Today Mort and I parted ways for hopefully ever. I don't want him to be that guy I can't let go of and have an on again/off again relationship.
I wasn't very nervous going in, more anxious. The nurse got my IV started in one stick, so she's my new BFF. i talked about asking to keep mort or seeing him, but after meeting with the doc, who is a very straightforward guy who seemed to not know what humor is, i decided against asking.
The doc kept asking if I was in remission and such, which started to make me nervous that he thought I was getting my port out too soon. The way in which he asked made it sound like, are you sure, you just finished chemo, maybe it's not a good idea. But I figured I was already hooked up and I didn't want the day to be a waste. Besides my oncologist told me to go ahead and get it out. Booya!
I don't remember this part, so it's hearsay from my father and husband. The nurse said as she was wheeling me out of surgery to recovery, that I kept talking about mort and how I was breaking up with him. Can I just say how awesome am I that in an uncoherent state I was able to articulate my relationship with mort. :P
After my husband left to go to work (which I don't remember), I started to feel ill, so my dad took me home. I laid down for a while and then felt ok. So, hopefully all I'll be left with now of this whole cancer experience is this scar, which looks pretty gnarly right now.
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
In the clear
I went to Dr. Proctor today and everything is OK now on my earlier issue. This means I'm in the clear for meds and docs for a while! I'll be happy to not have to lug around my "booty bag" for my meds as Dr. Proctor referred to it.
My hair is growing back quite well, however, i've noticed hair in places where I didn't before. We all have hair on our face, necks, etc, but I never used to be able to see mine. Now in certain light, I can see the hairs on my face. It's like little peach fuzz! UGH. The husband assures me you don't notice it unless you are up in my grill, but still.
I have to renew my driver's license this month, and i'm debating whether to wear the wig or just go with how my hair looks now.
I've started working out again and I'm happy. No endurance really yet, but my goal is to run the Big Ten 5k in March. It will really take me full circle, as I ran that right before I was diagnosed this year. I'm hoping working out again will help keep my weight in check. It was the highest it's ever been today at the doctor's office. I'm going to blame my winter boots. When I weighed myself at the gym the day before, the number was lower and what I was at before I got sick. Maybe the gym's scale is kinder. :P
My hair is growing back quite well, however, i've noticed hair in places where I didn't before. We all have hair on our face, necks, etc, but I never used to be able to see mine. Now in certain light, I can see the hairs on my face. It's like little peach fuzz! UGH. The husband assures me you don't notice it unless you are up in my grill, but still.
I have to renew my driver's license this month, and i'm debating whether to wear the wig or just go with how my hair looks now.
I've started working out again and I'm happy. No endurance really yet, but my goal is to run the Big Ten 5k in March. It will really take me full circle, as I ran that right before I was diagnosed this year. I'm hoping working out again will help keep my weight in check. It was the highest it's ever been today at the doctor's office. I'm going to blame my winter boots. When I weighed myself at the gym the day before, the number was lower and what I was at before I got sick. Maybe the gym's scale is kinder. :P
Monday, December 13, 2010
Officially leaving the Thunderdome
Today, I am officially in remission.
It's awesome.
My PET scan came back well and now I go forward with getting Mort out Dec. 23. I have my next CT scan in March.
It's weird. I am very relieved, but it is kind of scary to know now I just wait and hope nothing comes back. My goal is to just live in the moment and try not to worry much between scans. It's a good goal.
So, this means my posts to this will most likely become even more infrequent as I no longer have cancer!
Thank you everyone for your prayers, support, well wishes and anything else you did for us. It was with your help I was able to get through this. I am very grateful. What a wonderful Christmas present. I thought it was odd how I was diagnosed at Easter and got the all clear at Christmas. :)
Love you all!
It's awesome.
My PET scan came back well and now I go forward with getting Mort out Dec. 23. I have my next CT scan in March.
It's weird. I am very relieved, but it is kind of scary to know now I just wait and hope nothing comes back. My goal is to just live in the moment and try not to worry much between scans. It's a good goal.
So, this means my posts to this will most likely become even more infrequent as I no longer have cancer!
Thank you everyone for your prayers, support, well wishes and anything else you did for us. It was with your help I was able to get through this. I am very grateful. What a wonderful Christmas present. I thought it was odd how I was diagnosed at Easter and got the all clear at Christmas. :)
Love you all!
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Support group established
Yesterday I went up to the Indy LLS headquarters for a new young adult blood cancer support group. There were 11 of us there and three other guys had/have HL. One guy had it twice and is in remission, one guy has been in remission for a year, and the other guy is on his fourth round of treatment.
I felt like crying a couple times hearing the guy talk about how hard it is to go through chemo and how much it sucks. It's so strange because while it's only been barely 2 months since I had chemo last, it feels like it was forever ago. I can't believe that this summer I had cancer. Now I think I understand what the people I spoke with said when I was first diagnosed - they couldn't remember a lot of details about their treatment/feelings and said it goes by so fast. It really kind of does.
I'm looking forward to this group because it's an interesting mix of people and I may actually be one of the older ones in it. The youngest is a 19-year-old with Luekemia.
Small world notes - the program manager for LLS is the daughter of an attorney and married to one. We talked briefly about it. And, the guy who has been in remission for a year - he and his wife live in Fountain Square.
I went to the gym tonight for the first time since the day I discovered the lump on my neck. It was weird being back there because again, it almost felt like I hadn't been gone 8 months. (It did once I got on the treadmill and felt tired walking after 30 minutes). Baby steps. I hope to get back into shape so I can run the 5k in bloomington in April. I ran the mini there in 07. I have no desire to do that right now, but I'd like to do the 5k. Plus, I believe it benefits scholarships for students who had cancer! Anyone want to join me? Send me an e-mail.
I missed the early signup deadline for the Indy mini 5k, so I'm debating whether to go ahead and sign up anyway.
Here's a house update: The upstairs is really close to finished!! We have dry wall, carpets, paint, and tile on the bathroom floor. Our next step is to stain the doors and trim and get those in, get a bar in the bedroom closet, and we can move upstairs! Hopefully before the end of the year, but our motivation seems to be lacking right now...haha. Who wants to stain in a cold garage? I don't! But I must and thank goodness for space heaters.
All in all, I'm doing well. I'm need to take some pictures of myself right now so I can remember how I looked. My hair is growing, but not fast or thick enough for me, and my eyebrows are back. But they came back lighter. It's very strange. No one but me thinks they look weird. I need to shape them now as they look like two fuzzy blondish catepillars are sitting on my face. I've worked one shift at my seasonal job and have another tomorrow. It's so tempting to be surrounded by all those clothes. I need to be strong and save money as we've got an upstairs to pay for now! :)
I felt like crying a couple times hearing the guy talk about how hard it is to go through chemo and how much it sucks. It's so strange because while it's only been barely 2 months since I had chemo last, it feels like it was forever ago. I can't believe that this summer I had cancer. Now I think I understand what the people I spoke with said when I was first diagnosed - they couldn't remember a lot of details about their treatment/feelings and said it goes by so fast. It really kind of does.
I'm looking forward to this group because it's an interesting mix of people and I may actually be one of the older ones in it. The youngest is a 19-year-old with Luekemia.
Small world notes - the program manager for LLS is the daughter of an attorney and married to one. We talked briefly about it. And, the guy who has been in remission for a year - he and his wife live in Fountain Square.
I went to the gym tonight for the first time since the day I discovered the lump on my neck. It was weird being back there because again, it almost felt like I hadn't been gone 8 months. (It did once I got on the treadmill and felt tired walking after 30 minutes). Baby steps. I hope to get back into shape so I can run the 5k in bloomington in April. I ran the mini there in 07. I have no desire to do that right now, but I'd like to do the 5k. Plus, I believe it benefits scholarships for students who had cancer! Anyone want to join me? Send me an e-mail.
I missed the early signup deadline for the Indy mini 5k, so I'm debating whether to go ahead and sign up anyway.
Here's a house update: The upstairs is really close to finished!! We have dry wall, carpets, paint, and tile on the bathroom floor. Our next step is to stain the doors and trim and get those in, get a bar in the bedroom closet, and we can move upstairs! Hopefully before the end of the year, but our motivation seems to be lacking right now...haha. Who wants to stain in a cold garage? I don't! But I must and thank goodness for space heaters.
All in all, I'm doing well. I'm need to take some pictures of myself right now so I can remember how I looked. My hair is growing, but not fast or thick enough for me, and my eyebrows are back. But they came back lighter. It's very strange. No one but me thinks they look weird. I need to shape them now as they look like two fuzzy blondish catepillars are sitting on my face. I've worked one shift at my seasonal job and have another tomorrow. It's so tempting to be surrounded by all those clothes. I need to be strong and save money as we've got an upstairs to pay for now! :)
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