The last two days have been pretty good - my appetite is coming back, my fatigue is not as bad, and, overall, I feel OK. I am not 100%, but I can definitely do good things in the world feeling like this! My next chemo treatment of Adriamycin and Cytoxan is scheduled for Tuesday, June 19th. It will be a busy day as I get my port at 6:30 am, ultrasound of thyroid at 9:00 am, blood work/lab at 10:00 am, see Dr Sharma 11:00 am, and chemo at 12:15. I am not looking forward to next Tuesday, but at least I am now fighting my cancer.
I am going to cancel my appointment with MD Anderson in Houston. Right now I am confident in the treatment I am receiving from Dr. Sharma and Ku Med. And, I really like Dr. Conner, the surgeon who will place my port next week and remove the (remaining) lump in October. I am considering my options for surgery - lumpectomy or mastectomy. I may have a double mastectomy - Off with the bad behaving breasts!!!
My photo of the day is of my Dad, Casey Siefers. I have been thinking of him this week because of Father's Day on Sunday. My plan is to visit him over the weekend at the Wilson Nursing Center in Wilson, Kansas. My dad has battled Parkinson's Disease for the last ten years or so and has lived in the care center for the last two years. He loves visits from his great-grand kids and his favorite grand dog!!
I would like to give a special shout-out to a few friends. Candi Hironaka and Todd Wells have been so good about visiting me since I started chemo. They brighten my days and make me feel better by their ornery sense of humor and , of course, the DQ treats they bring me. I also want to give a shout-out to Susan Scott - she was on schedule tonight for FOMK (friends of Mary Kay) and brought supper. Susan made great mashed potatoes and chicken-fried-chicken - it was eerily similar to the menu at Texas Star! Anyway, thanks friends.
Love to all,
Mary Kay
Thank goodness for a clear mind again!! I feel as if I am back among the living now that my brain and my body are together. The fog lifted Saturday evening after a massage/energy session from Barbara. I hope the brain fog is not going to be a part of my life after each chemotherapy treatment. If it is, it will make these chemo treatments very difficult to endure. "Nobody said it was going to be easy." Somehow that saying popped into my mind - beating cancer is not going to be easy.
The difficulty of this first week of chemotherapy has prompted lots of second guessing on my part. Am I choosing the right treatment protocol? Should I have surgery first? Should I even take chemotherapy? I just looked at the top of the page and saw the title of my blog - Mary Kay's Cancer Journey. This is a journey of unknowns - I know the starting point and the hopeful ending - (I want to be cancer free at the end of treatment and stay that way forever.) But, I don't know the exact path to get cancer free. I am trusting health care professionals to make the right decisions for me. I trust the doctors to make the right diagnosis and treatment, and I trust the nurses and technicians to give me the right chemotherapy combinations. There is a voice in the back of my mind that wants to say to them - is this how you would treat yourself? Or, treat me like I am your mother. I want to say to them -THIS IS MY LIFE, please do your best today!!!
Thanks for being on this journey with me.
Love to all,
Mary Kay
I have been in a fog for a couple of days - I guess it is Chemo Brain. I am not having any pain or nausea. I just feel as if I am not all here and that my brain isn't engaging like it should. Now, I know many of you are saying that is what I am like all the time - I do appreciate the humor!!
The question becomes - how do I get my brain back? I have tried walking Kramer and getting fresh air, eating healthy foods, resting, talking with family and friends, sleeping, watching nascar, and surfing the net. So far, nothing has worked, but I am not going to let it stop me from trying. I want my brain back......
