Warrior Mode Activated

 It's been a while since I posted an update on life in general. I'm doing well, still passing all my appointments with flying colors and no new issues. My doctors are beginning to move me to once a year checkups instead of 6 months. I now see my radiation oncologist, cardiologist, and oncology surgeon once a year. My main oncologist is changing, which makes me a bit unhappy. He's moving away, and I will see someone new the end of January. Depending on the new Drs. preference I may also move to once a year with that one as well. It makes me a bit nervous to be honest. He did tell me at my last appointment that I have to continue to take the Tamoxifen for 5 more years, 10 total. They have new studies saying that 10 years is better. Thankfully, the only real side effect is that my hair doesn't grow much and stays kind of thin. Could be worse.  In January of 2023 I had surgery to remove scar tissue caused from my double mastectomy reconstruction. The surgery itself was not

You wanna know the secret to a successful recovery? Surround yourself with people who are willing to pray for you daily, cook you delicious meals, send you gift cards and check up on you frequently. I've not had one day that there haven't been multiple people checking in on me. I feel very blessed.  I had my post-op appointment and it went very well. The goal of the surgery has been accomplished and now I just need to continue to heal. I won't lie, it was a bit traumatic waking up this time. I ended up needing a breathing treatment in recovery right after waking up coughing and gasping. I'm not really sure why. I heard the nurse tell me I had a very difficult intubation. I guess that had something to do with it. I hope I can find out somehow. I haven't been in a lot of pain. That is thanks to me already being fairly numb from previous surgeries. The biggest effect has been soreness from non-stop coughing and just being plain tired. The coughing is starting to get be

Well, it is done! I've had a peek at my incisions and they don't look too bad! I am in a bit of pain, but I'd put it at a solid 5.5 when the meds wear off. I've got reminders set on my phone so I don't forget to take them.  I didn't sleep much last night. I kept having nightmares about the surgery. I got up at 2:30 and prayed for God to take away the anxiety and was able to go back to sleep (without dreams!). I got up at 5:00am because I couldn't sleep any longer. I cleaned the kitchen, and both bathrooms then washed some clothes and made sure I had everything ready for the day, and then got myself ready. I was definitely ready for a rest when I got to the surgery center, LOL! The surgery went well, according to Scott. The Dr. spoke to him since I was unlikely to remember anything. Waking up was quite unpleasant though. I woke up coughing and gasping for breath & feeling like someone punched me in the mouth. The nurse sat me up quickly and called the ane

 As I sit here tonight thinking about my upcoming surgery on Friday, I feel a mixture of things...grateful to be alive, thankful for the prayers of my family & friends, thankful that I am still cancer-free, nervous about anesthesia, dreading the pain I know I will be in when I wake up, but anxious to get it all over with and behind me. This too shall pass. The last four and half years have been the hardest of my life. Doctors, treatments, tests, appointments, procedures, surgeries, medications, pain, depression, panic attacks, and a lifetime of disability...no longer having a whole body. I cannot deny it has caused me a degree of trauma that will be with me forever. There are still certain things that cause me PTSD, like the antiseptic taste you get in your mouth when the nurse flushes your IV (or port) with saline or even the smell of the antibacterial soap they use in the hospital. It can throw me right back to angry red bags of chemo, my hair falling out, and feeling like my sk

  It’s been a while since I posted. I’ve been thru some 6 month checkups and all is well. I've had to change the medication I take that keeps my body from making estrogen. I have to take it because the type of cancer I had fed off of estrogen. But the medications are very hard to tolerate and I got to a point I couldn't take the pain any longer. So, they changed me to Tamoxifen. I haven't had any horrible side effects from it which is wonderful. My hair is thinner and I can't lose weight, but it is worth it in the end. At the next 6 month appointment I will have reached 5 yrs & the appointments will move to yearly. I’m a little freaked out by that to be honest. I’ve been told over & over by many doctors that I might feel the opposite of how you’d expect when I reach that big mile marker on this journey. I didn’t believe them. But they were right. I've fought with anxiety and a bit of depression for years and I can feel it's slippery, slimy self seeping b

Three years, two months and twenty days ago the cancer was removed from my body. Today, as of this writing, I am doing well. I still have the after effects of the surgeries, like lymphedema, and the many side effects of continued drug therapy to keep it from coming back, but I am thankful those meds exist so that I can remain cancer free. I've just come through my latest checkups I have every 6 months now and all was good. I have a checkup with my cardiologist next week to check that the mild damage that was done from chemo has not worsened. I'd appreciate your prayers for that.  When I look back at these last three years it seems insane what has happened.  Diagnosed with breast cancer Surgery for port placement 16 Chemotherapy Treatments Double mastectomy with reconstruction & port removal Complete hysterectomy 25 straight days of radiation Rehab from mastectomy surgery & lymphedema treatment Cardio Rehab due to mild heart damage from chemo Shoulder Rehab due to pinche