Cancer Transitions

I am attending a support class called, "Cancer Transitions."  It is supposed to help us move beyond cancer treatment and cope with common issues in getting back to life again.  There are 8-10 of us that meet once a week from 5-7:30 pm and work with our nurse navigator out of a workbook.  We have healthy snacks and have had an exercise specialist come teach us exercises each week.  They have given us very nice pedometers and we have had a dietician and social worker come and speak with us.  I am really enjoying the class and the ladies in it.  I am the youngest, the rest have me by at least 10 years or more.  Most of us have had breast cancer but one gal has had rectal/anal cancer.  We have 6 sessions to attend.  I hope to be recovered enough from the latest surgery to attend this Tuesday's class.  

Speaking of which, Wednesday the 3rd, I had my final treatment/prevention surgery!  I am relieved to say that so far, I still feel like myself.  Hope that will continue.  I am 4 days post op, so a lot can change.    I had a hysterectomy.  They took my ovaries and Fallopian tubes as well.  This will put me in to menopause and some of those side effects can be pretty drastic.  Here's hoping that they will be bearable.  It's not likely that I will get through menopause without some discomfort, just don't know what those discomforts will be for me or when they will begin.  I seem to remember reading somewhere that within 3 weeks or so I will see some changes.  Time will tell.....

Right now, I have some soreness where everything was taken and a little bit of pain while my bowels and urinary tract are trying to resume their former functions.  I am not supposed to lift anything for the next while and have been resting a ton and taking short walks around the neighborhood.  Our church family continues to take wonderful care of us.  People have been bringing us meals for dinner since Wednesday and will continue through Thursday!  Thank you, thank you!  I can just rest and recover.

 ☺️.

Lymphedema management

Still meeting with my Occupational Therapist to try to get my swelling down.  She continues to instruct me about Manual Lymph Drainage.  It is taking awhile for me to learn it.  One of the things that could help is to have John wrap my arm with ace bandages every night.  Wear my compression arm band during the day and wrap at night.  Sometimes, all that I need to do to manage my health/body feels overwhelming.  Exercise, drink tons of water, MLD, eat right.  I hope that my "new normal" post cancer will one day feel....normal. 

What a difference a week makes!

Phew!  One week later the relief is immense!  I continue to put a very pure form of aloe Vera gel and Aquaphor on the radiated site morning and night.  I am now back to wearing all my normal clothing!

Better or Worse?

John suggested that I take pictures of my radiation-rough spot from week to week to help me see the changes taking place.  The hope, is that I will see progress from week to week that I can't see from day to day and that will give me a psychological boost and a feeling of well being.  So, here it is.  1st week after being done with radiation.

My final surgery to prevent reoccurrence of cancer- hysterectomy, is scheduled to take place June 3rd. A little nervous since I am not supposed to do hormone therapy to help with mood swings and such.  This is due to my "Triple negative" status.  The last hurdle to jump as part of my cancer treatment!  I won't worry about surgeries for reconstruction until the children go back to school in August.

Radiation, DONE!

My 28th and FINAL day of radiation, YESSS!!  The Dr's office presented me with the above certificate and more importantly a Lindt hazelnut/milk chocolate bar, MMMMM!!  I thought that was a nice gesture.

One of the three areas that received radiation is very tender.  The armpit.  It gets chaffing from my bra and compression arm band so I have had to switch things up a bit.  I hope it will heal quickly.  I keep using the "Earths Daughter aloe Vera," Miaderm and Aquaphor the doctor gave me.  Yeowza😣!  

Hair growth at 3 months

Loo

More hair, YAAY!  Looking at the difference between last ,month and this month, I am going to have to say that the Nioxin products are doin' their thang!  Thanks to my stylist Stefany Thornton for telling me about them!

Managing Lymphedema

During my second week of radiation, I noticed/felt that my right arm was swelling.  My Lymphedema seemed to be getting worse.  Radiation may have something to do with that.  I decided to check in with my Occupational Therapist Elsa.  I hadn't seen her since last November.  She has taught me about  Complete decongestive therapy (CDT).  It includes wearing a compression sleeve, Manual Lymphatic drainage (MLD is a type of gentle massage which promotes the natural drainage of the lymph, which carries waste products away from the tissues back toward the heart), wrapping the arm, exercise, and other self care.  Pheeww!  Learning to manage Lymphedema can be quite a task.  

I was right about the swelling.  The blue bar in the bar graph pictured above, represents the size of my left arm.  The red bar, represents the size of my right arm.  The first set of bars shows the difference between my arms when I first went to see Elsa last November.  The sixth set of bars was my last visit with her. What a difference!  

The last set of bars shows my current edema.  I had progressed to 13% which is considered moderate Lymphedema.  Elsa suggested that I have John come to my second visit so she could show him how to help me with MLD as well as learn how to wrap my arm.  I wore the wrapping on my arm overnight and removed it this morning.  My arm looks and feels so much better!  I think wrapping will make a BIG difference for me.