Today is my 53rd birthday - Go me! It's also my last day of chemotherapy! I had a pretty good day - took a big chocolate raspberry cake made by Whole Foods to the Oncology clinic and shared it with the staff and patients. Everyone really enjoyed it. Around lunchtime, I heard a very quiet, sad-looking gentleman tell his nurse that he hadn't eaten all day. I asked her to see if he wanted a piece of cake, and he did. After he ate a piece of cake, I saw that later on he was laughing and chatting and had a smile on his face. It made me happy to think that I may have contributed to a helping someone else feel a little better.
My port clogged again, but the unclogging medicine worked after an hour or so, so that was good; otherwise I would have had to have an IV put in my arm since the clinic now has a stricter policy about the ports. Apparently they have had a few patients whose ports seemed to be working, but they didn't see a "blood return" when they flushed it, but the chemo leaked out of the vein and caused serious problems. So they now have to see that blood return in the tube or they can't use the port. So yay, I got through all the chemo using my port. Happy, happy, joy, joy.
When I pulled into the driveway at home this evening, a flower delivery van pulled up with a beautiful bouquet and a balloon from my best friend in Buffalo and a note wishing me a happy birthday and "I knew you could do it!" She has been such a never-ending "cheerleader" this whole time and I'm so glad she's my friend.
Yesterday I had a frustrating time trying to set up Radiation treatment at UNC (the mammogram I had there hurt so much it made me cry, and I've never cried with a mammogram before). So now I'm back to having radiation in Durham, at the old Duke South, actually. The only positive thing I'll say about my appts. at UNC was that I got a lot of good information from a genetic counselor and a "genetics doctor". So I think I'm going to go ahead and get tested for the breast cancer gene. If it's positive, I may consider having my ovaries removed at some point, as there is an increased risk of ovarian cancer if you have a positive gene.
Well, it's time for "Lost", so must stop for now. Fifty-three and counting...who knows, maybe I'll live to be a hundred! : )
2 comments:
i'm sad! i really wanted to send you flowers and a similar sort of card, but did not have enough funds to actually do it :-(
sorry, i'm a bad daughter.
awww, don't be sad, and you are NOT a bad daughter! You are simply Mahvehlous, dahling! It truly is the thought that counts, and I know you love me. That's all that matters : )
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