(from Cathi)
It's been awhile since I've contributed to this blog, so I'll give you an update today.
I've been doing radiation therapy for a couple of weeks, and that is going well. I've had 8 treatments so far, so I've got just 22 more to go! Radiation is truly a walk in the park, compared to chemo, so I'm grateful that I've already gone through the worst stuff. The hardest part about radiation is just going every single weekday, Monday through Friday. Gratefully, the Rocky Mountain Cancer Center is not too far from our home--just about 25 minutes away. No worries! I just pop some good tunes into the CD player and enjoy my drives, to and fro each day. From the Mormon Tabernacle Choir to Frank Sinatra, I've been enjoying some great music in the car lately!
My radiation appointments are very brief--just about fifteen minutes each day. (On Mondays, I meet with my doctor and also have my vital signs checked, but even that doesn't take long.) The worst part of the whole thing is putting on a hospital gown each day. I truly believe that the designer of those gowns must have had an evil, twisted mind, to come up with such an awkward, convoluted way of covering up! But seriously, the appointments aren't too bad. The nurses and technicians are wonderful--very skilled and very kind--just like the ones in the other areas of the cancer center. It's nice to visit with them each day, as they prep me for treatment. The treatments are quite short and a bit bizarre (with various lights, zaps, and loud sounds) but they aren't painful. I just need to lie very still in an awkward position for a few minutes. Gratefully, my right arm is flexible enough that I can get in the correct position quite easily--something that I could never have done several months ago, shortly after my mastectomy. I've come a long way!
Within a week or so, I will probably start to experience redness and soreness in the radiated part of my body, similar to a sunburn, I've been told. I'm armed with some good cream and oil, which the nurses and doctor have recommended for that, so I hope it won't be too bad. But as I said before, compared to chemo, this is pretty mild. I think I can handle it.
Speaking of chemo, it's been interesting to see how my body is adjusting, now that my treatments are over. The neuropathy in my left fingers is nearly gone. Hurray! Several other side effects seem to be gone (or at least nearly gone) and that's good. Unfortunately, the chemo poisons are still doing their tricks on my hair and eyelashes, and that's driven me a bit crazy. I'm down to two eyebrow hairs on one side and five on the other--strange, but sort of interesting, too. The eyelashes are also very sparse, but I've gotten sort of used to my new look. It's teaching me patience, this hair loss and "waiting for it to grow back" challenge. This is a good way for me to "let go" of things and just know that it's all okay. After all, it's just hair, right?
The good news about my post-chemo life is that I feel very good. The debilitating fatigue is gone, and I have a bit more energy and vitality every single day. Oh, that feels good! For example, yesterday I went out for several hours with William and Emma, and we had quite a fun day. We shopped, went out to lunch, and enjoyed several hours together. As we were shopping in one of my favorite stores, called Sprouts (a wonderful place to get really good produce for great prices), I recalled shopping there a couple of months ago. I remember feeling so cold, tired, achy, and wiped out that I didn't think I could even finish my shopping that day. Yuck! But then I contrasted that former experience with the way I felt yesterday, and it was a good reminder of how far I've come. Yesterday I felt just great, with plenty of energy for shopping and fun with the kids. It felt so "normal" and comfortable, and it really filled me with optimism. I'm very grateful for this blessing of energy and strength, and I hope that I won't take it for granted in the future.
In the Book of Mormon, there is a record of a family who traveled from the Tower of Babel to the American continent. The family of Jared soon received their first glimpse of a vast, stormy ocean, having been required of the Lord to crawl into some mysterious air-tight vessels they were promised would carry them safely to a better place. As they gazed into the deep, moving water, they breathed the unfamiliar sea salt and felt the ice cold water lap at their feet. "What will become of our family?" "Can we do this thing that God requires of us?"
These were the questions we asked as our family stood on the edge of a new journey in February 2011. Before Cathi was diagnosed with aggressive breast cancer, we saw the waves of an unfamiliar storm brewing and felt the fear of anticipation. When the cancer was certain, our family was required to wade into the cold water, crawl into a mysterious vessel and trust the Lord would be in charge.
The family of Jared was given stones touched by the finger of the Lord that provided light inside their vessels "that they might not cross the great waters in darkness......and it came to pass that...(they) set forth into the sea, commending themselves unto the Lord their God. And it came to pass that the Lord God caused that there should be a furious wind blow upon the face of the waters, towards the promised land; and thus they were tossed upon the waves of the sea before the wind. And it came to pass that they were many times buried in the depths of the sea, because of the mountain waves which broke upon them, and also the great and terrible tempests which were caused by the fierceness of the wind. And it came to pass that when they were buried in the deep there was no water that could hurt them, their vessels being tight like unto a dish, and also they were tight like unto the ark of Noah; therefore when they were encompassed about by many waters they did cry unto the Lord, and he did bring them forth again upon the top of the waters. And it came to pass that the wind did never cease to blow towards the promised land while they were upon the waters; and thus they were driven forth before the wind. And they did sing praises unto the Lord; yea, the brother of Jared did sing praises unto the Lord, and he did thank and praise the Lord all the day long; and when the night came, they did not cease to praise the Lord. And thus they were driven forth; and no monster of the sea could break them, neither whale that could mar them; and they did have light continually, whether it was above the water or under the water." Read the rest: http://lds.org/scriptures/bofm/ether/6?lang=eng
This blog is the captain's log of our family's journey. It will serve to keep all of you updated on Cathi's condition but also be a place where I can express the lessons we are learning so that it might be a source of strength for others who are going through difficult challenges. We are certainly not unique in this regard. I hope to continue trusting in the light we have been given and to lead our family when we are encompassed by the dark ocean or tossed by its waves. We sincerely seek for your faith in asking the Lord to calm the water, give strength beyond our own and lead all of us of us to a better place.
These were the questions we asked as our family stood on the edge of a new journey in February 2011. Before Cathi was diagnosed with aggressive breast cancer, we saw the waves of an unfamiliar storm brewing and felt the fear of anticipation. When the cancer was certain, our family was required to wade into the cold water, crawl into a mysterious vessel and trust the Lord would be in charge.
The family of Jared was given stones touched by the finger of the Lord that provided light inside their vessels "that they might not cross the great waters in darkness......and it came to pass that...(they) set forth into the sea, commending themselves unto the Lord their God. And it came to pass that the Lord God caused that there should be a furious wind blow upon the face of the waters, towards the promised land; and thus they were tossed upon the waves of the sea before the wind. And it came to pass that they were many times buried in the depths of the sea, because of the mountain waves which broke upon them, and also the great and terrible tempests which were caused by the fierceness of the wind. And it came to pass that when they were buried in the deep there was no water that could hurt them, their vessels being tight like unto a dish, and also they were tight like unto the ark of Noah; therefore when they were encompassed about by many waters they did cry unto the Lord, and he did bring them forth again upon the top of the waters. And it came to pass that the wind did never cease to blow towards the promised land while they were upon the waters; and thus they were driven forth before the wind. And they did sing praises unto the Lord; yea, the brother of Jared did sing praises unto the Lord, and he did thank and praise the Lord all the day long; and when the night came, they did not cease to praise the Lord. And thus they were driven forth; and no monster of the sea could break them, neither whale that could mar them; and they did have light continually, whether it was above the water or under the water." Read the rest: http://lds.org/scriptures/bofm/ether/6?lang=eng
This blog is the captain's log of our family's journey. It will serve to keep all of you updated on Cathi's condition but also be a place where I can express the lessons we are learning so that it might be a source of strength for others who are going through difficult challenges. We are certainly not unique in this regard. I hope to continue trusting in the light we have been given and to lead our family when we are encompassed by the dark ocean or tossed by its waves. We sincerely seek for your faith in asking the Lord to calm the water, give strength beyond our own and lead all of us of us to a better place.
