9/28/2012 -- Gifts & Losses

I went to my 3^rd breast cancer symposium today.  I find them very informative and therapeutic.  I also get to meet new people, converse with other survivors, get tips from them and even some recipes!  Today, one of the speakers, Debbie Woodbury (founder of WhereDoWeGoNow.com), gave her personal experiences and how she would list her Gifts and Losses as a result of her experience with cancer and treatments.  She encouraged us to do the same, so here are some of mine (not in any order of importance):

 

GIFTS

LOSSES

·        My support group ·        Remission! ·        GREAT surgeon, oncologist & radiation Dr’s ·        Great insurance plan (coverage/PT…) ·        Knowing who loves & supports me ·        I wanna give back ·        Caught cancer before it got worse ·        Meeting new people & not caring who I know or what I wear ·        Blogging my experiences ·        Got closer to my mother-in-law, Breda ·        Loss of hair humbled me ·        More “us” time with my hubby, Chris ·        I take better care of myself

·        2011 lost in a sea of drugs ·        Times I yelled at my son & husband (see above) ·        My Dad still thinks I have cancer – he’s stuck in 2011 ·        Mourning my sister ·        My Norm (stamina) & physical self ·        Loss of patience for others ·        Natural menopause ·        Burden I put on family, especially after Mo’s death ·        Inability to see my Uncle before his death ·        Loss of hair & self-esteem ·        “exercise” partners ·        Understanding from others

 

 

8/10/2012 LISTEN to me!!

So, we’re 6 weeks our from the gallbladder removal.  Pretty much all the symptoms are GONE!  Now my liver’s just adjusting to distributing bile on its’ own.  Pathology came back…another 1-2 years and it would’ve burst, so I’m VERY GLAD I listened to my body and got it removed!  So, when your body starts telling you something....LISTEN!

I’m enjoying the summer heat (having missed it completely last year) and going away on little trips to further help me make-up for lost time.

I still get frustrated at what I can’t do yet, but know it’ll come in time.

6/29/12 Pain in the A$$!!

Gallbladder removal today – another casualty of my chemo treatments:

As my faithful blog-readers know…Last year I was having horrible pain, bloating, GI issues, pain in my back, etc…we just thought it was a chemo/treatment reaction.  So, when the problems persisted then got worse in March/April I looked all the symptoms up then put them together.  They all pointed to gallbladder!  So, I went to my oncologist & surgeon with this info and they both concurred and said it was common for women in my age group (35-50) to have their gallbladder removed within a year of chemo.  LUCKY ME!

So, after an ultrasound (to prove no stones or tumors, etc.), upper/lower GI scopes (to prove no tumors or problems), and then a HIDA-scan (to prove my gallbladder isn’t functioning properly – which it AIN’T), I am now insurance-approved to have my nasty little pain in the ass taken out!

So, a year later here I am about to go under the knife again.  I’m bummed, but happy that these pains and problems will go away within a month!!!!  Can you say lower than my already low-fat diet?

with the extended Doherty clan in Tucson AZ

6/21/12 Graduation!!!

Kurt graduated high school today!!!  I felt so responsible for his derailment last year and was ever so stressed about him graduating that I sent my blood pressure up for a year!  Thank you God for this beautiful feeling.

6/23/12 -- Two days later, I’m back to normal BP.  Yes, I’ll say it again…the mind does terrible things to our health sometimes!

6/10/12 Happy & Healthy

Today was Braelyn’s 2^nd birthday party!  It was a scorcher of a day, but we all had a great time.  When I got home I had a text message from my older sister, Kathy.  She said, “Joe & I both just said how you look like your old self – happy & healthier.”  That made me feel soooo good!  I called her right away...

She then said they no longer see the “pain” in my face.  Funny, how we don’t register the physical pain anymore because it becomes a part of our life at the time.  I’m glad it no longer registers on my face!

Like I said, it was SUNNY!!!

5/31/12 --- May Flowers (brought!)

So I made it through May with:

• A growing head of hair – YAY!!!!
•  The knowledge that I’ll probably have my gallbladder removed…and that’s OK!   
• Going to physical therapy 3x/week to strengthen my spaghetti legs – it’s WORKING!
• A GREAT TRIP to Arizona with Michael & Liz where we hung out in Sedona, Phoenix, Tempe and Tucson with Camille and her family.  It was AWESOME to see the kids older and meeting the new ones.
• And only two more weeks of school!

Sunday I do my FIRST breast cancer walk – the Michelle Offsie Walk in Edison, NJ.  I named my team, Fight Like a Girl, and have 7 friends/family members walking with me!  The weather prediction is sunny, but not too hot. PERFECT walking weather.   

4/21/2012 1-year Anniversaries

A year ago today I had my 2^nd biopsy that let me know what I was in for.  I find I’m checking off these 1-year anniversaries off to make sure nothing else goes down.  I still have side effects (rashes, itching, fatigue, etc.) from treatments and lately have been having gallbladder attacks.  They’re more frequent so I went for an ultrasound yesterday.  Yeah, another anniversary met.  Results should be back next week.  More surgery?  Go to a very strict diet?  Who knows?  I do know that in a month I’ll be flying out to Phoenix to meet my brother & sister-in-law for a week in AZ.  Spend some time north then go south to see Camille and my new grand-niece & nephew!  Can’t wait!!

4/9/2012 ... I Can See Clearly Now ...

A year ago today I had my annual mammogram and my journey through breast cancer began.  Today I went for my first follow-up mammo & ultrasound.  I was VERY nervous, anxious and in the same boat – hubby is away on a business trip and my son is staying over a friend’s.  I pray that I do NOT receive similar news this time around.  I slept horribly.  My appointment was at 7am and I got my results by 8am – I AM CLEAR!!!  Thank God!!

I also go for a blood test to see where my iron levels are – hopefully I’m no longer anemic.  I will also see how the other levels are, specifically the cancer markers.

THANK YOU to EVERYONE who has helped me through my treatments and
who’ve read my blog.  It kept me going.

It's Been 2 Months...

It’s been two months since my treatments ended.  I didn’t know if I’d have more to say, but of course I do!  Loquacious is my middle name after all! :) 

We all make New Year’s Resolutions, hoping to make ourselves better people.  I now realize how futile they really are when prayers for a better and healthier year are what we should be making.  So, this year, 2012, I pray it to be a better and healthier year.

I’ve been getting iron infusions these past 2 weeks.  Yep, good ‘ole chemo isn’t done with me yet!  I became anemic, so I’m getting these IV’s to refill my body’s iron tank (which was ¼ full in January!).  I have 3 to go and that should do it.  If not, I go for some more.  So, being tired these past couple months, passing out after working for a day…yeah, anemia does that to yah.  At least I know there’s a reason.

I’m working some days at the school and using those stairs to help get my leg and knee muscles back in shape!  I feel so weak and unfamiliar to myself.  When I can get up those stairs without stopping, then I know I can re-join Curves and start to REALLY build my muscles up!

Chris took me to St Thomas as an end-of-treament+birthday+Christmas present!  BOY WAS IT GORGEOUS!!!!  We had a very relaxing time and I got my sun and sand!  I missed that last year – sun, sand, getting my hands dirty in the garden, and all the other things I do in the sun.  Here are some pictures, http://www.tiny9.com/u/my_pix.