July 2011
7 posts
Is Mutilation Really the Answer?
On Tuesday (7/26), I learned the results of my most recent lab test: the Oncotype Dx. It’s a relatively new genetic test that predicts the likelihood that cancer will come back (somewhere else) within 10 years & how well my particular cancer will respond to chemo. My score is 16 & there’s a 10% chance cancer will return within the next 10 years. I don’t know yet if...
Bikram Yoga - My Lifeline
4 weeks ago today I was told I have cancer.
3 weeks ago I had surgery to remove it & to test my lymph nodes.
Today I returned to my “religion” & the only exercise I’ll ever need: Bikram Yoga.
My last class was 6/11.
To say the least, I was nervous to go back. Though I needed to be there, I knew it would be an emotional return; and, I worried about what my instructors &...
The "Good" Things About Cancer
For the record, there is NOTHING good about cancer. Don’t let anyone convince you otherwise. That being said, having cancer certainly changes your perspective on all kinds of things and forces you to appreciate the little things in a whole new way.
I’m going to start this list now and add to it regularly. The “Good” about cancer:
My mind, body & spirit are forever...
Thank You Notes
It’s been a while since I needed to write multiple thank you notes. I worked on several last week, with more still to do. I want to create a page where I can thank everyone who reaches out to me, who loves me and supports me in every way imaginable. (Stay tuned for new “page”)
I cannot thank you all enough. There aren’t words to describe how much you all mean to me &...
Results Day - or So I Thought
July 13th - the day I had waited more than two weeks for. The day I thought I would get the “full” picture and would learn what to expect in the coming months. But, no. What I learned is that cancer forces you to be patient. A virtue I’ve never mastered.
I was supposed to meet with my surgical oncologist (McGrath) at 2:30 to check my incisions, make sure I was healing okay &...
Pre-Cancer to-do List
It’s so bizarre - I was drafting a new note on the notepad app on my phone & noticed the to-do list I drafted the day before my mammogram. This list reflects my naivete to assume I would be just fine…
Bank
Mtg w/ Claudia - 11am
Finalize vacation budget
Call KFB about renting car & insurance info
Mammogram - 2pm
Reserve rental car for Tues
Get racquet & clothes from...
From Shock to Grief to Anger
I suppose it was only a matter of time, right? After the shock wears off, the visitors leave & the food starts to mold. I’m home alone, trying to keep busy. Reading the stack of breast cancer books I picked up at the library a few days ago. Catching up on emails & bills I’ve neglected of late. Still, it’s the silence. No TV. No CD. No ipod. No phone calls. No Hayden. Just...
