A Great Day

Heart of Tiramisu by Taylor

 Last night I finished my last dose of antibiotic.  Today I finished my last day of Leave of Absence.  We went to Ronaldo's for a light dinner tonight for Taylor's last night of summer work as prep cook.  He made the Tiramisu - decorated for us with a heart.  Off he goes to Ithaca tomorrow for his last year of college.  Jeremy is in Boston doing well.  He'll start his classes again soon too.  I've got the Bill guy by my side and my medical puzzle pieces seem to be coming together. My heart feels good.  I thought the puzzle completion would happen for January 1st but I'll take August 1st!  Off to bed for me - August here I come!

Ramblings From Another chapter

Mt. Kineo from the back side.

 So many things going on in my head and life.  Still healing on the right side but it does look good and for the first time in many months.  It looks like this surgery did the trick.  I am on my last bit of antibiotic and will be glad to be done with those drugs.  Wow.  Ive had some kind of antibiotic  running through me since my lung infection last August, plus I hadn't even finished chemo in August.  Holy pharmacy drive through! 

We took some time off last weekend for a long weekend.  It was to celebrate Taylor's 21st birthday and Jeremy's 23rd birthday.  We went to Moosehead Lake and stayed up in Rockwood Maine.  It was just the piece of heaven we needed.  Stayed in two cabins on the lake with our dear friends, Janet, Bob, their kids Brad and Abby, and Sheila and Linda.  Three moose sightings, a bald eagle, and a large buck were some of the highlights.  We were also able to connect with our friends living up there Judy and Gary.  With their son CJ, wife Elle, and grandson Parker there all 14.5 of us had dinner together one night.  Good food and great company.  That's the stuff that keeps me going.  Live, laugh, love. 

I'm sure you've all heard the Hep C concerns at Exeter Hospital.  I've never been in the cath lab and certainly I asked the questions that any patient should.  We'll see if the State changes again and schedules testing for patients like me. The staffs have been amazing in the face of such a crisis.  Prayers for all those involved and impacted.  Life changes in an instant. 

Dr. Hammond retired this week.  So hard to even write those words.  Bill and I hold him very close in our hearts.  As my oncologist he spent many hours talking us through the impact of all the chemo and ancillary drugs.  Many hours talking about getting to the other side of all of this.  Many years providing superior care.  Off he goes on his sailboat to only have to ponder the next slip or mooring.  A well deserved new chapter for he and his wife.  Blessings and peace to them.

I'm just going to keep doing my best to stay ahead of the leftovers of treatment and surgeries.  I'll use all the great karma you all send my way.  Still fortified by lots of yogurt and all of you!

And Others

Dear Aunt Minnie lovingly cared for by her Bill.  They told her she wouldn't be here now but she's not having any of that.  I got to see her just before they took off for a well deserved get away to Florida. xoxo  We just met Pam and Brad.  Pam has had her brain tumor operated on and radiated and she awaits the perfect chemo cocktail.  Aaron's dad with lung cancer.  Real stories of really great folks. 
I posted the picture of my great gun because it's another symbol of the fight.  Plus it looks way better than Brad's.  (Inside joke, but he knows it's so true!)  I got to take the bandage of the picc line area and it feels so good to not have any bandages on that arm again.  Off to Dr. Marble tomorrow to get the weekly once over.  I need a thumbs up so off to bed I go. 

Others

My thank yous for your support are sincere and so deeply heartfelt.  Bill can tell you how the most simple memory can bring me to tears.  I mean the good tears.  The tears that release the grasp of those thoughts of cancer and having it control ones life.  As you know I've had a hard time getting my thoughts put into print again, but by no means does it reflect what has been going on in my heart, my head, my prayers.  I hold oh so dear Denise and Belinda who faced concerns over their lady parts. xoxo  Both faced surgery, one faced radiation after.  There is dear Dr Marble who just lost her beloved father-in-law to bladder cancer.  For Kelly who had the worrisome, but thankfully benign breast lump.  For Gail's stubborn Don with a worrisome lung nodule.  So many people to fight for, pray for, support, love and just be there when needed.  May the power of the fight but far reaching and ever powerful.  Thank you all so much for fighing, praying, and supporting right along with me.

PICC Line Gonzo

I needed  a check up with my home care nurse last night.  When getting ready for bed I took off the cloth  picc line cover to see that the skin at the entrance was bright red.  Hadn't been that way earlier.  Carole is a peach and had been the primary nurse during these many weeks.  Luckily she was on call.  She wanted to confirm the sterile hadn't been breached.  As she says many times the body is just telling you it's time to take out the line.  Today after multiple coordinated clinical calls another nurse was sent back out to pull the line.  Now my temp needs to come down and stay down, all wounds need to heal, close up tight, and let me enjoy the remainder of the summer. 

5 Days later

Well as you know I've been laying as low as I could.  It seems - so far - that did the trick this time.  Met with Dan Lynch, PA who was covering for Dr. Marble Friday to get another follow-up.  Dan's a good guy who is generally in the surgical suite with Drs. McKee and Lee.  He sat in on my very first team meeting two years ago.  My incision is in good shape leaving the running stitch in for now.  Keeps me buttoned up good.  No showering, but I've got that routine down to a clean science.  I still have the picc line, 37 days and counting.  Dr. Lee wanted to make sure my surgical cultures came back clear before removing it.  Dan confirmed one of two was clear and was a final result.  The second has no growth but was not considered final.  I'll get the second culture confirmed this week with another check-up.  I'm still oh so sleepy and hit my wall pretty early.  I feel like my physical challenges are improving slightly being off the Arimidex.  Hard to tell what's what still between drugs, infection, surgery, and recovery.  So more patience is required.  I feel like I've really been out of it quite a bit since my mastectomy in November.  I can hardly believe this year is already half over.  That'll have to be my positive for now.  2012 is not what I thought it would be that is for sure.  Thank you all again for your love, support, hugs, kisses, emails, cards, calls, food, thoughts and prayers.  You all still fortify me every single day.

Number 6.

Well, an anticipated leisurely 1PM start time turned into a 9 AM mad rush for her sixth installment of Nip & Tuck at Exeter Hospital. Since we both sort of know the routine now, it wasn't as bad having to start six hours earlier than expected. The other good news was that Tracy wouldn't have to go almost 12 hours without food or drink.
All went as expected and Dr Marble expressed her pleasure in not finding any additional subcuteaneous infection. Tracy was up and about pretty quickly in Recovery and we are now having a post-op mid-afternoon breakfast at Steve's Diner, just down the street from EH.