Lessons Learned - 2010

As I muse over the year 2010, I think of many events, both good and bad.  I’d like to share some of the lessons I’ve learned this year from those events/milestones.  I thank you dearly for sharing this life-changing year with me.

Jenny B’s Sudden Illness then Death (February 2010)

Learned: Life is so very fragile.  Each day should be seen as a gift.  Live each day with your family as if it were your last.

Discovery of a Lump (March 2010)

Learned: Always do breast self-examinations, even if you recently had a diagnostic mammogram.  No imaging device is 100% accurate.  This is especially true of you are young and have dense breast tissue.  “You never know what you’re walking around with.” – my mother

Cancer Diagnosis (April 2010)

Learned: (1) Sometimes a single phone call can change your life forever.  Fear can grip you and shock can numb you, but faith in God can bring you peace even when you hear devastating news.  Those who don’t know Christ can easily fall apart. (2) There are cancer survivors all around us.  It is both surprising and encouraging to see them ‘come out of the woodwork’ when you announce your own diagnosis.

Mastectomy (May 2010)

Learned:  (1) There may be times when you have to lose something for the sake of something more important.  It is worth it, if only for the peace of mind.  (2) I learned that true love and generosity exist among Christians.  The visits, meals, cards, and prayers anchored me as I began this long journey.

Chemotherapy (June – September 2010)

Learned: (1) It is so important to focus on the light at the end of the tunnel.  When Paul said “the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds” (Philippians 4:7), he meant it literally!  (2) I learned that the human body is such a complicated, delicate, perfectly-balanced system, and that adding poison to it will cause all sorts of strange, long-lasting, side-effects.  (3) Cancer strikes people of all ages, races, and socio-economic levels.

Loss of Hair (June 2010)

Learned: Never underestimate the value of a woman’s hair and her sense of beauty.

My Baby Goes to Kindergarten (August 2010)

Learned: God will provide when you trust him and obey.  I didn’t expect to stop homeschooling Camille and enroll her in Kindergarten, but God gave her such a wonderful teacher and a love of learning.  God always makes a way, and sends messages of reassurance along that way.

Tricia L.’s Recurrence (September 2010)

Learned: (1) Cancer is nothing to take lightly; but God is still bigger!!!  (2) I also learned that there is a special kinship between cancer survivors.

Radiation (October – November 2010)

Learned: A body’s skin does not take well to daily burning with intense rays.  There is much a person will tolerate to ensure the death of all remaining cancer cells.  Medical technology is amazing!

Rest Time (December 2010)

Learned: Quiet times of rest for the body and the mind are critical for good health.  We must take good care of ourselves and allow others to help us when we need it.  It’s OKAY to rest and meditate.  It's an absolute must!

Hair - 12/24

OT Graduation

Congratulations to me!  I graduated from occupational therapy Monday afternoon.  :-)  I will continue to do my exercises for range of motion and my massages to prevent lymph edema.  Good week indeed!

Merry Christmas!!!

I hope you're enjoying your Christmas holiday.  I certainly am!  I've been pretty busy, but I've had my lazy moments as well.  At this point, I should be living leisurely the rest of the week.  :-)

Yesterday, I realized something.  I feel pretty normal again.  There was a time this summer when I couldn't imagine ever feeling "good" again.  I had grown so accustomed to the discomforts.  It's a real blessing.  My energy is up, my appetite is where it should be, my taste buds are back to normal, oh, and I finally retired the wig.  LOL... Yes, I did.  Sunday was my first day going out - even to church - without a wig.  It was scary, but felt really good.  My hair has filled out quite nicely.  It's still pretty straight, but quite a bit longer than when I last posted pictures.  I'll post more very soon.

Merry Christmas to you!!  All my love...

PET/CT Scan Rescheduled

My scan that was originally scheduled for December 21st has been rescheduled for January 4th.  We will meet with Dr. T. on the 5th to get the results.  We had to reschedule because our insurance needed a pre-determination from the doctor's office, and this will take about 14 days to process.  So, I'll wait a bit longer for my wonderful news.

Another Decision To Make

I really should be in bed by now.  It's strange... even though I'm tired and sleepy, I stay up late each night.  Perhaps it's the quiet and solitude of the midnight hour that appeals to me... I don't know.  Anyhow, I thought I'd post an update before climbing into bed.

I met with my plastic surgeon Monday afternoon to discuss my next step...reconstruction.  He quickly informed me that I was no where near scheduling the surgery because my radiation was so significant.  He said I have LOTS of healing to do before we could even talk about reconstruction.  This really burst my bubble because I was actually pleased with the improvement of my skin over the past two weeks.  I was told by the nurse that my radiation was very intense because of the size of my tumor.  She said it was necessary in order to "keep me here".  I just love Carolyn.  She is such a warm and sincere nurse.  Both times I visited this doctor, she sat with me after the exam and consultation and explained things to me from a woman's perspective.  She's worked with Dr. A. for years and has seen all types of situations.  I feel comfortable enough to ask her "what she'd do" if she were in my place.  Also, two of my dear pink sisters have gone to Dr. A. and they were very pleased with his work.

We used today's visit to discuss my surgical options in detail.  Probably too much detail, because my head was spinning when I left from terminology overload.  *LOL*  In a nutshell, I have another tricky decision to make.  Since my tumor was so large and my radiation was so intense, expanders are out of the question.  Too much skin and tissue damage.  However, I am a candidate for three very invasive, yet successful procedures: TRAM flap, latissimus flap, and the DIEP flap.

TRAM flap - removes muscle, tissue and skin from the abdomen to reconstruct.
Latissimus flap - removes muscle and tissue from the back to reconstruct.
DIEP flap - newest state-of-the-art microsurgical procedure that removes tissue from the abdomen without having to remove the muscle.

All three have proven to be highly successful.  The DIEP is the top-of-the-line procedure.  In fact, Dr. A. wouldn't even do it.  Only a select few plastic surgeons in the country do these surgeries.  Luckily, there is one in Memphis.  Surgery would take longer (around 6 hours), but the recovery is a bit shorter.  The TRAM and Latissimus flaps leave permanent, but tolerable, side effects from the donor area (abdomen and back).  Surgery would be around 4 hours and recovery would be longer.  I will continue to do research before my next appt in February, but right now, in the still of the night, I'm leaning toward the DIEP.

At this point, I think the surgery will take place in March...just in time for my 42nd birthday, and the 1-year anniversary of finding my lump.

Alright...good-night faithful readers.

Resting and OT

Since my last post, I have finished radiation, begun healing, and started occupational therapy.  The radiation oncologist thought he may have seen some swelling in my hand, so he referred me to a physical therapist for evaluation.  There was some swelling in my right hand and shoulder, so I'll have 5-6 sessions of OT to improve range of motion and prevent lymphedema. So now, I am finished with treatment.  {Yippee!!!}  I'll rest and have an evaluation with my plastic surgeon next week and my PET/CT scan on Dec. 21st.