Happy Holidays and Happy 2010!

A heartfelt HAPPY HOLIDAYS to all of you! Thank you for supporting me this past year with your notes, food, friendship and love! Thanks to all of you, I am happy and healthy today and truly looking forward to this coming week of spending time with my good friends and family. Life is good.

Couldn't Have Made It Without You!

As I go forward in my life and return to my spunky, busy self, I realize that I never could have made it through this cancer healing crisis without all of you! I need to acknowledge all the love and support I have received from family and friends and from my mother's friends and all of the blog's followers. I am forever grateful for the homemade dinners, prayers, cards, gifts and flowers, the company you provided during chemo den days, the driving you offered during trips to Palo Alto for radiation and the continued support throughout. I am also grateful to all the people who work for me at Joy of Movement who kept my business alive for me during the dark days and to Tessa who managed my business during that time. In many ways, the love and support were the real healing force that have carried me through this. THANK YOU ALL!

I am Finished!!!!!!!!!

I can't tell you how happy I am!!!!! I had my very last radiation blast today and am done, done, done with all the treatments and am ready to move forward with my life. yahoo for me!!!!!!!!!

Only 2 More Rad Blasts 2 Go!

After 16 months of treatment--2 surgeries, 4 months of chemo and 2 months of radiation I am SOOOOO done with all this cancer. I have 2 more rad blasts and I will close the book and move forward with my life. I will always help others going through this brutal disease but am pretty darn sure the cancer crab has scuttled away from me forever.

Rads #28 + #29

I am so done with this radiation therapy. But still have six more treatments to go. Today I am feeling very tired, even after 12 hours of sleep and am feeling the burn all the time. Clothing really irritates my skin and I am counting the days until it is over.

Rads #27

All is going well today, worked this morning and went for radiation therapy treatment #27 this afternoon. My energy is good and the burns don't seem to be getting any worse....

Rads 25 + 26

The mammogram turned out to be for the power boost which they will give me after I finish the 28th regular radiation session. I was at the hospital yesterday for nearly 5 hours and am feeling VERY tired today; took the day off from work and will rest until I have to make the drive to Stanford. My skin is starting to ache and it is difficult to sleep at night because of the discomfort. I am SO HAPPY to have only 8 more sessions to go!

Mammogram?

I got a call from Stanford after 5 PM on Friday telling me to arrive at 1:15 for a mammogram. It was a pre-recorded phone message so I couldn't ask any questions but I'm a little worried today to be going in for a mammogram in the midst of radiation! I already have to get chest x-rays each Monday in addition to the radiation therapy so what's going on here? Will let you know later when it all gets explained to me. Right now I'm going to work and then on to Stanford.

Rads #24

Getting back into the swing of things here after 2 days of wonderous retreat with 9 members of WomanCare (a local cancer support group and resource center) held at the world famous Esalen Resort in Big Sur. We worked in the garden, participated in gestalt workshops and cancer support groups, ate amazing organic foods, meditated to world renowned digideroo sounds and bathed in the minerals baths overlooking the crashing waves of the pacific ocean. What a gift! My skin has started to show signs of abuse. The major areas receiving radiation (sternum, breast, collarbone and under the armpit) are all looking pretty badly burned. I'll try to take a photo today to keep you posted. Otherwise my energy level is pretty good.

Rads #21

My radiation onc, Dr. Kate Horst, informed me the peeling sensation I have on my sternum is just that--a feeling. She said people with previous sun exposure often have this type of sensation but no peeling occurs. So that is a relief. The people from my support group who have been through radiation said the fatigue is normal and will last 2-3 weeks after radiation stops so I am planning on taking it as easy as possible and getting as much sleep as I possible can.

Rads #19

Well I am starting to feel the burn. Especially in the sternum. It feels like the blistering paint on the hull of a ship. My rad onc is giving me 2 days off next week so I can take advantage of a great free trip to a resort on the Big Sur coast given to me by Womancare, the umbrella group that promotes the healing movement support group I've been running for people with cancer for the past 14 months. It pays to do good! Anyway my energy level is still great. i jogged 4 miles this morning and continue to work until noon or 1 pm each day.

Rads #18

Oh it is a beautiful day today. My daughter is accompanying me to Stanford this afternoon for treatment. My skin is starting to blister just in the sternal area--from the manubrium to the xyphoid process--and that's exactly where the electron splitter is put on and the beam stays on longer in that area. It feels like it will start to peel soon. I'll keep applying aloe vera gel.

Weekend Fun

I taught Pilates this morning, went to a sculpture exhibit, had lunch with a friend and am lazing around this evening, preparing for another long week of work and rads. Feeling vibrant and full of energy today.

Rads #15

Today is good news/bad news kind of day. The good news is--my radiation oncologist says my skin looks superb for being halfway through treatment! She is very impressed. So here is my formula: I use Medline's Remedy skin repair cream in the morning. I apply Boiron Calendula cream right after treatment. When I get home I put on Lily of the Desert's 100% Aloe Vera gel and before bed I apply aloe vera gel and then Boiron Calendula oil. Works for me. Bad news--I am starting to feel the fatigue. Yesterday I slept 12 hours and still could barely get out of bed in the morning.

Rads #14

My life has become a blur of work and rads treatments. I seem to be growing little healthier every day though and more hair too. I've lost 6 pounds since the end of chemo which is good for me.

Rads #12

Radiation went A-OK today. My weekend was busy and I was invited to a Triple Negative Breast cancer support group and lunch in Campbell which was wonderful! I love meeting new people and especially those who are 9 years out and thriving.

Cost of Radiation Therapy

Wow I just got the first bill for radiation therapy at Stanford--it costs $10,000 a week!!! Thank you God for letting me get treatment and for having health insurance. Don't like to think about the alternative. Here is an interesting article on health insurance.

Rads #11

Whew my life has been BUSY lately; working until noon or 1 and driving to Stanford each afternoon, getting home at 4 or 5 PM depending on traffic and back to work for evening classes a few nights. My skin is holding up well. My energy is holding up well. This evening I'm going to hear Michael Franti & Spearhead at the Catalyst in downtown santa Cruz with some friends and dance, dance, dance.

Rads #8

I just got back from Stanford. Re my hair--Several people told me I look like Demi Moore, one young lady asked me where I got my hair cut and a man came straight up to me and told me he LOVED my hair. Ha! People are funny. Anyway it sure is fun to get so much attention so I think I'll keep the buzz cut for now. Back to rads treatment--I saw the doc today and also gave blood for a CBC (complete blood count) workup. I have some numbness in my right upper arm and slight swelling in my right hand. I wore my compression sleeve the lymphedema specialist ordered for me and will do all the anti-lymphedema exercises. Also the scar in my armpit got REALLY red today after treatment and I may need to put extra cream on that area tonight.

Hair!

It's been 2 months since Chemo ended and my hair is finally growing back in. Today I worked until 1 PM, drove to Stanford for my 2 PM radiation treatment and got home by 4 PM. I was so tired I took a 45 min nap--not sure if it is a side effect or just feeling tired today.