Well, I'd said no blog for a couple of weeks but when my hair started coming out in handfuls I got my head shaved. This is a drag and I shed some tears but it isn't nearly as bad as mouth sores. It's better to be bald in summer than winter, no? I thought, well, I'll put up a few photos. I have a new pirate's cap and maybe I'll get a picture of that up after I get some big silver hoop earrings. The new photos are part of the slide show. Just work your way through.
And this afternoon there was good news at the oncologist's. After she admired my pirate cap, she did an exam and said she couldn't feel the cancer at all. So that is a good milestone. Next week I'll see the radiology oncologist and then a couple of weeks later the surgeon will check in. But I'm feeling hopeful. I've resisted feeling optimistic because the healing process has been very hard.
Well, now I really don't think you'll hear from me for a couple of weeks. Maybe after the radiologist's visit.
XXXOOO
Betsy
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Monday, June 16, 2008
16 June Monday
Gentle Readers,
Progress continues slowly but, I think, surely. I noticed yesterday with a little bit bit of surprise that it is pretty easy to sit. Mostly these days I'm dealing with tiresome continence issues.
My medical oncologist said that I need to make plans for positive events away from home and so my first trip out beyond the PO and Walgreens was to Santa Fe to an open house at the Santa Fe Complex. http://sfcomplex.org/wordpress/ It was fun and terrific to be out and about.
I have a regular checkup this week and will see the radiology oncologist on the 27th. I'm not sure what action besides wait-and-see will come out of that appointment. I'm still planning (I'm a little tentative) to go to San Antonio to a meeting on the 27th for several days.
So this blog is winding down. I'm making a note to myself to blog again on Sunday the 29th.
Again, thank you for writing and sending ideas to aid the healing process. You are truly a caring community.
Betsy
Progress continues slowly but, I think, surely. I noticed yesterday with a little bit bit of surprise that it is pretty easy to sit. Mostly these days I'm dealing with tiresome continence issues.
My medical oncologist said that I need to make plans for positive events away from home and so my first trip out beyond the PO and Walgreens was to Santa Fe to an open house at the Santa Fe Complex. http://sfcomplex.org/wordpress/ It was fun and terrific to be out and about.
I have a regular checkup this week and will see the radiology oncologist on the 27th. I'm not sure what action besides wait-and-see will come out of that appointment. I'm still planning (I'm a little tentative) to go to San Antonio to a meeting on the 27th for several days.
So this blog is winding down. I'm making a note to myself to blog again on Sunday the 29th.
Again, thank you for writing and sending ideas to aid the healing process. You are truly a caring community.
Betsy
Monday, June 9, 2008
9 June 2008
The oncologist report today was very positive. She noted that the burns on the outside of my body are mostly healed. I had observed that myself, of course, but hearing her confirmation was like getting a good report card. She says it will be at least 2 months before the internal burning will be healed. But she thought that progress was as good as it could be.
She urged me to look ahead to a holiday away from home. Right now I'm planning to go to the National Education Computing Conference in San Antonio at the end of the month. She approved of that. I'm hopeful I'll feel confident about the trip when the time comes.
As always, thank you for your friendship.
Betsy
She urged me to look ahead to a holiday away from home. Right now I'm planning to go to the National Education Computing Conference in San Antonio at the end of the month. She approved of that. I'm hopeful I'll feel confident about the trip when the time comes.
As always, thank you for your friendship.
Betsy
Saturday, June 7, 2008
8 June 2008
It has been almost two weeks since I last wrote here. The chemo ended two weeks ago and I don't think it can be entirely out of my system because red wine still tastes pretty awful. The radiation was completed on the 28th. The last week and a half has been about dealing with the burns and trying to get my digestive system back to comfortable. It is going to take longer than I anticipated. The burn creme is very good and very expensive - 1.5 ounces for $38 - and not covered by insurance.
I enjoyed and was greatly comforted by friends and relatives who stayed with me during the hardest and probably most potentially dangerous parts of this illness. I'm alone most of the time now and it feels right, too. My energy level is still very low - I always think I'm going to have more than I do and I think I'm going to be feeling better than I do. I'm not lonely and company is always within a phone call or email.
I'll see the medical oncologist on Monday and she will schedule a time for me to see the surgeon who did the biopsy. He will assess the size of the tumor. The port for blood draws and which was used for the chemo pump will be coming out. I'll know more about what is next after that appointment which is probably at least a couple of weeks away.
The healing will continue slowly but surely. It is already easier to sit than it was and little by little the perineal area is healing. I'm not taking quite so many pain pills.
This much solitude is new to me and it's ok. I thought I'd have done more reading, more work, watched more movies, and maybe even have done some sorting in the garage! Live and learn!
Betsy
I enjoyed and was greatly comforted by friends and relatives who stayed with me during the hardest and probably most potentially dangerous parts of this illness. I'm alone most of the time now and it feels right, too. My energy level is still very low - I always think I'm going to have more than I do and I think I'm going to be feeling better than I do. I'm not lonely and company is always within a phone call or email.
I'll see the medical oncologist on Monday and she will schedule a time for me to see the surgeon who did the biopsy. He will assess the size of the tumor. The port for blood draws and which was used for the chemo pump will be coming out. I'll know more about what is next after that appointment which is probably at least a couple of weeks away.
The healing will continue slowly but surely. It is already easier to sit than it was and little by little the perineal area is healing. I'm not taking quite so many pain pills.
This much solitude is new to me and it's ok. I thought I'd have done more reading, more work, watched more movies, and maybe even have done some sorting in the garage! Live and learn!
Betsy
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