I am back

I am not just back from Texas, but I feel like the me is back.

I got up today and went to the office meeting, ran Real Estate errands, moved my office across the hall from where it has been for many years, showed a couple of homes, moved my office some more and then wrote a offer for some new clients. When I got home tired from the day ( normal tired ) wow that just puts a smile on my face. It feels so good to be back I mean back at work and feeling like I am really there, not just able to do it a few hours but the whole day. When getting in and out of the car a few times does not make me feel week. I have plans tomorrow for another day just like it. I need to be at the office by 9 am, do a market analysis and go out and list a home at 11 am in Aumsville for some past clients. Get my pictures in, write my adds and turn in my paper work. Then finish moving my office across the hall. Even that is fun because it feels like a new beginning at my same office where I enjoy everyone there........ OH YES,  I AM BACK!!!!

I am not a wuss, I am not a wuss

I am not a wuss. I saw my Radiation Oncologist today and he declared I am not a wuss. I have been feeling like it is taking entirely to long to get over everything. That I had felt tired for so long and had not expected it. Was this abnormal. He was so sweet and said that when you look back over the past 24 months that the 16 Chemo treatments I had and the actual chemo drugs  it really had kicked my reserves in the hinny. Then you throw the 36 radiation treatments. When my reserves were not there. Well you get the picture. He thought I was doing amazing. I truly dont feel it. He said in about a month I would start feeling my reserves come back. That if I go all out for a couple of days then my body might say the 3 or 4 day( DONE). I have felt that so I know what he is talking about . I dont have the days of crying alot. The prednisone is down to a very low dose that is very tolerable. I take it until the 15 and then I am done with that. I see my regular Oncologist tomorrow and will be talking about lowering or getting off my blood pressure meds ( the Avastin caused my blood pressure to go up) It might be the cause for my light headedness and spots when I stand up to fast. YAHOOOOOOO I might be going off another med. I would like to only be on my little easy Thyroid pill again. I do see wellness in my future and I am feeling very positive about my future.
" My people perish for a lack of a vision"
I have a vision of great health, great times with my kids and grand kids, Gardening, camping and oh yes eating something I have never eaten before with my Big Sweet, we love to try new foods.

what to say

Hi everyone.
 I have not written for awhile, because I really did not know what to say. I have been down for the count for about 4 weeks. I really did not expect to be so sick after radiation so I was not emotionally prepared for it at all. I like it when they say you will be sick for a bout a week  or this is what is going to happen. I know that there are no guarantees in anything, just was not ready .
I was so fatigued that I stayed on the couch or my bed for about 2 1/2 weeks. Then I thought I was getting better and then bang back down again. As of the last 2-3 days I have had more energy, less cough and feel more like myself. Last Thursday they took me off the Tamoxifen and we will re visit that later next month. I had so much prednisone in my system that I could not tell if all I was feeling was the T or the P. All I know is it was to much for me. My heart was beating fast, felt light headed, week, I could go on and on , but I wont. Enough to say I felt bad. Prednisone makes me cry alot also so everyone had to put up with that to.  I see both of my Oncologists next week. One will be talking to me about my lungs, which I believe are so much better. He would call each week and say " you will feel so much better next week" :)   NEXT WEEK.
The other one will talk to me about the Tamoxifen. I will try it again, just not with the prednisone.
Well this is a boring entry to my blog. That is why I have not put anything in it for awhile. The next one will be more fun.

This is a picture of my Mom and Dad, My sister and my brother. I am the one in diapers on my Moms hip. ( Funny thought, I still had my own nipples then :) Who would have thought that this family would have gone through so much. My parents are what have made me how ever strong I am. My Dad even being blind could do ANYTHING. He is my hero

pneumonitis ?

I have had a light cough for about 4 weeks, this past week it turned into shortness of breath, extreme fatigue and coughing until I would almost wet my pants. Yes I said it wet my pants. I saw one of my doctors who prescribed me a cough syrup and ordered a chest xray.
The next day I was back in my radiation oncologists office and he said I have radiation Pneumonitis. This where the lining of your lungs get inflamed. Well my right one where they radiated a portion of it is really rebellion to the radiation.
I am now on a hefty dose of prednisone for a week milder for a week and 2 weeks to get off of it. I was feeling kinda normal for about 3 days.
He said I will be doing much better by next Friday and I can tell you I am counting on it. I forgot how the steroids make me cry for no reason. You say something nice, mean indifferent and I could just start crying. It is a little un-nerving considering that I dont know what is going to make the spring spring forth. Not always in the best conditions. So for a few days I will be staying home alot. Also I do not want to catch the bad cold that is going around. That is the last thing I need.
My sweet sister dropped by a Brighton spacer for my charm bracelet that says sisters with some bling on the sides of it. Oh yes I was a gusher, then later in the day 2 sweet ladies I work with left  me some flowers on my front porch. Vera and Cindy that was so kind of you and yes again the tears rolled.  You all make me feel so special and loved. Thank you for the strength that comes through  you to me. Bless you

• 
  Radiation pneumonitis is an inflammation of the lungs due to radiation therapy. This side effect of radiation therapy occurs in 5 to 15% of people who go through radiation therapy for lung cancer, but can also result from radiation to the chest for breast cancer, lymphomas, or other cancers.
  Radiation pneumonitis most commonly occurs between 1 and 6 months after completing radiation therapy. The risk of developing this complication depends on the dose of radiation used and the amount of tissue treated. It is more common if chemotherapy is given at the same time as radiation therapy, and is more likely to occur if you have other lung diseases, such as COPD. With treatment, most people recover from radiation pneumonitis without any lasting effects.
  Common symptoms include:
  
  • Shortness of breath that is usually more notable with exercise
  • Chest pain, especially that which worsens with breathing
  • Cough
  • Low-grade fever

feeling a little more normal :)

WOW, I am finally done and actually feeling like this could be the end of it all.
I had a hard time the beginning of the second week. I got a bit depressed and could not really pin point it. I got a letter in the mail the next day from the Dr's office explaining all that I was feeling. I should check the mail more often.
Yesterday I got a beautiful card from a friend that was probably one of the most encouraging cards I have ever gotten. Thank you so much Rose Mary. So unexpected and I just loved it.
I saw DR Tiffany on Friday and she talked me into moving forward with Tamoxifen. I was a bit sceptical since 99% of my tumor could care less if my body has estrogen in it and 1 % says that it does not like it. We went over the side effects and agreed if they got bad then I would just stop taking it.
Dan also encouraged me to at least try it. What is hard is that there is no tumor that we are looking at ( thank the LORD) to see how it reacts so we are just saying if anything is there it could help. (MAYBE)
The Doctor said as far as they now I have no cancer Yahoooooo. Now I just keep going back unless I feel like something is wrong.
( not sure why the font changed ) 
I hope that you are all having a great weekend and loving the sun that is out.
I will continue to post things going on in my life and that of my kids and friends and health updates as I have them. God bless you all for your prayers for me. They are what keeps a person going.
The Joy of the Lord is our strength

safe in the storm

Well on Monday it was a week since my last radiation treatment. You would think that I would be super happy and over the top about it, and I am. I am also conflicted. I think that lots of cancer patients go through this. I know I did the last 2 times so I am not sure why I did not realize it would happen this time also.
You finish your treatment and then you think. Wow now I am not fighting and I might need to still be fighting. Now I have to wait to see if it worked. It is kind of a scary time. One where every little ache or pain makes you think. HMMM is this something..... should I go to the doctor........ I wonder how they will treat it this time. Then you have to grab your mind back and say. I AM 52. I will have unknown aches and pains. That is normal.

 Yes that is a man in the light house door. The Lord is keeping him safe in the storm. He can keep me safe in mine.

SOOOO now I am going to work at keeping control of my mind again. When I feel a little afraid I will  ask Dan to pray for me. I will not go lay down and cover up and just want to take a nap where I can get away from it. Cancer will not rule my life. I will let you know how I am doing. AND if you think of me please say a prayer for peace of mind for me. Love you all.

Dr Tiffany

Well I saw Dr Tiffany today my medical Oncologist. I really like her.
She was looking over the last pathology report and it showed that the Estrogen was 1% positive?
It has been a triple negative because it has showed no signs of being positive. 1% is not much, but could take it to the realm of possible other types of hormone therapy. She is sending it off to a different lab that has some new test that has become available in the last month and see what they say. She is also going to be talking with another Oncologist in Portland about my case and see if there is any Chemo that he would suggest. As of right now she is thinking not because this bugger made it through the whole on slot of chemo drugs in 2010. She felt that it would not respond well again to those ones. Then there is the possibility that the radiation killed all that was left. I go back in 2 and a half weeks to talk about the most recent pathology report that should be back by then and see what the other Dr thinks. I am open to what they think I should do. Excited that it might not be a triple negative, not sure about hormone therapy. So you can say I am a bit confused, not scared and looking forward to answers. The key thing here is that there is a good chance I don't have cancer any where.That is what I am going to focus on and take each day as it comes. I will do follow ups with my Radiation oncologist, Medical oncologist and my surgeon. I am to call them if I have any pain any where that is not explainable.  I am on it.