Half Way There!

Half way in to radiation!  It has been going fairly quickly.  I will say it is rather annoying and disruptive to go daily, but I again am reminded that nothing about cancer is not annoying or disruptive!  I now go before work, I have a standing appointment at 8 am.  It is nice because I think I am the 2nd treatment of the day so they are usually right on time.  The entire process from getting undressed to dressed is about a 1/2 hour.  The treatment itself takes 10 minutes.  On Monday's I see the Doctor after treatment.  I am loving Dr. McCall.  She has been my only female doctor through all of this and she brings a different prospective to this whole breast cancer thing!  I think she can just relate better than my male Doctors and rightfully so.  She is just more sensitive to the emotional and physical stuff that goes along with breast cancer.  I still love Dr. Hantel when he is nice to me and gives me good news and I am forever thankful to my surgeon and plastic surgeon!

This week towards the end of the week is when I have noticed my skin is starting to take a beating.  It feels like I have a bad sun burn, but has started to get itchy and bright red!  Today I said to one of the radiation techs that my skin makes me want to barf and she just patted my shoulder and told me if it is making me sick now, she is really sorry.  So I guess I am not at the end of this journey just yet!  3 1/2 weeks left. 

Look at my hair grow!

Last week I came down with the nasty stomach flu and felt worse for 3 days than I did all through chemo.  It was rough.  The chills, low grade temp, body aches and vomiting.  It also came about the same day I bragged that I had not gotten sick.  Of course!  I recovered nicely and I think that has to be a good sign that my cells are working the way they should be!  Oh and in case you are wondering, you still have radiation even if you call the Doctor the night before with a weak and shaky voice from getting sick.....I guess they really frown upon you getting behind, but again I scratch my head if it is that serious that I go with the flu, why they aren't open on Saturday and Sunday or holidays.....I guess I shouldn't complain because I am thinking after today my skin could really use 2 days off.

Today was a very special day!  I finally met a wonderful lady Christine!  I have spoken of her in the past in my blog.  She is fighting breast cancer.  My cousin's wife put me in contact with her through e-mail after she was diagnosed in September.  Since then, we e-mail back and forth daily.  Christine's breast cancer is also serious (not that any form is not) but she has inflammatory breast cancer, which is a rare and aggressive form where the cancer cells block lymph vessels in the skin of the breast.  It can spread very quickly.  Christine finished chemo 3 weeks ago and has surgery scheduled for this Thursday.  During her pre-op appointment yesterday they noticed some abnormalities with her heart.  Because of this, she has to have some tests done on Monday.  Depending on those results will determine if she can keep her surgery date on Thursday or if she will have to have her heart issues taken care of first.  This is horrible news.  While chemo maybe saving her life and stopping the progression of the disease, it has also possibly caused damage to her heart.  She is really in a hard spot right now.  I can not imagine finally getting to the point of the removal of the stupid cancer and then finding out you can't do it because your heart may not withstand being put under.  Please pray for her.  She needs good news on Monday that it is nothing serious and she is able to have her surgery on Thursday.  Again, it was great to finally meet her after several months of going back and forth and both pouring our hearts to each other because at times we feel like we may be the only 2 people that totally get what we are going through!  Thank you Amy for putting us in touch with one another.  It was a gift from God to both of us!

Other than that, we are marching along!  We are doing our best to hold up a family routine.  Small things have slipped through the cracks like the laundry doesn't always get folded, the dishwasher unloaded and only once have we almost left for work and day care when Justin realized he didn't have on underwear!  I think we are doing okay!  It feels good to get back in a routine.  I am still doing yoga once a week, eating pretty healthy and resting as much as possible.  Justin just had his winter testing scores distributed and scored above average and Ryan is walking everywhere.  Just tonight I watched him try to run!  OH BOY!  It is funny because he can't do it yet (Thank God) but he is trying so hard!  I'm sure he will have it mastered by the end of the weekend.  Can you believe he will be a year old in less than a month?!  Bitter sweet.




















Until the next update.  We appreciate the continued prayers and please remember to pray for Christine too!

Love always,

Amber