Just a quick photo update.....
(I had them on the last post, but they seemed to disappear)
Friday, June 15, 2012
1 year ago
Well its been 1 year (+ 1 day) since I was diagnosed. It has definitely NOT seemed like a whole year. June 14th, 2011 was the day that changed everything. Boy, have I been through a lot since then.
Heres the rundown.....
1 biopsy
- recovery, scar #1
1 port surgery
- recovery, scar #2
8 rounds of chemo
- side effects, nausea, hair loss, neurapathy, ect.
2 lumpectomy surgeries + 2 lymph node dissections
- recovery, numbness, scar #3
34 radiation treatments
- burning, peeling, itching
mammograms
MRIs
doctors appointments.....
doctors appointments.....
doctors appointments
now on Tamoxifen for the next 5 years
- luckily, so far so good : )
Through all of that I can say that I made it out the other side still smiling. I don't think too many people can say they would have handled my situation as well as I did. I have said from the beginning that breast cancer is just something else that I had to deal with, and thats exactly what I did - I dealt with it, and overcame it! I still have appointments and such, but nothing major till October. The summer should be pretty "normal".
Yay me!
Heres the rundown.....
1 biopsy
- recovery, scar #1
1 port surgery
- recovery, scar #2
8 rounds of chemo
- side effects, nausea, hair loss, neurapathy, ect.
2 lumpectomy surgeries + 2 lymph node dissections
- recovery, numbness, scar #3
34 radiation treatments
- burning, peeling, itching
mammograms
MRIs
doctors appointments.....
doctors appointments.....
doctors appointments
now on Tamoxifen for the next 5 years
- luckily, so far so good : )
Through all of that I can say that I made it out the other side still smiling. I don't think too many people can say they would have handled my situation as well as I did. I have said from the beginning that breast cancer is just something else that I had to deal with, and thats exactly what I did - I dealt with it, and overcame it! I still have appointments and such, but nothing major till October. The summer should be pretty "normal".
Yay me!
Thursday, February 23, 2012
New Happenings & Surprises!
Things have been moving right along since I have last updated. I've had since January 19th (the day of surgery) to recover and to get the swelling under my arm consistent. I went to see the surgeon for a follow up about a week and a half ago and he gave me the go ahead to schedule radiation. I will be going for a "planning session" tomorrow - Feb. 24th. The session will consist of a CT scan, meeting, and getting "tattooed" so they know how to line up the machine each time. Hopefully things will go smoothly so that I can start my radiation treatments in a week or two! Then (keep you fingers crossed) I will have about 36 treatments - Monday through Friday - and then be DONE! Although you are never completely done, there are always check-ups, blood work, mammograms and MRI every so often.
The swelling and numbness on my right side is getting much better. I am only numb on the underside of my arm, and my range of motion is getting way better. I am able to reach over my head and do mostly everything that I can on my left side. I can finally sleep on my right side again, which is so nice to be able to do! Its the little things that make you happy I guess!
On another subject, my 30th birthday was on February 19th. I don't know how she pulled it off, but my mom (with the help of others) planned a SURPRISE party for me. The funny thing is that I had absolutely NO IDEA, even up to the time that I walked in the room! I was shocked at the amount of people that came, and that not one of them said or did anything beforehand to make me think there was a party for me! Even thinking about it now blows my mind that I didn't know!!! I need to say a big thank you to everyone that came!
Another interesting thing that is going on is I will be taking part in the Miss Pink Pageant on March 17th at the Danversport Yacht Club. It is a pageant for women that have or have had breast cancer. I am both nervous and excited at the same time. All of the participants get to be pampered for the day, strut their stuff on stage and make a speech about their experience with breast cancer. Anyone that knows me, knows that I do NOT like to be the center of attention and I do NOT like public speaking! So this should be interesting!
The swelling and numbness on my right side is getting much better. I am only numb on the underside of my arm, and my range of motion is getting way better. I am able to reach over my head and do mostly everything that I can on my left side. I can finally sleep on my right side again, which is so nice to be able to do! Its the little things that make you happy I guess!
On another subject, my 30th birthday was on February 19th. I don't know how she pulled it off, but my mom (with the help of others) planned a SURPRISE party for me. The funny thing is that I had absolutely NO IDEA, even up to the time that I walked in the room! I was shocked at the amount of people that came, and that not one of them said or did anything beforehand to make me think there was a party for me! Even thinking about it now blows my mind that I didn't know!!! I need to say a big thank you to everyone that came!
Another interesting thing that is going on is I will be taking part in the Miss Pink Pageant on March 17th at the Danversport Yacht Club. It is a pageant for women that have or have had breast cancer. I am both nervous and excited at the same time. All of the participants get to be pampered for the day, strut their stuff on stage and make a speech about their experience with breast cancer. Anyone that knows me, knows that I do NOT like to be the center of attention and I do NOT like public speaking! So this should be interesting!
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Finally some good news!
I finally have some good news.... I am CANCER FREE!
I had my second surgery last Thursday (January 19th). The surgeon took out some more breast tissue and what he believes is anywhere between 15-30 lymph nodes. Well he called me tonight around 5pm to let me know that the pathology report had just came in and that everything was clear! Margins were all clear and all lymph nodes were negative for any cancer! What GREAT news!!
Now don't get me wrong, even after 3 other surgeries, I was no where near the "perfect" patient. I still freaked out, had a panic attack and was what one would call "emotional". You would think that after being through other surgeries, I would be used to the routine. Not so much! But its done, and I don't need any other surgeries until I get my port out - which will not be for a while.
I am really sore from this time around. My arm, side, and back are all numb. Hopefully most of it is just temporary. I also have fluid built up under my arm which swishes around like a 1/2 filled bottle of water. I went yesterday to see if it needed to be drained, and my surgeon said that the amount that's there is "normal" and it will drain back into my body on its own. He also said that I am healing really well and that there is not much swelling (in his eyes) at all. Me on the other hand, think that there is a lot of swelling. Sleeping is hard to do, as I usually lay on the side that is swollen. I need to just give everything time, and hope that I will get back to normal.
Up next will be radiation. I need to recover for about a month and let the swelling go down. I think radiation will start sometime in early March. I will need 6 weeks of that then be DONE!
I had my second surgery last Thursday (January 19th). The surgeon took out some more breast tissue and what he believes is anywhere between 15-30 lymph nodes. Well he called me tonight around 5pm to let me know that the pathology report had just came in and that everything was clear! Margins were all clear and all lymph nodes were negative for any cancer! What GREAT news!!
Now don't get me wrong, even after 3 other surgeries, I was no where near the "perfect" patient. I still freaked out, had a panic attack and was what one would call "emotional". You would think that after being through other surgeries, I would be used to the routine. Not so much! But its done, and I don't need any other surgeries until I get my port out - which will not be for a while.
I am really sore from this time around. My arm, side, and back are all numb. Hopefully most of it is just temporary. I also have fluid built up under my arm which swishes around like a 1/2 filled bottle of water. I went yesterday to see if it needed to be drained, and my surgeon said that the amount that's there is "normal" and it will drain back into my body on its own. He also said that I am healing really well and that there is not much swelling (in his eyes) at all. Me on the other hand, think that there is a lot of swelling. Sleeping is hard to do, as I usually lay on the side that is swollen. I need to just give everything time, and hope that I will get back to normal.
Up next will be radiation. I need to recover for about a month and let the swelling go down. I think radiation will start sometime in early March. I will need 6 weeks of that then be DONE!
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