King5 News and asked a few of us to come be part of it. (more…)

#notconsumed

by | Feb 22, 2017 | Blog | 8 comments

I’m not a big printed t-shirt fan, but when I saw this one late last year, I knew I needed it because of this cancer journey I am on.

This verse is printed on the back:

Lamentations 3:22-26

22 Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,
    for his compassions never fail.
23 They are new every morning;
    great is Your faithfulness.
24 I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion;
    therefore I will wait for Him.”

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Flare up?

by | Apr 3, 2017 | Blog | 8 comments

A friend asked the other day if I was still blogging or if she had missed the emails…nope. Just not blogging as much. I’m still here. 🙂

Unfortunately I’m struggling with pain right now.

My Dr. is calling the pain that I’m having a flare-up of side effects from the hormone blocking pill I’m taking (for the rest of my life…ugh…). He said sometimes that just happens and it’s hard to know what triggers it. Wish I knew because I would MAKE SURE to stop whatever is triggering this pain. (more…)

MY PORT WORKED!

by | Apr 5, 2017 | Blog | 6 comments

The title says it all.  My port worked perfectly on the first time.  I guess baby aspirin is the answer!!

I was still there for 2 hours as it took a while for the medicine to come after we got the test results back.

No time to write more as the girls are getting ready for Trauma night at AWANA!

Mastectomy – 1 Year Later

by | Apr 14, 2017 | Blog | 7 comments

A year ago right now (4:14pm), I was done with all the surgery prep. and was waiting to go into surgery.

I’m so glad I’ve kept a blog through this journey.  As I read back through my post from 2 days after surgery, there are so many things I have forgotten after just one year.

This morning as I looked in the mirror, I was reminded of how different my body looks today than it did a year ago.  Most days I don’t think about it, unless a scar is bothering me.  But this morning was different.  I’ve been feeling down all day.  I don’t really feel like I’m dwelling on memories from last year, but I must be a little.  (And I’m exhausted from keeping up with 6 kids at the Great Wolf Lodge the past 2 days!  So much fun but I’m pooped!)

A week from today I have a check-up with my oncologist.  I don’t think it will be a very eventful appointment…the bone pain I was having is gone.  However, I’ve been having some sciatica pain for the past few weeks.  I didn’t do anything to injur it and am a little concerned about it.  I have been on a steroid and muscle relaxers.  With those meds and exercises and stretches, it’s getting better slowly, but in the back of my mind is still the concern that the cancer has spread to my back.  When I saw the Dr. last week, she was glad to know I had an appointment soon with the oncologist so we could talk about my back if the pain has not improved.

At the risk of being too much of a downer, I’ll end here and go make dinner. 🙂

A Birthday and a Request

by | Apr 17, 2017 | Blog | 13 comments

Today would have been my Mom’s 69th birthday.  I miss her so much!  I’m doing fine today, just thought I’d mention it. 🙂  Happy Birthday in Heaven Mom!  (Here’s a post I wrote a few years ago if you are interested.)

The real reason I’m writing today is to ask you to pray for me as I await my appointment on Friday.  I have a check-up with the oncologist at 11 am.

3 weeks ago I started having sciatica pain.  I tried to manage it with stretching and exercises but ended up at the Dr. as it wasn’t getting any better.  She prescribed steroids and muscle relaxers which helped.  However, as the steroids are tapering off and now ending, the pain is coming back, even though I continue to do all the strengthening and stretching exercises. 🙁

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MRI ordered

by | Apr 21, 2017 | Blog | 16 comments

I met with the oncologist today. The pain in my sciatica is definitely getting worse, and it’s starting to hurt now when I walk. The oncologist said that back pain from cancer usually has more of a throbbing all over pain, instead of a shooting pain like mine is. However, because of my breast cancer, he ordered an MRI so we can make sure that it is just sciatica pain. Based on those results will go forward with treatment. If it’s just sciatica pain and I will start working with my general practitioner to solve the problem. If it’s something else then we’ll go from there.

The MRI has already been ordered. Please pray that the insurance approves it fast and then I can get it scheduled soon.

MRI Scheduled

by | Apr 25, 2017 | Blog | 10 comments

Looks like the wrong order was sent for the MRI on Friday so a new one was just sent over to the insurance.  I was at least able to schedule the appointment, but since we have to make sure to leave enough time for the insurance to approve it, it’s next Tuesday at 6:30 pm.  That’s a long time to wait, especially with pain, but at least it’s scheduled. 🙂