...radiation update

this is a picture of my radiation burn so far....today was my last treatment of the broader coverage, and now they will do the remaining 10 treatments more focused on the area of the former tumor...and that is it! i spoke with my surgeon today, and he gave me the "all clear", told me i could start training again. my radiologist, however, told me that i should wait until 2 weeks after my last treatment (that will be 7/1)....so, as of tomorrow, i will be starting to rebuild some strength so that i can start back to training on 7/1. i am a happy, happy girl!!!

...progress...

so, we are making progress...after today, i only have 14 more radiation treatments. my skin is just starting to burn and discolor. so far there is no pain or real discomfort, and outside of the stresses of the job situation, i am not feeling the fatigue.

i have continued to lose weight by eating more organic fruits and veggies and moving away from the more processed foods. i am down to a healthy 137 (on the home scale, 141 at the hospital) so...here are some pictures of the regrowth of hair ... enjoy the scowling and growling:

just stopping in to update everyone....

the port-a-cath has been removed, and it was quick and simple (yay!!!)...here it is (they sent it home with me):


and, as promised, here is an updated picture of milo...he is 4 months old!!!

...since it has been so long...

life has been full of crazy shit lately, which has had me running around like mad and in no mood to supply updates and whatnot.

so, (finally) here is what's new:

1. we got a puppy we named milo agathon...he is WONDERFUL



that was him at 6 weeks and then again at 9 weeks or so. he is much bigger now (16 weeks), but i still need to take new photos.

2. we have a new place...we now live in a loft over a restaurant in downtown bozeman...it is very nice, and we are enjoying it very much. official move in date was 3/15...





3. i am DONE with chemo...the last taxol was a bitch...i have never cried so hard and so long from physical pain in my entire life...no pills helped...just had to let it pass...i started rads on 4/23 and will be done on 6/6. so far, so good...that tattooed me with four dots so that they are sure to line me up correctly each time...i am growing fine, fuzzy, light colored hair in the places i was once bald...and they are planning on removing my port-a-cath on 5/12.

4. i am losing my job as of tomorrow...yep, that is right....i am looking for something else, and will post the ups and downs of looking for and landing a new job while being in cancer treatment and having no hair. i am not going to post details about it yet, as i am going to talk to a lawyer first....so stay tuned for more of my exciting employment adventures!

5. i found a mma school that i might start attending once the port-a-cath is removed:
http://web.mac.com/fascinare/Montana_MMA/Montana_MMA_Home.html


6. i start back to school on 7/7 in a PhD program for IT Project Management...so, soon you will all be calling me "doctor"...LOL...i will post more on this as i get into my classes...i am so excited!!!

so, that is my current life in a nut shell...now i am going to go read a bit before napping (we took a nice long walk with the puppy this afternoon up peet's hill...and now i am tuckered out)...

...ah yes...

a month later and finally a new blog. treatment is going well...i am four days into my third taxol treatment, and just getting over the two really harsh, achy side effect days. that being said, i now have the neulasta bone pain days to look forward to, and then smooth sailing until the thursday after next for my fourth treatment. originally, there were to be only four taxol treatments, but since we stopped at three a/c, we are adding a fifth round of taxol so we still get 8 total chemo sessions in. the side effects that i get from the taxol are; joint pain up my spine, in my hips, and in my knees...then i have bone and muscle pain all over my head, my cheeks and my teeth...feels like i have been beaten severely about the head; for some reason, the pain killers don't work on that, but the flexeril knocked my out enough that i was able to sleep through the night....and then after about 24 hours, *poof* it is gone! the neulasta pain is less than it used to be, but still in the same places....i get the shooting pain across my hips, front and back, and then shooting pain up my spine. the oxycodone takes care of that though...i am much happier on this treatment than i was the a/c, even though i no longer have any eyelashes or scarcely any eyebrows...i have even started working out again! i have to modify what i do, and don't have near the strength or energy i used to, but it feels so good to be MOVING AROUND again...and starting to rebuild all that has wasted away.

on a positive note, i finally went shopping and got new bras and underwear that FIT...i've dropped over 2 inches around my ribcage, lost 1 1/2 cup sizes and went down a size in underwear (happy about the underwear and rib cage, not so stoked about the boobs).....

outside of that, life is still great....i am so very much in love and feel happier and more driven than ever.

...update time...

so...only three more treatments to go....and the taxol isn't so bad...outside of the benedryl (which made me loopy as shit and sleep through over half my treatment), i have felt really good. i actually felt like i wasn't doing chemo at all until yesterday when the bone and muscle pain kicked in. i tried my oxy, but that just made me tired....didn't really help with any of the pain. it seems to be easing a little bit, but the shooting pain through my knees and my pelvis is aggravating me.

on a side note....here is the most updated pic of me in my wonderful baldness...they took pictures of my group for the company newsletter...here is one of the three i had to choose from:

side effects from round three

well, this time has been much better, or so it seems so far. i haven't had my neulasta shot yet...i slept through friday and didn't have the order for the emergency room for a saturday shot. monday was a loss, and now it is new years. i will call them tomorrow and see about going in for the shot just in case. side effects have mainly been fatigue, some tummy problems and then the emotional outbursts. i find that i get very weepy and insecure. i also find that i get fed up with having to be taken care of...i don't think it is fair to have to depend on bret for everything...

today i feel pretty good...yesterday i did too...just get tired and need to nap from time to time. one more of these AC treatments to go, and then i am set for the taxol treatments....4 of them...and then chemo is done...and we can start rebuilding. radiation therapy will then have to start...