Farewell 2006

We have enjoyed a busy week at The Groves. Of course there was Christmas on Monday, then the Lincoln Christmas on Wednesday then Andrew’s hockey tournament for the rest of the week. The team made it to the finals where they lost when the other team scored to make it 5 to 4 with 28 seconds on the clock. It was a real nail biter.

Tonight the kids dined on McDonalds while Steve and I had a catered meal from Custom Cuisine. It was fabulous!!! We officially toasted the end of 2006. It was certainly an interesting year to say the least. I just wanted you all to know that the challenge of the past year was made easier by the many e-mails, phone calls, cards and visits from you all…they kept me going. I sat down the other day and re-read all of my cards…wow…I have a lot of friends and family!

Thank you to my parents who would do anything for us, at any time of day, no questions asked. Thank you to my brother, who gave me his St. Christopher’s medal (St. Christopher is the patron saint of travelers) to wear on the day I was diagnosed. It has kept me safe on this journey. Thank you to Andrew and Sean for being two happy, silly, crazy boys. A special thank you to Steve who has been there for me every step of the way from the tests, the appointments, the diagnosis, the chemo, the radiation, the ups and the downs. We are a good team.

Farewell 2006.

me

Merry Christmas

Just a quick post to wish everyone a Merry Christmas.

We had a great time today. Andrew was up at 5am but we managed to hold him off until 6:30am. Then, we woke up Sean to open our stockings and gifts. We all got some amazing things.

I hope everyone had a good day.

me

T'was the Night Before Christmas...

That's what the calendar is telling me but it's hard to believe. Steve and the boys are outside golfing on the front lawn and someone down the street is flying a kite. I've just come back from doing some shopping. I promised myself some new clothes for when I go back to work so I thought I would take advantage of some of the Boxing Day sales that have already started.

I got my wish to have hair for Christmas. I've actually scheduled a hair appointment for the beginning of the year to even it out a bit.

Well, I better get the troops in for dinner.

Merry Christmas to all; and to all a goodnight.

me

Tamoxifen

Today I had my Herceptin infusion; it was infusion number 9 of 18 so I’m half way there. I also had some blood work done today. Although my white cell count was low, everything looks to be in the acceptable levels. It was actually nice to be back at the Cancer Clinic today to see some familiar faces…the radiation technician, radiation receptionist, Cancer Society volunteers and countless others.

The main topics covered in my appointment with the nurse practitioner today were my return to work and Tamoxifen. I will be returning to work at UWO on January 29th. I will be working part-time for 2 weeks then hopefully I’ll be back fulltime in mid-February.

When the pathologist did the biopsy on my tumour, they found out that it was estrogen receptor positive. Basically the estrogen was promoting the growth of breast cancer cells by causing the cancer cells to divide and multiply. What the Tamoxifen will do is slow or stop the growth of cancer cells. I will likely stay on Tamoxifen, an oral pill taken daily, for two years. Once it has been confirmed that I am officially in menopause, I will probably switch to taking an aromatase inhibitor. The aromatase inhibitors block the conversion of aromatase, an enzyme pumped out by adrenal glands near the kidneys, into estrogen. In women who are premenopausal, the aromatase inhibitors may actually boost estrogen levels so that is why I can’t take them now. Like all medications, there are side effects to taking Tamoxifen. The most common being hot flashes (just when I thought I had that under control), nausea and weight gain. In reading an article about Tamoxifen, one woman said she gained 20 pounds while another gained 60lbs!!! %$*&!!! Less common side effects include bone pain, swelling at the tumour and blood clots.

That’s about all my brain can process for today. Take care.

me

Volume

When my hair started to grow back, my dad kindly bought me a bottle of 'volumizing' shampoo. He is always asking if I have used it yet. So Dad, these pictures are for you. The shampoo really works as you can see from the before and after shots.




Thanks,

me

beyond

Last night when I went out to buy some stamps for my Christmas cards (which are still not done), I quickly scanned the magazine racks. A bright pink magazine caught my eye…it was called ‘beyond’. I picked it up and noticed that this was the premier issue of a magazine focused on living and thriving after breast cancer. Needless to say, I bought it, and it is a magazine I will be reading from cover to cover. It’s amazing to have a magazine with articles such as, “Chemo Brain…It’s Not in Your Head”, “T & A… Tamoxifen or Aromatase Inhibitors…What Do You Really Know About These Wonder Drugs?” (not popular articles for Cosmo or People). It’s also sad that there are enough readers out there with breast cancer to warrant the creation of the magazine.

me

Snow Day

Yesterday I was planning to go to the university to attend a meeting I wanted to participate in. It was going to be my first real taste of work after many months away. Instead, the university was closed because of the all of the snow. Is this a coincidence or should I take it as a sign?!?

Yesterday when the kids found out that there was no school, they got dressed faster than any morning I can remember. They spent at least five hours outside playing in the snow. This photo is a picture of Andrew and Max, our neighbour, trying to build a fort out of the snow bank in the driveway while Sean, peeking over the top, had other plans.

me

Healing

My appointments last week were uneventful as expected. You would think that I would be tired of going to the hospital by now but I actually find comfort in being there. I know so many of the staff there and they take care of me.

Now that the physical healing is well underway, it’s all about the mental healing now. I know that my prognosis is great but you know how the mind works. Every time I get an ache or pain, I have to remind myself that everyone has aches and pains…it doesn’t mean the cancer is back.

Last week Sean had his fifth birthday. How time flies.




me