November 19, 2012 - Appointment with Dr. Tim

November 19th - I had a follow-up visit with Dr Tim last Thursday. We talked a lot about the aspect of placing me on Arimidex (hormone therapy - HT) to reduce the risk of a recurrence. Prior to him starting me on the HT he wants to make sure that my bones are strong enough so he has scheduled me blood work and a bone mineral density test in December as the HT causes bone thinning. He won’t use Tamoxifin as that can cause blood clots which I’ve had problems while on chemo. Since the tumor was estrogen positive they need to make sure that my body is producing the least amount of estrogen possible prior to going on this drug (Arimedix is a nonsteroidal aromatase inhibitors). This works by decreasing the amount of estrogen the body makes. This can slow or stop the growth of many types of breast cancer cells that need estrogen to grow. Because they are not 100% sure that I’m in menopause he is recommending having my ovaries removed. A hysterectomy may also be an option to relieve any anxieties of any gynecological types of cancers. I will be meeting with a GYN surgeon sometime in the upcoming weeks. This is all very overwhelming to me and the information that I’ve read on Arimidex and the side effects are not the most appealing. Heaven help me make the best decision.

Dr Tim also thought I may have shingles as I had a rash on my right shoulder blade. He placed me on Valtrex for this but I’m not 100% convinced that I have it as I have no itching, pain, or any other symptoms…weird, I know.

I started back to work today, working up to 4 hours as tolerated. Today went well as it was nice to see my co-workers and reconnect with them. Many things have changed while I was away from the office for 10 month so Jenny and Melissa (my co-workers) will have to take some time to “re-train” me in.

I have a new found prospective on work which is to try not to take it too seriously and get all stressed out about it. Life, family and happiness are way more important to me then getting all riled up about work stuff. Any who…We’ll see how that goes!

Happy Thanksgiving! Thanksgiving Day comes, by statute, once a year; to the honest man it comes as frequently as the heart of gratitude will allow. ~Edward Sandford Martin

November 9, 2012 - what's new in November

November 9th - an update on the radiation burns - other than a little bit of pealing skin remaining, the burns are healing quite well. My checkup with my oncologist and plastic surgeon are on Thursday this coming week. Other than tiredness, I've had some low back and leg pain which I feel is a different pain than my normal back pain. It could be due to me trying to get back to DAHLC (Mayo's fitness center) to get back into shape or the meds I'm on for hot flashes. This will certainly be a topic of conversation at my appointment. Also Dr. Moynihan has given me the ok to come off the Lovenox (blood thinner) by the end of 2012!!!! It is good news!!!! Giving yourself shots in your belly twice per day is not a fun thing. I have a greater respect for diabetic people that have to do that daily. Update on Ben, he will be getting the IVIG treatments this next week. They will be staying with us for four days as he will be getting the treatments on an outpatient basis at St Mary's. The treatments take about four hours to complete so they will be at the hospital most of the mornings. Good luck to you my sweet grandson! Prayers are coming your way for this treatment to aid in your recovery for your little leg. God be with you! Today I'm heading into the DAHLC for a Reiki treatment. Reiki is a Japanese technique for stress reduction and relaxation that also promotes healing. It is administered by "laying on hands" and is based on the idea that an unseen "life force energy" flows through us and is what causes us to be alive. If one's "life force energy" is low, then we are more likely to get sick or feel stress, and if it is high, we are more capable of being happy and healthy. So I'll see how I feel after this...can't wait! Have a great weekend with your families!