Friday, June 29, 2012
Stayed quiet today. Crocheted two more chemo hats. I am saving my energy to kayak tomorrow. It will be so relaxing to be out on the water and then go to Kelly's for lunch. The crocheting helps keep my sore hand flexing. Jim was home today so he made supper... no M&M food tonight ; ) Lots of Olympic trials to watch at night too so it helps to keep me still and not get into trouble. Have a nice long weekend everyone.
Thursday, June 28, 2012
So yesterday afternoon I started to hurt again. Nothing that a bunch of drugs couldn't get rid of. This morning good again. Took mom to have her blood work done then back to her place to play some cribbage. Nothing too eventful. Then went to pick up some groceries etc. Then back to have a quick dip in the pool next door that has been so generously offered to me any time I want. Now I ache again. I think I have it figured out. If I multiply whatever I do times 20 - that is how my body feels afterward. The third and fourth day felt like I had just done a triathlon without doing anything. Now the least little bit that I do gets my feet and legs all tingly. Very strange. Oh well at least I have my swing to sit and lie in since it looks like I will be using it a lot. So glad we increased the size of the deck and got the swing before my surgery in May. It is a lot nicer laying out side on the swing than in bed. The air conditioning is good but fresh air and a breeze is better. Thank goodness this is summer and not in a snow bank out there. Til tomorrow....
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Woke up today without the aches and pains and no meds since 10 last night. I guess they know what they are talking about. Day 3 and 4 you ache. After that back to normal. My hand still hurts from the IV but at least I can walk on my feet without them hurting now. It is all good and the sun is shining. It is like the weather was overcast Monday and Tuesday so I would stay in bed and relax and let the aches take their course. Sparky will be pleased that I can take him to the park today. I go there since there are lots of places to rest if I get tired and lots of shade so that Sparky doesn't get too hot. Take care everyone.
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Here is my story. People have recommended me start a blog so that you can see how I am doing and progressing. I have decided to start it off by telling how this all began as a warning to all the other women out there to know what to look for and for heaven's sake push to get the answers you need.
Around 2008 or so I started to go into menopause. Each annual check up they would check to see if I was fully into it or not. I would go into it and then start to bleed again so then they said I wasn't. Then they got the results back saying I was definitely fully there but then I would still bleed off and on. They said don't worry about it...not that big a deal.
Dec 2010 we went to Cuba again and I bled a lot there.... not good in a foreign country. I came home and said enough is enough, it can't be right, I wanted to have it checked out.
Around Feb or Mar 2011 I had an ultrasound which said there were a few polyps but no big deal because my wall was not thickening.
May 2011 I had a lot of bleeding so back I went again.... My doctor said it was probably just the polyps but there were some tests they could do. She also said I could get a Saline injected ultrasound if I wanted but most people opt for the other tests first since that one hurt alot. It however was the best test to find out what was going on so I asked for it.
July 2011 I had the SI ultrasound. There was a lot of fluid already in there and could hardly get any more in... I still remember seeing the big black mass on the camera blocking the saline from going in. They sent the results to my doctor.
August 2011 had an apt to review the results where they recommended a D&C to get rid of the 'polyps' so we booked an apt.
October 2011 had an apt to meet the surgeon to book the D&C which he scheduled for Jan 2012. He said that that was early because he just had a cancellation. We also switched to this doctor since the SI doctor had a longer waiting list.
Jan 2012 had the D&C. Pretty uneventful. In and out day surgery. Worked from home the next day and curled that Thurs night. I didn't sweep though since my skip was nice and let me call the game.
Feb 2012 went to get the results. He didn't have them yet but was able to find them on line. That is when I got the big news - I had Cancer. He also said that with the D&C I could already be cured because they could have already taken it out at that point since the signs said it was at an early stage and a grade 2.
I then had to go to a different surgeon to book a total hysterectomy which is the total cure for uterine cancer. They were to fax the results to the other surgeon who would call me in 3 weeks. If nobody called then I was allowed to call to find out what was going on. Well 3 weeks came and went and no phone call. I sat down and called, and called and called.... at a minimum it took over 3 hours to find out that the fax did not make it to the surgeon and I had to get it faxed again. When they got it, then my file was at the bottom of the pile so I had to wait again to get an apt.
Mar 2012 finally the phone rang and I got my apt to see a surgeon in April 2012. The surgeon who I was supposed to meet was not there so I met with someone else on his team. They decided that I qualified for robotic surgery which is less invasive but this surgeon did not do this surgery. Now I had to have another apt to meet with the surgeon who could control the robot and wait for the surgery date. They said that they would call the next week but they were booking in June. I got called the next week with the Date May 16th 2012.
May 2012 finally got the pre op apt and meet the surgeon. The pre op work had the first and second surgeon name on the file so it was all mixed up. Met the surgeon on the next day and she said that she thought that she was going to do the surgery but the other one was in training in the states, learning how to run the robot so maybe I would have him. Laying outside the operating room waiting to go in, the very first surgeon who didn't show introduced himself to me and said that he was assisting my surgeon, the lady with experience. He is the top surgeon in Canada so I was in excellent hands so I started to relax.... until they couldn't get the IV in. The operation was delayed waiting to get the IV in to put me to sleep but I got a good look at the robot and met everyone while they were working on me. Finally out like a light and then back to recovery. Just stayed there overnight and then back home by 7 the next morning.
Off work for 3 weeks this time. Eventually I got mobile and could walk more. While waiting on the surgery I was told to walk more.... I tried to go a couple of hours a day which helped my recovery. I was to go back to work without having the results of the surgery. My surgeon didn't have any hours in the cancer clinic until July so they wanted me to wait until then to find out if they got it all or if it spread etc. I said no way I was waiting and they offered me to see her in her office, not in the cancer clinic and the radiologist on a separate apt. All of this after I was back at work. My GP doctor wanted to see me before I went back to work so I went on the Thurs before back to work on the friday. When she found out that I didn't have my results yet, she logged into the hospital computer and got them for me. She didn't know what they were going to tell me but she warned me that they would probably throw the works at me.
The good news was that the tumour did not get out of the uterus itself. It went 8mm through a section 18mm thick. This means nothing in the ovaries etc. The trouble is it got into the blood stream in layman's terms so they really do not know where if anywhere it got to. The cancer was also a grade 3 at this point up from a 2 in January which means it is very aggressive. It was almost 5cm big which they say is large.
Because of these results I am taking Chemo once every 3 weeks for a total of 6 times, 6 hours each and then 5 weeks of radiation - once a day for 25 rounds. My last Chemo should be on the friday before Thanksgiving and then a month break and then the radiation should be done by Christmas.
June 22 I had my first Chemo. It went very well. I was afraid of the IV not working but she got it in no problem. Because I want to swim I am not going for the port. They say they can alternate arms each time so that is the plan. I haven't had any problems so far. I am just achy. It is like I just did another triathlon like I used to do... just very tired after a big work out.
So that is me up to date.
Around 2008 or so I started to go into menopause. Each annual check up they would check to see if I was fully into it or not. I would go into it and then start to bleed again so then they said I wasn't. Then they got the results back saying I was definitely fully there but then I would still bleed off and on. They said don't worry about it...not that big a deal.
Dec 2010 we went to Cuba again and I bled a lot there.... not good in a foreign country. I came home and said enough is enough, it can't be right, I wanted to have it checked out.
Around Feb or Mar 2011 I had an ultrasound which said there were a few polyps but no big deal because my wall was not thickening.
May 2011 I had a lot of bleeding so back I went again.... My doctor said it was probably just the polyps but there were some tests they could do. She also said I could get a Saline injected ultrasound if I wanted but most people opt for the other tests first since that one hurt alot. It however was the best test to find out what was going on so I asked for it.
July 2011 I had the SI ultrasound. There was a lot of fluid already in there and could hardly get any more in... I still remember seeing the big black mass on the camera blocking the saline from going in. They sent the results to my doctor.
August 2011 had an apt to review the results where they recommended a D&C to get rid of the 'polyps' so we booked an apt.
October 2011 had an apt to meet the surgeon to book the D&C which he scheduled for Jan 2012. He said that that was early because he just had a cancellation. We also switched to this doctor since the SI doctor had a longer waiting list.
Jan 2012 had the D&C. Pretty uneventful. In and out day surgery. Worked from home the next day and curled that Thurs night. I didn't sweep though since my skip was nice and let me call the game.
Feb 2012 went to get the results. He didn't have them yet but was able to find them on line. That is when I got the big news - I had Cancer. He also said that with the D&C I could already be cured because they could have already taken it out at that point since the signs said it was at an early stage and a grade 2.
I then had to go to a different surgeon to book a total hysterectomy which is the total cure for uterine cancer. They were to fax the results to the other surgeon who would call me in 3 weeks. If nobody called then I was allowed to call to find out what was going on. Well 3 weeks came and went and no phone call. I sat down and called, and called and called.... at a minimum it took over 3 hours to find out that the fax did not make it to the surgeon and I had to get it faxed again. When they got it, then my file was at the bottom of the pile so I had to wait again to get an apt.
Mar 2012 finally the phone rang and I got my apt to see a surgeon in April 2012. The surgeon who I was supposed to meet was not there so I met with someone else on his team. They decided that I qualified for robotic surgery which is less invasive but this surgeon did not do this surgery. Now I had to have another apt to meet with the surgeon who could control the robot and wait for the surgery date. They said that they would call the next week but they were booking in June. I got called the next week with the Date May 16th 2012.
May 2012 finally got the pre op apt and meet the surgeon. The pre op work had the first and second surgeon name on the file so it was all mixed up. Met the surgeon on the next day and she said that she thought that she was going to do the surgery but the other one was in training in the states, learning how to run the robot so maybe I would have him. Laying outside the operating room waiting to go in, the very first surgeon who didn't show introduced himself to me and said that he was assisting my surgeon, the lady with experience. He is the top surgeon in Canada so I was in excellent hands so I started to relax.... until they couldn't get the IV in. The operation was delayed waiting to get the IV in to put me to sleep but I got a good look at the robot and met everyone while they were working on me. Finally out like a light and then back to recovery. Just stayed there overnight and then back home by 7 the next morning.
Off work for 3 weeks this time. Eventually I got mobile and could walk more. While waiting on the surgery I was told to walk more.... I tried to go a couple of hours a day which helped my recovery. I was to go back to work without having the results of the surgery. My surgeon didn't have any hours in the cancer clinic until July so they wanted me to wait until then to find out if they got it all or if it spread etc. I said no way I was waiting and they offered me to see her in her office, not in the cancer clinic and the radiologist on a separate apt. All of this after I was back at work. My GP doctor wanted to see me before I went back to work so I went on the Thurs before back to work on the friday. When she found out that I didn't have my results yet, she logged into the hospital computer and got them for me. She didn't know what they were going to tell me but she warned me that they would probably throw the works at me.
The good news was that the tumour did not get out of the uterus itself. It went 8mm through a section 18mm thick. This means nothing in the ovaries etc. The trouble is it got into the blood stream in layman's terms so they really do not know where if anywhere it got to. The cancer was also a grade 3 at this point up from a 2 in January which means it is very aggressive. It was almost 5cm big which they say is large.
Because of these results I am taking Chemo once every 3 weeks for a total of 6 times, 6 hours each and then 5 weeks of radiation - once a day for 25 rounds. My last Chemo should be on the friday before Thanksgiving and then a month break and then the radiation should be done by Christmas.
June 22 I had my first Chemo. It went very well. I was afraid of the IV not working but she got it in no problem. Because I want to swim I am not going for the port. They say they can alternate arms each time so that is the plan. I haven't had any problems so far. I am just achy. It is like I just did another triathlon like I used to do... just very tired after a big work out.
So that is me up to date.
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