Early Thursday, What's Up?
Anywho, I stayed up late to watch the end of the Phillies/Braves game, which set a franchise record for most wins in a season, and Charlie Manuel is the winningest manager in Phillies history. It went into extra innings.
Thursday will have me heading to my favorite AA meeting of the week. Then I will be home to make progress in the bedspread for Isabel.
I hope I get some sleep tonight. I had my preadmission testing today, and the doctor put me on a blood pressure medication that has me peeing more than I ever have in my life. I looked it up on the Internet, and it said to call my doctor if I have that side effect, and my family doc sounded ticked at the preadmission doc for putting me on blood pressure medicaiton without knowing my history. He said there is nothing I can do to stop the peeing, except ride it out. He also said it is nothing to be overly concerned about.
I don't plan on going to bed till this settles down, as I hate getting comfortable in bed, only to have to get up and then try to get comfortable again.
Hugs and blessings to all.
Trish
Albert Schweitzer
Congratulations on your new grandbaby, Trish! How exciting! Those fluid pills can be very effective..I take them daily(prescription of course) for the lymphodema in both legs but then I REALLY need to stay close to the ole litter box! *s*
Today John & I drove to the St Catharines General and I picked up my huge heavy folder of mammograms and ultrasounds on CDs. They were actually ready for me! We had gone early in case fo complications but it took about tweny minutes from when I went in the front door and found the office to go to-Film Library. Then we drove to Hamilton (about 80 minutes drive)to the Juravinsky Cancer Centre...there's several buildings...#699 Concession Road on the Mountain, which is where the doctors’ offices are and where they hang out and where radiation and chemo treatments are done....huge, brand new….maybe 4-5 years old at the most..ultra clean. The hospital itself where surgeries are done is next door at 711 Concession Road. Immediately, we were directed to Section D to wait to be seen by my Oncology Surgeon...Dr Nicole Hodgson. As soon as we got there, we sat down and immediately I was being interviewed by a volunteer who asked me many questions: tired? appetite? energy? pain? Anxiety? Depression? and more...all to be graded from 1-10, 10 being the worst. This was all done on computer and we got a print-out to give to the nurse (Christine) who took us into the surgeon’s examination room. This file will stay in my records and, every time I go there, I will be answering the same questions and they are added, all in line, so that it is easy to check across the page to see any changes in those levels so that can be addressed easily. Great idea and very efficient. It took all of ten minutes before we were ushered into the doctor’s examining room and the nurse appeared after maybe five minutes....she asked a lot of questions re health history, made lots of notes and took my huge file of records, x-rays and CDs. I made sure that they knew about my serious allergies to penicillin, my recent confirmation tests for that, my skin’s allergy to adhesive and what happened last time (severe infection due to that adhesive allergy). Surgeon then came in and examined me, told me this:The tumor is small...it is a slow-growing kind of tumor….likely growing for two years, also that it was caught EARLY! Yay!! It must be removed but the techniques have changed a lot in 21 years years. I will have a lumpectomy like before, only this time, little seeds of radioactive material will be injected into my armpit “axilla” area where the “guardian lymph nodes hang out…using a Geiger counter machine, they can tell if cancer cells have invaded the sentinel lymph nodes. (also no drainage tubes-YAY! Less chance of infection there and less chance of lymphodema!! Double YAYY! ) If the axilla nodes are clear, it means no cancer cells have migrated from the tumor. If any axilla nodes have cancer, that means that the cancer has sent out cancer seeds to other parts of my body and that will require more aggressive treatment which we expect NOT to happen. Also, instead of staying weeks like last time, this surgery is a DAY SURGERY!! Less chance of infection from the hospital...it’s an all day procedure since I have to have pre-surgery procedures to insert wires the size of a human hair from my outer skin into the tumor (like last time) via needles and x-rays. That way, the surgeon can make a very accurate cut directly to the tumor...less cutting, less chance of infection, more accurate and more effective. Then I will be prepped and put to sleep and surgery done. They said about 1 ½-2 hours for surgery. I will get heparin shots in my stomach (blood thinner aka rat poison) to reduce chances of blood clots. ‘Then, they wake me up (apparently anaethesia has also been much more refined), they watch me for a bit then send me home that day. Then the labs do another biopsy and check for genetics, etc to further define and determine the treatment, likely radiation treatments….and, if needed, maybe oral drugs after that. Chemo is unlikely if all goes well. After the biopsy is determined they will schedule my radiation treatments and that is how it goes. I will also be having blood tests to see if, since I’ve now had cancer in BOTH breasts, and Mom also had breast cancer, it may be that I carry a genetic code for cancer. That means BOTH boys need to be tested ( a simple blood test) as well to make sure that you do not carry that gene and to be regularly checked just in case as you possibly could be more prone to cancer, very likely not but better to make sure. I have to say, as I sat outside the front door and waited for John to go get the car and come back to pick me up, there was a CONSTANT stream of vehicles dropping people off or picking them up....all cancer patients....the “doorman” who helps people who need assistance walking, transferring in or out of cars, says that it is like that 24 hours/day but Tuesdays are the busiest because it’s BLOODWORK day. Absolutely shocking how many people are in treatment at this place! There are so many volunteers who work there and all so kind and friendly….everyone is treated so well there, just as I remembered from twenty one years ago. I feel good, no pain....VERY positive that all will be fine and successful! I feel alot of trust in my surgeon (I’m told she is the BEST OF THE BEST!) and the nurses….they “get” spiritual modalities, hypnosis and reiki work too. I even told them that I was listening to CDs and subliminals to reinforce my positive energy, to ignore ANY negative talk in the surgery room while I’m asleep and to reinforce healthy healing and they liked that! I may even take that surgeon a copy of our children's book -My Mummy Is Sick that I illustrated. Pre-Op (bloodwork, ECG, etc) will be 7-10 days before surgery date…this will take about 4-5 hours as I am seen by many different departments, the surgeon, anesthetist, nurses, information class, etc. Dr Hodgson said I will have surgery the first or second week of November- Thanksgiving complicating things- and she is the head surgeon there and is very tightly scheduled so if she gets an earlier date open, I will be called….til then there is no worry because it’s that slow-growing kind. Naturally, the more urgent cases get done first. I am content with this. This may even work out well with my LifePath classes that I teach…they end Wed Nov 2nd so all is good *s* Sending love and healing energy to all who want it! Nancy B
Margaret
PS - Canada's universal health care may not be perfect, but it is providing you (and has provided me) with health care that has been extraordinary (Juravinsky Cancer Centre).
You have such a great handle on all that is going on with your health. My doctor didn't give me much detail as to what to expect. Mine was uterine cancer. I was very blessed that it had not yet spread anywhere. I did get an infection in my incision while in the hospital. Was on IV antibiotics for 2 weeks.
Thankful that the cancer found in you is slow growing' Thanks also for all the info you have shared. Mag
Morning Trish and OFF family!!!
Well I called my pain dr yesterday afternoon and told him what happened to my back saturday night. He said I was doing everything right for it. I go in tuesday morning for injections. Not sooner? No all booked up solid! Dam!! So keep doing what I am doing til then he said...so I will TRY going to work today and see how it goes...dreading it...I have to close which means washing everything and that means a sore back on top of it already hurting!!! Sighs.
Today they are starting on our parking area here at the complex!!! YIPPEEE!!!!! Finally!!!!!!!!!! Cars are parked EVERYWHERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And when I come home tonight there better NOT be a car in my spot!! I have a handicap sign and if a car is in my spot with NO handicap tag or plate I am calling police to have that car removed!! Yes I am mean but when I get home tonight I will not be in a mood to deal with some idiot that parked in my spot!!!
Speaking of idiots...the elephant above us last night is at it again...we were sitting watching tv last night when all of a sudden BOOM!!!!!!!!!!! Sounded like she dropped a bowling ball on the floor!!! OMG!!! WTH??? Then again...and again...Rick said she does it again he is calling the cops. He has had enough!!! What her problem is we have no idea but she has a screw loose or something!!! And no we do not have our tv to loud. Everyone else that lives on our end of building says they don't even know we are home unless they see our car or us coming in and out the door with Bandit!!! Hell they don't even hear Bandit bark!!!! Why this woman has it in for us we have no clue!!! Just wish she would move...its a nightmare when she is like that!!! The other night her boyfriend screamed at her for who knows what and next thing you heard was glass breaking...even he thinks she is nuts...so its not only us!!!
Got a couple more rows done on the afghan yesterday. Still can't stand the colors my granddaughter picked out...so bright!! LOL
Had a skunk out here yesterday...man was it ever spraying!!! Whole place was smelling!!! I called the vet asking how or who to call to get rid of it!!! They gave me a number to call and ofcourse it costs money to have the critter man come out...well I guess the skunk is dying?? Last I heard it was on its back legs up in the air kicking...still spraying its stink...not sure if its still there this morning or not but the office sure stinks!!! Not going near there!!!! EWWWWW Was a pretty skunk though...mostly black little white on it...fluffy also. Wanted to come see you, was pretty friendly!!! EWWWW!!!! But stink!!!!!!!!!! OMG!!!!!!!!!!!
Well better get going and see if I can get more of the afghan done before work. Back is starting to hurt sitting here anyhow.
Thoughts and Prayers for all that need them!!!
HUGS
As for the elephant upstairs....she will get kicked out sooner or later...***** every day.....start keeping a log of all the crap she does and the times she does it. Good Luck!!
Love and hugs.....connie d
