Well six weeks after my first planning appointment I now have my second planning appointment for radiation on Tuesday 12th June
Not quite sure how I feel.........I was left feeling a bit flat after being told I couldn't go ahead with radiation due to the large hematoma (I really just wanted to start and finish treatment asap) but then I went back to work, back to the beach, back to normal life really well apart from the modified diet, quitting smoking and not as much red wine ;) Now I feel I am being dragged back to cancer world and well..........here we go again. I think I have been in denial for the past six weeks you know like it's was all a bad dream and if I work hard enough, exercise long enough and just stay busy it can't catch me again but reality is back and radiation will start within 7-10 days after planning appointment.
Oh well head up big deep breaths and just get on with it Georgie.
Comments
Hi Georgie
I dont think it is denial so much as mental protection. The mental and physical break will enable you to get through the next series of treatments because you know you can return to "normal life" when it finishes.
Sadly I think we will all be in "cancer world" for the rest of our lives or until we stop having followup visits. We just need to acknowledge that it is a part, not the whole of our world as it becomes when we are undergoing treatment.
Hope it all goes well for you. My radiation team tell me they are the gentle ones. We will see.
Thanks Serenity
Thanks Serenity for your reply to my post - yes the physical and mental break has been good for me and I am sure the radiation treatment for the short six weeks is nothing like what many of our lovely pink sisters have had to endure with chemo. I feel quite alot better today the rain has stopped and the sun is trying really hard to fight through the clouds, I took a long walk on the beach with my dogs early this morning and took lots of fresh salty ocean air into to my lungs - while the gusts of wind tried to knock me of my feet!!.
I have a friend who works in the radiation department of oncology at the hospital I am having treatment and I'm going to try and treat the daily visits as a much needed catch with an old friend.
Well off to fight the good fight!!
Thanks again Cheers Georgie
got my start date .....
Ok I have my start date for radiation 20th June and finish 6th August. The planning went as I expected and and I now have red marker lines all over my right boob and my first tatts at 48 for goddness sake. Don't know why but I feel exhausted today coupled with a headache - I spent must of yesterday cooking up a storm trying to fill the freezer with meals for later down the track and had visitors staying over the weekend so that is probably it .Back to work tomorrow which I am looking forward to and then a visit to bestie and godsons in Brisbane over the weekend for a vino or two - a last chance for a soiree as I think it is probably a good idea not to indulge in my favourite red wine during treatment.
These are my thoughts for the day ...................
Hey Georgie -- sorry to butt in, but if you have the energy for it, send in some of your recipes for the Sussan cookbook. Things that go well in the freezer are exactly what they're looking for (there's some more info here, if you missed it: http://www.bcna.org.au/network/groups/54/blog/30746). :)
Di
Thanks Di
Thanks Di
I have been thinking about best freezer meals - also looking for vego freezer meals that work well- I will post what works for me and my lovely but will check out recipes from our other lovely pink ladies thanks for the heads up.
Cheers Georgie
Hi Georgie
I was reading that in the 1970s when they drew the read lines on you, you werent allowed to shower for two weeks until the radiation started and they then put the tattoo markers on you. I will be 47 with my first tatts. My children tell me I need to get "fill ins "afterwards - I think not. My radiation oncologist ( Mater Brisbane ) recommended a product from moogoo.com.au for the breast skin. I have bought some and am going to do a test run with it between chemo and radiation to make sure I dont react.
Hope you have a lovely weekend with your bestie. Red wine sounds lovely. And if the children are of an ageto enjoy it, take them to Mummies at the Brisbane museum simply amazing. If they are younger, the dinosaurs are great too.
Take care. Be gentle on yourself. The end of your treatments are in sight.
Hi Serenity
Hi Serenity
thanks for your reply - first things first, my lovely godsons are 12 and twins 8, their mum is a school teacher so dinos are well covered and my 12 year old and I look will look at a new animation program ( maya) for his youtube channel, that is after I do the footy practise with the twins so mum can go to a farewell for a work mat ( Ilove being involved in the boys sport because I miss out often by living one hour away). Then YES we get to enjoy the lovely red and catch up on the real s**t......... The reason I found the lump in my breast was because my bestie - being the responsible woman that she is had a mammo and they called her back in ...long story short after surgery and much freaking out a fibroandenoma was diaganosed, I then spent a lot of time self examining and found my lump.
I have managed to wash away my marker lines and eveyone is sooo unimpressed with my tatts!!!
I'm headed to my naturophath tomorrow and will discuss skin care with her among other things.... yes I have looked and used at MooGoo and love it but, the radiation nurses are very particular about what they want you to use, however I wills suggest what i am interested in re:particular moisturisersand hope they will evaulate.
Fill ins ...I'm with you honey no friggin way!!!!!
I'm in Currumbin just an hour away from your hospital.
thanks for the gentle reminder now that I am back at work and everyone wants a bit ( staff and clients) I feel a bit drained
Thanks again Georgie
Hi Georgie
I can soooo feel what you are going through! I am only new to all this - diagnosis on May 14 - and am trying hard to be patient... I have had my surgery to remove a 25mm lump which turned out to be grade 3 DCIS with cancer cells in the sentinel node that was removed "just in case". I have had half of my smallest boob removed (and they are small anyway, dammit) but I feel extremely lucky that it has all been caught so early. Thanks to breastscreen!
My surgeon has sent my referral to the oncologist team and I am yet to recieve an appointment date to sort out my follow up treatment and timelines but have been warned that it will involve both chemo and radiation with a possibility of hormone treatment. This waiting game really plays with your head, doesnt it. I am like you - I always feel better after a walk on the beach with the sand between my toes and topping that off with a glass of red is even better.
Can you tell me why you modified your diet? I am really going to miss red wine! I am normally a very active person and just want to get this over with and get back to paddling outrigger canoes (at least I will be able to call it therapy after this). Please keep your blog going - following your journey has already been a big help to me :-) Good luck with the radiation. I will be sending all my bestest thoughts.
Hi Lisa
You are two days behind me -diagnosis date being 12th March 3.15pm Monday. Funny ( or not so ) that I will remember that date forever. drank bit of red that night...
you asked about my diet changes - I modified my diet to mainly vego due to advice from my naturopath, mainly because of digestion and nutrient absorbtion (god my spelling is crap tonight) . I still eat some animal protien a few nights a week but mainly stick to a raw and some cooked food diet. I was an olympic smoker and commonwealth drinker...now I do not smoke AT ALL but still love my wine each night though only two glasses of red with dinner - which for me is a great improvement.
As for being active I was not so much but now I am a devoted beach walker with my dogs at 5.45am each morning ( I even amaze myself with this activity but have been doing it for over a month now and can't imagine not doing it - nor can my dogs..!!!)
please feel free to private message me if you would like I would love to hear from you. Hold tight and be good to your self is the only way I get through. One day at a time.................
Cheers Georgie