breast cancer – Page 3 – My Recycled Bags.com

My Journey Update

November 12, 2008February 7, 2010Cindy12 Comments

It’s been a while since I’ve posted about my pink journey here so I figured I’d do an update. I am one month out now from the completion of radiation treatments. My skin is healing nicely and I don’t have any real issues with my skin now other than being dark on my shoulder in the radiation field. I also have been dealing with my muscles tightening up in my arm and hand on the radiation side. I continue to do stretching exercises to try and relieve that situation.

I started taking Tamoxifen today which I’m a bit concerned about this drug therapy but I know it is necessary as my cancer tumor was estrogen positive and I have to make sure I don’t feed my cancer. I am concerned about all the side effects with Tamoxifen but I am reminded that this whole thing is out of my hands. I need to leave it all in the healing hands of our Lord.

So overall I’m doing pretty good and just wanted to let everyone know how I am doing. My hair is growing back but at a very sloooow rate. My hair has always been fine so all this chemo hasn’t been good for my hair. But it is growing and I hope by Christmas to have a little “do” that I can display so I don’t have to continue the knit hat and ball cap routine.

More later, until then thank you everyone for all your wonderful warm thoughts and prayers.
Cindy

My Next Step – Radiation

August 16, 2008December 5, 2009Cindy18 Comments

Yesterday, I had my radiation consultation which is the next step in my breast cancer treatment. I was told at the beginning that radiation would be necessary for about 6-7 weeks following completion of my chemo. Unfortunately it’s every day, five days a week, and I live 80 miles round trip from the nearest Hospital that provides radiation. Oh, boy and gas is so cheap these days…

Anyway thankfully I’ll be done before the weather gets bad and the snow hits up here. So that’s at least one good thing. I’m trying to focus on the positives and keeping my spirits up. Of course the biggest positive of radiation is that it’s killing off any remaining cancer cells and hopefully putting a final end to my cancer ever returning.

3 Down and One to go

July 7, 2008December 4, 2009Cindy21 Comments

Yes, 3 treatments down and only one more to go. I’m so happy to say that I have only one more chemo treatment left for my BC. What an uplifting feeling it is to know that I’m nearly done with chemotherapy. I’m feeling still a little crummy after my last chemo on Thursday, July 3. But hey, you got to feel a bit lousy if we want to kill off this cancer, right? Anyway I’m doing okay and usually by about day 5-6, I feel pretty normal again so I’m hoping tomorrow the chemo fog will lift.

So for everyone that has been emailing me for an update — I’m still here. I’m feeling okay for now. I still have a very positive outlook. I reminded how lucky we all are that are facing this cancer beast. We have the greatest medicines to kill this stuff and the greatest force on Heaven and Earth — God!

So for all of us who are fighting this foe — take heart, hold onto your faith, carry your head high, we can and will win this battle!

Round Two is Complete

June 10, 2008December 4, 2009Cindy8 Comments

I completed round two of my chemo treatments yesterday. That means I’m halfway done –Yea! I’m feeling pretty good today. Just a bit weak and my head feels kinda puffy like I have a headache or something. But not too bad overall. I have only had to take two anti-nausea meds and that was just because I just didn’t want to take the chance of getting sick.

On a crafting note, I’m working on some dishcloths with center scrubbers made from recycled plastic bags. I also experimenting with these green plastic sleeves that the grocer puts lettuce in.

I’ve saved up several of them in hopes of using them with cotton yarn to to create a durable dishcloth with the green netting crocheted together with the cotton. I’ll post it as soon as I’ve successfully completed the project.

In the mean time, I’ll be recouping for a few days at home until I return to my real job. Thanks everyone again for all your warm thoughts, hugs, and prayers for me.
God bless and of course, happy green crafting to all!

Time For The Big Haircut

May 25, 2008December 4, 2009Cindy36 Comments

The time has come for the big haircut. This isn’t just a trim to get me by. Last Thursday, which was day 14 after my first chemo treatment, my hair began to fall out. My hair has been shoulder length for years. On Thursday, those long strands began to just fall out. Of course I had to keep checking and each time I pulled on a few strands, my hair came right out. I could only laugh to prevent myself from crying. I’ve known this day was coming. In fact, the doctor was right on target with his prediction of when my hair might begin to fall out.

Thursday night, my falling hair took a more serious move and I had to call my dear neighbor friend Joanne to help me. After some tears, a good heart-to-heart talk with my friend and a glass of wine, I got my nerves and my emotions in check. Yes its only hair and no I’m not just my hair. I’ve heard it said, if the chemo is doing this to ones hair, what can it be doing to those nasty cancer cells. So Joanne trimmed my hair short on the back and sides to get me through a few more days as she just didn’t have the heart to shave it all off. It looked quite cute and gave me a few days to adjust to short hair. But I knew what was coming and it was just three days away.

Sunday arrived and my hair is really not wanting to enjoy the holiday weekend with me. I know the time has come and it needs to be today. So on this beautiful Sunday afternoon, with a sweet breeze blowing off the creek onto our porch, my husband and I took the next step in our pink journey and shaved my head. Yes my head’s not too pretty looking now but feels so much better. I donned a bandanna scarf and with my head held high, I continue on down the roadway of my pink journey.