Photo by Marcus Aurelius on Pexels.com Tim and I have taken a couple of trips (with and without some other family) and on the last two trips we took just the two of us had some thoughts on what we call handicap accessible here in the United States. Our latest jaunt took us to Las … Continue reading Thoughts on Las Vegas and Accessibility in the US
Photo by Luiz Fernando on Pexels.com I start writing this week and then every distraction possible comes racing through the door of my brain. Nothing critical but just frustrating. I really struggled with side effects from the new drug which include fatigue. Every time I think I found some motivation some voice or set of … Continue reading The struggle bus has been in full force for the last few weeks.
Photo by Tom Swinnen on Pexels.com I think that our generation has been shown successful people our own age who are retiring early and are presented with this as the goal. Now I understand not everyone would classify my situation of ending work because of terminal cancer as retirement but it sounds a lot nicer … Continue reading Retiring around 40 is the dream right? Not for some of us.
Photo taken by me for Mr. B This is a long overdue post, and I should frankly be looking at my last post to see what was happening then. Oh, eyelashes and eyebrows. Both so far have been a bust and haven't been photographed at any level, however, the slight edge goes to eyebrows which … Continue reading It’s been a bit and I’ll try to catch you up..and me too
Photo by Mark Arron Smith on Pexels.com You would think at this stage in the game, after my 2nd loss of hair that I would realize how important eyebrows but particularly eyelashes are. I admit that the beauty product side of TikTok has taken my spare time by storm. Some of these influencers have a … Continue reading On the importance of eyelashes and eyebrows
We received these beautiful flowers from our brother and sister-in-law in Indiana for our 21st wedding anniversary. This year also marks the year I've been married for more years than I haven't. How did we crazy kids celebrate? I was recovering from chemo and Tim worked. He brought home cheeseburgers and fries from a local … Continue reading My marriage is officially old enough to have a cocktail
Photo by Ibrahim Nasouf on Pexels.com Today I've had two meals. Those are my first meals in nine days. It's been rough. I had radiation on my neck before we left for Colorado, and they mentioned a side effect called esophagitis. I didn't think much of it until Thursday of last week. My throat felt … Continue reading When side effects attack!
Photo by Gordon Bishop on Pexels.com The eagle above is screaming. I'm not ready to touch politics right now but the image was selected for the screaming. I've been waiting (and am still waiting) on some things to kick off in relation to treatment, but mostly with trying to get things in order to get … Continue reading When (almost) everything kicks off at once
I've been back for a week or so now and I've had one infusion of my immunotherapy and I thought I was going to start radiation on my vertebrae. Not so says my insurance. They need to approve the new plan, and so I'm stuck in the waiting zone. I had hoped to get this … Continue reading Again with the waiting game
We've been back nearly a week and I've seen all the doctors that want to see me. I had some pain in my shoulder that I thought was from carrying a shoulder bag through Scotland and Ireland (the times my husband didn't take it from me) but a bone scan revealed that cancer has spread … Continue reading Back to life, back to reality.
Photo by Black ice on Pexels.com I admit I'm having trouble adjusting back to the central time zone. I feel lucky I had an extra day with the holiday weekend but life didn't stop while we were gone. I knew all the medical community would want to see me when I got back. I'm just … Continue reading Jumping back into life with two feet
Our ragtag group of first-time international travelers made it back stateside Saturday, but I'm still wrapping my head around all that happened. We are all still speaking to one another and didn't have to be seated in separate sections of the plane after two weeks together. I'm still processing many thoughts and feelings about this … Continue reading It’s a long way from Tipperary, or in our case to Tipperary.
It's been a challenging week in our household and we didn't really need a hospital stay on top of that but here we are. I'm normally cold, it's probably due to a thyroid issue I've been dealing with for a long time, so when I was low energy and super cold on Wednesday afternoon I … Continue reading Living that VIP (hospital) Life!
Photo by Dominika Roseclay on Pexels.com I admit that I was thinking about a tattoo. Maybe a Celtic symbol that my oldest sister and I could get together. Maybe a remembrance, I'm not sure. Thanks to radiation I got three tattoos, less artsy and colorful, just dots that serve as targets for the machine. And … Continue reading I was thinking about a tattoo….now I have three.
Photo by Eva Elijas on Pexels.com The last installment of my adventure had me talking about the tumor they found in my sacrum. It went to the tumor board this week and there are actually other smaller tumor's on the other side. I admit I do like balance and symmetry but this seems like a … Continue reading A return to radiation
Photo by cottonbro on Pexels.com I had a CT to check the progress on the chemo and sadly it was not great news. I did learn where my sacrum is (above the tailbone) and that I have a mass growing in it. Woo hoo right? So that shifted treatment to plan B which started on … Continue reading Do you know where your sacrum is? I do now.
Photo by ShonEjai on Pexels.com I had thought my next post would deal with The Big Trip and we might get there yet, or it might have to wait until next week. In our last episode, I spoke about the cheerful topic of my possible demise and my planning for that. I think I hinted … Continue reading Hitting a wall
Photo by Pavel Danilyuk on Pexels.com I had planned this week to attend the funeral of a coworker, a bear of a man beloved not only on our staff but by anyone he met. He fought a courageous battle with ALS with strength, faith, and genuine care for those around him. Between the interesting weather … Continue reading Thoughts on obituaries and funerals…a happy post
It's become somewhat of a tradition where I work that when I'm undergoing chemotherapy I find pairs of socks on my desk. Fuzzy socks, quirky socks, Wonder Woman socks (with little capes), and most commonly llama socks. I enjoy wearing them paired with the funny and sometimes snarky breast cancer or metastatic breast cancer t-shirts … Continue reading When life really socks….
Photo by Negative Space on Pexels.com It's been about three months since my visit to the ER and the discovery of the brain lesions that heralded the return of my cancer. I have two oncologists that see me, the radiation oncologist who shot targeted lasers into my brain to those lesions and my traditional oncologist … Continue reading Two oncologists in one week
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com I had my first break from chemo this week. Three weeks on and one week off. The last time I did chemo it was a straight twelve weeks then every other week for four weeks that turned out to take longer because of my red blood cells. A week off … Continue reading Spring break, sort of.
Photo by Monstera on Pexels.com I admit this week that the cracks and the wear and tear are starting to show. The thing about chemo is that it's cumulative. The more it builds up the worse you feel. I'm feeling it this week. More side effects, more meds to deal with side effects. More meds … Continue reading Just ugh.
Photo by Xi Xi on Pexels.com /I went into my visit with the oncologist yesterday with questions about travel. I'd like to take a trip with my sister to Colorado for her birthday in April and planning is full steam ahead for our Scotland-Ireland trip but we need to have an idea of when to … Continue reading Another one down, indefinite number to go
At the beginning of this process, I likened my return to chemo to returning to school for the next year and knowing what the routine was. Silly me. Yes I know the routine and the process, and I remembered the side effects and how to deal with them, but I didn't count on new and … Continue reading That didn’t take long
I expected to start losing my hair. I knew it was coming, but it took a few weeks last time. Not this time. Chemo was Monday, and by Wednesday, when I reached up to push some strands out of my face, they started coming away in my fingers. My scalp began to itch in that … Continue reading Time for a haircut
It feels a little like getting ready for the first day of school. The first time I had done tons of research, bought the recommended products, had this giant llama bag (that I still have) that was a gift from one of my sisters and was setting out on a new adventure. This time I … Continue reading Prepping for the first day of chemo again.
Photo by Brett Sayles on Pexels.com And we are doing it again. I've told many people after my first round with chemo that it's just going to suck. Lean into the suck because there's just not much else you can do. Once again it's time to lean into the suck. I'm not sure if it's … Continue reading Chemo again
Photo by Bakr Magrabi on Pexels.com /I've spent the last three years trying not to be one of those former cancer patients who worried about every twinge, gone to every appointment, and followed every direction from each of my specialists. But here we are. There's nothing different I could do and I know that. I … Continue reading Wrapping our heads around what’s next
Photo by Anton Atanasov on Pexels.com I've lived most of my life as an optimist. I hope for the best, look for the silver lining in every situation, and have truly believed that each setback, each challenge has been for a purpose. My faith has been a cornerstone in my life, and while there are … Continue reading Here we go again
Thank you, every one of you, for going on this journey with Lisa. We appreciate all of your thoughts and prayers as we navigate these final days of her life. Cancer may have won in this time, but the memories and joy of her life will live on into the future in her writings and … Continue reading Update
Photo by Alexander Dummer on Pexels.com Now before anyone gets the idea I'm giving up the ghost just pause for a moment and read. Last week had some very frustrating days filled with confusion on my part and I'm sure for my family. I've been trying to figure out some medication and food things that … Continue reading Letting go and letting God
Butterflies on a Cowpie 