This week has been a trying one for me. The radiation that I've been receiving has caused blisters on the bottom of my right foot. This was expected but not so painfully. The week before I had a blister the size of a quarter which, as radiation increased day by day, developed into a large one covering the instep of my foot. Not to get real gross, but it became puffy by each treatment. Thus this week, my only recourse was to use the wheelchair to get to and from the car to the radiation treatment. Lisa would drive over and Michael would wheel me into the hospital, listen to the ladies chatting in the waiting room when I got treatment, and wheel me out to the car where Lisa would wait for our call via cell phone to pick me up to avoid parking fees. The one day Mike and I had to park in the parking garage, by the time he wheeled me over to the hospital for radiation and back, he got a full upper body workout going over curbs just pushing his overweight mother to the hospital. No gym workout for him that day!
Since the hospital was closed on Memorial Day and I would receive a 3 day vacation from the radiation, the doctor decided to give me Friday off to give my foot an extra day to heal before the next week of radiation. This has helped with the pain, and the swelling has gone down somewhat, but I still can't put weight on my right foot. All I could do was sit on the loungechair with my foot propped up and watch TV. I missed the whole Rosie fight on "The View" as I was watching "The Price is Right". I can't even watch the right shows.
Here's hoping to a better week of chemo and radiation. I'm anxious to get this radiation over with to be able to walk without crutches again. You don't know how much I envy people walking without problems. Will I get there someday? Hopefully by 2008 I can look back on this year and learn from it, understand why it happened, and take precautions that cancer will not be in my vocabulary for a long time.
Have a good Memorial Day!
Sunday, May 27, 2007
Saturday, May 19, 2007
May 19, 2007
Graduation is over for my middle daughter, Lisa, and we look forward to the next one, Michael, on June 1st. There was an advantage to me being in a wheelchair - we got seats up front and to the side so we could see her clearly get her diploma folder from the dean at Rowan. She actually finished in December, so she already has her diploma to insert into the nice engraved folder that we paid all those years for.
Later after a celebratory lunch at Landmark Restaurant in Glassboro (Lisa's college hangout, "the best hamburgers and fries, Mom"), we departed college city to get ready for Michael's Senior Prom. We met the families and saw "my little baby" all dolled up looking spectacular. After 5 hours sleep, he and his friends ascended on Wildwood for a day of carnival games and rides.
The radiation has started to dry out the skin on the bottom of the foot making it painful to walk flatly on my right foot. We took the wheelchair to the graduation in case the walk was too great. We're glad we did as the stadium for the outside ceremonies and the rec center where her major actually received their diplomas, was more than I could ever think to walk. I was given this salve to put on it, but it caused this burning pain which was unbearable. So I started using aloe and taking Advil a little more frequently. I probably overdid it when I took 48 people on a mural tour in Philadelphia on May 17 and then had lunch at the Moshulu Restaurant which was absolutely wonderful, "worth every penny" people said. I did use my crutches, but stretching the muscle on the bottom of my foot wasn't too keen. Having Michael take me, my friend Karen and her 98 year old mother over directly to the trolley, helped me not having to climb stairs into the bus. He picked us up at the restaurant, too, to come home which served my aching foot well.
The radiologists say I'm over half way done the radiation. I should get about 33 treatments which hopefully will end June 8th. I guess after they see how the radiation has shrunk the tumor, a decision will be made about surgery, at least Paul and I hope so. The girls keep saying that it will be over soon and we just have to keep going. There will be an end point sometime. I guess pain sometimes keeping me from seeing the gold at the end of the rainbow. I've started questioning whether my walking in general will ever be the same. I've been posititive for so long, I don't want to slip now.
I want to leave you with something I read on a church sign on the way to Lisa's graduation that helps me when I'm not moving as fast as the rest of the world. "Persevere - even the snails make it on Noah's Ark."
Have a good weekend everyone.
Later after a celebratory lunch at Landmark Restaurant in Glassboro (Lisa's college hangout, "the best hamburgers and fries, Mom"), we departed college city to get ready for Michael's Senior Prom. We met the families and saw "my little baby" all dolled up looking spectacular. After 5 hours sleep, he and his friends ascended on Wildwood for a day of carnival games and rides.
The radiation has started to dry out the skin on the bottom of the foot making it painful to walk flatly on my right foot. We took the wheelchair to the graduation in case the walk was too great. We're glad we did as the stadium for the outside ceremonies and the rec center where her major actually received their diplomas, was more than I could ever think to walk. I was given this salve to put on it, but it caused this burning pain which was unbearable. So I started using aloe and taking Advil a little more frequently. I probably overdid it when I took 48 people on a mural tour in Philadelphia on May 17 and then had lunch at the Moshulu Restaurant which was absolutely wonderful, "worth every penny" people said. I did use my crutches, but stretching the muscle on the bottom of my foot wasn't too keen. Having Michael take me, my friend Karen and her 98 year old mother over directly to the trolley, helped me not having to climb stairs into the bus. He picked us up at the restaurant, too, to come home which served my aching foot well.
The radiologists say I'm over half way done the radiation. I should get about 33 treatments which hopefully will end June 8th. I guess after they see how the radiation has shrunk the tumor, a decision will be made about surgery, at least Paul and I hope so. The girls keep saying that it will be over soon and we just have to keep going. There will be an end point sometime. I guess pain sometimes keeping me from seeing the gold at the end of the rainbow. I've started questioning whether my walking in general will ever be the same. I've been posititive for so long, I don't want to slip now.
I want to leave you with something I read on a church sign on the way to Lisa's graduation that helps me when I'm not moving as fast as the rest of the world. "Persevere - even the snails make it on Noah's Ark."
Have a good weekend everyone.
Friday, May 4, 2007
May 4, 2007
I haven't written anything in the blog since the week after April 21 was unexciting. The week consisted of just getting shots, Neuprogren, for the white blood cells. I did manage to go to work after getting the shots and thus an unexciting week. Lots of people at church were happy to see me and hear the progress I am making. If you know me well, that you can summarize that I did more talking than work.
The week of April 30 was supposed to be a week of chemo. Did you see the hint there? After meeting with Dr. Hartner, my hemotology doctor, it was determined that my hemoglobins and platelets were too low for chemo. Thus on Tuesday I received a blood transfusion of 2 pints which took over 5 hours after my radiation. Now don't think I'm turning into a vampire. Since the bi-weekly chemo meant to aggressively treat the cancer, it was too hard on my system depleting me of the good red blood cells. Dr. Hartner decided to put me back on the three week cycle of chemo, 1 week on, 2 off. This may or may not extend the treatment.
Good news! The tumor has shrunk about 1/2 inch. I stupidly never asked how big the tumor was with all the information I was bombarded with at the beginning. But it was approximately 5, almost 6 centimeters or almost 2 inches long by 1 and 1/4" wide. It has become softer, which is a good sign, and I can now comfortably walk in my bare feet on the carpeted floor.
I will be taking a leave absence from work from May 20 till September 1st. Prayerfully my treatment will be over and I can resume my work schedule. A college student will answer the phones and greet people for the summer.
With Lisa's graduation from Rowan next Friday and Michael's graduation from Paul VI on June 1st, I will have time to prepare for the graduation party. The pool will be open and the central air conditioning will be working, so I can catch up on organizing my photos (doesn't everyone always say they're going to do that sometime?) and cleaning out my trip files. But I can stop anytime if anyone wants to come visit me AND please do.
Thanks to my sister Susan for the beautiful basket of flowers that arrived at Easter and to Janet S. for the bountiful fruit basket. Thanks also to my Tai Chi class for their constant cards reminding me that when you take a class for relaxation to ease yourself of your problems, that you gain friendships to help you get through your problems.
Enjoy the beautiful weather.
The week of April 30 was supposed to be a week of chemo. Did you see the hint there? After meeting with Dr. Hartner, my hemotology doctor, it was determined that my hemoglobins and platelets were too low for chemo. Thus on Tuesday I received a blood transfusion of 2 pints which took over 5 hours after my radiation. Now don't think I'm turning into a vampire. Since the bi-weekly chemo meant to aggressively treat the cancer, it was too hard on my system depleting me of the good red blood cells. Dr. Hartner decided to put me back on the three week cycle of chemo, 1 week on, 2 off. This may or may not extend the treatment.
Good news! The tumor has shrunk about 1/2 inch. I stupidly never asked how big the tumor was with all the information I was bombarded with at the beginning. But it was approximately 5, almost 6 centimeters or almost 2 inches long by 1 and 1/4" wide. It has become softer, which is a good sign, and I can now comfortably walk in my bare feet on the carpeted floor.
I will be taking a leave absence from work from May 20 till September 1st. Prayerfully my treatment will be over and I can resume my work schedule. A college student will answer the phones and greet people for the summer.
With Lisa's graduation from Rowan next Friday and Michael's graduation from Paul VI on June 1st, I will have time to prepare for the graduation party. The pool will be open and the central air conditioning will be working, so I can catch up on organizing my photos (doesn't everyone always say they're going to do that sometime?) and cleaning out my trip files. But I can stop anytime if anyone wants to come visit me AND please do.
Thanks to my sister Susan for the beautiful basket of flowers that arrived at Easter and to Janet S. for the bountiful fruit basket. Thanks also to my Tai Chi class for their constant cards reminding me that when you take a class for relaxation to ease yourself of your problems, that you gain friendships to help you get through your problems.
Enjoy the beautiful weather.
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