I can hardly believe it's been almost 8 months since I last posted anything. Life can do that to you. In August 2016 I was diagnosed with Stage 1 Triple Negative Breast Cancer.
It had been a rough road. I had a breast lumpectomy and 2 lymph nodes removed in early September 2016. Had 4 rounds of Chemo starting early October and ending December 8, 2016. Today I had my 18th radiation treatment and have 15 more to go. Gotta say though - I have been feeling REALLY GOOD since the first of the New Year 2017.
My appetite and sense of taste is fully back. My hair is growing back! It's about 1/2 long now all over my head. Eyebrows and eyelashes are still sparse, but they will grow back, too. I really didn't lose or gain and any weight. I was told it could go either way with cancer treatments. I still get fatigued, but not as bad as when I was going through Chemo. Chemo was every 3 weeks and at least 3-4 hours for each infusion. After each Chemo all I wanted to do was sleep. After my first Chemo treatment, I didn't feel too bad, but I felt absolutely terrible from the 2nd one on. Side effects vary for each person. At least I only had to have 4 treatments. Chemo is awful. Period. It is the hardest part of Cancer treatment. And the day after each Chemo I had to go back to the Cancer Center for a Neulasta shot.
Radiation Therapy is a piece of cake by comparison. The treatment itself takes no longer than 10-15 minutes. It takes more time to get to the Cancer Center and back home again. Treatments are 5 days a week - every day. No weekends thankfully. My course of treatments is a total of 33. The amount varies for each person. Since I am now past the midway point, some the side effects are beginning to set in. Itching, redness, tenderness. I have prescription creams to use and, so far, things are under control.
According to my team of doctors, my prognosis is excellent. Survivorship is the next step in my journey. It's strange, but you never know how strong you can really be until you absolutely have to be ....
I am looking forward to the coming gardening season of 2017. I don't think I will be doing as much as I had in past years, but I will RELISH every moment of what I can do!
I went outside to my back deck this morning to do some of my usual puttering around. Then I realized I had company. Quietly, I went back into the house and got my camera. This little bear (probably less than 2 years old) was snacking on some wild berries or whatever. He (she) stayed around for about 20 minutes before it silently meandered away. I bet MAMA was somewhere around.
0'sYesterday it was in the low 60's. Last night the wind picked up, the temps dropped, and some rain fell. Early this a.m. it was 36 degrees! About 15 minutes ago hail, sleet and right now ... light snow. By the end of the week it will be in the mid-70's. Isn't Spring wonderful! Ah, sort of ...
A freeze warning has been issued for early tomorrow morning - cover up some plants!
Woke up this morning to about 2 inches of snow! The weather was very mild the past 2 days - near 60 degrees. And then ... BAM! Overnite a cold front moves in, the temps plummet to the 20's leaving us with some of the white stuff as an April gift. At least it was sunny the rest of the day, but cold and very windy. Supposed to get a bit more snow tomorrow morning right around the early morning rush hour. The rest of the week looks to be colder than normal. Still can't put the heavy winter coat away just yet. Sigh ....
And that's just what happened. I went into the garage to get something off a shelf and I knocked a beer can off the shelf onto the garage floor. Let me back up ... it was just ONE can of some no name beer that had been left over from last summer when I was gleefully drowning slugs. Anyways ... the can landed on the floor and sprung a leak .... and started spraying me with warm beer! All over my pants, and then right in the face! Cursing like a sailor, I grabbed the damn can and opened the garage door and stood the can upright right next to the garbage can. I was so mad ... I reeked of beer. The garage reeked of beer MORE CURSING AND MORE CURSING .......!!!!!!!!
