Skip to main content

Cancer Free

I went into this cancer journey with a positive attitude and with the convictions that it was not going to be a focus of 2019. My focus has been on the wedding of my first-born Michael to the wonderful Carmen.

Chemo ended on June 10 and gave me the time needed to ‘recover’ before the July 13 wedding. Surgery was scheduled then for July 23 so I’d have the week between to attend to any pre-surgical appointments. What I found,instead on July 14 after the wonderful wedding was anything BUT focus or any desire whatsoever to have to even entertain the smallest thought about cancer or surgery or recovery. I not only didn’t want to entertain those thoughts I wanted to banish them, to get some bouncer to shove them permanently to the curb. (Although in my ‘hood we don’t have curbs).

So the first appointment I had was with an Occupational Therapist. I couldn’t even recall why the hell I had to meet with an OT and that is pretty much how I started the conversation.
ME:”So, I’m not even sure why I’m here. Or why I have this appointment. Do you?”
OT: “Yes I do. You’re here to discuss post surgical recovery.”
ME :”It’s just an outpatient lumpectomy. What recovery?”

And this is where my entertaining thoughts started to become kill joys and the post-wedding glow and joy were replaced with something like reality. I had envisioned going back to work the day after surgery but learned I staled that I was going to restricted from certain movements and lifting more that 10 pounds for 2 weeks. My wheelchair weighs in as a bantam weight chair - over 30 pounds and how was I going to get it in and out of my car for my WW Workshops? I hadn’t planned on missing any Workshops so I hadn’t even thought to look for subs to cover.

My manager (who has been battling breast cancer as well and has been a wonderful advocate and support) came to the rescue securing the needed subs and basically requiring me to take the 2 weeks off. Darn good thing to because while the surgery was outpatient  the pain or discomfort were not- they stayed with me. And my pain threshold is pretty high. 

So I was smacked into the reality that I had healing to do. But I was also delivered the absolute bestest news ever- that the MRI I had prior to surgery, the pathology of the lymph nodes and the surgeon’s own look at where the tumor had been- confirmed that I am cancer free!!!

I have had a fairly easy course of treatment, and have been grateful for that all along. And the post-surgical pain is nearly gone. If I have radiation, which is usually the next step, I pray it is uneventful. Because the focus of 2019 got to be the wedding of Michael and Carmen.

Comments

Post a Comment

It's not a popularity contest, but ...

Dick Clark

I know I don't look, or act, old enough but Dick Clark was a huge part of my childhood and adolescence.  I watched American Bandstand on Saturdays throughout my school years. I loved to dance and I could watch and dance along with the 'really groovy' dancers on the Bandstand. It was my view into the latest music, dance moves, and fashion! I could see what the girls from the big city of Philly were wearing and try to adorn myself in something similar in the big suburbs. Next to Seventeen magazine, it was my best source for fashion!! Now mind you this is 'back in the day' when most homes only had one TV. And I don't think ours was color until the mid-to-late 70s. So, I would have to announce to my four siblings that it was my turn for the TV at 12:30 when the Bandstand came on. You can imagine the number of times actually sibling warfare broke out - you know name-calling, pillows flying, arms flailing. Often times we'd end up laughing. And then later the...

Sprinkle. Spread. Focus

  You, dear reader, kind of know me. My blog title, the glass is half full, gives you a clue into my predisposition. I find the positive in nearly every situation. Or, more accurately, 'found' the positive. I'm struggling. And I know that I'm not alone. There is just so so so so much to struggle with - emotionally, physically, mentally that it's difficult not to get overwhelmed. Know what I mean? I listened to a great sermon last Sunday. I felt uplifted and motivated to be the change - to live like Christ and lean in to the Holy Spirit and to focus on all that is "true, honorable, worthy of respect, right ...brings peace...worthy of praise" (this is a terrible paraphrase of Philippians 4:8 but you get the picture, and I'm sure God won't mind if it's not perfect when I'm trying to concisely communicate the point). John and I were in great moods as we had those words on our minds and we saw a sign that read "Sprinkle goodness like confet...

Down 24

My life has been a lot like this roller coaster. Not just ups and downs, but several twists and turns. Sometimes I am whooping for joy, hands in the air ready for the what lies ahead while at other times I can see a loop or drop coming and the dread is palatable, the nausea is real. And also like a roller coaster is my weight. I've never been svelte but I have been within the BMI range. I have also been overweight and more recently the scale put me in the obese category. And that should have scared me into action but instead I just made excuses or rationalizations like "It's because I use a wheelchair to get around," or "I'm sure once X happens I'll lose that weight," or (my favorite) "It's just water weight/constipation". (Like all I needed was one really good poop and I'd be at my target weight! No plunger in the world could have worked! Like comedian Ron White says 'Just one really good dump from a new pant si...