The ups and downs of BC and life!

I know that it has been a few weeks since I have touched based, but there have been many ups and downs going on in my life. I know that many of you have been very interested in my journey so now I will try and fill you in on what has been happening while my head is not in Chemo Brain mode.

So the last time I posted on the network I was complaining about blurry vision and asked for any help or thoughts. Thank you to the ladies who responded, greatly appreciated. I can now say that it only lasted for a few days, took some drops to help with the dryness and itchiness. I hope it doesn’t come back again as I am wanting to enjoy watching the tennis and reading my book.

During this time, I also started to feel quite fluy and sinusy and my temperature kept going up and down. I took myself to my Dr and he checked me over and sent me off for a full set of blood tests. He was also concerned that my heart rate was right up and thought that my thyroid medication may have been affected by the chemo and causing my heart rate to go up. I was given a script for antibiotics in case it was an infection. The next day I get a phone call to say keep taking my thyroid tablets, start the antibiotics and come in next week for another check-up and ECG. I rocked up to his office the next week feeling a lot better but still blowing crap but at least it was now clear. The ECG showed normal rhythm so he believes that the chemo must be the cause. This will be monitored of cause over the next few months. The nose dried up by the weekend thank goodness. The other side effects were pretty much the same as round one but this time milder, except the matelic and loss of taste of cause, wonder if it was the gold plated injection that hubby had to give me 24 hours after chemo that helped with this. $1971.00, we couldn’t believe it. Time will tell, had my next injection yesterday after chemo on Friday. I have been getting hot flushes every day and several time throughout the night are driving me crazy, any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I mentioned it to my oncologist on Friday but forgot to ask for any remedy suggestions.

The hair loss has been my real down moment, the hair just kept tumbling to the floor of the shower after each hair wash and filling up my brush every time I stroked my head with it, I was so depressed. Two weeks ago to the day I made the ultimate sacrifice and decided to shave it off. My step sons mum came to the rescue. I was so scared to lose it all, so we decided to try leaving what was left of my fringe and part of my sides so that it looked like I still had hair when wearing my scarfs. I was so happy with the result, it is still there, hope it stays this way till the end. Some of you may think that this was a stupid idea but it was really the only way that I could cope with it all at the time and still is. The hubby’s X was absolutely wonderful, we shed many tears together and hubby had to pick up the pieces againnnnnn! To top my day off, my youngest step son came home with his hair all shaved off and said that this is for you Sue. I choked up and shed tears againnnnn, I reminded him that he didn’t have to do it but I did really appreciate his thoughtfulness and care about what I am going through. This has been a topic of conversation for a while amongst the family, including my hubby, I had stated right from the outset that I didn’t want others to feel compelled to go through what I have too hair loss wise.

On the 14 Jan we headed off to see my BC surgeon for a check-up and to discuss the next plan of action. Hubby and I have been doing a fair bit of research about mastectomies and radiation and wanted to bring this all up at our appointment. After many questions and discussions, I have now been referred to a radio oncologist and plastic surgeon to discuss everything. This will be interesting to see what each specialist has to say and what the end result will be. I am still in the belief that a mastectomy with immediate reconstruction will be the end result instead of radiation because I did not have enough clear margin on one side of the excision, but you just never know. If the reconstruction is the outcome I am still thinking of doing the tummy tuck, hence why the referral to the plastic surgeon who works with my BC surgeon. If I have radiation the expander implant reconstruction will not be an option anymore even if later down the track. Lots to ponder over.

On the same day as the surgeon’s appointment, my hubby got an update on the UAE project. It looks fairly certain that the contracts are in the final stages of being signed and that the first group of people will start going over there in March. We have been put back to month four from month two of the project team moving there because of me which would now mean about June that we leave. The surgeon feels that we can fit it all in with recovery time included. I really do love it when your surgeon is able to work with you and help you achieve your long term goal. I guess this is the time that when you can say that having private health cover is helpful.

To conclude, as you may not fully know, our family is about to go off in all different directions because of work commitments with us and two of our step sons, so we have had family time this weekend as we don’t know when we will all be together again. Well this has been upsetting in itself. We have had one boy being unsociable and sleeping or chilling in his room basically and not joining in things including tenpin bowling and dinner, the one that is leaving for NSW, another who shave his head for me and now has gotten himself into a bit of trouble – will go no further there but has to face the magistrate next week, and the third one who is a moving to Nepal for a while in July to do volunteer work, is trying so hard to help sort all of this crap out. He is such a family man and I really love him for this. The last night that we will all be together is Wednesday including the X and her fiancé, both sets of us parents are praying that this will be a great night and that we can get some happy family time and snaps. I have had a quiet word to the unsociable one so hopefully he will be much better by then. Sorry for the grizzle here but this is something that I do not need right now and hubby and X have both said this also to all of the boys, grrrrrrrr!

Hope you are all going well in your journeys. Take care everyone and Happy Australia Day for Tuesday. :)

Hugs from the west,
Sue