Hurray for the Sleeve!

It’s here! It’s here!! I received my pump a week ago this past Saturday. I have used it a few times. As you can see, it is quite the set up. I have a video link that explains the whole process if you would like to watch it here.

I met with the nurse yesterday to make sure I knew what I was doing. I hadn't adjusted anything myself and so she was able to get it velcroed so that it does the most good.

This will get me to stop and rest some during my day. If I can, I like to be busy on days that I feel good. It has been my habit to overdo it on those days.

I don't remember if I have mentioned this or not, but my next scan is going to be on August 5th. Then consult and next treatment on the 7th.

When I have two good scans in a row we will talk about what I will be on for maintenance to keep anything from attacking again. Stage 4 metastasized breast cancer is not curable but it is treatable. Hopefully we will hear from Mayo and what they found in the pathology that they have been working on.

It would help me mentally if someone would just tell me what kind of cancer I have. Thankfully this "shot in the dark" protocol has worked pretty well. We will see on the 7th.

Psalm 16:11 

You will show me the path of life. In your presence is fullness of joy; at your right hand there are pleasures forevermore.

A Scout at Camp

Yearly Mom and scout selfie

A picture by the weather rock.

It happens every year for the boy scouts in the house. I am a little behind posting a few things and overnight camp for this scout was one of them. Since this was a couple of weeks ago, this will be part of the catch up.  Every year we go out on Wednesday night of camp week and visit, eat supper together and take a look around. Zach took some money with him and still had quite a bit left on Wednesday so I didn't have to leave anymore with him. Ryan opted not to go to camp with his troop this year because he is working on the few merit badges he has left and none of them are offered at camp. Everyone's schedule is so full!.

Zach's bunk

We ate dinner not at the pavilion right inside the camp like usual, but instead at their campsite. I will say that it was quite a hike for me but I was proud of myself for taking the hike. Zach showed us around and said he would take us down to the waterfront and show us where he is working on his canoeing badge. That was another hike pretty much uphill both ways since it was down then up on the way there and down and then up on the way back.

I can't say I wasn't tired when my head hit the pillow. It was one of my 10,000 step days. I was talking with Zach and asked him what he would feel like next year when Matthew is at camp with him. Matt looked at me and realized that it will be his turn next year. I think I heard a big "gulp" from him. He said he wasn't sure how he felt about being away from home the whole week. I told him not to worry because he had a whole year before he goes. It was a fun night and has become quite a summer tradition.

Another Treatment Behind Me

Yesterday was treatment day. I have had some trouble with my voice and my chest has been tight. So first before anything else I was sent to X-ray and EKG to be sure that something sinister wasn’t going on. Results were negative for both so I went ahead and had treatment. Again this time I was tired and spent most of the time sleeping.

I slept most of the evening away too. I haven’t been sleeping that well so I wasn’t surprised. There really isn’t anything to report other than the infusion went well and I will have a PET scan before my next treatment to see where we are in this fight. I will be sure to let you know what we find out.

Good news came today in the form of a text that my sleeve pump is ready to ship! I can not wait to get it and get relief in my arm a couple of times a day. I guess it doesn’t take much to make me happy these days! I will let you all know when it gets here. I didn’t really understand how it worked til I saw it so stay tuned!

Late Night at the Movies

Well, it seems like the only way we can go to the movies together as a family is to plan a late night showing. That is just what we did tonight in the Dream Loungers. I was afraid I would fall asleep being so comfortable. That didn’t happen. Everyone stayed awake and enjoyed the family time.

However, we were all disappointed. Not the message we would like to see or hear from our favorite Disney characters. It feels like our beloved Woody and the gang were hijacked to deliver a series of messages that were blatantly against what they had stood for all along.

Forget how sad I was watching Toy Story 3 when we realized how many of the original toys were no longer in Andy's collection. One of those being Woody's crush Bo Peep. Imagine my surprise when in 4 we have the back story of how Bo was given away.

That is where my excitement to see Bo Peep ended. I am trying not to include too many spoilers here. Let's just say that to have Woody's sense of loyalty and friendship thrown aside for his "feelings" is not the message that the Toy Story franchise has been about from the beginning.

There were so many ways that 4 could have gone, Woody ditching his kid was certainly not on our radar. The Sloan's won't be purchasing Toy Story 4 to add to our collection. We are thankful we went on $5 Tuesday to the theater and didn't pay full price. Sure, there is a lot of funny spots where we laughed while we ate our popcorn, but truth is, what they wrote for Woody was totally out of character for him. Toy Story will end with 3 in our collection.

Update

I realize that I didn’t post after my last treatment! How did that happen? Then I thought of all of people I have told that as far as I knew I was going to have a PET scan next week before the next treatment.

Well, I hadn’t heard from the imaging center about when the PET was scheduled. So after my wonderful massage this morning, I stopped in to check the status of my schedule.

It looks like I will have treatment next Wednesday and then the scan will come after the next treatment. So, I have a HUGE prayer request. After each treatment my neuropathy gets worse.

I don’t understand how you can have no feeling in your hands, feet, toes and fingers but yet you feel so much pain! The neuropathy has made it about half way up my calf/shin. I pray it doesn’t get worse and that when this chemo is done that the neuropathy goes away.

I can do very little with my hands. The pain is too distracting. Night is the hardest because the pain ramps up. I will talk more to my palliative care nurse to see what is available. The morphine works some nights and I am thankful for a good.night’s sleep.

I am off to Fittings Unlimited to get a new sleeve and glove for my fat hand. Thank you all for your continued prayers!

Meeting Some of Those Who’ve Walked a Mile

I have not really ever sought out a group to join as a six year breast cancer survivor. I didn’t think I had time to keep up with another group especially when I do have people around me that I love and who are more than a blessing in the circumstances I find myself in.

A few months back I ran into this group on Facebook. I am not sure what made me request to join but I sent a request and was accepted as part of this group. I found myself reading about other people, strangers to me, share their stories. I would comment every once in awhile when I thought I could be helpful.

Over the weekend I was pondering my six year anniversary of my first surgery and decided to get on with the Facebook group and share my story. I didn’t know how sharing with strangers would be good therapy but it was. I had read so many of their stories in the last few months.

There is something about someone else knowing. They just know. You don’t have to explain. So I shared my story on the group feed and received
very quickly so many words of encouragement. I was encouraged today also at my visit to my lymph massage.

I asked at my last appointment about the cuffs they put on our legs when we have surgery to keep circulation going. I asked why can’t they make something like that for arms to massage the lymph fluid out. She said they DO!!!

So today we got the paperwork started to get one for me. I got to wear it today and try it out. SO awesome! Took the pain away right away! It probably will take about three weeks to get but I am telling you, I cannot WAIT!  I am praying that insurance will cover the cost. My therapist said most insurance does cover it. I will keep you posted. Thank you all for your prayers!

Six Years

Six years ago today I was recovering from a lumpectomy. I remember dozing on and off excited that when I got home from the hospital Gone With the Wind was on tv and I could have some distraction while I wasn’t dozing.

Fast forward eight surgeries, three more lumps, three protocols of chemo and ten weeks of radiation and I find myself in Wisconsin Dells celebrating my parent’s 50th anniversary. I had no idea back then what the next six years would bring.

I am glad that we have no idea what the future holds, and I can promise you I have no desire to find a fortune teller to give me a heads up. I will take it one day at a time. It is how I got this far. It’s how Mom and Dad made it to the 50 year mark. We are celebrating on some days and fighting hard on other days. I will admit that some days it feels like I am down for the count. But His mercies are new every morning so today doesn’t have to be like yesterday.

I am thankful that for the most part my brain has good memories in the long term memory bank. I certainly would not pick six years of fighting cancer to be my reality today, I wish things hadn’t  been so hard on my family. But, it is out of my control. I would have said before that “all God asks of us is that we trust.” Which is true. But I have come to learn that “trust” is hard work.

Happy 50th to my mom and dad...I am blessed to say I have shared in 49 of those years and have learned from them. Through good times and bad, His grace is what keeps us.