Getting back into shape

Sorry I haven't posted in a while but I don't have much to post. I am thrilled to say that my LAST chemo is this Thursday! Yahoo!!! My oncologist wouldn't talk about radiation at my last appointment (last week), so I can't update you on what's next. All I can say is that I think I will have radiation start sometime in early June. I told the oncologist that I want to go to Toronto for a family wedding and he said that they would work around my schedule. Sounds good to me.

I'm looking forward to being able to move ahead with my life although, I feel like I am right now. I have been back mountain biking and road riding for the past month or two. I have been doing alot of pushing my bike up hills or resting to catch my breath but I managed a 50 mile ride in Creston this weekend while my hubby did the century for the Wildflower ride. It was a great ride, fairly flat, so not too difficult. This picture above, is of me and Linh at the first rest stop (as Linh referred to as the breakfast stop because they had so many goodies there).

I still have 4 to 6 weeks of radiation and then another surgery to remove the expanders and put in implants. Ugh! I just want this crap over with! I hate the expanders and soreness in my chest and right side when I exercise. I hate the fact that I can't sleep on my stomach without being very uncomfortable.

Back to being positive... my sciatica continues to not be too bad. I still don't think I can jog but I am in so much less pain now. I am going to start swimming soon and hope to lose some of this weight I gained since Doug came home. He is a really bad influence on me. Way too many desserts!

That's all the news for now. Just one other note. Many thanks for Tricare, the military health insurance. Since Doug is considered active duty, I am covered with them as my secondary insurance. They have picked up pretty much everything so far this year and I haven't had to really put out anything. I am so grateful because without them, I would have been out $5,000 by about March.

Mo

Happy birthday to me

Somehow, my birthday has taken on a little more meaning this year. It was extra special to have my sister and niece here and my friend Chi organized a party on my actual birthday, which was great!

I have been reading some inspirational books lately and feel like I need to really take charge of my life and make some changes. I'm not sure exactly what yet, but I want to make more of a difference on this earth and I want to be happier. Well, now that I have blogged about it, I better make it happen!

Things are going pretty well health-wise for me. Today was my second to last chemo treatment. I am finding that the only thing that this chemo seems to do is affect my brain (oh and lower my white and red blood cell counts). I don't get the very noticeable brain fog that I got on my first chemotherapy... but I do feel like I don't remember things well and am slow to comprehend and make decisions. This is hard when you work for a fast-paced, high tech company. So I asked my oncologist if it was possible that my brain was affected by the chemo and he said yes. I was pretty sure he was going to say no since he usually downplays the side effects but he confirmed it. Luckily, the side-effect is reversed when this is over with!

Sciatica-wise, the pain has actually been lessening. I have absolutely no idea why but... I'll take it! I still have pain standing and walking but nothing like before where I would want to cry, it was so bad. I won't be starting up running anytime soon (a definite sciatica pain awakener) but riding my bikes seems to work out ok.

I pretty much feel normal although my arms still have some stiffness around the shoulders and my chest hurts when it's pressed on (like when baby Chloe sits on my chest or pushes on it). hopefully that will go away when the expanders are taken out and real implants are put in. I haven't had a fill to my expanders in a while and plan to go in about another week or so. I don't want to get much larger, but I think they need to expand my right side bigger because the radiation tightens the skin and the muscle underneath, reducing the expanded area.

That's all for now. Happy April!

Mo