Happy Saturday! In my last post, I talked about what a great day I had on Tuesday. Tuesday was the last day of being 50, and although several things have happened over the last year that haven’t been so great, I decided to embrace 50 and celebrate it as the year that me and my family were strong enough to overcome obstacles. I did things that I really enjoy on Tuesday and it was a great day. Wednesday, my birthday, I had a Pre-op dr. appointment first thing in the morning at the hospital to do lab work and fill out paperwork for my upcoming surgery. We talked about the importance of me washing my hands and avoiding sick people over these next three weeks so I can be sure to go into surgery feeling my best. Any upper respiratory problems could stall surgery due to the fact that you […]
Category: My Breast Cancer
I’m In A Strange Place
Hi Friends… The blog is lacking my attention and I am struggling with that a bit. I am 9 weeks post op my double mastectomy and I have 6 weeks to go until my reconstruction surgery. I’m In a Strange Place. As most of you know, the blog is my journal. It keeps me accountable with the choices that I make. It encourages me to set goals. It lets me connect with people and it provides a place for me to vent when I feel the need. I am having a hard time getting here to blog for a few different reasons. Changing things up is what I do and how I roll. Variety is one of the things that keeps life exciting for me. I think the blog reflects that. I like to set new goals, try new things, then blog about them in hopes that others find new things that they […]
In Limbo
I feel In Limbo right now and I’m trying really hard not to feel that way. This time in between surgery one and surgery two is uncomfortable, full of overwhelming information and at times mentally draining. That being said, I am doing my best to stay positive and take one day at a time. The last few days have included walks, a little Yoga, I’ve enjoyed being back at work and I’ve tracked my food. The weather has been great for walks outside! It’s been nice to count steps too! Routine has felt good, and I even got a short visit from my daughter Tess. On Thursdays I have an early morning WW meeting and a lunchtime WW meeting. In between the two, I picked up Tess at the airport and she came to my lunchtime meeting with me! It was nice to have her there with me and also […]
Breast Cancer Awareness, Weight Watchers
I crossed that line of “I feel like crap” to” I feel like myself and I think I got my spunk back!” in the last few days. I’m four weeks post op of my double mastectomy and finally feeling like myself. It has been a very busy five days, but I feel really good physically and mentally and I’m looking forward to these next two and a half months before my reconstruction surgery in December. I went to my girlfriends farm Tuesday through Thursday. We sipped on coffee, sipped on wine, ate yummy food, hunted bittersweet, snuggled up around the fire outside, listened to music, shared stories and got a little sleep in there too. I’m never ready to come home when I go there. This is the only picture that I took…..but it sums up my two days of peace and quiet and enjoying being outside. Chemo? Nope. […]
Stitches and Sleep
The Hubs Thursday was Mike’s procedure and I would have updated you sooner, but honestly, it was a really long day and the only thing that the two of us did for the next three days was rest, and by rest, I mean sleep with a little bit of eating thrown in there. I may have overdone so went back to the narcotics for sleep, and Mike was sent home with his own med cocktail. I feel like we lost three days of life just sleeping. On Thursday, we had to arrive at the hospital at 11:30 am for a 1:30 pm procedure. The surgeon had two surgeries before Mike’s and they both had some unexpected complications (those patients are fine, we did ask), so the surgeon was running behind and Mike’s 1:30 pm surgery began after 5:00 pm. It was a really long day and we got home at 9:00 […]
Member…Leader…Patient
I’m feeling very lost in my Weight Watcher Membership, my role as a Weight Watcher Leader and my reality of being a Patient right now. I knew this part of things would get to me at some point, I just wasn’t sure when. Well, that’s happening now. I have some new followers, so just a brief update. Brief, I swear. My goal weight is 160. I’m comfortable there, but it is difficult for me to maintain. My weight for about the last three years (or more) has been around 170. 172 to be exact. The doc say’s I’m super healthy and if I like 172, I’m good. I do feel good at that weight physically and mentally and had come to accept it. I eat a pretty clean diet, I’m active and I feel that my mind is in a good place. I feel confident in my role as a […]
Meet My New Friends
I’ve spent the last three days at home and super uncomfortable. I still don’t feel great but I have GOT to get out of this house, so I’m going to a friends house for a pajama party with friends and pizza for dinner. I’m looking forward to my evening! I love how many of you have reached out to me recently and I so appreciate it. I do feel that I have new friends, and as some of you have said…..Even though we have never met, I feel like I know you too! I recognize your name when you comment regularly, and I feel a relationship building. During the last several weeks, I have been seeking out cancer blogs and support through social media. It’s a way for me to find people that understand what I am going through without actually going to a support group. I’m beginning to look […]
My Temporary Boobs
On Wednesday, I went in for my post mastectomy appointments. 13 days after surgery, and I drove myself. Yay, freedom. One appointment with the breast surgeon, one with the plastic surgeon. First I met with the breast surgeon where we talked about how good of a decision it was for me to go wth the double mastectomy considering the test results after surgery. I agreed that I was glad that I’d gone with my gut and that I was surprised at how little pain I felt post surgery. (Really, they take all of the nerves with the breast tissue, so the breast skin is numb. It’s super weird and I don’t like the numb feeling. I’m told that over years, some of the skin nerves may grow and there could be some feeing at some point. This is one piece of information that I didn’t know until a few days before […]
The Oncologist
I met with the oncologist this morning. It all still sounds so strange coming out of my mouth. I met with the oncologist this morning. Yep, still strange. I blogged about the fact that we met a few weeks ago, but that’s about all I had to say. The first half of our appointment a few weeks ago was fine, informative, interesting. The last half of the appointment a few weeks ago was odd. He made it very clear to me towards the end of my appointment that he thought that I should not tell many people about my cancer or my surgery. He said that I would be surprised at what people would say to me. Unwanted advice and comments. He basically advised me not to talk about the fact that I had cancer. I told him that it was too late for that. (so did Mike). I told him that I write […]
It’s Me! Julie
Let me first start with this. My breast surgeon called yesterday to tell me that the pathology report did show breast cancer markers of a different type of breast cancer in BOTH of my breast, so I feel really good about my decision to have a double mastectomy. I was certain that was the route I was going to take in the beginning, but I am feeling even better about my decision now. This increases the chance that I may have to have some chemo after all, but I won’t know that for certain until my appointment with my oncologist. Please remember, if deciding to have a lumpectomy, a mastectomy or a double mastectomy is a decision that you or a loved one is facing, this is a very personal decision that only the patient can make, and the best thing that you can do as the patient is to […]