Thrive!

Tonight was a long time coming .... A celebration dinner with my good friend "M" and my sister, Christie.  M & I had planned to get together after our treatments were done to celebrate coming through to the other side (M was diagnosed 2 days before I was).  When Christie was diagnosed, we then decided to wait until the three of us could come together and make a toast to success!

Tonight was it! Panara's.... yummmmm

I was thrilled to introduce the 2 of them and tickled pink when we giggled like school girls as we shared our more humorous stories.  And the conversation doesn't always have to be about cancer.  We shared about our families, our learnings from our experiences and how it changed our outlook in life (ok, alot of it was "because of cancer") and just enjoyed each other's company. 

Chemo brain was a huge part of our laughter as one of us would start a thought and then forget what we were going to say... and then the other 2 would have to try to remember key words of what was being said in order for the memory to jolt back into the moment.  If you don't get it, don't worry about it!  It truly is a memory loss that only a chemo cocktail can promote!

I thought it very interesting when M said she didn't think of herself as a survivor, but as a thriver. 

No matter what your circumstance

 

Everyone should strive to thrive!

 

 

 

 

 

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Happily Ever After

For several years I had been hoping one of our wedding anniversaries would be worthy of a cruise. When the 20th anniversary rolled around in 2008 Richard had lost his job, we'd lost my sister, Cathy, among several other loved ones and frankly, didn't feel like celebrating.

So, I set my sights on our 25th anniversary, but inadvertently joined the BC Club. When we calculated all of my treatments and discovered I'd be finished 2 weeks before this special anniversary, neither one of us could even begin planning something that far in the future, especially when we didn't know what the future would hold.

Yesterday we decided to get away for the weekend even though I'm feeling kind of tired from the radiation. So, this morning I found a castle in Hocking Hills with an enchanted forest full of cabins. I am so happy that we made it this far and have each other. I am a very lucky girl to have my knight in shining armor, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health. Now, I need to go pack!

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Finished With Treatment

We celebrated the last day of radiation treatment on Thursday, July 25th. I asked Carol if I could start tracking my anniversary. This would be easy to remember because it's Dad's birthday.

I bought an angel food cake and made pink Cool Whip frosting. I couldn't help noticing how the cake resembled my broken boob:

The hole in the center is where the tumor use to be. The surface showed the battle scars and unevenness. And it's pink from the radiation burns!

This has been a long journey but I've learned a lot about myself. I am a better person because of this experience and can only look forward to the new normal. They say that when you have cancer everyone around you is affected. I'm so lucky to have my family by my side. I couldn't have made it through the journey without them. There are many friends who were affected by my cancer too. They kept me in their thoughts and prayers and encouraged my family along the way. It was tough for everyone.

But we made it!

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Setting Goals for Recovery

Thursday was the last day of school. This sure was a tough year on so many levels. I just want to put it behind me and start all over in the fall.
Friday was going to be a practice run through radiation but they called that morning to cancel because the machine was broken. We rescheduled for Monday. I was trying to get all psyched for this new treatment
but they called again because the machine was still down. We will shoot for Wednesday.

I decided to do some homework from this new book I'm reading  studying, After Cancer Treatment, by setting some short and long term goals for my health and well-being.Three areas that need consideration are Physical, Emotional and Support Systems. Physical Goals are divided into three categories: Nutrition to promote healing, Exercise to build strength and endurance and Sleep to increase a healthy immune system.

I need to learn how to pace myself and think of my energy as "coins" by considering how it's "spent". There is a difference between "activity" vs "exercise". I thought I was doing great by running errands and doing housework. But I was using energy that should have been saved for structured exercise that involved strength training, cardio and flexibility. When I spent my energy on miscellaneous activities, I had nothing left for exercise. I'll have to admit, it sure felt good to clean the bathrooms the way I used to bc (before cancer). I still have to get through radiation and can't afford to "waste" this precious energy.

Short Term - by September 1

• Physical: Nutrition - drink 64 ounces of water, eat more natural foods, avoid food additives, avoid processed foods, eat fish once a week (Carol, please teach me how to cook this stuff!)
• Physical: Exercise - walk 20 minutes 5 days a week, do yoga 3 days a week, strength training, lose 5 pounds
• Physical: Sleep - go to bed by midnight with chamomile tea and a good book, stop using the TV to fall asleep, nap before fatigue sets in, no computer 2 hours before bedtime.
• Emotional - pray and meditate daily, practice mindfulness
• Support Systems - connect with people who are loving and enhance my life

Long Term - by June 2014

• Physical: Nutrition - continue ST goals, eat fish twice a week,
• Physical: Exercise - walk 45 minutes 5 days a week, do yoga daily, strength training,  lose 20 pounds
• Physical: Sleep - go to bed by 10:00 pm during the school year, continue ST goals 
• Emotional - continue to pray and meditate, practice mindfulness
• Support Systems - call my parents daily, host family gatherings often, hang out with friends

I need to find an app to keep track of some of this and schedule it on my Google Calendar or it might never happen. Call if you want to walk with me this summer!

I would encourage you to set goals for yourself in these areas. 

You shouldn't wait until you have cancer 

to be proactive about your health. 

Hugs,
Christie

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It's the Little Things

I was so excited about using mascara for the first time in months. My lashes are only an 1/8th of an inch long but doing something I managed bc (before cancer) made me feel almost normal. I made a list of some little things I'm grateful to be doing again.

• walking further than the length of our driveway
• planting flowers
• having morning coffee on the back porch
• planning sewing projects
• tasting and smelling food
• carrying the laundry basket
• cooking for my family
• getting the feeling back in my fingers and toes
• sleeping on my tummy

Hugs,
Christie

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I'm Getting Deported!

When I look at this photo I realize just how far I've come in 18 days. This was my method of taking a stroll at the mall on May 4th, after my last chemo and first surgery.

After the second surgery I had to take some time to focus on recovering. I'm following a yoga dvd for breast cancer survivors. I'm taking longer walks. I'm meditating often. And I started reading a new book, "After Cancer Treatment: Heal Faster, Better, Stronger", by Julie Silver, MD.

I went back to work Monday and people tell me I look great and my face is rosy. I haven't felt this good in months. I'm grateful for this lull before the next treatment as it will present many new challenges.

Friday I met the radiologist. In a couple weeks I will start getting zapped every day for 6 weeks.

This week I have appointments booked every single day! Yesterday I saw Doc Esther for instructions about taking Arimidex for 5 years. I don't have to see her again until August 27th. She warned me not to have Oncologist Withdraw!
Today my left arm was measured for the sleeve I will wear to prevent Lymphedema.
Tomorrow I'm going to Elegant Essentials for my under garment fitting. It's like Victoria's Secret for breast cancer patients!
Friday I'm getting Deported! Now that chemo is finished they will surgically remove the port from my upper right arm. Come on now! Did you really think I was an alien?!
I'm moving into the next phase of this journey. New people to meet and new experiences. Carol always tells me this whole journey is my polishing stone! Thanks Sis!

Hugs,
Christie

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I'm Okay

I know it's been over a week since I last posted but I'm okay. Really!


I'm not gonna lie...this is really hard.......and the next four treatments will be intense. Taxotere is not a nice drug but it's the only way to continue reducing the tumor. I will do whatever it takes to knock this stupid cancer out of my body.


It took about a week to recover from the treatment on January 17th. I didn't even get on the computer during those days and only checked text messages. Then it was Friday and I had a busy weekend.

Yesterday a student and teacher from my school came over for a couple hours. The student approached me in December about being part of his senior photo project. He wanted to take photos of me doing normal activities with and without the scarves. No wonder models get paid a zillion dollars. It's hard work! His mom lost her battle with breast cancer in August of 2011 so I was honored that he asked me to be a part of his project. He showed me all of the shots and they looked great with the natural lighting and different angles.

I'm worried about my sister, Carol. She has been so tired and in so much pain. You're not really done when they tell you you're finished with the treatment and cured. It takes a long time to recover and get back to where you were BC (before cancer).

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Comparing Our Girls

Christie & Carol bc (before cancer)

My sister, Carol,  stopped by after work the day of my biopsy. I was still in shock and really scared. She has been through this journey herself and will finish chemo in mid-December. We sat on the couch going over the events and  I asked if she wanted to see my wounds. Now, we hadn't seen each other's chests since 1965 so this was an odd moment. But I lifted my shirt, tugged on my Genie Bra and proved to myself that this was not a dream (nightmare!). She winced at the sight of band-aids and bruises crisscrossing my breast. She said that after radiation my breast will be smaller than the other. "Do you want to see?", she offered. She lifted her shirt and Genie Bra to reveal her breasts and sure enough one was smaller. It was like we were looking in a mirror because our wounds were right across from each other (my left, her right), and in the same location. But more importantly, she could see how far she has come, from being bruised and battered. And I could see were I will be when my treatment is over, healed and healthy once more.

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