Less Hip. Me??

Soooooooo, first week back in the insurance biz.  It's been great to be back with my friends.  Isn't it amazing that it's pretty much the exact same agents as when I was an agent there 10 years ago?  And same administrative staff too.  BUT, I can see that MUCH has changed technology-wise & I have MUCH to learn to be able to work on my own & be of some help to the agents.  But I'll get there.  Got my office set up & my license came in the mail on Thursday.  So it's official.  YAY me! :)

Next: I still have a mediport-shaped knot where the mediport used to be.  So to look at me, it appears that I still have a port.  Which I don't.  But today it does seem to be quite a bit smaller, so maybe it'll finally flatten out soon.  I called Dr V's office to inquire if it was normal to have a knot there.  His response: "Normal as rain."  Ok. 

Had more blood work done this week...ordered by the fabulous endocrinologist, Dr F.  It appears I have some slight bone deterioration in my hips & he calls it "Osteopenia".  The report says the bone density here is "between 10 - 25% below normal. Fracture risk is moderate. Treatment is advised."  Well shit!  Anyway, the blood work Dr F ordered should tell him why there's the deterioration, although I'm pretty sure we're blamin it on chemo.  But he wants to know for sure so we can get on top of this before it becomes a problem.  Increase calcium & Vitamin D.  I was normal on my D levels on my last CBC, & I was already increasing my Calcium.  So, guess we'll wait & see what the tests show.

And January signals the annual starting over of the health insurance deductibles for treatments, tests, drugs...all of it.  Maybe you remember my post last January ... Yeah, I didn't deal with it very well last year.  Guess I should try to be more....ummmm....mature(?) when/if I find myself in a similar situation this year...

And right now I'm listening to hubby edit 4 year olds singing...& I think my uterus just imploded.....



 

What A Long, Strange Trip It's Been

Now hear this:  The mediport is out.  I repeat: The mediport it O U T!!!  And I have it in a ziplock baggie in my purse.  HA!  Some of O's students wanted to see it, & I just wanted it.  Removing the port is, to me, symbolic of The End...all will be well.

Anyway, backin up a bit.  Mediport removal was scheduled for Tuesday, December 7.  And I just felt the need to express my appreciation to my awesome surgeon, Dr V, in some way.  So when I saw the pink poinsettia at the store, I thought, how perfect!  So I wrote a little Thank You note & put it in the plant & brought it to give to Dr V.

And we got there & Dr V got right down to business.  Didn't even give me a chance to start the whole freak out - panic - cryfest I thought would happen.  Yeah, I was a bit nervous waiting for him to come in, but, he came in, gave me a gown, & then when he came back, it was ON....or...out.  He numbed up the area & then just got to work. And O & Dr V & I were all chitty chattin away while he worked.  And yes, he says it would be expected to see a touch of lymphedma with that many lymph nodes removed.  He said he's seen it with 1 node removed.  So, good thing I got my sleeve & learned the "self massage" treatment. #notlikethat

And about 15 minutes after Dr V began, we were leavin with my "Little Alien Buddy" in my purse.  Of course I'd want to keep it.  I kind of think of it as my "shield" in this battle I've been through.  So I have it.  (I also still have the irrigation syringe from my wisdom tooth removal, so, yeah, I'm just weird I guess!)

Say hallo to mah lil' friend!

So, that's it.  The End.  "End of treatment" So, X-rays in February & every so often...& 4 3/4 years of Tamoxifen to go.  What a long, strange trip it's been!  Thanks to my awesome medical team, looks like I get to just keep truckin on.

I Think I Figured It Out

Why the mediport wouldn't register for the nurse.  It does appear that it has shifted a bit...like it's trying to turn on it's side.  This would probably explain the mild soreness I've been feeling below my shoulder for the last several days.  And of course, me being me....yeah, I'm a bit freaked out about it.  Maybe I should see if Dr V can go ahead & take it out....gonna call in the morning.  Yep.

Oh Em Gee! Didn't See THAT Comin!

Soooooooooo yeah.  I had my 3 month visit with my Oncologist, Dr W, on Thursday.  But first it was time to do the 6 week port flush thing.  For the 1st time ever since it's been with me, it decided to act up.  Sure, saline was able to be flushed through it, but it did not give a "blood register" when the nurse pulled back on the syringe.  She tried & tried.  Pumped 3 things of saline through it.  Even tilted the chair all the way back so that I was basically standing on my head.  Still nuttin.  Ok, so, me being me...yep.  Cue major freakin out time.  Even though all the nurses assured me that it was "fine" & "sometimes they just act up" & "it flushed fine, so it's fine" & "sometimes they just move around a bit"....  Not mine, I'm tellin ya.  Mine is stitched in FOUR places....all the way around it.  Not the standard 2 stitches.  Sooooooo anyway.  No blood comin from the port today.  So had to get stuck twice so they could run the blood work.  Yay.

And thanks to all that drama, no, I wasn't a bit surprised that my blood pressure was kinda high.  And I told that to Dr W when he came in the exam room. And then we chatted about this & that, & I was all nervously waiting for him to say the skeery "scan" word.  

He did not order a scan.  He doesn't do CT Scans for breast cancer.  At least for my kind.  He says that stuff that a CT Scan detects can be very vague & cause stress that could be avoided.  Says he sees ladies that can only live their lives in 3 month increments...scan to scan.  Elated at a clear scan, then totally freaked out the next time cause a 3mm spot showed up somewhere that no one is even sure what it is, just to find out it was just a spot.  A nothin spot.  So he opts for chest & abdomen X-rays.  And CBC blood work.  And mammograms.  And me feelin the boobies.  So then he was all like, yeah, "I think the port can come out in February, then get your X-ray & I'll see ya back here.."  I'm like, "yeah, lovely.  Just in time for my stupid ass health insurance deductible to have started over."  And then he goes..."You know what....go ahead & call Dr V & schedule to get the port removed in December.  A Xmas gift to yourself."  And I was like "Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa??!?!?!!  Are you kidding me?" He was like, "No, go ahead."  And I'm like, "Even without a scan or the X-ray first?  You're THAT confident that everything's gonna be ok?!"  He's like "Yep. Sure am.  Now if you just INSIST on a Scan, I'll order it.  But I don't usually do those for breast cancer.  Plus don't want to be exposing you to more radiation."  

And it was at that point that I started hoppin all around the exam room like some deranged kangaroo, & even grabbed Dr W & gave him a big ol squeeze.  (He was probably sore the next morning...he's skinnier than I am.) 

He went on to explain that getting it out 60 days early isn't going to make a difference in things, & to just be sure to get my X-ray 2 or 3 days before I see him again in February.

So OH EM GEE! I totally didn't see THAT comin.  I showed up all a bundle of nerves, but left floatin on air.

So, I've got an appointment with the awesome surgeon, Dr V, for December 7, for the removal of my "little alien buddy".  And then that's it.  I'm done. D O N E.  Well, except for the 5 years of Tamoxifen & 3 month oncologist visits with X-rays, 6 month follow ups with the surgeon.  But "treatment wise"...Yeah, I'd call this done.

Movin on Up / Intro & First Post September 13, 2009

Ok, so I'm "moving" my CarePage over to this blog.  This used to be my OnlineAuction blog, but since I can't seem to blog as much about that as I do about having to deal with the breast cancer bs, figured I'd go ahead & start moving the posts.  Apparently, some people are put off by having to have a membership to view the Care Page.  Even though they really don't ask for any super personal info, some peeps just ain't gonna give any.  Over here, not a problem, so I'm slowly but surely moving toward this blog. This could take some time.  So here goes.  The following is my "Intro" from the CarePage. 

INTRO:

Sept 13, 2009

I'm a super young at heart 40 year old. I just turned the Big 4-0 & on June 30 I was diagnosed with breast cancer. My breast lump did NOT show up on a DIGITAL mammogram. So FEEL YOUR BOOBIES ladies! As of today, I've had 3 surgeries & 1 of 6 rounds of chemo.

I am super fortunate to be able to live with & work together with my husband, who is also my best friend.  We have a great time together.

We have no children. We ARE the kids!

 

First Post: 

1st Update...Better Late Than Never...

Posted Sep 13, 2009 5:48pm

Ok, so, I'm a little late in setting up this page, but the FUN seems to be just now starting, so here we go. I was diagnosed with breast cancer on June 30. July 1 I was in front of the surgeon. July 9 I had the Lumpectomy surgery and 15 Lymph Nodes were removed. July 15 the surgeon says we didn't get the clear margin and we gotta do it again, and 4 of the Nodes were positive for cancer. Oh yay. July 23 was the reincision. Got the clear margin this time. But thanks to the stupid lymph nodes and the fact that my cancer was HER+, I bought the chemo ticket. August 20 I got the MediPort put in.

That's the Reader's Digest version. Lemme hit some hilights for ya. Other than tonsills at 3 years old, I'd never had surgery before. So yeah, I was pretty much high maintenance at the hospital. All 3 times. Once you're told you have breast cancer, nothing is the same and you begin a rollercoaster feelin kinda life. All the pre-surgery testing. Sentinal Node Injection was the hardest thing for me...didn't care for that one bit. I'd rather have a surgery than go through that again. Google it. I'm trying to forget about it! LOL!

So, as I sit here typing this on September 13, my long hair is coming out by the handfuls. I washed it for the last time today. I had my 1st of 6 rounds of chemo on August 27. My side effects have been very mild thus far. The biggest problem I'm having is the hair loss thing. Y'all that know me know that I totally love having long hair. So I did mourn a bit...not just the loss of my hair, but I think I was also mourning our Before Cancer life. But I'm now at peace with it. May as well be cause it is what it is.

Today I'm just so grateful because I'm gonna be fine. All of my CT Scans showed no spread. So in my mind, I've already beat it. Just gonna make sure I don't have to do it again is all.

So my total treatment is: 6 rounds of chemo - 4 hour sessions, - 3 weeks apart, 1 year of Herceptin, 5 1/2 weeks of daily radiation will start right after the 6 chemos are done and then I'll take some medication for 5 years.

So, welcome to my Blog. Here y'all can all keep up with me winning this battle. Like I said, I've already won!