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Thursday, January 01, 2009
It's all gone now!
2008, Breast Cancer, low energy, Christmas tree, Christmas tree needles on the floor, decorations, store crowds, traffic crowds ( I am at home), Hurricane Gustav, Snow.

It was a rough year for me as you all know. I am glad it's over. 2009 has got to be better than 2008. Is it because I am getting older? It seems that each year things are worse than the last. But not 2009. It will be great! Tell me that if I start whining about anything this coming year.

Happy New Year to every one of you!

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posted by Cindy N. at 7:25 PM | Permalink | 3 If you would like to say something about what you just read, please say it here
Thursday, December 04, 2008
Good heavens!
I didn't realize it has been so long since posting here. Gosh the stray horse seems so long ago now!

Just a quick update. I have now completed 28 radiation treatments. I was told today that I would have 5 more and that these will be more concentrated to a specific area of the breast instead of the whold breast as these 28 have been. I am looking forward to getting past all of this. Just the 69 round trip travel each day is a drain, but my body is also drained of energy right now. That is a side effect of radiation treatments. I thought I was going to bypass that part, but it finally hit me last week a couple of days before Thanksgiving. I haven't worked but 2 hours since then. I just don't have the forward motion energy. But after next week, it will take a week or so and my energy level is supposed to come right back! Yay!

Thank you all for your thoughts, support and prayers. It means so much to me. Because of all of you, I will be around for years to come! Right now, though, I am going to bed.

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posted by Cindy N. at 10:03 PM | Permalink | 1 If you would like to say something about what you just read, please say it here
Sunday, November 16, 2008
15 down, 20 to go....
I know this color is hard to see, but I am doing pink in support of breast cancer patients. Yay us!!!!!

I am 15 treatments down and approximately 20 to go. This is going a lot faster than I expected. When you think of doing something 7 weeks 5 days a week, it sounds like forever, but it's really not bad at all so far. The next 3 to 4 weeks will get a litttle tougher because the fatigue will most likelyset in, and I am getting very tender where the radiation is being targeted. But that is ok, I can handle all of that. By Christmas this will all be behind me.

Thank you all for reading up on what's going on and for all the comments I have received lately. I love to get the comments, so please just say "Hi" if you have been here.

I hope you all are having a wonderful Sunday afternoon. It's fairly chilly here, for south Louisiana. I am really enjoying it.

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posted by Cindy N. at 3:32 PM | Permalink | 3 If you would like to say something about what you just read, please say it here
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Three down, Thirty-two to go...
Well, so far, so good. I have had three treatments now and it only takes a few minutes and I am on my way again. It is just the trek to go there every day for the next 6 1/2 weeks that is aggravating to me right now. It is messing up my entire life's schedule. If I want to get my nails done, I have to schedule it around my radiation treatments. Maybe I need to change the time for the treatments. I had scheduled them for 2:00 every day, but that is proving to ruin my entire afternoon.

Damn it! Why am I complaining? I should be grateful for the fact that I don't have to go through Chemo. So what if I can't get my nails done when I want to. There are a lot worse things in life! I could be loosing my hair and throwing up my guts for heaven's sake and feeling like warm crap! So, Cindy, stop complaining and get on with it. WAAAH~ WAAAH~ WAAH~

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posted by Cindy N. at 9:55 AM | Permalink | 1 If you would like to say something about what you just read, please say it here
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Ready? Set? GO!
I have been preparing for this for the last two months and now we are at the jumping off point. So here is the scoop.

Back in June, I had a regular, yearly, screening mammogram. I am a strong advocate of having that yearly checkup. Anyway, a few days later the doc called me and told me that, just like last year, I had an abnormal area on the mammogram. Last year, they had found some calcifications and did a core biopsy. A few days later they called and said that it was nothing to worry about. Completely benign. Yay!

This year, however, when more calcifications showed up, I had to have another core biopsy. This time, it turned out to be Cancer. When I got the call (while I was driving on the interstate) I was stunned to say the least. I immediately called Tom to tell him what the doc had said. I couldn't see his face when I told him, but I believe he was just as stunned as I. We had to go see the doctor that afternoon. It is scary enough when they say the "C" word, but when they say, "I want to see you this afternoon to discuss your options," it really sounds bad. Of course, at that point, I was terrified.

After visiting with my doc that afternoon, I learned it was not as bad as my wild imagination had it. I had been diagnosed with Ductal Carcinoma in Situ or DCIS for short. From there I had to make a decision of either a mastectomy or a lumpectomy. After much turmoil and about 200 questions and internet research later, I chose the lumpectomy.

The first part of having that done was to have an MRI done on both breasts to make sure there were no other areas of concern. There weren't. Whew!
The lumpectomy was done on August 20th. Since then, I have been working with a radiation oncologist at Mary Byrd Perkins Cancer Center to prepare for 35 treatments of radiation therapy.

First was to have a CT scan. That happened Monday, almost two weeks ago. They lined me up on the scan table and had me lay on a huge purple bag. When they got me positioned the way they wanted me, they vacuumed the air out of the purple bag and it formed to my body. They placed my name on the bag and now, when I go for treatment, I will lay on that bag so that my body will be in the exact same position every time. They also drew lines and x's on my body so that the x-ray machine can be lined up in the same position. It looks a little bit like targets on my body. They covered those with tiny plastic covers to keep soap and water from washing off the marks.

Yesterday, I had to go back in for the final x-ray line up. They had my purple bag ready for me and sure 'nuf, it was still molded the way it was two weeks ago. I laid on it and got in the correct position. Then the x-ray maching started moving around me. The technician called out coordinates to the other technician, did some final calculations, drew more marks on me and put on new little plastic covers and told me to come back Monday and we will get started with the actual radiation.

So after two months from surgery, I will finally begin 35 radiation treatments on Monday. I will have to go 5 days a week for 7 weeks to complete this part of my treatment. I have gotten READY, been SET and now will GO! Please keep me in your prayers and I will keep you posted as I go along.

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posted by Cindy N. at 2:00 PM | Permalink | 2 If you would like to say something about what you just read, please say it here
Monday, October 13, 2008
Getting my marks!
I am finally getting started with the radiation treatment program. Last week we met with the Oncologist and had first consultation. I liked her immediately. She is very personable and very down to earth.Smiles

Anyway, today I had to go for the planning session. They did a CT scan and put black marks all over the front of me. Then they covered the marks with waterproof clear plastic so they won't wash off. They also created a 'cradle' that has the imprint of my head and arm so that I will be in the same position for each treatment. All of that only took about 30 minutes.

Now the doctor will look at the CT scan and make a 'map' for treatment. They will call me when that is done and set up the appointment for my first treatment. Each treatment will take about 10 minutes. I have to have 30 to 35 treatments, then I will be all done.
As of now, I am a cancer SURVIVOR! Pink Ribbon





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posted by Cindy N. at 4:09 PM | Permalink | 1 If you would like to say something about what you just read, please say it here
Monday, August 04, 2008
Decision made!
After much thought, prayer, speaking with other survivors, and research, I have decided to have the lumpectomy and then the 35 radiation treatments. As it stands now, I will be having surgery (outpatient) on August 20 to remove the cancer as well as healthy tissue around the affected area. Recovery time is about a week. I will start radiation sometime around the middle of September. That will take 7 weeks.

I am truly feeling well, and very positive at this point. I have agonized over this decision, but now that it is made, I feel so much lighter!

There is a wonderful website that I have been reading a lot. It is cancergeek. He has lots of information there that is very helpful and he has written me a couple of times after my asking questions through email. He seems very kind and knowledgeable.

Thanks again to all who love me and have been saying prayers on my behalf. Tom and my friend Patsy have gone to the doctor visits with me, so I have 3 sets of ears listening to all that the doctor tells me. That really helps too! Thank you to Tom and to Patsy.

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posted by Cindy N. at 4:45 PM | Permalink | 0 If you would like to say something about what you just read, please say it here
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Am I not living right!!!???
It seems as though I must not be living right lately, because this year has been one thing after another. Don't get me wrong, I am not whining, but just stating facts.

So far this year, we have had our central air and heat unit go out suddenly and had to replace it, a paralized dog (she has recovered nicely), wrecked my truck, still don't have it back, and now the biggie; I have been diagnosed with breast cancer.

Yes, breast cancer. It is called Ductal Carcinoma in Situ. That means it's located in the milk duct and as of right now, it has not broken through to other ares of the breast. However, they did an MRI on both breasts last Friday to make absolutely sure that it is not located anywhere else. I am waiting for the results as I write this. The waiting is torture.

I have to make a decision that is proving to be very difficult. One, I can have a mastectomy and they can use abdominal tissue to rebuild/reconstruct the breast. Or, two, I can have a lumpectomy, but then I would have to have 35 radiation treatments in 7 weeks, 5 times a week. That is a lot of traveling back and forth every day (75 mile round trip) and I am not sure I would be up to doing that. They say you get very tired the more radiation you have.

Tom is standing with me on whatever decision I make. He said that, of course, it is my decision and he will be there with me however I go. He is my rock and I hold on to him. He also understand my anger outbursts, especially right now. I have been doing pretty well with all this until I pitched a 'Cindy fit' this past Saturday and ended up throwing my laptop. Miraculously, it didn't break. But Tom just wrapped his arms around me and let me cry. That is the way he is....'The Wind Beneath My Wings'.

I am in the process of doing a lot of research, reading everything I can find, and looking at different types of reconstruction surgery if I decide to go with the mastectomy. I will keep you all posted about this road I am traveling. If anyone is out there that has gone through this type of cancer and knows what to expect, please let me know.

Love to all of you.

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posted by Cindy N. at 4:04 PM | Permalink | 4 If you would like to say something about what you just read, please say it here