So tired!

Here I am. Finally. Sorry for any delay :) Hasn't really been much newsworthy to report - but wanted to say hey and let ya know I'm doing alright.

Problem with not posting more often .... is I forget what I've done each day!

I do think I initially felt better after this third treatment; but I also think it's taken me longer to snap out of it (if that makes any sense). Though I didn't feel too bad afterwards, the blah feeling has hung around a few more days. Just that not-quite-right feeling; a little woozy. And I've noticed things are tasting funny now. Probably not drinking as much (which I need to!) but even water is tasting odd. So yesterday I got another variety of drinks; everything from pineapple juice to V8! Trouble sleeping the two nights following this treatment as well. The first night after, I was awake around 3:30 and could not go back to sleep. Eventually just got up. The next night awoke about the same time, but did doze back off for an hour or so. I took a little nap on Sunday.

Let's see .... what else? My dad and I went to Champaign on Friday to meet with my aunts attorney again, sign some papers, pick up some papers, etc. I met a guy friend for lunch on Saturday - thankfully I was feeling well and had appetite enough to eat - so that was fun. I went to church on Sunday and afterwards Jeremiah wanted to have lunch & do some window shopping (since his birthday is approaching). So we went to Fazoli's and then the mall. Always nice to spend time with the boy! On Monday I took care of establishing my aunts estate here in Mansfield - seems there's always paperwork to be done somewhere in regards to that! And today I watched my friend Renee's daughter (Mickael) in Bloomington. I've done this a few Tuesdays this summer, we've scrapbooked together and just enjoyed hanging out - usually have lunch with Renee as well which is nice!

I Skyped with Brittany online today too. (For those of you non-Skypers ..... that means we did a video chat :) It's loads of fun to sit here and have a real time conversation, seeing / hearing one another despite the mileage between us. Britt is very much enjoying her journey in Kansas City! She absolutely loves the church where she's now a member and is making numerous girlfriends which she hangs out with quite often. She's anxiously awaiting the birth of Mallory's baby and has two interviews this week for new jobs.

Basically ~ life is good & I thank God for that!

still ok

For some strange (fantastic) reason .... round 3 seems to have effected me less than the first two! I followed the suggest my friend Sheila had, in eating fresh fruit during infusion (I had strawberries, blueberries and peaches) so maybe that's it ? Whether or not it was, it didn't hurt anything and I'll do it again next time!

I liked having treatment a little later in the day, it makes my window of time (to feel bad in the evening) a bit shorter. I've already got my next escort scheduled for the last of these AC treatments. Barbie (Walden) thinks it's lookin' like such a good time, she doesn't wanna miss out! So I look forward to spending August 25th with her.

Treatments after that will include Benadryl, so I will most likely snooze through them and not be online like I have been. However I've heard that side effects are fewer. Not headache and nausea (yaay!) but possibly more fatigue.

I did take a 45 minute nap today. First though, a dear friend came to clean my house & then I went to Champaign for my Neulasta shot. I also got my compression sleeve from the lymphedema therapist. It goes from armpit to wrist and is fairly tight. I'm to wear it whenever I'm doing a repetitive motion, exercises (ha!) or flying.

Though I do feel better than previous treatments, my stomach is still not courageous. I'm feeding it the usual small amounts of what I call bland stuff. I have always been a potato freak though and have had a heck of a craving for them lately. I texted Britt and asked where in Champaign has good mashed potatoes and she suggested O'Charley's (she used to work there). I miss Grandy's - I love their mashed taters! So anyway, I did go by O'Charley's and ate half a roll and a side dish of their smashed potatoes. Not bad. Also go to see a couple of her friends, took pics of me with them and sent them to her by phone - that was fun.

Tomorrow I shall take it easy til noon and then my dad and I are going to my aunts attorney's office; more estate business.

round 3

Am posting from Carle Cancer Center / Mills Breast Cancer Institute as we speak ~

Round 3 is under way. If all I have is a little headache, and a little nausea as usual, I'll be happy.

More tomorrow . . . .

good weekend

Didn't do much of anything exciting really - just family time. Cyndi and Natalie were out at my dads for the weekend, so I went there for some time on Saturday evening & then again for lunch today. Had plenty of good food, homemade noodles, mashed potatoes, fresh sweet corn and tomatoes, garden green beans, homemade peach pie ~ yum!

Came home last night to watch Britt's church online and saw her getting prayer afterwards, it was sweet! Jeremiah came home just as I was heading to bed about 10:30. I thought to myself, how nice is this, I see one kid at church and the other is home safe and sound at 10:30 on a Saturday night - life is good!

I went to church this morning. First time since I've been bald :-) It wasn't so bad. In fact it was good. My friend Sandy was there and came to sit by me .... said how fantastic I looked. Then I talked to Sheila afterwards and she went on and on about how well I'm doing with all of this. It's hard to respond to that. I usually shrug, smile and say something like "I don't know why God made me like this but I'm glad that he did!"

It really is unexplainable. Some say it's my attitude. Either way (in my book) it's still Him!

Cyndi and Natalie stopped by here on their way out of town. They'd not seen where I live before so it was fun to show it off. I like it here.

No big plans for my Monday, will get a couple of groceries and not sure what else. Probably some laundry and fun stuff like that :) On Tuesday I'm going to Bloomington to watch Renee's daughter Mickael. I'm sure we'll do some scrap booking together. That evening my cousin Tari will be here from Washington state, if I can be there by 5, I will meet a lot of the family at Monicals for dinner. Wednesday is chemo treatment #3. I can do this!

just what I needed ....

NOT !!

I have had abnormal pap's for more than a year (maybe two?) I've been told it's not much to worry about "abnormal cells" which were attempted to have been taken care of last year, by way of cryotherapy and a colposcopy. Apparently unsuccessful, as my last pap (about a month ago?) was still abnormal. So this past week I went in to see the ob/gyn. Some friends and I were thinking (on the bright side) hey, if they are pre-cancerous cells ..... you're already treating them w/chemo! But no such luck :( The doctor explains to me that this is a viral attack, caused by HPV, which I could have been exposed to 3 yrs. or 30 yrs. ago. Therefor, the chemo will actually be hindering my ability to fight it off. Because chemo compromises my white and red blood cell count ..... my body won't have the same ability to battle whatever is going on on my cervix.

It was her recommendation that I have another colposcopy and if things still come back suspicious, then have a LEEP procedure. If things are still not right after that, I'd most likely have my cervix removed. I'm thinking why go through two more (somewhat painful) procedures - just take the dang thing - I'm not using it! My other concern and question was: if I'm not supposed to get so much as a scratch or a cut (while on chemo) how safe would it be to have these procedures done? She responded that she feels the risk of not doing them, outweighs the risk of doing it now. Lovely.

Obviously I'd not proceed at all, without talking to my oncologist about it. Fortunately my onc. (Dr. Rowland) happens to be married to an ob/gyn. So besides having great respect for him already, I feel he may have a little more insight to women's issues than other oncologists might. This doctor (ob/gyn) that I saw last week was going to call and consult with him before I see him this coming Wednesday (when I have my 3rd round of chemo).

So that's what's new in my life this week :D Other than that it's been good. Feeling well, eating and sleeping well ..... no complaints. Enjoy your weekend ~

beach day

Today was the last hurrah of ladies beach day for the season. Knowing that if I didn't go - I'd wish I would have - I went. A little sunscreen, a lot of hat and away I went.



It was just Marca, Valerie and myself (plus Valerie's kids) but it was a good time of girlfriend visiting. HOT and humid though - ugh! We withstood an hour and 45 minutes before melting, then decided to head home to our air-conditioners!


I came home, fixed myself some lunch, drank plenty of water, helped Jeremiah carry his new La-Z-boy upstairs and took took care of a bit of Aunt Neva's estate business. Then suddenly the nap was calling me again. Yep ..... that's two days in a row!

today I napped

ok, the nap is not really newsworthy .... but I don't want ya'll thinking I'm super woman. I certainly know that I'm not!

Started today by going to the lymphedema therapist. It was more of an educating session / and preventative measures I may be able to take in hopes of not getting lynphedema. Since nodes were taken during surgery, I am susceptible. She took all sorts of measurements of both arms and checked my range of motion. She deemed me a "very good healer" and said things looked / felt good; said I'm only missing about 15% of my flexibility. She explained a lot about the lymph system, what it does, how it works and how my surgery effects it. She showed me some simple massages to do, which should help the remaining nodes continue to function properly. The next time I go in, I'll be fitted for a compression sleeve. I will have to wear that when I fly from now on.

Sabrina met me there for the appointment, and afterwards we went to Einstein Bagel to chat. We definitely had some catching up to do and it was a great time!

From there I needed to go by the mall and then to order new contacts. After that it was grocery time - oh joy :)

Came home and put groceries away, spent a little time on the computer, then bang .... sleepiness hit me like a ton of bricks around 4. No reason to fight it, the couch was calling ..... so I slept for about an hour. Too many late nights this past week - but incredibly blessed by my girlfriends!