Monday, June 26, 2017
Long Time No See
I did not realize how long it has been since I have updated this blog. For that I am sorry. I was doing what the average cancer patient does once they complete treatment. You get busy living your life, that is a good thing. That is why you went through the treatment as arduous as it may of been.
I have been doing just that. During this time I have also spent much of my time raising awareness, being a mentor to others going through the cancer treatment process as well as raising money for the American Cancer Society. Life was going good, I passed the magical 5 year Survivor mark and cancer was becoming a part of my past. A part that made me a more compassionate, patient and faith filled person.
Then.... last summer I happened to fall back into a sump it while helping my husband do a home appraisal. My back really hurt after that and I brushed it off after all that is quite a jolt and I was nearing 60 years old...what did I expect? The pain persisted and the heating pad became my best friend. Then the pain wandered over to my left side right where the kidney is located. This had me quite concerned since I donated the left kidney to my brother 25 years ago and I have to protect the one I have left. So I consulted my medical authority, Dr. Google, and came to conclusion I had a kidney stone. My next step was to go to an actual medical professional to confirm my diagnosis and start treatment. So I went to the general practitioner, who did some tests that were not conclusive so she sent me to the specialist, a Urologist.` An x-ray was done prior to my appointment and the Urologist relayed the good news that I did not have a kidney stone and he was referring me back to the General Practitioner.
When I met with the General Practitioner, I was informed that I had a compression fracture in my spine. In addition there was concern about a mass that had formed where the fracture occurred and that the mass had what I remember being described as 'boney finger extrusions'. With that they want me to see my Oncologist to rule out the chance that it may be cancer. Wow, but has usual for me I concentrated on the word may as being it is most likely not.
The next week I had a PET scan done. A PET scan is one of those fun tests if you have claustrophobia, which I do not. They inject a radioactive sugar tracer into your blood, you sit quietly for 45 minutes to allow it to circulate thorough your body then you go through the PET scanner tube where you lay still for 20 minutes while the scanner moves you slowly through the tube. A few hours later I was meeting with my favorite Medical Oncologist, Dr. Matthew Hill of John Stoddard in Des Moines. He conveyed the information that yes, that boney extrusion was most likely cancer. Being the optimist that I am, I asked for a percentage range, he said he was 95% certain that it was cancer, a biopsy would be done to confirm that.
The next step was to schedule the biopsy which would be done when I had surgery to remove the mass that grew where the compression fracture occurred. The surgery was a breeze. At the follow-up appointment with my Oncologist, I learned that the mass was in deed cancer. It was not a new cancer but the Breast Cancer has changed it's physiology and was mow metastases to my bones. The major spots were in my spine at T8,9, 3 & 4 with additional spots through my pelvic and collarbone areas. I knew that once the cancer had left the site of origin (in my case the breasts) and went to another part of my body that is was Metastic Cancer, Also know as Stage 4 Cancer. So with the aid of my Oncologist, I prepared to go back on the wild ride of fighting cancer.
My next post will detail the plan of treatment.
Wednesday, October 12, 2016
Six years and six months..... Still Sassy
Well it has been six years and six months since my final treatment for my Stage 2 Breast Cancer . Life has been good. When people would ask me is if I was cancer free I would respond with "I am sassy, which it is good thing. You never know you are cancer free because you can't examine every cell in your body."
Wait is a good thing I had that mind set, it made my most recent diagnosis easier to accept. Yes, the breast cancer has spread to my bones, so I am now a Stage IV Breast Cancer Fighter.
How did this come about? I had fallen earlier this year and had a sore back for quite some time and thought, well I am getting older. Then the pain went the my left side and felt like I had a knife in my side. So I consulted Dr.Google and figured outbid had a kidney stone. Since I have only 1 kidney, I went to the doctor. Well the kidney function test was normal 😊😊 , the ultrasound was inconclusive. The Urologist ordered an X_Ray and a CT Scan and again showed no kidney stone but did show a "boney island" near the 9th vertebrae. So. It a kidney issue but a trip back to my oncologist, Dr.Hill was recommended.
A PET scan was conducted which showed many hot spots of cancer. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Positron_emission_tomography for what a PET Scan is.
The PET Scan came back showing many "hot spots" of suspicious cancer activity. Mainly in my spine at the 9th vertebrae ( hence the back pain) plus some at the 2nd and 3rd vertebrae along with some spots in my pelvis and collarbone. The scan also showed some fluid in my right lung, but they are not real worried about that.
So the next step was to go for surgery to repair the compression fracture at the 9th vertebrae. The surgery was awesome, they did it with an incision no larger than a pencil eraser! A 19 mm tumor was removed and a type of bone cement was placed where the tumor was. Very cool, the pain in my left side was gone. The surgeon explained that is was the tumor growing and pushing on the narrow covering of nerves that caused the extreme pain. Recovery was very easy, the hardest part for me being recovering from anesthesia, it seems to take me 3-4 days to get over the effects, but sleep is a good thing!
It took about 4 days for the biopsy to come back. When it did, it did indicate cancer. This is not bone cancer, but a return of breast cancer that has metastasized to my bones. The physiology is altered from what I had in 2008, I learned that cancers often morph their characteristics. It is still estrogen positive. With this being stage 4, there is no cure, but my doctors will be following closely and altering treatment as necessary.
My next post will cover my treatments.
All is well, but cancer is a pain!
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Beware Of Bears - Relationships and Money - daveramsey.com
Beware Of Bears - Relationships and Money - daveramsey.com
If you are interested more in the Financial Peace University, please contact me!
If you are interested more in the Financial Peace University, please contact me!
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
WHCRA or TMI?
Remember the old classic Rocky and Bullwinkle cartoons? The ones with the alternate title? Well that format seems to fit the format for this update, besides that it tickles my fancy and makes me smile!
WHCRA stands for Women’s Health and Cancer Rights Act. Signed into law on October 21, 1998. The purpose of the law is to require the following mastectomy benefits:
-reconstruction of the breast that was removed by mastectomy
-surgery and reconstruction of the other breast to make the breasts look symmetrical or balanced after mastectomy
-any external breast prostheses (breast from that fits into a bra) that are needed before or during reconstruction
-any physical complications at all stages of mastectomy, including lymphedema.
TMI stands for Too Much Information. Which this update may contain. But it has been my goal to share my experience with others, to increase knowledge which of course is power.
So why am I talking about laws that refer to a mastectomy? After all I didn’t have a mastectomy….. Or did I?
Definition of Lumpectomy according to Right Health web site:
Lumpectomy; Wide local excision; Excisional biopsy; Limited breast surgery; Segmental mastectomy: Breast conservation therapy or surgery; Tylectomy; Breast sparing surgery; Partial mastectomy; Segmental breast excision
Actually a lumpectomy is really just a modified mastectomy, so the law does apply to me.
Let’s go back in time to April of 2008, when I was diagnosed and meeting with my surgical oncologist. At that time I was given the option of having reconstruction on the affected (cancerous) breast at the time of the lumpectomy. My first reaction was to do as little as possible. But I asked questions, the questions I asked was basically would insurance cover a reduction on the larger, healthier breast after I was done with the adjuvant therapies?* I was told then about the law that required insurance companies to cover this which is called: acquired breast asymmetry. So being the very pragmatic person I am, I decided to not go through augmentation/reconstruction on the affected breast.
adjuvant therapy (A-joo-vant THAYR-uh-pee)
Additional cancer treatment given after the primary treatment to lower the risk that the cancer will come back. Adjuvant therapy may include chemotherapy, radiation therapy, hormone therapy, targeted therapy, or biological therapy.
.
Now, after my 16 rounds of chemotherapy and my 38 sessions of radiation are complete I am on the road to feeling more like Lynn again. However when I look at myself in the mirror or glance down, I see a lopsided fruit plate! I told my husband it was like having a grapefruit and an orange. “Frankly” he replied, “it is more like a grapefruit and an apple”. Too funny! Anyway, so I could be like a fruit salad and use whipped cream to even things out (translate to padding or prostheses) but that is a bit messy and tedious. I could just continue to be lopsided, but traditional bras now bruise me due to the ill fit.
So this Thursday the 24th of September I am having a reduction mammaplasty!
I have been referred to a wonderful plastic surgeon who has been the surgeon for many of my new sisters! Here is a link to his information:
http://www.iowaclinicplasticsurgeons.com/dr_konstantinos_lekkas_md.cfm
As always, I thank each and everyone of you for your prayers and good wishes, you have made my journey so much easier! Hopefully I am helping you understand what a friend or family member may be going through who is not as outspoken as I!
WHCRA stands for Women’s Health and Cancer Rights Act. Signed into law on October 21, 1998. The purpose of the law is to require the following mastectomy benefits:
-reconstruction of the breast that was removed by mastectomy
-surgery and reconstruction of the other breast to make the breasts look symmetrical or balanced after mastectomy
-any external breast prostheses (breast from that fits into a bra) that are needed before or during reconstruction
-any physical complications at all stages of mastectomy, including lymphedema.
TMI stands for Too Much Information. Which this update may contain. But it has been my goal to share my experience with others, to increase knowledge which of course is power.
So why am I talking about laws that refer to a mastectomy? After all I didn’t have a mastectomy….. Or did I?
Definition of Lumpectomy according to Right Health web site:
Lumpectomy; Wide local excision; Excisional biopsy; Limited breast surgery; Segmental mastectomy: Breast conservation therapy or surgery; Tylectomy; Breast sparing surgery; Partial mastectomy; Segmental breast excision
Actually a lumpectomy is really just a modified mastectomy, so the law does apply to me.
Let’s go back in time to April of 2008, when I was diagnosed and meeting with my surgical oncologist. At that time I was given the option of having reconstruction on the affected (cancerous) breast at the time of the lumpectomy. My first reaction was to do as little as possible. But I asked questions, the questions I asked was basically would insurance cover a reduction on the larger, healthier breast after I was done with the adjuvant therapies?* I was told then about the law that required insurance companies to cover this which is called: acquired breast asymmetry. So being the very pragmatic person I am, I decided to not go through augmentation/reconstruction on the affected breast.
adjuvant therapy (A-joo-vant THAYR-uh-pee)
Additional cancer treatment given after the primary treatment to lower the risk that the cancer will come back. Adjuvant therapy may include chemotherapy, radiation therapy, hormone therapy, targeted therapy, or biological therapy.
.
Now, after my 16 rounds of chemotherapy and my 38 sessions of radiation are complete I am on the road to feeling more like Lynn again. However when I look at myself in the mirror or glance down, I see a lopsided fruit plate! I told my husband it was like having a grapefruit and an orange. “Frankly” he replied, “it is more like a grapefruit and an apple”. Too funny! Anyway, so I could be like a fruit salad and use whipped cream to even things out (translate to padding or prostheses) but that is a bit messy and tedious. I could just continue to be lopsided, but traditional bras now bruise me due to the ill fit.
So this Thursday the 24th of September I am having a reduction mammaplasty!
I have been referred to a wonderful plastic surgeon who has been the surgeon for many of my new sisters! Here is a link to his information:
http://www.iowaclinicplasticsurgeons.com/dr_konstantinos_lekkas_md.cfm
As always, I thank each and everyone of you for your prayers and good wishes, you have made my journey so much easier! Hopefully I am helping you understand what a friend or family member may be going through who is not as outspoken as I!
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Lucky Dog
Lucky Dog....
Anyone who has pets will really like this. You'll like it even if you don't and you may even decide you need one!
Mary and her husband Jim had a dog named 'Lucky.'
Lucky was a real character. Whenever Mary and Jim had company come for a weekend visit they would warn their friends to not leave their luggage open because Lucky would help himself to whatever struck his fancy. Inevitably, someone would forget and something would come up missing.
Mary or Jim would go to Lucky's toy box in the basement and there the treasure would be, amid all of Lucky's other favorite toys Lucky always stashed his finds in his toy box and he was very particular that his toys stay in the box.
It happened that Mary found out she had breast cancer. Something told her she was going to die of this disease....in fact; she was just sure it was fatal.
She scheduled the double mastectomy, fear riding her shoulders. The night before she was to go to the hospital she cuddled with Lucky. A thought struck her...what would happen to Lucky? Although the three-year-old dog liked Jim, he was Mary's dog through and through. If I die, Lucky will be abandoned, Mary thought. He won't understand that I didn't want to leave him! The thought made her sadder than thinking of her own death.
The double mastectomy was harder on Mary than her doctors had anticipated and Mary was hospitalized for over two weeks. Jim took Lucky for his evening walk faithfully, but the little dog just drooped, whining and miserable.
Finally the day came for Mary to leave the hospital. When she arrived home, Mary was so exhausted she couldn't even make it up the steps to her bedroom. Jim made his wife comfortable on the couch and left her to nap.
Lucky stood watching Mary but he didn't come to her when she called. It made Mary sad but sleep soon overcame her and she dozed.
When Mary woke for a second she couldn't understand what was wrong. She couldn't move her head and her body f felt heavy and hot. But panic soon gave way to laughter when Mary realized the problem. She was covered, literally blanketed, with every treasure Lucky owned! While she had slept, the sorrowing dog had made trip after trip to the basement bringing his beloved mistress all his favorite things in life.
He had covered her with his love.
Mary forgot about dying. Instead she and Lucky began living again, walking further and further together every day. It's been 12 years now and Mary is still cancer-free. Lucky He still steals treasures and stashes them in his toy box but Mary remains his greatest treasure.
Remember......live every day to the fullest. Each minute is a blessing from God. And never forget....the people who make a difference in our lives are not the ones with the most Credentials, the most money, or the most awards. They are the ones that care for us.
If you see someone without a smile today give them one of yours! Live simply. Love seriously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. Leave the rest to God
A small request
All you are asked to do is keep this circulating.
Dear God, I pray for the cure of cancer.
Amen
All you are asked to do is keep this circulating, even if it is only to one more person, in memory of anyone you know that has been struck down by cancer or is still fighting their battle.
Anyone who has pets will really like this. You'll like it even if you don't and you may even decide you need one!
Mary and her husband Jim had a dog named 'Lucky.'
Lucky was a real character. Whenever Mary and Jim had company come for a weekend visit they would warn their friends to not leave their luggage open because Lucky would help himself to whatever struck his fancy. Inevitably, someone would forget and something would come up missing.
Mary or Jim would go to Lucky's toy box in the basement and there the treasure would be, amid all of Lucky's other favorite toys Lucky always stashed his finds in his toy box and he was very particular that his toys stay in the box.
It happened that Mary found out she had breast cancer. Something told her she was going to die of this disease....in fact; she was just sure it was fatal.
She scheduled the double mastectomy, fear riding her shoulders. The night before she was to go to the hospital she cuddled with Lucky. A thought struck her...what would happen to Lucky? Although the three-year-old dog liked Jim, he was Mary's dog through and through. If I die, Lucky will be abandoned, Mary thought. He won't understand that I didn't want to leave him! The thought made her sadder than thinking of her own death.
The double mastectomy was harder on Mary than her doctors had anticipated and Mary was hospitalized for over two weeks. Jim took Lucky for his evening walk faithfully, but the little dog just drooped, whining and miserable.
Finally the day came for Mary to leave the hospital. When she arrived home, Mary was so exhausted she couldn't even make it up the steps to her bedroom. Jim made his wife comfortable on the couch and left her to nap.
Lucky stood watching Mary but he didn't come to her when she called. It made Mary sad but sleep soon overcame her and she dozed.
When Mary woke for a second she couldn't understand what was wrong. She couldn't move her head and her body f felt heavy and hot. But panic soon gave way to laughter when Mary realized the problem. She was covered, literally blanketed, with every treasure Lucky owned! While she had slept, the sorrowing dog had made trip after trip to the basement bringing his beloved mistress all his favorite things in life.
He had covered her with his love.
Mary forgot about dying. Instead she and Lucky began living again, walking further and further together every day. It's been 12 years now and Mary is still cancer-free. Lucky He still steals treasures and stashes them in his toy box but Mary remains his greatest treasure.
Remember......live every day to the fullest. Each minute is a blessing from God. And never forget....the people who make a difference in our lives are not the ones with the most Credentials, the most money, or the most awards. They are the ones that care for us.
If you see someone without a smile today give them one of yours! Live simply. Love seriously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. Leave the rest to God
A small request
All you are asked to do is keep this circulating.
Dear God, I pray for the cure of cancer.
Amen
All you are asked to do is keep this circulating, even if it is only to one more person, in memory of anyone you know that has been struck down by cancer or is still fighting their battle.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Happy Anniversary! April 7
Dear Friends,
It was just one year ago today that I received my diagnosis of cancer. At the time I was filled with many fears, now I have great peace. To celebrate I have this to share with you.
What has cancer taught me?
I was asked this on finishing my course of 33 radiation treatments. Now it is two months later and I am ready to share (in written form) what I have learned.
Having been diagnosed with cancer and dealing with it’s treatment has given me the opportunity to reflect on my life. There are all the hours you are awake in the middle of the night, the time spend locked behind a steel door in radiation and those twilight minutes between naps!
I have always considered myself to be a person of faith. I was so blessed to be brought up by a mother and father who saw to it that I had a relationship with God. My Grandmother McAdams passed away when I was 5 years old. My parents handled the potential of my being scared by death by calmly explaining to me that when a person dies that they go to heaven. What a gift! Of course, you do need to accept the gift and acknowledge it, have that gift become a part of your life.
Being a recipient of a gift so freely given is not so easy, I have discovered. It is a humbling experience. After all, I am a very independent, self-suffiencent person! Accepting the knowledge that I cannot do it all on, my own in fact that I NEED to let others give is new to me. I much prefer to be on the giving side. Somehow, that has been my nature. All the details in the giving create joy within me. Thinking of what the recipient could use, what they need and enjoy. Factored in also is will this gift delight? Will the recipient’s eyes light up? Did they even know such a thing existed?
How much are the above thoughts like those of God when he sent his son to save us?
My faith has become so much deeper over the last year. I see examples of God’s promises to us everywhere I look.
Several years ago, I heard. Ken McCaughey, the father of the sptuplets born in 1997 speak. He said that they left everything in God’s hands once they made the decision to carry all 7 babies to term as opposed to doing a selective reduction. I clearly remember thinking his faith was somewhat naive, that we need to work, to be reasonable in our prayer requests. Now I realize that at times prayer is all that is available. That it takes a humble person to honestly believe that God will provide exactly what you need. Not what you think you need.
All of my prayers have been answered. Many of the answers were not what I was expecting. Other answers came in the form of gifts. Yes some prayers I am still waiting to discover the answer.
It all reminds me of the newest GEICO commercial where the CEO does the “trust fall” with the Gecko. Yes, I trust God that much! My wish for you is that you can learn the lesson without the expensive tuition!
It was just one year ago today that I received my diagnosis of cancer. At the time I was filled with many fears, now I have great peace. To celebrate I have this to share with you.
What has cancer taught me?
I was asked this on finishing my course of 33 radiation treatments. Now it is two months later and I am ready to share (in written form) what I have learned.
Having been diagnosed with cancer and dealing with it’s treatment has given me the opportunity to reflect on my life. There are all the hours you are awake in the middle of the night, the time spend locked behind a steel door in radiation and those twilight minutes between naps!
I have always considered myself to be a person of faith. I was so blessed to be brought up by a mother and father who saw to it that I had a relationship with God. My Grandmother McAdams passed away when I was 5 years old. My parents handled the potential of my being scared by death by calmly explaining to me that when a person dies that they go to heaven. What a gift! Of course, you do need to accept the gift and acknowledge it, have that gift become a part of your life.
Being a recipient of a gift so freely given is not so easy, I have discovered. It is a humbling experience. After all, I am a very independent, self-suffiencent person! Accepting the knowledge that I cannot do it all on, my own in fact that I NEED to let others give is new to me. I much prefer to be on the giving side. Somehow, that has been my nature. All the details in the giving create joy within me. Thinking of what the recipient could use, what they need and enjoy. Factored in also is will this gift delight? Will the recipient’s eyes light up? Did they even know such a thing existed?
How much are the above thoughts like those of God when he sent his son to save us?
My faith has become so much deeper over the last year. I see examples of God’s promises to us everywhere I look.
Several years ago, I heard. Ken McCaughey, the father of the sptuplets born in 1997 speak. He said that they left everything in God’s hands once they made the decision to carry all 7 babies to term as opposed to doing a selective reduction. I clearly remember thinking his faith was somewhat naive, that we need to work, to be reasonable in our prayer requests. Now I realize that at times prayer is all that is available. That it takes a humble person to honestly believe that God will provide exactly what you need. Not what you think you need.
All of my prayers have been answered. Many of the answers were not what I was expecting. Other answers came in the form of gifts. Yes some prayers I am still waiting to discover the answer.
It all reminds me of the newest GEICO commercial where the CEO does the “trust fall” with the Gecko. Yes, I trust God that much! My wish for you is that you can learn the lesson without the expensive tuition!
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