It's hard to believe that one year ago at this time we were dealing with a cancer diagnosis. It's really amazing when I think about everything that we have been through. I have been truly blessed with how well my body has tolerated all of the treatment. I am doing well :)
Things are continuing for Dan and I like we are normal people :) I am working my normal schedule. I feel like normal. What ever that is haha.
I have had a little hick-up this week, dang it! I have had this continuous shoulder ache that comes and goes. It is the weirdest thing ever. Some days and mostly nights my right shoulder aches horribly. It keeps me awake at night and really drives me nuts. Then I will wake up and it is totally fine. Well, this week I woke up one day and I felt this real heavy feeling in my right arm. It clicked in my head that shut....this might be lymph edema. I made an appointment today to go see the physical therapist that my doctor recommended I see. She said that my achy shoulder is probably what has caused this lymph edema. Lymph edema is something that can happen when you have had your lymph nodes removed like I had when I had my mastectomy. She said that from my shoulder having a problem the extra fluid that normal lymph nodes would take care of is going into my arm because my lymph nodes have been removed/altered in this arm. So the long and short of it is that today I had to go get a sleeve to wear on my arm. The sleeve is really tight, but not to bad at all to wear. I also have to wear a glove :( I don't like the glove. People can see it. Boo hoo...... I need to wear the sleeve during the day and the glove when I can. I will not be able to wear the glove at work. Just wont work. I put gloves on a 100 times a day and another glove, especially this thick one, wont work. The fluid is pretty minimal, but is present, so I need to get the fluid gone an do some manual lymph massage and then when the fluid is gone I wont have to wear the sleeve. So....as long as I manage the swelling and keep on top of it, I don't think I will have to wear the sleeve and glove to much. That is my hope anyway.
My reconstruction is scheduled for January 7th. I am excited to just get that done and get done with all of these surgeries.
I was very upset to learn that I will not be able to do the clinical study that Dr. Kaplan wanted me to do. For some reason I missed the window to start the study. I was pretty pissed about this. They have me fill out all of the paper work get me totally ready for the study, then they didn't call me to have me come
in when it was time to start. I was told that I had to start it within 60 days of my last radiation. I am like why didn't you guys ever tell me that and why didn't you call me to get me started on it. They really had no answers for me. But what ever. I guess it wasn't meant for me to be in on the study.
Hard to believe that Thanksgiving is next week. HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO YOU ALL.
