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Thanks....
....for your concern. Today was my last rad. treatment for my lower spine. I see my medical oncologist Friday. I will be starting tykerb and xeloda for my bone mets and enlarged lymphnode in my neck. I'm hoping the WBR allows the treatment to cross the blood brain barrier, just incase.
I'm still real unsteady on my feet. I think I can understand how old people feel. I fell back about 4 weeks ago. My legs just buckled and I was on the floor that quick. I was home alone but was able to get up by myself.
My ankles are swollen from the decadron so I'm taking lasix. I'm down to one decadron daily and one oxycodone, for breakthrough pain. The pain has just about gone away in my right leg (tumor on lower spine treated).
Whole brain radiation used to be my worst nightmare, but I went through it without debilitating side effects and never have to do it again. They would still be able to do gamma knife or someother tx. if need be.
I think the biggest pain of what I have to do to stay alive is have my left pleural cavity drained every three days. The fluid around my left lung caused it to collapse about 75%. There was too much scar tissue to re-inflate the lung, so the surgeon put a pleural cather in, which my husband drains for me. Each kit is in a sterile bag including a vacuum bottle, bandages, etc. We are able to get 450ml. out before it feels like an elephant is on my chest.
It just amazes me what we go through to live. I wonder sometimes about how life would be without all of this. The general public doesn't have a clue. And then there are so many people much worse off then me in 3rd world countries who are starving and don't have clean water and we buy bottled water instead of drinking the free water out of our taps. Such extremes.
On a brighter note. Mary Anne, My husband always joked that we should have raised dogs and not kids. Pets don't talk back and borrow money.
I've gotten so much closer to my 2 older girls since they moved out on their own. My middle daughter Carly used to go lock herself in her bedroom and not talk to me. Now she calls and visits me and wants to know my opinions. She's been a real joy to be around. As long as her younger sister isn't here, then all hell breaks lose. I have joked around that stage 4 breast was easier then raising teenagers
The girls were 7 1/2, 4 1/2, and 7 months when I was origionally dx, Sept 26, 1991. I was stage one and never imagined I would have a reoccurrance 3 1/2 years ago. It was much harder for the girls to deal with 3 1/2 years ago when they were 20, 17, and 13. My youngest daughter, Julie was the same age I was when my mother was dx. with breast cancer. Mom lived 13 years and it had been 13 years since my origional dx. so I assumed I would die that year. But I'm still here, I survived. YEAH!!!
The disease has had it's most affect on my youngest daughter, Julie. She sees me getting attention and has become somewhat of a hypocondriac. Every day she comes up with something new wrong with her. She also can be very mean to me, saying the most nasty comments. She has had years of counceling which she is not attending right now. Her councelor has taken her as far as she is able as Julie has a drug and alcohol problem and her councelor doesn't have the training. We took her to Laurallwood which is for substance abuse, which Julie refused to go after the first week. The councelor there suggested we take her to a grief councelor. We will look into it. I just don't want her to have any regrets if I should die and we have unresolved issues. I know from my own experience with my dad, whom I was estranged for the last 6 weeks of his life, how hard it is to not be able to say I'm sorry or I love you.
On to a brighter note. Believe51, does your Maine Coon cat have a tail? Before Tom and I had kids we used to live with another couple who had a Maine Coon Cat that didn't have a tail. He was beautiful, looked just like a raccoon. He was declawed but used to climb a tree that was growing crooked. He would take a running jump and climbup in that that tree.
It sounds like we all have benefitted from our furry little friends. They just have a way giving us what others sometimes can't give or show. I hope you all have a wonderful day today.
Love and Blessings
Lu Ann
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