Radiation.....week one

So far so good. They say the first two weeks are easy and then the side effects (redness, dry and flaky skin and fatigue) start.

In other news, I had PT on my arm today. Mom and Lydia came with me so they could learn how to wrap my arm and help me get the fluid moving to reduce the swelling until my sleeve comes in.

Cross your fingers it works cause it is not comfortable at all!

Weird day today....

I guess along with the rain today my emotions decided to be weepy today as well. I woke up emotional and it never got better. Found out at my PT appointment hat my arm is slightly swollen, which means the lymphedema has begun. Everyone said it would happen given that all of my lymph nodes are gone. The good thing is it is mainly the upper part of my arm from elbow to shoulder. The bad thing is that now I have to get a custom sleeve made tot he tune of $150, which will not be covered by my insurance. Just when I think I am getting a little ahead something else hits.

I guess overall the simulation went well, was there about an hour, they took lots of starting x-rays and drew all over my chest, so I look like a toddler got a hold of me with a sharpie box.

I just wish I could get some sleep...I would say that is my biggest daily hurdle. So tomorrow the daily trips begin!

Thanks for checking on me.

Night before jitters.....

Thank goodness I had a huge wedding yesterday to keep me occupied. It is funny how my events and weddings have fallen at times when I was able to do them and really only had one conflict and even that one worked out.

Tomorrow is my radiation simulation and Pt in the morning with a 2 hour break in between. I am anxious, but kind of glad I get a practice run so I know what to expect on Tuesday when they zap me for real.

So I will update tomorrow when I know more!

oops almost forgot something...

to those of you who have been calling me to go out to dinner and just help me get out of the house.. that is more helpful than I can tell you too! I am still having appetite and taste issues so being able to go out and pick something off of a menu and not having to think about what to cook is the best!

And I am so looking forward to a visit from my friend Bethany tomorrow.. one more sleep!

Bella is excited too!

Treatment planning

Yesterday I went in for a treatment planning appointment at the radiation oncology office. I wish I had known what was going to be involved in that appointment so I was better prepared. I left not only physically tired but emotionally drained. However the upside is now I have it behind me and a start date for radiation and that means a finish date too!

I was drawn on. painted on, poked and prodded at and scanned from neck to waist. I had to lay in a bean bag like tray for about 30 minutes while they positioned and moved me around so they can make my plan for radiation. The ironic thing about all of this is that they are sending me to physical therapy because my arm is not as flexible as it needs to be and due to my referral getting lost for a week I am behind on that getting started, however for the appointment yesterday I had to lay with my arm over my head the whole time I was in the tray... to say this was uncomfortable is an understatement. But my stubborn self just did it since I was there. I hated to waste the trip and time.. I just want it over.

Lydia had been over to give me therapy for my fibromyagia in the morning and everything she did was undone by this appointment and while I was at my appointment she stayed at my house and did a TON of cleaning that I have been unable to do because of my limitations from my arm. I currently have the cleanest oven and toilet in town! I can not find a way to express how appreciative I am of all of my friends who know me well enough to know that I just won't ask for some things.

So February 27 is my radiation simulation and then the real things starts the next day. Six weeks of Mon-Fri treatments and then hopefully I can work on getting back to some type of normalcy.

Thanks for checking in on me!

Cacthing up..

Sorry to have not been keeping up but it has been a little bit of a busy week. I FINALLY got in to see the Physical Therapist yesterday after my paperwork sitting on someone's desk for over a week without being processed. Needless to say my arm has done nothing but get tighter and tighter, but the PT was super nice and thinks that a couple of weeks of PT and some home exercises should get me loosened up pretty quickly. Although I can not say it wasn't painful, it was in a good stretchy kind of painful way.

It has also been recommended to me that I get a compression sleeve, which I have to be measured for. Of course there is only one place here in town that I can do that through and I had a bad experience with them when I was in my hair loss stage. I figured I would give them another try and call and see what I need to do to get measured...strike 2 on second attempt at giving them my business. I find it a little sad that in the community we have full of all of these great medical resources I am limited to one place to get what I need and they are less than helpful. I guess they know they are the only game in town so they can be however they want.

Went to work last night to help out with our first night of service in our "new" restaurant. We had a Valentine's Buffet and it was very well received by the residents. People lingered and visited and it was great to be back. We are working on fixing some things up around the club too. Tired and sore today, but it was worth it just to be able to be doing some work again.

Thanks for checking in, more to come after treatment planning appointment on Friday.

news of the day

I am beyond happy to share some fabulous news today..... NO MORE CHEMO!!!!!!!!! So it looks like after my upcoming radiation treatments I will be DONE with my treatment... and the hair can keep on growing!!!! Woo Hoo today is a good day!

Sigh.........

A heck of a day....

Lydia made it this morning and made my arm feel so much better. Then I was off to check on Lauri.. delivered some Mill muffins to Lauri, her sister-in-laws and some friends that were all there waiting. Her MIL came thru in great shape and was scheduled to be able to go home today too!!! YEAH!!!

Then off to see the radiation oncologist.. not so good news, although my arm is doing well not well enough to move forward with my tray, so I am now looking at 2 weeks of physical therapy then a tray fitting and another week before radiation can begin, so now I am pushed back another 3 weeks. Not what I was hoping for.

I then went down to the stadium to visit some folks from my old job and give my Dad a birthday hug as he was setting up for a charity function we will be attending tomorrow evening. While it was great to see everyone I have been very melancholy since leaving and I am not sure I know why.

This evening I was able to go see my twins play basketball... lets just say I am one proud Godmother! They are having fun AND playing well, what could be better?

So I am now home and I am hoping to get some sleep tonight. It has not been coming easy and I will admit to being pretty wiped out.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Funny how things happen

So tomorrow is kind of an interesting day by the looks of it.

My dear friend Lauri (who took me to most of my chemo) will be spending most of the day at the hospital sitting where my parents did 4 weeks ago while her mother-in-law has a mastectomy. I hate that her family has to go through this and can only hope that the time she spent with me at those appointments prove to be helpful in the coming weeks. I am praying hard tonight that the nodes to do not glow from the dye and she only has to have the mastectomy. Please say a prayer and send some positive energy their way if you have some to spare.

Another friend of mine is dealing with her father having biopsies today on two masses, they will have to wait a week for results, he too has been back and forth with this nasty disease in the past few years. So at the risk of sounding greedy, please send some good vibes to them too.

Tomorrow morning I will start the day with a visit from the amazingly talented Lydia for some massage work on my right arm, it is not really as functional as I was hoping it would be and then I am off to an appointment with my radiation oncologist to hopefully have the tray made for my radiation. I have to be able to lift this arm to a certain height for this to be done...hopefully the magic fingers will do the trick!

I am hoping to stop by the hospital for a check on Lauri and her family on my way and maybe to deliver some lunch or something too.

Quick post before dashing out

my "foobie" came today! This is what they call the prosthetic insert. fake+boobie. Two kinds a lightweight foam on and a silicone more natural one. This is the first time I have looked even in a month! Have a couple of meetings today so we shall see how I do.