Life as a Cancer Patient, Wife, and Mom is Crazy!!

Glancing over my calendar for the next few months, I realized that life is going to be jam-packed, full-to-the-max, crazy, crazy over the next few months!

First, let me backtrack to fill you in on a few goodies from yesterday's trip to Kamloops and two doctor visits. My oncologist, Dr. Proctor, was first on the agenda at 9:40 a.m.  Since he had examined me so thoroughly last visit, he mainly asked about the leg pain and how the new meds worked.  I was happy to report to him that the nerve-numbing medication had worked better than the T3's, and I had only needed the occasional codeine tablet to keep the pain at bay.  My tender finger nails were the next item up for discussion.  While we were in Smithers, all my nails became very tender to the touch.  Also, the strangest brown markings have appeared on three nails on my right hand and two on my left.  Apparently, the tenderness is the pre-cursor of neuropathy -- tingling and numbness of the finger tips.  With only two cycles of  Taxol left to go, I may be able to dodge the "neuropathy bullet", but we'll see.  Chock it up to another dreadful blessed side effect :) :)

After shopping for hours with Esther, I saw Dr. Meredith, my plastic surgeon, about 3:30 p.m.  It was time for another dreaded inflation!!  Since I'm trying to get all my ducks in a row for September (Shhhhh!!!! I want to go back to teaching!!!!), I have been curious about the best timing for the final reconstruction surgery.  Good news -- the soonest he will do the surgery is 6 months after radiation.  Skin gets very unelastic after radiation and doesn't like to heal after an incision, so it needs at least 6 months to "get back in shape" (Lucky skin!! I think it'll take me more than 6 months to get in shape!!).  For the first time, I felt the needle go into my tissue expander.  I saw this as a good thing because it means I'm getting feeling back at my mastectomy sight.  Similar to the last inflation, I felt no discomfort afterwards and still feel none today.  My only explanation is that it has been several weeks (not just 2) in between inflations, so everything's nice and "loosey goosey".  I booked three more inflation appointments, and THAT SHOULD BE IT!!!!!!  They're looking pretty "even" to me already ... if I'm allowed to say that?!?

Yes, attending appointments (and some fun stuff thrown in there, too) over the next few months is going to keep me hopping.  Here's what the next few months look like:

TOMORROW, May 3 - Chemo #7 (only one more to go after that!!)
May 8 - Drive David to Kamloops for a medical procedure -- FINALLY the roles are reversed!!!
May 15 - inflation with Dr. Meredith
May 16 - FINALLY get the liver CT done.  Kinda scary that Dr. Proctor booked a chest CT too :(
   Hoping its just a precaution (Yes, I forgot to ask yesterday.  It wasn't on my list.)
In here somewhere there will be blood work and an oncologist visit - no dates & times yet.
May 17 - CHEMO #8:  LAST ONE, FINITO, DONE, YAY!!!!!!!!
May 25 - Fly to Edmonton for an extremely special visit that I may talk about later :) :)
June 2 - Fly home from Edmonton
June 4 - inflation with Dr. Meredith
June 6 - radiation consultation in Kelowna
   Maybe I'll finally know what my summer looks like.
June 13 - Drive to Victoria for Kate's grad ceremony
June 16 - home from Victoria
June 17 - inflation with Dr. Meredith - MAYBE done ?!?
Should start radiation somewhere about June 24th or July 1 week.  There goes the next 6 weeks of my life :)

Phew!!  I'm exhausted just thinking about all these dates.  Better practice what I preach ...

I just said to someone downtown today, "Life as a cancer patient is putting in time waiting for the next appointment to arrive."  At least with a schedule that looks like this one, it's not long to wait between each one!