Wow! It is really hard to belive that one year is already around the corner. I think I am going to mark the one year anniversary with a promise to myself to make some changes.
I feel like I have let this "life blip" be too consuming of my life, marking off each three month interval of life going to the oncologist. I want it to move into the recesses of my mind versus always being on the forefront. But with that statement made, I am also trying to get involved more on the volunteer side of the disease. Everywhere I go, I see pink ribbons and I rarely see any teal ribbons. So, if I can, I am going to make the teal ribbon visable in my world...watch out Greenville, SC!!!
I think my goal is to get a "Walk for Ovarian Cancer" started for the Greenville area. That gives me one year to accomplish my goal (September is National Ovarian Cancer Awareness month)...our local chapter does one event....Handbag's for Hope, which is wonderful, but I think we need to do more. Wish me luck!!!!
Showing posts with label life. Show all posts
Showing posts with label life. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Three Month followup
Life is good, no let me rephrase that, life is great. Although I was diagnosed with stage 1a ovarian and 1c uterine cancer, the surgery removed it all. My prognosis is fantastic, in my opinion, that I only have a 10 to 15 % chance of having a recurrence. I do not have to undergo any further treatments such as chemo or radiation. I only have to get blood work and have pap smears every three months for the next two years. And if all is good with that, I get to cut that back to every six months for the next two years and then once per year. So I am on the five year plan with my oncologist.
I must admit I was a little nervous for my first checkup...I felt like that blood test would really tell if the cancer was gone. Prior to surgery the CA-125 was 167 and I was praying the first test would be around the normal range of 35. Mine was 6.9!!! Believe me, I was doing a happy dance after that.
So even before this little bump in my road of life, I felt like things happened for a reason. Like people you meet teach you something more about yourself. So this was a big one for me. I had been trying hard to start living my life versus just going through the motions this past year...now I guess I have been given another reality check. About how you just never know what can happen in your life, so time to start living and enjoying and doing.
I must admit I was a little nervous for my first checkup...I felt like that blood test would really tell if the cancer was gone. Prior to surgery the CA-125 was 167 and I was praying the first test would be around the normal range of 35. Mine was 6.9!!! Believe me, I was doing a happy dance after that.
So even before this little bump in my road of life, I felt like things happened for a reason. Like people you meet teach you something more about yourself. So this was a big one for me. I had been trying hard to start living my life versus just going through the motions this past year...now I guess I have been given another reality check. About how you just never know what can happen in your life, so time to start living and enjoying and doing.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Post Op
Home, sweet, home...I am finally home. It feels good to be home, but I haven't a clue what to do.
Surgery went very well, except for the part where I was supposed to be operated on at 1:00, which turned into 2:30, which ended up being 4:30. The waiting was worse than anything, once under, things went very smoothly...so they tell me. Thankfully, I remember nothing! NO CANCER!!! Which I knew ahead of time in my gut, so...I told you so!!! Had to get that in there!
I have yet to speak to Dr. Puls directly, just his partners and residents, which kinda annoys me, but I guess that is part of modern medicine today. They are now referring to my cyst as a tumor, benign tumor, and after removing all of my female parts, decided my appendix wasn't looking to great so took it out as well. So I have a lovely little scar (about 4 1/2 inches) and a huge pouch above it. Hopefully the pouch will calm down soon, as it is not very attractive, but they keep telling me that when those big man hands get inside and start moving all of your parts around, things get jumbled up for a while.
The day after surgery was great, I guess I was still under the influence of the anesthetic, so was feeling high on life, no pain, etc. Day two was a crasher...not so much on pain, just sore and bored.
I want to say so much more, but just lost my energy, so will continue on in another post...hopefully later today.
Thank you all for your support and well wishes during this process.
Surgery went very well, except for the part where I was supposed to be operated on at 1:00, which turned into 2:30, which ended up being 4:30. The waiting was worse than anything, once under, things went very smoothly...so they tell me. Thankfully, I remember nothing! NO CANCER!!! Which I knew ahead of time in my gut, so...I told you so!!! Had to get that in there!
I have yet to speak to Dr. Puls directly, just his partners and residents, which kinda annoys me, but I guess that is part of modern medicine today. They are now referring to my cyst as a tumor, benign tumor, and after removing all of my female parts, decided my appendix wasn't looking to great so took it out as well. So I have a lovely little scar (about 4 1/2 inches) and a huge pouch above it. Hopefully the pouch will calm down soon, as it is not very attractive, but they keep telling me that when those big man hands get inside and start moving all of your parts around, things get jumbled up for a while.
The day after surgery was great, I guess I was still under the influence of the anesthetic, so was feeling high on life, no pain, etc. Day two was a crasher...not so much on pain, just sore and bored.
I want to say so much more, but just lost my energy, so will continue on in another post...hopefully later today.
Thank you all for your support and well wishes during this process.
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Foggy Morning
Last night was the first in many days that I slept through the night...thanks to tylenol PM. I awoke feeling refreshed, but then the fog of all that has been happening desended on my brain again. It is like an instant paralysis. I have so much I want to get done, dumb stuff really, like cleaning the house, getting the yard mowed and weedwacked, bathing the dogs. ."Stuff" I have been struggling to get done even before I found out I was going to have surgery. But there is always that feeling if I can get my daily life in order then everything will be okay.
Surgery has been tentatively set for Wednesday, October 14th. I know nothing new from the Dr's perspective. The oncologist is out of town, so I do not know if he has agreed to be in the operating room during the surgery, and now I am questioning some things....
Such as:
1. "Dr. H", the surgeon, kept saying that unless they did the total hysti (I have no clue how to spell that word, how sad!) that he would not know if it was ovarian cancer or just endometrioses ("E") . Surely, they have other ways of detecting "E"? I am sure not all women end up with a hysti, in fact I know they don't because I have heard of women not being able to get pregnant due to "E" and having surgery to fix the issues that come out with ovaries, etc intact. So what makes my case any different...he should be able to tell if I have E or not before he ever picks up his scapel...
2. And I have never heard of having the oncologist in the operating room. My mom's lung cancer was inoperable, so she just went straight to Dr "O". So I need to find out so much more.
3. My regular gyn, Dr. Johnson, is out with her sick child...so I am hoping I can at least talk with her on the phone to ask some of these questions. I have been seeing her for about five years now and feel very comfortable with her. And although Dr H was recommended by her and in the same practice, I know nothing about him. Such as how many cancer patients has he actually come across in his practice or has all of his surgery experience just been on routine ob/gyn cases; which may be why he wants the oncologist in the room.
It's Satuday morning which means I will not get any answers for three more days...doctors are out of town! I would like to leave town too!!!
Knitgirl
P.S. I just wanted to say how amazing it is to have so many women out there supporting me during this ordeal. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for all of your wonderful words of comfort and wisdom.
Surgery has been tentatively set for Wednesday, October 14th. I know nothing new from the Dr's perspective. The oncologist is out of town, so I do not know if he has agreed to be in the operating room during the surgery, and now I am questioning some things....
Such as:
1. "Dr. H", the surgeon, kept saying that unless they did the total hysti (I have no clue how to spell that word, how sad!) that he would not know if it was ovarian cancer or just endometrioses ("E") . Surely, they have other ways of detecting "E"? I am sure not all women end up with a hysti, in fact I know they don't because I have heard of women not being able to get pregnant due to "E" and having surgery to fix the issues that come out with ovaries, etc intact. So what makes my case any different...he should be able to tell if I have E or not before he ever picks up his scapel...
2. And I have never heard of having the oncologist in the operating room. My mom's lung cancer was inoperable, so she just went straight to Dr "O". So I need to find out so much more.
3. My regular gyn, Dr. Johnson, is out with her sick child...so I am hoping I can at least talk with her on the phone to ask some of these questions. I have been seeing her for about five years now and feel very comfortable with her. And although Dr H was recommended by her and in the same practice, I know nothing about him. Such as how many cancer patients has he actually come across in his practice or has all of his surgery experience just been on routine ob/gyn cases; which may be why he wants the oncologist in the room.
It's Satuday morning which means I will not get any answers for three more days...doctors are out of town! I would like to leave town too!!!
Knitgirl
P.S. I just wanted to say how amazing it is to have so many women out there supporting me during this ordeal. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for all of your wonderful words of comfort and wisdom.
Friday, October 2, 2009
First Blog
Yesterday was one of those surreal days that I think I just floated through. I had my little pity party and now I am over myself. Sleep has been eluding me for some time and after yesterday decided that I have my most lucid moments in those dark hours of the night. So today I am going to ask Teri, my friend and co-worker, how to start blogging. Not that I will have anything amazing or wondrous to say, but think it will help me to pursue some things that I have been putting off.
About me…
I am my mother’s daughter in that I start many projects and get bored or frustrated and just leave them set aside. That is an aspect of my life I want to change, I want to learn to pick just those things that really move or motivate me and just do them from start to finish. I take on too many things and set myself up for …so many things.
I am my father’s daughter in that I am not very forgiving at times, with myself or others. I make no excuses for this part of my personality; I think it has helped me survive for many years. Basically it is a “Boot Strap” mentality. I try to do my best and just expect others to do so too.
I am me. What is that? Definitely a work in progress, even at fifty years old, and I guess that part of this process of putting words down in cyberspace will express who I am. For today, I am a living, breathing woman just trying to make the best of the next fifty years.
About me…
I am my mother’s daughter in that I start many projects and get bored or frustrated and just leave them set aside. That is an aspect of my life I want to change, I want to learn to pick just those things that really move or motivate me and just do them from start to finish. I take on too many things and set myself up for …so many things.
I am my father’s daughter in that I am not very forgiving at times, with myself or others. I make no excuses for this part of my personality; I think it has helped me survive for many years. Basically it is a “Boot Strap” mentality. I try to do my best and just expect others to do so too.
I am me. What is that? Definitely a work in progress, even at fifty years old, and I guess that part of this process of putting words down in cyberspace will express who I am. For today, I am a living, breathing woman just trying to make the best of the next fifty years.
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