An Update and surgery #3 is scheduled

TL; DR:  Quarterly oncologist visit went well, no sign of recurrence. 3^rd and hopefully final surgery scheduled for 3/5 – chemo port to be removed too.  Yay!  Still struggling with insomnia and anxiety, trying hypnosis for the insomnia.  Trying to be patient with all the healing.  We lost my stepfather to cancer in December; cancer stinks.  

It’s been a really long time since I have posted anything.  I hope everyone is doing well!

This week I had my quarterly oncologist visit.  In advance of the appointment I had bloodwork and a CT scan.  (The CT scan had a barium swallow which was a new thing…yuck!)  I’m happy to report that all reports were good.  The CT scan showed thickening of the skin on the side where I had cancer but my Oncologist says that’s likely due to the radiation.  (My surgeon says….”radiation, the gift that keeps on giving…”).  The Oncologist also did an exam and said there was nothing he was concerned about.  All in all, great news!

As the title of this post implies my 3rd, and hopefully final surgery is scheduled for 5 March.  This surgery is the reconstruction where the plastic surgeon takes out the tissue expanders and places the implants.  My plastic surgeon will also remove my chemo port.  I have concluded that I’m actually far more excited about the removal of the chemo port than I am the actual reconstruction.  (Although I am excited to be able to go for a massage again as I haven’t been able to lay on my stomach since the double mastectomy and tissue expander insertion.)  The removal of the chemo port makes things actually feel like I’m done with treatment.  I also won’t have to get the port flushed every month which will be nice.  Very excited about that!

If you pray and/or send positive thoughts I would be most grateful for the following prayers, positive thoughts, and support on Tuesday the 5th and beyond.

• Guidance of the entire surgical and hospital team that the surgery and hospital recovery will go well including particularly:
  • Bleeding is minimized
  • There is no infection
• At 0700 PT on Tuesday, 3/5, I’d like to ask that you please envision wrapping me in blue blanket of love and peace so that I will be relaxed and calm as I enter surgery (Surgery is at 0730 PT)
• A comfortable and swift recovery

Things are starting to feel more normal but my “tank” isn’t as big as it used to be.  Work takes a lot out of me and I find myself doing a lot of resting in the evenings and on the weekends.  It’s definitely a struggle adjusting to my new normal, it’s hard that the new normal is not my old normal which is what I expected although I’m realizing that maybe that wasn’t a realistic expectation. There’s more to work through there.

I have been doing ok.  The insomnia is still a problem and I’m still battling with anxiety although the anxiety does seem to be improving.  I’m trying hypnosis for the insomnia to see if that helps.  I’ve had two sessions so far and it was very relaxing, we’ll see how this goes and if it helps.  (I think things have been a little better since my 2^nd session…but it’s so far it’s not the panacea I was hoping for.)

Last post I mentioned that my doctors want me to wean off the HRT.  I’m in the process of that but I’ve got a very long taper going at the suggestion of the doctor who originally prescribed it.  So far it’s going well.  I have a month left on the first step down dose and then I’ll switch to the lowest dose for 6-8 months.  I’m hopeful it won’t be a big deal to be off it; we’ll see.  

The cord I mentioned in my last post in my left arm went away and then came back.  I never made it to PT so I’m going to wait a bit through the next surgery recovery and see if it goes away again.  If it’s still there in May when I see my oncological surgeon again I’ll try the PT.  My Oncologist indicated that it’s not an urgent situation to resolve.  Thankfully it doesn’t seem to affect anything and it’s not painful, it’s just weird and not normal.  

Unfortunately my family continues to be affected by cancer in a sad way.  We lost my stepfather to cancer just before Christmas.  We’re doing ok, but it’s hard to believe he’s gone.  I always knew cancer was awful but it’s been particularly real what an awful disease it is the last few years.  Loss is hard.

Well, that pretty much covers the latest.  Thank you to all of you for reading along, I remain so grateful to all of you for your care and support, it means so much to both of us!  

The now “standard” note at the end of posts for website navigation help:

Thank you for taking time to keep up with us and see how we’re doing as well as all the help!  Because, I think like me, much of the world does nearly everything on their phones…I’m adding this note to the end of posts to make website navigation easier if you are on a phone.  If you’d like to read other journal entries, please click here (oldest post is at the bottom of the page).  There’s also a “hamburger” menu in the top right of the webpage that can help you navigate between the journal, ways to help page, stay in touch, and welcome pages.   Please know that reading this page and thinking of us is help!   Thank you for your support in all forms! If you have any issues, please email [email protected].