Saturday, July 30, 2016

Upcoming events

Yesterday I joined the health club/gym/workout place/ whatever it's called. Occasionally they offer scholarships and I saw they were doing it now. I printed out the application, grabbed a copy of my tax return & the letter from SS about my disability benefits. They approved it while I was there. Yay! So I'll pay $19/month instead of $38 & no application fee. I'm hoping to be motivated more if I have a place to go. I joined once before to swim laps but they have 3 lanes & inconvenient pool times so I ended my membership.
I hope they have a punching bag... ;-)

In August I get to have TWO injections. Lucky me! Ha ha! I guess it's because it's a long month??? I also have a CT scan & bone scan coming up followed by a 
appointment with the oncologist. And, of course, more PT for the arms but hopefully no ER visits!

Friday, July 29, 2016

My post from 7/21/16

The friend that I posted about died this morning at home. I am heartbroken.
We saw her just yesterday and she had gone downhill since the 21st. She was in bed, tried to open her eyes, tried to talk. I'm glad I got to see her but I'm devastated that she was trying so hard to talk & couldn't. I am so very sad.

Positive

Though "we may not live to see the glory," as the song from the musical Hamilton goes, "let us gladly join the fight."

Let our legacy be about "planting seeds in a garden you never get to see."

That's why we're here...not just in this hall, but on this Earth.

---Hillary Clinton 7/28/2016



Wednesday, July 27, 2016

Annoyed

I need a punching bag. For real. I'd use it a lot! It would be even better if it had a face. Ha ha, just kiddi...wait, no I'm not! 
Actually I think it would be good for my arms. I could kick it too! I'd like to open a "gym" where people can punch things & break things.

The month of hurt feelings





Ok, "rant" over...



Tuesday, July 26, 2016

Great story!

Thank you, Lymphedema http://www.lymphedemablog.com/2016/07/25/thank-you-lymphedema/

Monday, July 25, 2016

Annnndddd the research is on!

So I saw a Facebook post on one of the lymphedema pages I follow...apparently in Italy there are surgeons who have been performing lymphedema microsurgery since 1973! I need to research further to see if they do node transfer or the attaching of lymph vessels to capillaries. Just curious because here in the US we seem to be lagging behind on treatments for it. 
I also need to find out if there are any surgeons closer than Chicago who do the surgeries. 

Sunday, July 24, 2016

Always on my mind

I hate it that I feel like I'm constantly telling my friends about appointments or my ER visits or my scans. I don't want to drive people away. I'm not looking for sympathy or handing out invites to a pity party. It's just that so much of my life is appointments, ER visits, arm issues, & scans. Sometimes I just need to tell someone. Sometimes I have a funny story that just happens to do with an ER visit. Sometimes I'm answering the question "How are you doing?" 
Sometimes I feel like I'm defending myself because I'm feeling judged. I guess sometimes it's to make people aware that I'm not sitting around living off the government. Believe me I'd rather be healthy and working. I worked during my chemo and radiation treatments. I check the job listings almost daily but I can't really apply for a job, get hired & then have to be hospitalized for an infection.
Frustrating! Ok, rant over. :-)

Saturday, July 23, 2016

This reminds me of...

that time I had my first appointment with the gynecology oncologist and she was about to examine me. She had a nurse in the room & asked if a male medical student could come in also. I was behind a curtain at the time waiting in my gown  and saw all these feet below the curtain.
Sonething made me joke "It's like a party in here." I thought it was funny but the doctor did not. Oops!

ER trip #4 & Courtney

At least I didn't have to stay in the hospital this time! :)
A nice PA came in to look at my arms & chest (yep, it spread) and told me they'd get IV antibiotics & fluids started. She also said she'd give me something similar to Motrin for pain. They went through the ordeal of accessing my port complete with making us wear masks & having a charge nurse put on the dressing (it's just tegaderm, not sure why other nurse couldn't do it). The nurse drew blood for a CBC but not blood cultures this time (they didn't grow anything last time according to my PCP).
I got the Ancef IV and then a bag of fluids over an hour. Never did get the pain meds. Never saw a doctor or PA again. 
I ended up taking a little nap since I was still very achy. I was awakened by Courtney Love asking how I was feeling. Oh, wait, not Courtney but a nurse with her hair color. Ha ha! She couldn't remove the needle from my port (just pull on it Courtney!!)  so I had to wait for someone to do that then I was given a prescription & instructions. 
Right now I'm wishing I had a scientific lab so I could investigate to see if I have a certain bacteria on my skin; find a cure for cancer; find a way to end lymphedema, etc.
Since I don't have a lab I'm considering making a comic strip with the characters: arm lymphedema, infection, bacteria, white blood cells, and antibiotic. Ha ha!

My arms are not as red now but are still fiery hot and I'm still achy all over but at least I'm at home! Yay!

I love that she's wearing a sleeve

Breast Cancer Awareness In July - That's Right!

Friday, July 22, 2016

Here we go again...

Woke up (yesterday) with a painful area on the back of my right shoulder. Felt achy. Temp was 99.4. Tried to take a nap in the afternoon, no luck. Noticed that my left elbow felt Warmer than the right. And then I saw the red splotches. My entire body aches now. Red has spread & is hot. So annoyed. Right arm this time...


And suspicious area on left arm...
 Temp is 99. 😕😡

Thursday, July 21, 2016

My friend

A woman I have known since my family moved to MI (when I was in 2nd grade) has terminal cancer. Recently her oncologist gave her 6 months to live. She's my mom's best friend.  I saw her yesterday at her home. She looks so thin. She now needs help walking & uses a walker. She's on pain meds. 
She has a husband, two sons, several grand children, several sisters, lots of friends. I played with her sons when we were little. Trucks in the sandbox; riding bikes with kittens in our shoulders; climbing to the hay loft & swinging on the rope.
All through her chemo she told me that if I could do it & get through it so could she. I am devastated. Yesterday I whispered into her ear as I hugged her. She replied "Oh honey, it's ok.
What I said was "If I could trade places with you I would." And I meant every word.

Wednesday, July 13, 2016

Am I still in the first stage?? :(

http://blog.thebreastcancersite.com/angela-survivorship-stages-three/?utm_source=bcs-wearpr&utm_medium=social-fb&utm_term=20160713&utm_content=link&utm_campaign=angela-survivorship-stages-three&origin=bcs_wearpr_social_fb_link_angela-survivorship-stages-three_20160713

Until the rainbow burns, the stars out of the sky, I'll be loving you.

Dallas Police Chief David Brown called on Stevie Wonder lyrics in his tribute to the families of the five officers killed by a gunman last week in his city.

"When I was a teenager and started liking girls, I could never find the right words to express myself," Brown began his remarks at today's memorial service in Dallas. "And after a couple of words, they would just walk away leaving me figuring out, 'What do I need to do to get a date?' So being a music fan of 1970's rhythm and blues love songs, I put together a strategy to recite the lyrics to get a date."

"For girls I liked, I would pull out some Al Greenor some Teddy Pendergrass," he said. "But if he fell in love, "I had to dig down deep and get some Stevie Wonder, to fully express the love I had."

"So today, I'm going to pull out some Stevie Wonder for these families," he said.

"Families, close your eyes and just imagine me back in 1974 with an Afro and some bell bottoms and wide collar," Brown said, before launching into Stevie Wonder lyrics from the song "As":

"We all know sometimes life's hate and troubles can make you wish you were born in another time and place. But you can bet your life times that, and twice its double, that god knew exactly where he wanted you to be placed. So make sure when you say you're not in it, but not of it, you're not helping to make this Earth a place sometimes called hell. Change your words into truth and then change that truth into love. And maybe your children's grandchildren and their great great grandchildren will tell them I'll be loving you. Until the rainbow burns, the stars out of the sky, I'll be loving you.

Until the ocean covers every mountain high, I'll be loving you. Until the dolphin flies and the parrots live at the sea. I'll be loving you. Until we dream of life and life becomes a dream, I'll be loving you. Until the day is night and night becomes the day, I'll be loving you.

... I'll be loving you always. And there's no greater love than this. That these five men gave their lives for all of us."

Brown concluded his remarks by introducing President Barack Obama, and when Obama took the podium, he told Brown: "I'm so glad I met Michelle first, because she loves Stevie Wonder."

https://www.google.com/amp/abcnews.go.com/amp/US/dallas-police-chief-quotes-stevie-tribute-families-slain/story%3fid=40526269?client=safari#


Tuesday, July 5, 2016

Good 4th of July!

Went to visit a friend for a couple of days. Saw fireworks on Sun. night.

I see the oncologist later today & get my injection. Not looking forward to that!
I'm going to find out about making an appointment with a financial advisor at the hospital. Having help with understanding bills, Medicaid, Medicare, etc. will ease some of the stress.