11/20/2011 - Downhill Race time!

I was given unexpected GREAT NEWS today during radiation (yes, even Sunday's I'l go to keep on track) ----  I start my FINAL 8 boosts tomorrow instead of Wednesday!!! That means I'll be DONE by December 2nd!!!  I am so glad for the news and am on the final downhill race!
This truly is a wonderful Birthday gift.

1971 - sledding down Prince St. in Ramsey

11/17/11 -- no longer skating on thin ice

Radiation #23!!  2 more, then 8 boosters and the WHOLE ORDEAL IS DONE!!!  Well, except for the clearing of the side effects, but I am seeing the end of the trail and am ready to lie down in the field. I am ready to look up into the sky, feel the sun on my face, the breeze through my hair….yes, I don’t ask for much.

I am ready to celebrate Thanksgiving (which my birthday shares this year) and then throw our Neighborhood Christmas Party and then enjoy the rest of the Holidays!  I normally have great patience, but I feel like a little kid waiting for Santa to come down the chimney!!!

I’m no longer skating on thin ice – Napolitano’s Pond has the thick ice and I’m ready to learn to skate again!

11/3/2011 There's Always Tomorrow....

I thought radiation would be a breeze.  I thought “It doesn’t matter. It’s a piece of cake!”  Once again, I am taught that I don’t know everything and cannot predict everything either.

Radiation is a CONSTANT DAILY REMINDER of what I was diagnosed with 8 months ago.  It is a DAILY DRUDGERY of what I’ve had to go through, what I’ve missed, what I’m fighting, what EVERY WOMAN I go through this with is BATTLING. In the radiation waiting room:  I see them cry, I hear their stories, I see their fears…but I also help celebrate THEIR LAST DAY.  Of course, I am envious of them, but know my countdown is in action as well.  When Friday comes, I’ll be ALMOST halfway through.  Next week another woman will be done.  What do we do when we’re done?  We’ve been living, breathing, and eating this for MONTHS!  What do we do when it’s over?  Cry some more?

I still have residual chemo side effects (itching, swelling, moon face…) and don’t feel myself yet.  Will these all go away when radiation is over?  Will my body FINALLY PURGE those damned steroids!??!?!  Will I recognize myself next year?  Will my hair come back red again?  Yes, LOTS of questions that I have to await answers for.

As Clarice the Reindeer sings every year, http://www.xmasfun.com/Lyrics.asp?ID=66:

 There's always tomorrow,

                                     For dreams to come true,
                                    Believe in your dreams
                                    Come what may.

There's always tomorrow,

                                    With so much to do,
                                    And so little time in a day.

We all pretend

                                    The rainbow has an end
                                    And you'll be there my friend someday.

There's always tomorrow,

                                    For dreams to come true,
                                    Tomorrow is not far away.

10/23/2011 DOGZILLA!!

4 down of my 33 Radiations!  No side-effects to speak of – yet.
I had lunch today with one of my BEST MOTIVATORS, cousin Robert! He’s been a great influence on my spirits when they get low.  When they were at their gloomiest (Blog entry 9/6/11), he rallied behind me and promised Fuddruckers Dogzillas when I was ready to start eating again.  Yes, sometimes when you can’t eat anything and you are plied with something juicy and yummy, it DOES HELP your EMOTIONAL STATE!

So, a month later we meet in Paramus and I get to see one of his race cars.  Then we make plans for next summer, which helps my mood more because I completely missed the summer of 2011!

THEN, I get a call from one of my BEST BUDDIES, Elise!  She’s gonna come up North next weekend for a visit!  This truly is a GOOD DAY!!

10/11/2011 I'm FREE!!

Saw a GREAT show on Lifetime last night called, “FIVE.”  It was produced by Jennifer Aniston and included 5 short stories of women diagnosed with breast cancer.  It was VERY tastefully done, had 5 completely different views, cancer types, reactions, and outcomes. 

It started with a story on the day we landed on the moon.  How perfect!!  I REMEMBER that day, watching the black & white TV, so this hit home right off the bat!  It showed how far medicine has come since 1969 and how far we will go. 

I’ve learned it can happen to anyone - just like in the show last night. Those of you reading my blog have learned it can happen to anyone.

October is breast cancer awareness month – let’s all continue to do our parts!  Next year I plan on doing one of these or finding another:

http://makingstrides.acsevents.org/                         http://www.avonwalk.org/index.html

http://ww5.komen.org/

Be sure to click here, http://www.thebreastcancersite.com/clickToGive/home.faces?siteId=2&ThirdPartyClicks=prcnbcf, to help give someone a mammo – EARLY DETECTION!!!!  The way to go!!

‘M FREE!!!! 

10/4/11 Coming to the end of the Road

As my journey winds down, I find myself writing fewer entries – as it should be.  My chemo finished and I am in week #2 after it.  I stopped the steroids, so, unfortunately, my hand-foot syndrome came back a little.  A small angry red spot with blisters (like my planet Jupiter) developed on the back of my left hand that itched and swelled until I took some scripts.  The hand-foot swelling, numbness, itching, and peeling are noticeable, but not debilitating. Now the symptoms are slowly abating.

I went for my radiation simulation on Monday and got the tiniest freckle tattoos I never did see. They are blue I’m told, but I still came back with stories as to why Kurt should NEVER get them.  He winced and eewed, so maybe they worked.  Ok, OK, I know you wanna hear at least one!  The Radiation Tech told me how she sees ALL the older folks tattoos and what I said is correct.  Skin stretches, wrinkles, and goes in different directions.  Skin pigment also changes as we age, so those gorgeous colors FADE.  There was this elderly woman around 68 who fit this bill.  Her tattoo was around her belly button – ORIGINALLY – but now it was a black-green splotch that oozed down to her nether area.  NOT PRETTY!!!!

 
Yes, radiation is now in sight!  October 17^th is my dry run #1 then I start my 5-day-a-week treatments; 25 in all then dry run #2 then 8 “Booster” radiations to follow.  So, lucky 33 is my number! 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4SezG4nlIE

My little video...damn it's good!

9/25/2011 Lesson Learned!!

Here it is day 6 after my final round and I am DOING WELL!!!  Side effects are there, BUT less – I AM SO RELIEVED!!!  It took 3 tries, but we finally figured the plan out and it seems to be working!  Tomorrow I get a visit from my buddy Jennifer from Maryland for lunch and I FEEL WELL ENOUGH to receive her!!  YAY!!! 

Jenn's Fall 2009 wedding in Lewes