Life Updates

 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 too bad, considering how horrible the original surgery was. I did have quite a bad time coming out from under anesthesia though. I woke up coughing uncontrollably and couldn't get my breath. I was becoming panicked but the nurse quickly gave me a breathing treatment and within about 10 minutes I was finally able to breathe. It took me another month to finally stop coughing completely. I'm not sure if I had residual issues from having covid the month before or what, but that was extremely distressing and definitely makes me think twice about being put under again. 

For the last 2-3 years I have had a lot of trouble with my voice. As most of you know, I sing every Sunday with the Praise Team at my church. I have been singing since I was young and I love it. I am also the Help Desk Manager for the school system so I talk a lot, all day. I believe as a result of having several surgeries over the last few years that required me to be intubated, it has done something to my vocal cords. I've lost a lot of range, and my voice gets very tired and raspy very quickly. I am unable to sing softly. When I try a weird kind of fried sound comes out, or no sound at all. It's very upsetting to not be able to sing the way I used to. I've decided to see an ENT for help. Last year I had to take a steroid for a bad sinus infection and after the steroid, my voice improved for a while. That makes me think it could be due to swelling of my vocal cords. I'm hoping the ENT will be able to tell me what is going on and help me get my voice back on track. We're currently gearing up for the 2023 Living Christmas Tree and practicing extra hard. However, I am unable to sing much at the moment which complicates things. I'd appreciate your prayers for this.

At my recent cardiologist appointment I got some very good news! I no longer appear to have issues with my left ventricle not contracting hard enough, called low LVEF (Left ventricular ejection fraction). Oddly, I was told this wouldn't get much better, and they wanted me to take a low dose of blood pressure medicine for the rest of my life to keep me from going into heart failure in the future. But, I already have such low blood pressure that it was making me feel horrible, so I told them no. By some miracle, my ejection fraction has contiuned to improve little by little and is now sitting solidly right in the middle of normal! Praise the Lord!!

 After giving me that good news, she then told me that I now have something called a right bundle branch block. They don't know what caused it, and right now it simply means that the right side of my heart beats a hundredth of a second slower than the left. She explained that being on the right is better and that if it was on the left they would be extremely concerned, but as I have no symptoms and all my other tests are normal, it is nothing to be concerned with. I just need to know I have it, in case I am ever asked in a hospital setting. Basically, if you don' thave heart disease, then this doesn't change your life expectancy or add to your risk level. Good to know.

Scott and I just returned from a trip to London, Newbury & York, England! To say it was the trip of a lifetime is an understatement. I absolutely loved everything about England and I cannot wait to go back again! I got to visit so many iconic landmarks, visit Highclere Castle where they filmed my all time favorite show, Downton Abbey, and walk around the ancient city of York in northern England which was beyond amazing. I also got to meet and speak to my favorite English actress, Phyllis Logan, who played Mrs. Hughes in Downton Abbey. That was certainly a surreal moment! We are already beginning to think about going back. One week wasn't nearly long enough. 

All in all, things are going very well. I miss having all my boys (and their girls) together in one place. I don't think you can ever prepare yourself for that absence. I always knew it would be hard, having lived away from family all my married life. I'm beyond proud of all of them and the love I have for each of them is beyond measure. If you've been privileged to live in the same hometown with your whole family all your life, then you are blessed beyond measure my friend. I'd give anything to be able to do that. All in all, I'm just happy that they are happy & loved and thank God every day for that blessing.

Love to you all,

Amy