The 3-day walk

The 3-day Susan G. Komen walk was so awesome! My team and I just rocked this walk. It actually turns out to be a bit more than 60 miles in the 3 days. It was myself, Jody Nelson, Courtney Edelbrock and Jenn Stendera. We came in in the top 200 out of 1400 each day. It wasn't a race, but we seemed to just truck along at a good pace everyday. It is so cool! Camp is a see of pink tents. I must say it has been a few years since I have slept in a tent :) but I totally loved it. The weather was perfect. Nice and warm. My husband was totally amazing through the whole event. He set our tent up, which was so great. We came in after 22 miles our first day to our camp totally ready for us to enjoy. Most people had to arrive after there 22 miles and still put there tent up. The first night we came in showered and then had our little "happy hour" at our tents then we went and ate and enjoyed others. My credential tag had a little gift box on it which meant someone had purchased a sweet treat for me. I was so surprised and tickled when I went to pick it up and I had two, one from Greg and Katy Mowrer and another from Ric and Terry Owen. Thank you guys so much!

The second day we were all a little sore, but ready to hit it again. Our camp was at marymoor park in Redmond. We left camp and headed straight up a trail heading to Bellevue. It was a brutal way to start the day. Through the day you have certain areas that are cheering stations. These were pretty emotional for me for some reason. It is just amazing how people come out and I mean a lot of people to just cheer you on and thank you for walking to support breast cancer. It was just really cool.   Courtney's friend Jenny was meeting us at one of the cheer stops so we all were excited to see Jenny.

When we got to the cheering station that Jenny was at she had made this great sign

Thanks Jenny! Also thanks for the peanut butter balls. They were so good!

Big shout out to Jenny. Jenny has recently been diagnosed with breast cancer also ;( She was going to do the walk with us and then was diagnosed her self. Isn't that horrible. Ugh!! Jenny anything I can do for you please let me know.

The final day of the walk was very cool and emotional. Dan was fabulous again....he was at our camp at 5:30 am ready to tear our tent down and pack it up so that we didn't have to do it. Wow!! We were able to just get up get dressed go have breakfast and go to the bus. It was really nice. They bused us to the University of Washington and we walked from there. We walked through the UW campus over to the Ballard locks then up to and through Magnolia and ended at Memorial Stadium in Seattle. When we got to the finish line it was really cool. Dan was there taking pictures of us and we got all confused and passed the entrance and had to run back to enter...

We were all so excited!!  We all got t-shirts. I got a pink one since I am a survivor and the others got white ones. I got really emotional when I got my shirt. It was weird, I just started bawling. The whole experience was just amazing. My team was amazing. Thank you all for experiencing this event with me. "Kimmy's breast friends" rock!!! And our goal is to each bring in at least one more person to the team next year. So anyone that wants to join us let me know. It is a weekend that you will never forget.

                                  Haley made this sign for our tent. Loved it!!! Thanks Haley

                                                    My team.....ready to go day one.

                                                               Opening ceremony

                                                         Walking across I-90 bridge

                                                     Volunteers really get into this event

                                                                    Lunch day one

                      My friend Libby from boot camp. Diagnosed the same week I was :(

                                                               Coming into camp day one

                                                                  The pink tents

                                                              Courtney and Jenn

                                                            Our new 3-day hats :)

                                 Lake Washington.....day two with our groovy pink glasses

                                                                closing ceremony

                                                                   We did it!!!!!

The closing ceremony. My dear friends Nancy, Amanda and Sammy Pugh. Also Kristen (Jody's daughter). So so sweet of you guys to come to this event. I love you all lots!!!

I am doing well.....

Hi everyone. I am back :) Sorry I have been away for a while. I guess I just decided to take a break from this darn cancer thing. I am doing really well. My hair is coming back....yea!! I am feeling more and more like normal again. It has been almost two months since my last radiation. Wow...hard to believe. Time goes by so darn fast. This week I have made appointments with all of my doctors for my 3 months check ups. Oh, I don't think I have shared with you all that I am now on my maintenance medication ( i guess that's what you would call it). We thought all along that I would be put on tamoxifen....surprise, my blood work showed that I am in menopause so that meant I would be on a different medication. I was a little shocked and I knew nothing about the other medication so it freaked me out a bit. My doctor said this is all good stuff though. He said this medication is actually better, so I guess all good. I take arimidex daily now for five years. I guess since I am so young that my numbers could change as time goes by and my body continues to get back to normal. Anyway, so now I will see my reconstruction doctor this next week. Excited about that. Kimmy's rack will be back...haha I should find out when we will schedule for that surgery. It's kind of a long process. Surgery, heal, expansion and then implants. Should all be done by next summer. I will see my breast surgeon the first of October. I will have my mammogram the same day I see my surgeon. Nice! Will be nice to find out those results immediately. I also will see my oncologist this same week.

One week out of treatment....

It's been one week now since I've been done with cancer treatment.  It's so nice :) I plan on working my normal schedule this whole week.  I have been working, but I've left early if my patient load was down.  My skin has been really sore.  The radiation area truely looks like my skin caught on fire.  It  is dark and red and burnt.  I do think it is starting to heal now though.  The dark layer is literally peeling away.  It's kind of gross.  The skin underneath is so soft and like new skin.  I can't wait till the whole area looks like that.

I see Dr. Kaplan again on August 7 to start my tamoxifen.  I kind of want to get started with that.  I guess I feel like if I'm taking something it will help with this cancer not coming back.  Which that is exactly what the tamoxifen is doing.  I will see my radiation oncologist towards the end of August.  I need to schedule with Barry to get going on the clinical study real soon too.

I AM DONE.......

Today was a great day.  I am officially done with cancer treatment.  I had my last radiation treatment today :) WOW.....  I arrived at Swedish Medical Center for my first appointment at 11:30.  I saw Dr. Ridgeway at the Laribee center to get more latisse.  This stuff is amazing. My eyelashes and eye brows are coming in so well from this product.  Next I went over the Dr. Kaplans office (my oncologist) love him.  My appointment with Dr. Kaplan was for noon.  My last radiation appointment was for 1:00pm.  As usual I waited for about an hour to see Dr. Kaplan, which I don't mind at all because he is a very busy man.  I get called back to see him at 12:50.  I let them know that I need to run down stairs to get my radiation.  Of coarse, it was not a problem at all.  People at the cancer center are amazing people.  They all treat you so well.  I went down stairs to the radiation clinic and I see all of my friends that I have made over the last 5 weeks.  We have a special bond.  We have seen each other Monday through Friday at 1:00pm for 5 weeks.  I brought some yummy cookies....that's what people do when it is there last treatment day.  I went in and changed into my designer gown, as they call them.  Then  I came out and started visiting.  My favorite little lady was passing my cookies around to everyone....it was so cute :).  Her husband has esophageal cancer and his throat is so sore from radiation that he can't eat.  He has lost so much weight :( I will think of them often.  Then everyone was so happy for me that it was my last day.  We all discuss how many days each has left, then Beth came out to get me for my treatment.  I jumped up with excitement and everyone started clapping for me....I have been an emotional basket case every since.  It just touched me in a way that I can't even describe.  I continued to flood tears through my radiation.  My therapist were so sweet and totally understood even more than me about the emotions I was feeling.  I gave them all big hugs and Beth gave me a big kiss.  I told them thank you for always treating me so kind and I shared that I hope I never see them again :) I quickly ran in and changed back into my clothes.  I rushed out of the dressing room and told everyone that I could not stop crying since there wonderful applaud for me.  I wished them all the very best...and ran to the elevator and scurried to floor five where Dan was still waiting in the treatment room for me at Dr. Kaplans office.  Dr. Kaplan came in and I was still emotional.  He sat down very close to me and shared that this day is often as emotional as the first day you are diagnosed.  It is a weird mix of emotion.  I am so excited to be done, but yet a little scared also.  Now the fear of it returning enters your mind.  As you all know that continue to follow my journey, I am not a downer nor will I be a downer nor will I allow these thoughts to remain with me, but today they emerged and it is okay.  Dr. Kaplan discussed with me that I will now take tamoxifen for probably just a couple of years then as I emerge into complete menopause I will switch to another drug that I will take for a total of 5 years.  I will see him every 3 months now for two years.  I will have mammograms once a year and CT scans and or MRI once a year.  So I will be scanned every six months.  I am good with that.  I also will be starting a clinical study with in the next month.

My skin is very dark and is getting pretty sore.  The treatment area is very defined now.  I put first aid cream and aquafor on it many times a day.  The treatment is accumulative and will continue to get worse before it starts getting better.  It will probably be about two weeks before it starts getting better. 

I am doing much better now.  I started this blog about two hours ago.  I am no longer crying and seem to have a grip on my emotions for now.  Dan and I and Haley are having a nice dinner tonight and enjoying saying that I am done with treatment.

Getting through radiation......

Hi everyone.  So sorry it has been a while since I have blogged.  I am doing good.  I have had 24 radiation treatments now.  Woo Hoo!!  Nine more to go and I am done with cancer treatment.  Crazy huh!?  I seem to be handling radiation very well.  My skin is a little dark, but it hasn't been sore or red much at all.  I keep waiting for it to hurt and it hasn't yet.  It has got a little itchy, but not to bad.  I will see Dr. Kaplan (my oncologist)  on July 23rd, which is also my last radiation treatment day.  I am sure we will talk about the tamoxifen that I will start taking.  Also about the schedule that I will see him now.  I believe that I will see him every three months for two years.  I will also have CT scans and or a Mammogram every six months for a few years.  I am good with being seen very regular for a long time.  I have also decided to do a clinical study that will start once I am done with radiation.  I will have to fill you all in more about that later. 

My hair is really coming in good.  It still has a ways to go before I am ready to run around without a hat, but it is getting there :)  It started coming in really white :( so I have already dyed it. Haha  It is definitely going to be curly :) I will never complain about my curly hair again ;) once it all comes back.  I can't wait to use a hair tie again.  That will be a while.

Dan and I are really looking forward to getting back to normal.  What ever normal really is...haha

Just going to work and working my normal schedule.  Not going to Seattle for doctors appointments every week. And all the other crazy stuff we have had to do to deal with this crazy cancer.

I have been walking a lot preparing for my 3-day walk that is in September.  It's been a little more difficult since I went back to work to get my miles in.  But I am definitely walking many miles each week.

We have went boating a few weekends at crescent bar.  We just love boating and sunshine.  It took me a few times out in the sun to figure out how I could keep myself covered up and not look like a total dork.  I have to keep my radiated area totally out of the sun.  I have never had to run from the sun so that's been really different.  I've got a cute swimsuit coverup now and I have a few t-shirts that are working well.

Back to work after 8 weeks off....

First day back to work today :) I got to work and they had made me a card and everyone signed it and it was on my computer. It was pretty special. My day went good, but wow, I sure had to focus a lot. It was great though. I am so glad I came back to work before my residents graduate. They graduate on Friday, but will be in the clinic until the end of the month. What a great bunch of Oral Surgeons we have coming out of Harborview. Proud to be a part of them. ALSO....I went to work today with out a hat. First time I have ventured out without a hat. I still really need more hair to venture any where else, but I figured I were a bonnet at work while in surgery and I can't wear my hat while not in surgery so, I did it. My co workers thought I looked great, but I need more hair before I will be going out in the real public. It sure felt good to not have a hat on though. I am sick of hats. I want a real hair do.
This is my first picture with out a hat. Like I said I still need more hair. 

I have had 10 radiation treatments now. I still do not feel any symptoms. My skin is not feeling burnt at all yet. I put this first aid cream on 3 times a day. I am told that after 3 weeks my skin will start to show signs of treatment. I have 23 more treatments to go.

I went to crescent bar this last weekend and boy it is really hard to run from the sun. I am so used to being in the sun. I always put sun screen on, but I also always get so dark. Its just my skin. My radiation therapist are freaking out because I am so dark. I am really keeping my radiation area out of the sun.  But the rest of me is still getting really dark. 

It sure was great to be with our wonderful boating friends. Pughs and the Nelsons! We sure love you guys lots. And we always all have so much fun. 

Still walking several times a week preparing for my 3-day. Doing my first training walk this Saturday with Courtney Edelbrock (very special friend and 3-day teammate). We are walking 9.67 miles. Looking forward to it. That is half of one of our 3-day walks. I still hope to do a 15 mile day or more before the actual 3-day.

 

Radiation........

I have had three doses of radiation.  I don't notice anything at all yet.  It has been a bit of a hassle cruising to Seattle everyday, but we knew it would be. Radiation is really weird.  I lay down on this hard table, they put a pillow under my knees and then I put my hands over my head and grip onto this pole.  The Hugh machine cruises around me and zaps me in several different spots.  I will see my doctor on Wednesday and I am anxious to ask her exactly what areas are getting zapped. 

Other wise, things are good.  I am going back to work on the 19th.  It will be nice to get back into the swing of normal stuff.  After a few weeks they say my skin will start to get red and can feel like a sunburn.  Some people experience some fatigue. Lets just pray that I don't. I am tired of feeling tired. 

I have been walking several times a week.  I walked 7 miles today.  My longest walk yet. My neighbor Tonya goes with me most of the time.  Dan goes with me on the weekends.   I am really looking forward to the 3-day walk.  It is motivation to have something to look forward to at the end of the summer. Thanks again to everyone that donated to support this walk and breast cancer.

My hair is coming in a lot :). Can't wait till I don't have to wear a hat anymore. Probably several more weeks till that though.  I think I am feeling almost like normal.  I think :)??  

Things are good. Life is good. Praise God!