Friday, December 3, 2010

Wow .. it's Friday!


So this has been a long, difficult week! I think, looking back, that it was just the last of the chemo drugs working their way through my body, making me feel sick(and sluggish). And it didn't help that those darn intestinal issues flared up again (again, chemo drugs?) and that always makes me feel pretty tired. But, I am hopeful that the worst is behind me!

Two more big things made this a bad week. First, the radiation (the picture above is NOT me -- but it shows you the cradle and the position I have to stay in throughout the procedure). I will not be exposing my breast in this blog by providing pictures but let's just say that my right breast and upper chest are bright red and my nipple is turning black around the edges. Itch, itch, itch. Not fun. I see the radiology oncologist again later today (I saw her Wed, too) and it "can" happen -- especially since I am already allergic to the sun to start with in my normal life (I break out in weird rashes when I get too much sun).

And the other bad thing was meeting with the surgeon this past Tuesday. I don't know why I didn't realize that I am about to have major surgery -- I guess I thought it would be like the two lumpectomies -- surgery but not that big of a deal. So officially I am having a Total Laproscoptic Hysterectomy and Bilateral Salping Oophrectomy with a Cystescopy with Placement of Lighted Urethral Stents. Not really sure what most of that means except for the hysterectomy and oophrectomy parts. But Dr D, the surgeon, said this will take about 5-6 hours of surgery and the prep for the surgery is sooooo complicated! Just like with the lumpectomies (my only other surgeries ever), I have to do some appts related to making sure I can get through the surgery (i.e. lung scans). The day before the surgery I can't eat at all -- instead, I will have to do the same course that you do for a colonoposky -- the yechy stuff that makes your bowels move through you. I am so disappointed that my one of my dear friends is having a house warming party that day for her gorgeous new house -- I was so looking forward to enjoying her party and now I will just get to watch people eat while I start taking laxatives (and then leaving quickly for home!). Not fun.

My summer break was taken up with breast cancer and now my winter break will be recovering from the surgery on December 20 (I am not looking forward to having to stay in the hospital). So I am feeling a little bitter, I guess. I've worked hard at scheduling things around my teaching schedule as much as possible but I guess that effort has left me feeling exhausted, esp. as we near the end of the semester.

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