The good, The bad, The Ugly and Saving My Life

Hey Ya'll,

Yes it's true I have been absent lately...right after my last radiation treatment....last Wednesday, I drove down to San Antonio and spent 4 1/2 days with my sweet little mother.  And I'm trying to think what's happened between Monday when I returned home and today that prevented me from writing.....hmmmmm?????  Nothing really stands out in my mind--just lazy I guess!!

So let's backtrack a little on this cancer treatment and survival.  I got the last treatment on Wednesday, January 15th.  It went like a breeze....bada bing bada boom and I was done.  Rhonda and Sara gave me big hugs because they know how important that day is to those of us who have to go through it.  It's a big day.  I remember from my other bout with cancer that I cried on that last day of radiaiton...I managed to not cry this time (but then the last time I had been through chemo, spent time in the hospital with very low white blood cell count and been sicker than a dog....so when that last day of the radiation part came and I was DONE WITH TREATMENT, a rush of emotion came over me....emotion that said It's been a battle, but I've made it through and now I can join the proud ranks of the survivors.  This time I felt the same way, I think I just wasn't so drained and I hadn't been so sick (chemo is a nasty nasty thing).  And although I had opted for chemo in November (because this was my second cancer--and I didn't want to take any chances), I'm glad my oncologist advised against it.  I trust that enough studies have come to fruition that they are better able to determine if chemo will be more of a detriment than a benefit.  I'm glad my oncologist in 2002 strongly advised I have it and I'm glad I chose to have it, but I'm equally as glad this time they advised against it.

So I got the last treatment, it went fine....but it did seem to sting a tiny bit more than the other treatment had....and the next day I was terribly terribly red and the skin was like an elephant's hard and red and tender.  Here we are Friday, January 24th-- 9 days out from my last treatment the hardness has mostly gone, the red is fading but the tenderness remains. (I guess that's the ugly part of this post)

My visit with mom was good.  I hadn't spent time with her since Christmas (because I started my treatments before Christmas and had one early morning on the 26th and each day after that.  Today is her 89th birthday....HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!

Yesterday I had my first follow-up appointment with my oncologist, to talk about the medicine I will be on to inhibit the production of estrogen (because both of my tumors have been estrogen positive--meaning they were feeding off of the estrogen in my body....so they want to inhibit the production of estrogen.  Now I had a complete hysterectomy years ago, so you have to wonder how there is any more estrogen in my body, but apparently there is.                                                            
Originally they told me I would have to be on this medication for 10 years (which I thought was OK because when I was on Letrozol before in 2002, I only took it for 5 years (because they did not have enough data on the medication....Yikes!) So I thought oh well this one must have been tested more and found to be safer because I'm taking it for 10 years.)  But at my appointment yesterday, they told me I'd only be taking it for 5 years because they did not want to put me back on  Letrozol.....their reasoning....I'd tolerated Letrozol, but I'd also developed another tumor 12 years out from my last one.

So let's try something different (and unfortunately fairly new)....so I guess 5 years is better than 10 year???? (I guess that is the good part of this post).....

Now as any of you who've been given a medication knows (and I'm sure that probably includes all of you) this new medication  EXEMESTANE (AROMASIN) has side effects which, of course, they have to tell you.....Ok here comes the bad of this post:  This medication can cause (OK are you ready for this:

 This is what they internet shows (my oncologist did not mention all of these but I highlighted in yellow, the ones she did mention.  And I highlighted in green, the ones that made my eyes go wide  and I added a red PJ beside the ones that my first thought when I heard or read them was POOR JOHN!

Some side effects of exemestane may occur that usually do not need medical attention. These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. Also, your healthcare professional may be able to tell you about ways to prevent or reduce some of these side effects. Check with your health care professional if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome or if you have any questions about them:
More common

• Anxiety
• constipation
• general feeling of discomfort or illness
• general feeling of tiredness or weakness
• hot flashes   PJ
• increased sweating PJ
• pain
• trouble with sleeping PJ

Less common

• Back pain
• bone pain
• burning, tingling, or prickly sensations
• decreased sense of touch
• increased appetite
• joint pain   I hate seeing this one because of my ankle problems
• loss of hair  PJ
• runny nose
• stomach upset
• weakness, generalized

Along with its needed effects, exemestane may cause some unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention.
Check with your doctor immediately if any of the following side effects occur while taking exemestane:
More common

• Cough or hoarseness
• difficult or labored breathing
• fever or chills
• increased blood pressure
• lower back or side pain
• mental depression  PJ
• shortness of breath
• swelling of the hands, ankles, feet, or lower legs
• tightness in the chest

Less common

• Chest pain
• difficult, burning, or painful urination
• frequent urge to urinate
• headache
• sore throat
• unexplained broken bones
• wheezing

Incidence not known

• Abdominal or stomach pain
• clay-colored stools
• confusion
• dark urine
• decreased urine output 
• diarrhea
• difficulty with speaking
• dilated neck veins
• dizziness
• double vision
• inability to move the arms, legs, or facial muscles
• inability to speak
• irregular breathing
• irregular heartbeat
• itching
• loss of appetite    This one surprised me because she said I could gain  weight...aghhhhh!
• nausea
• rash
• slow speech
• unpleasant breath odor
• unusual tiredness or weakness
• vomiting of blood
• weight gain
• yellow eyes or skin

And of course, all of these types of medication have a side effect of depleting your bones...so I have to start having bone density tests to determine if I need to go on Fosomax (which helps with bone density, but has it's own ugly set of side effects)

Doc says anytime you start messing with the hormones in a woman's body... you just never know how's she's going to react.

This all brings me full circle to what this blog was  initially intended for.....To motivate myself and others TO GET AND STAY FIT TILL I'M AT LEAST 99.  All of this cancer, treatment and follow-up medication side effects and possible bone depletion make it even more important to get back to exercising on a regular basis and to eat more raw one ingredient foods.....leafy greens and veggies.....fresh fruit. I will definitely be getting back to my power walks (because they are so great at releasing endorphins-- which help with mood swings, over all well being and fatigue ) Lifting weights will strengthen my bones,  cardiovascular aerobic exercises will help strengthen my heart and blood circulation, and balance/core work will give me  overall strength, good posture and will be so important if my bones do get depleted.  Having good balance and a strong core are so so so important as we age.

We do age but we don't have to get old.  Do we stop moving because we get old?.... or Do we get old because we stop moving? I think the latter.

So now I can have no excuses for eating healthy and exercising and getting fit.  It is no longer a matter of "I'd like to lose some weight so I'll look nice at my 50 year High School Reunion"....this is now quite clear.....it is what it really has always been....I AM DOING THIS TO SAVE MY LIFE.

and one of my favorite posters....




  I don't start taking this new medication until March 6th....so we'll see how it goes.   But I'll be back here in the meantime....so come back and we'll talk some more :)

Wednesday - January 15th......Doing the Happy Dance!!!!

TODAY IS MY LAST RADIATION TREATMENT  YIPPIE !
WON'T YOU JOIN ME IN DOING THE HAPPY DANCE....WOOO HOO!!!

        
  I made it....I am a survivor!  I'll keep writing on here because I will be starting a new medicine that I have to take for 10 years!!!  And we'll see how that goes.  And of course I'll still be writing about getting and staying fit....I went to the gym today and for a nice long walk and signed up with my old trainer...I am feeling on top of the world!

Thanks for hanging in there with me through this second battle....for helping me stay strong...for helping me see the light at the end of the tunnel...

Continue this journey with me and let's get fit...fitter than we've ever been...and lets stay fit at least until we're 99!
 
Hugs to you all....and don't forget....my new friend Sue is still going through her treatments and lots of other women are still going through treatment....and today someone new was diagnosed.  We have to keep fighting the fight and working towards a cure. 

I posted this last night because I am heading for San Antonio right after my treatment tomorrow morning and I'll be where there is no internet service (yes there is such a place)...it's called "Mom's house" :)  But I'll bring my iPad with me and if I drive by a Starbucks or a McDonald's I'll try to get connected.

Oh the Joy of staying fit and healthy....

 I thought for a moment I would stray away from my breast cancer....since I'm almost done with my treatments (3 left)....  and talk about how important it is to get and stay fit well into your older years.  As the old saying goes "Health is Wealth".....and we should all be so rich.

I came across this story this morning and thought I would share it with my followers and readers.  It inspires me....she ran to the end.

 

THE LIVES THEY LIVED (AS SEEN IN THE NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE

• Joy Johnson

  born 1926
  A marathoner to the end.

  
  Picture by Randi Lynn Beach
  Johnson at the track in San Jose, Calif., in October 2011.

  Story by Sara Corbett

  
  

  Joy Johnson crossed the finish line at the New York City Marathon this year nearly eight hours after she began. Of the 50,266 people to finish, she was among the very last — wearing a pair of Nikes and a navy blue bow pinned neatly in her hair, leaning on a stranger for support. Her forehead was bloodied in a fall she took at around Mile 20, where the Willis Avenue Bridge feeds runners into the Bronx. Johnson, who was raised on a Minnesota dairy farm and was given to cheery understatement, waved off any concern. “I wasn’t watching where I was going,” she told her sister shortly after finishing. “It looks just awful, but I’m fine.”
  She was 86, competing in the marathon for the 25th consecutive time. Even injured, she abided by one of her enduring rules for any race, which was to smile down the homestretch, aware of the roving race photographers and believing it never served anyone to be caught in a grimace.
  Though she had made a career teaching high-school physical education in Northern California, she herself didn’t have an exercise regimen. Until one day in 1985, when she and her husband were newly retired and their four children all grown, Johnson, who was 59, took a three-mile walk and found it energizing. Soon she tried jogging and enjoyed that even more. Within a few years, she was going for regular 12-mile runs and became a fixture at local road races.
  Running is a sport that rewards constancy, in both pace and attitude, which may explain why Joy Johnson was so good at it. As a senior citizen, she ran an average of three marathons a year, buttressed by dozens of shorter races, always with a bow in her hair. Her home in San Jose grew so cluttered with running medals and trophies that she began storing some of them in the garage. Over time, as she lost her husband to cancer, as age and injuries claimed even her younger running partners, she stuck to an unwavering daily routine. She awoke at 4 a.m. and fixed herself some coffee and a bowl of oatmeal, taking time to read the Bible before heading out to the nearby track at Willow Glen High School, the same place where she once taught. There, she walked and chatted with a group of regulars known as the “track pack” before accelerating into her own workout.
  After her 80th birthday, noticing her race times beginning to slow — it now took around seven hours to complete a marathon — Johnson redoubled her efforts, boosting her training to include bleacher runs and hill repeats. On her annual pilgrimage to New York in the fall of 2008, she reaped the rewards, shaving 51 minutes off the previous year’s time.
  As her distinction as an elderly runner grew, reporters sought Johnson out, charmed by her crinkled smile and Lutheran modesty. Her answers about why she ran were simple every time: Running made her happy. It helped her sleep well at night. More than once she remarked that when the time came, she hoped to die in her running shoes.
  Were she more focused on the competition, Joy Johnson might have tracked her closest rival in the New York marathon, a fleet-footed Manhattanite named Bertha McGruder, who was twice the top finisher in the women’s 80-89 age group (a field of usually fewer than five contenders), but the truth was, she cared little about her relative standing. Before starting this year’s marathon on a chilly November morning, Johnson told her 83-year-old sister, Faith Anderson, who accompanied her to New York, “I’ll be at the back of the pack, but I don’t mind.”
  After she took a tumble that day near Mile 20, a woman — another marathoner — helped her to her feet. The woman urged Johnson to go to the hospital, but the 86-year-old runner said she just wanted to finish her race.
  Early the next morning, looking cheery, with her medal around her neck and a blue kerchief over her head, the right side of her face swaddled in bandages, Joy Johnson waited in the crowd outside NBC Studios to say hello, as she did postmarathon every year, to Al Roker (“a nice young man,” she called him) from the “Today” show.
  Afterward, back in her Midtown hotel room, she removed her medal and lay down for a nap. Finally finished, she drifted off to sleep, never regaining consciousness. She died later that day.
  
  
  What a beautiful and inspirational woman.  It is so important to never give up...to always challenge yourself and to keep on moving....  See more on this wonderful woman who would not give up and died as she wanted to--in her tennis shoes
  
  http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/oldest-woman-new-york-city-marathon-dies-86-article-1.1507052
  
  Remember you are never too old to start...never to old to continue....
  
  
  Do we stop moving because we get old?
     Or do we get old because we stop moving?
  
  I didn't really start getting serious about this getting fit stuff till I was 62 years old....so I've only just begun....and I want to be like Joy Johnson....and these other people who do not let age describe them.
  
  Tomorrow I'm off to do treatment #18  Yesss Sir eee Bob--Yippie

The "Winners" and "Stars" are not always the "TREASURES"

The following is the philosophy of Charles Schulz, the creator of the 'Peanuts' comic strip.  A dear sweet friend of mine sent this to me....as words of encouragement in all the "heart" battles I am fighting (with myself)....the cancer, the loss of my dad, the worry about my mom adjusting to life without him, my weight.....etc.

She is definitely one on my list that fits in #s 3,4 & 5 of the second set of questions....as do those of you who follow this blog and send me words of encouragement.  

I'm a believer that people come into our lives or cross our paths for a reason and when they inspire you, encourage you, keep you in their thoughts and prayers.....or you can do the same for them, don't take them lightly.  They are the treasures of your life....

Today was treatment #17.  I have 3 more to go....Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.  January 15th will be a sigh of relief and a reason to jump for joy day! 

 I wish you could all be there so I could hug each one of you and thank you for your support as I continue this journey.

The Charles Schulz Philosophy

 

You don't have to actually answer the questions.  Just ponder on them.

1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world.

2. Name the last five Heisman trophy winners.

3. Name the last five winners of the Miss America pageant.

4  Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize..

5. Name the last half dozen Academy Award winners for best actor and actress.

6. Name the last decade's worth of World Series winners.

How did you do?

The point is, none of us remember the headliners of yesterday. 

These are not second-rate achievers.

They are the best in their fields.

But the applause dies.

Awards tarnish.

Achievements are forgotten.

Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners.

Here's another quiz. See how you do on this one:

1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.

2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.

3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.

4. Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special.

5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.

Easier?  The lesson:

The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the
most credentials, the most money or the most awards..

They simply are the ones who care the most.

Sunshine from out of the gray clouds....passing it forward

Thursday, Jan. 9, 2014

Well today was treatment number 16....so I only have 4 more treatments to go.  Today's treatment was special for a couple of reason....one because it was just a "pin-point" treatment and just took not even to the count of 40....my others were to the count of 30, then a swoosh sound (I'll explain, I lay down with my arms up in stirrups (do you call them stirrups when they are for your arms and not your legs????) and they fold back the pillow case that has been covering my bare chest to reveal the right side...and they say "here we go"......the machine clicks and the buzz starts...and I start counting 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, it buzzes (depending on how slow or fast I am counting that day) to just about 30 and then the machine makes a swooshing sound like water moving in it and it buzzes again to the count of 4.  Then the whole machine moves over me and to the other side to point the beam up under my breast.  The click buzz to the count of 30 and the swoosh and buzz to the count of 4 goes again....today was just to the one spot where the tumor was removed...click, buzz, count to about 39...done.  That's how the next 4 treatments will go.

The second reason for the treatment being special is really the most important one...it happened before the treatment, in the lobby before I was called in.  A woman (named Sue) approached me.  I had seen her at my treatments....she always followed me (next patient) and she always had on a cute brown wig (I remember those days from my first round with breast cancer in 2002).  I remember being treated in San Antonio in the summer and it was so hot, I finally just gave up on the wigs and went around with my bald head.  I figured if anyone had a problem with it, it was their problem.

Sue told me she had seem my short short hair and that I always had a big smile on my face....I guess I never think of myself that way (although I have been told in the past that my smile is one of my best features)....so I guess I will wear it more often.....She said my hair and smile had inspired her and this morning she had ditched the wig and just came natural.  Her short hair was darling! 

So I guess I will keep my short hair.  I learned to love it when my first round of cancer in 2002 and over the years my hair has been longer, but I always go back to this cut.  I think it reminds me that I am a fighter and I am a survivor.  It's foggy today but this beautiful woman (Sue) brought sunshine to my day!

I gave her one of my business cards (that I made up for some painting jobs I'd done) and told her to e-mail me if she just felt like chatting.  I hope she does.  I think family and friends are always there for you and try to help as best they can....giving you support, rides, suggestions for brightening your spirits.  But it's not like talking to someone who knows what you are going through, knows what your fears are, knows how sometimes you just need to talk or vent (even if it's not about the cancer or the treatment)

I am a firm (dyed in the wool) believer that things happen for a reason and people come into our lives or cross our paths for a purpose. Sue and I (at least with this breast cancer) are on the same page....and something tells me that cancer may have brought a new friend into my life.

I'm glad I met you Sue....and I'm thrilled that I could be an inspiration to you....thanks for giving that inspiration right back!

Yikes!!!!! Oweee Oweee Oweee!

   Yeh, well if only that was the part of me that felt that sunburned....

Uhhhhh they told me this day would come and it has....major burning
and stinging you know where!

Yep right there....this must be like having a baby....How come I totally forgot this pain from 12 years ago?  It's like the kind of sunburn you don't want to have anything touching....but believe me I don't think my Bunco group tonight would like me to come to Bunco sans clothes!!!!

I think maybe it might be a blessing that it is so cold outside, because I bet if the sun were out (well it is out) but if it were out and very hot, I'd be miserable..........no wait...I am miserable!!!

So on the brighter side, today was treatment 14...only 6 more to go.  Tomorrow is a regular treatment, then they will take X-rays and remark me for the last 5 treatments which will be "pinpoint" treatments.  That is a sub-surface (not as penetrating) radiation only into the actual pinpoint spot where they removed the tumor.  So hopefully that won't burn my whole breast like these other treatments are doing.

Wow....sorry for all this complaining.... but it really hurts!!  OK wait, let me compare this to something that really really hurts....like the time I dropped hot grease on my bare foot, or the time I had shingles, or any number of things that really really really hurt....there now, this doesn't seem so bad!

I forgot to be grateful....that I didn't have to do chemo, that I was able to have a lumpectomy, that I have a beautiful home, food in my pantry/refrigerator, heat and air conditioning when I need either, a man that loves me dearly and a God that is good all the time...

I think I'll go lay down and let the Tylenol kick in.

Happier notes coming....I promise  
  

Oh yeh, I almost forgot I went to have my teeth cleaned this morning and the dentist said my teeth are in great shape
 

12 down 8 to go.....

It's true...it's true  12 down and 8 to go.  I am really on the down hill slide now.  Now that the holidays are behind us, next week will be a full week of treatments and then at this time next week, I'll be down to 3 treatments left.  Can I hear a WOOOO HOOO! Yes sireee !

I am beginning to feel a little bit of burning.  They told me this would happen...a bit of a feeling like I laid too long on the French Riviera at a topless beach...

Ha Ha....yeh that would be me!  NOT!

But it hasn't been too too bad. Right now it's tolerable.

If you're able to see the time of this posting and you're wondering what the heck I'm doing up at 3:43 in the early early morning....well I had a little snack too late right before I went to bed and that is always a big no no (for most anyone), but especially for me.  I know better!  Wonder why that is ...that we eat things we know won't settle well and swear we'll never do that again.....and then do it again anyway?  How crazy is that?  I woke up and my stomach was a little topsy turvy..... so I turned to my "tried and true" cure for that upset stomach feeling.  I take a little Dixie cup and put about 10-12 shakes of Tabasco in it and fill it with water and drink it down.  Best cure ever!  Honest. Then I sit up for a bit and let the Tabasco do it's thing...which is to bring all the blood to the stomach area....stir up the enzymes and help with the digestion.  It's the Capsazin in the Tabasco. It truly works every single time.  There are lots of things Tobasco will do....did you know that if you get bitten by fire ants (we have those big time here in Texas) and you put Tabasco on the bite right away, you will never get the blister that you normally get from the bite....another honest!  If you have a sore muscle, rub a little Tabasco on it and the next morning you will wake up with no soreness...........just remember to take a good (not too hot) shower before you go out...especially if the sun is out and it's warm outside...because when the sun hits the Tabasco, you will feel it...Yikes!

OK now that you all think I am a voodoo woman, and now that my stomach is feeling much better, I think I will  try to go back to bed and get some sleep


                                                                           Good night....morning???