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Friday, December 19, 2008
FINISHED!
I finally finished my radiation treatments last Saturday. I have never been so glad to finish something. Today is Friday and my energy level has come back up to about 90% of what it should be, so I am able to do a lot of the things I have been putting off, like go get my nails done! I did that yesterday.

Today I am going to lunch with a friend and I hope we can go somewhere to buy some specialized tea. I have a new teapot I want to use. I love spiced tea and special flavors.

I am not going to make this very long because I am at work. Don't tell anyone. My internet issues at home have gotten continually worse and now I can't even send out email. I can still receive it, but can't send, not get to ANY website. Hubby needs to get router VERY soon.

As soon as my issues have been resolved, I will post pictures on previous blogs and I will let you know they are there!

Leaving work in a few minutes, so I have to wrap up a few things.....

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posted by Cindy N. at 11:05 AM | Permalink | 3 If you would like to say something about what you just read, please say it here
Thursday, December 11, 2008
SNOW in LOUISIANA !!!!!
I am so excited! We have 6 inches of snow on the ground! We get a good snow like this once every 15 to 20 years, so it is always something to see for us. It is absolutely beautiful. We are so used to looking a dried up grass in the winter that when we see the ground covered in white, it is truly a winter wonderland.

I wish I felt better, I would get out there and play, throw snowballs at my husband (he came home from work early) and make a snowman. Maybe later, I will go and make a small snowman.

It really looks strange to see the swimming pool sitting there full of water and the snow piled up on the edges of it and the deck around it. I can't post pictures right now, but I will come back later and post them. I am having internet ISSUES!

The cancer center changed my appointment from today to Saturday, so that is when I will finish my radiation treatments. I will be so happy to get passed this stage of my life. It has really brought my energy level down to zero. I haven't been trying to work, because it wears me out just to get up and shower and get dressed. No forward motion going on here.

I will update more later and post pics of our snow-covered property. It is lovely.

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posted by Cindy N. at 10:50 AM | Permalink | 0 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
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