Finally Done

Hi all,
Sorry this is later than my last blog. Last Tuesday I had my last chemo. It went pretty well. My doctor's appt went well also. It was the last time I would need to have my port activated. I wore the chemo bag for the 2 days following my doctor's visit. That is the last time I will ever wear a black fanny pouch ever again...I hope.

At my doctor's appt the last thing Dr. Helft asked me was when I wanted to get my port removed...I would have done it then and there, but I had to wear it for those 2 days. So today I went to IU Med Center and had it removed. It was a pretty easy procedure for me...they put me out. I was actually sedated enough not to feel it, but I could feel the tugging and pushing on my chest. I want to get rid of as many signs of the cancer treatment as possible. It didn't hurt but now it does. This means that from now on they will have to stick me with a needle in a vein to draw blood. That's perfectly OK with me. I guess I'll use some pain medicine tonight.

I had an appt with my psychiatrist last Wednesday. His advice was for me to stay on my anti-depressants through June. That will be after I have my doctors appt with the Dr. Robb, my surgeon in May, a colonoscopy on June 7, and a CT scan and doctors appt with Dr. Helft with all of the results from the tests. I might be a little nervous and anxious waiting for the results. I hope I will be distracted by Jordan's wedding...or stressed out with last minute details.

I start back to school on Monday, March 29. I am so excited to get back to work and see the students and my friends. It will be nice to be distracted by my normal (as normal as it was before cancer which is very questionable) routine. I will probably wish I took the whole year a couple of weeks in (not really). I can't wait to be busy. You can only watch so many TV programs and cleaning is way over rated. I'm sick of being home all day long.

I am recuperating daily. I still have some healing from surgery, nausea, but it is getting better each day. My side effects from the chemo will diminish as time passes. Hopefully, I will feel better and better week by week. My doctor said each week I will gain back more energy, I thought I had plateaued on the energy scale. But that sounds great to me. My plans are to be updating probably after my appt with my surgeon. I think the appt is May 15ish...and then I will definitely blog after my colonoscopy (June 7) and then after my CT scan (June 15) and then every 3 months when I meet with my oncologist, Dr. Helft.

Again, you can not understand how grateful I am for my family and friends and people I barely or have never known for all of the prayers, cards, food, donations, keep sakes, uplifting phone calls, house cleaning, pool preparation, school issues (Frontier and Delphi), my benefit where the money was used for gas, transportation, meals, hotel lodging and medicine), drivers that volunteered to drive me back and forth to my doctors appointments, manicures, vet calls, haircuts, lawn mowing, grocery shopping, all of the motivational messages and love that have kept me going for the last 10 1/2 months. I can't even believe it has been that long. I didn't think this day would come.

Ultimately, I pray that I am cancer free, a cancer survivor living a new type of life, but LIFE. Thanks to all of my doctors: Dr. Cardenes, Dr. Robb, and Dr. Helft and all of the nurses, surgeons, medical students, technicians, trainees, assistants, receptionists and every body at IU Med Center and Simon Cancer Center. They were and are wonderful and treated me as an individual knowing the urgency of my treatment.

Thank goodness they were aggressive in my treatment with a compassionate hand in my recovery. They promised to cure me, not just fix me. I thank God for looking over me and all involved in my emotional, physical, and mental well being. I pray that I can give help and hope to anyone dealing with life's bumps as I was helped with mine. My words will never be enough to explain my gratitude. I love you all for being there for me through it all.

Hi All,
Well on Friday, Feb 19 I met with my surgeon for a check up. He said everything was healing well and he would see me in 3 months. It was nice to hear. I asked him about the pathology report after surgery and he said it looks clear of cancer and that I shouldn't worry. So I am not going to dwell on that. I will have a CAT and PET scan in late August or early September.

Yesterday I had my 7th chemo treatment. All of my blood work came back good. My body has held up through the process. I asked my doctor about some natural treatments and he responded that they wouldn't hurt, but hadn't heard of major advances going on.

My chemo session went well, my friend Kim was with me. It was so nice visiting with her as it is with all of the friends and family that join me for my chemo. I was in another survey while getting my treatment. It was about "Hope during the fight against cancer." It was very interesting. They have info on the physical aspects but wanted to know what the mental side was like. Hope is necessary to have at times like this. It gives me strength but most of all my family and friends' support, those who have sent cards and keep me their prayer is what has helped the most...maybe because they have given me hope and kept my spirits up. My hope is not only to be free of cancer for the rest of my life, but so that I can be there for those who have given their time and love.

As far as the chemo, the sensitivity to cold is worse than before. I have some mouth sores which is caused by the 5FU. Hopefully it will get better soon. I was extremely tired afterwards. Hopefully the nausea will be manageable again with the meds that they have prescribed. Only 4 weeks of bad stuff.

As of today, Friday, I am a little nausea but better than in the past.

To all, thanks for all of your support. Until next chemo, so long.