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Hi Everyone,
I had a visit with my oncologist today. Last month I saw his nurse and before that I was doing radiation, so I haven't seen him for a while.
We talked about the biphosphonate study drug that I started and then stopped in case it was causing the problems I'm STILL having with my stomach!! I only had 2 days to get back on the drug before I would not be allowed to be in the study anymore. The doctor shared with me some reasons he really wants me to take this drug. When a person has breast cancer and it's related to hormones, they get what is called "hormone therapy" by taking certain drugs that are supposed to help keep the hormone related cancer from coming back.
If the breast cancer is not hormone related, which mine is NOT, then there is nothing to take to help prevent the cancer from reaccuring, except possibly this study drug. So that is what this study is all about. The drug is already know to help build my bone density back up from what the chemo zapped from it, now if they can prove it helps prevent or lessens the reaccurence of breast cancer or breast cancer that spreads to other areas of the body then it may some day get approved as a regular thing to give breast cancer patients such as myself, once all the other treatments are completed.
So, I've decided to go back on the drug and give it one more try. I'm thinking that it didn't cause my stomach problems because I stopped the drug almost 4 weeks ago and the stomach problem is still there.
Speaking of which, I'm going to a intestinal, gastro(somthing) specialist in 1 1/2 weeks for a consoltation to see if we can figure out what is causing my stomach problems. I saw my primary doctor about this over 1 1/2 weeks ago and now I have to wait that much longer to see the specialist and this has been going on for a month now!! Like my hubby said, good thing I probably don't have something that's gonna kill me, cuz just waiting to see the doctors is rediculous!!
I also just found out that I have to go back to the oral surgeon and get some more surgery done!! He's got to go in and shave the bone . . . boy, doesn't that sound like fun!! NOT ! ! ! ! ! He said that not everyone has to have this done, but I need to . . . oh, lucky me :) Anyway for my new teeth to fit their best and feel good too, he's got to remove all the lumps and bumps and smooth things out more evenly. What a pain, but I know it's for the best in the long run . . . I've got to live with these new teeth for a long time. And let me tell you it's not been a fun experience so far, I am still pretty limited to the things I can eat. So I will be having oral surgery next Wednesday.
Also, I'm guessing because of the new teeth and also because of the stomach problems I've been having that as of today I have lost 11 pounds since I first saw my oncologist last May. That is not including the 7-10 pounds that I gained during chemo. So since last may I gained 7-10 pounds, lost that and then I've lost another 11 pounds!! Not to worry, I'm far from getting too thin and actually hope I'll be able to keep the weight off once my body gets back to normal. I can fit into some old jeans and that's great!!!
Let's see what else . . . oh yeah, another big thing that is going on with me is that I'm trying to find a new home for my horse Spooky :( This is a really, really hard thing for me to do, but for many, many reasons and mostly for her benefit, I want to find a great home for her with someone who has and will take the time to ride her and fully enjoy all of her potential. Each year I say I'm going to do something with her and now how many years later I still haven't done anything. She is so wonderful and has too much potential to just hang out in my pasture much longer. I sent out a flyer with her picture and info about her to some horse friends asking them to pass it on to their horse friends. Well, I am really surprised at all the responses I have gotten about her. I have a gal coming tomorrow to meet her and see if she wants her. If that doesn't work out I've got another 7-9 people waiting for their turn!! Here is a picture of my Spooky, I have had her since she was 3 months old and she will be 9 years old this June. I will still have Cowboy, my mustang gelding, which will be my saving grace in all of this. So keeping him will make loosing Spooky a little easier . . . . I think.
Well, I think that's about it for now. Sorry to hit you with so much. It seems like I go for a while with nothing to say and then all the sudden bang!!!, lots of stuff.
Hope you are all doing well. Just think, each day is getting a little longer as we head toward Spring and Summer :)
Keep Smilin'
Wendy
Hello Everyone,
I don't have much to update about but thought I'd let you know that I went to my primary doctor last week about the stomach problems that I am still having. She doesn't really know what is going on with me so she is referring me to an Intestinal- gastro(something) doctor!! I haven't heard anything yet about that appointment so I will be calling them tomorrow and see what is the hold up.
On a different note . . . my oldest daughter Jessi is due to have her first baby in May ! ! Today we took a few quick pictures of her and I just loved how some of them turned out and wanted to share them with you all. By the way, it's a GIRL ! ! ! Oh, and I have felt her kick 2 different time!!!! I'm just a little excited about this baby and can't wait to be able to hold her and love her and kiss her!!
Jessi at 6 months
I hope you are all doing well.
Keep Smilin'
Wendy
Hello Everyone, I hope your New Year has gotten off to a good start. Not much new going on with me. My stomach problems have gotten a lot better, but I'm still having some, so I plan to call my doctor tomorrow and go in and see what she might think of this. I participated in a short online photo course on Winter Photography. Everyone in the class had about 2 weeks to go out and take photos of winter. Then everyone could upload their 2 best images to be critiqued and the chance to win the grand prize, a gift certificate for Amazon.com. The instructors said that there were so many wonderful images that it was hard to pick just one winner, so they decided to choose 5 runner-ups as well. I'm very excited and happy to say that one of my images was chosen as a runner-up!! They will be posting the winner's images and info in a press release that they send out to tons of people over the internet. Below is my winning image!!Frozen in Motion
Here are the other two that I entered as well.Tree in Fog
Snowy Sunset 3
Hello Everyone,
I'm having a tough day and wanted to write about a few things. My stomach has been giving me some real problems over the last week or so. I thought it was because of the "study" pills I was taking, so I stopped taking them. Now I'm not so sure they are the cause. I've got a call into the doctor to discuss this further and see if something else might be causing it.
I just found out that one of my dear friends sister recently passed away from cancer. It started out as breast cancer and then spread to other areas. I just saw and spoke with this woman a couple of weeks before Christmas!! This makes me so, so sad and very mad too.
Today I found out that one of my online friends sister is also loosing her battle with cancer and has only days left to live.
One thing about having cancer is that you meet so many people who either have it, had it, or someone they know does. This is not a bad thing as these people become another part of your life, another extension of family so to speak. The bad things is that the more people you know who are dealing with cancer, then the more people you know who loose the battle.
This breaks my heart and pisses me off to no end!! And then I also feel bad about any whining I may have done about my situation, which has not been easy, but compared to others, I'm sure it's a walk in the park.
It just all seems so wrong, so wrong!!
Wendy
Hello there,
Yesterday I saw the doctor, or rather the doctors Oncology Nurse. It was my first follow-up visit since being done with all the treatments.
The good news is that my blood work is all looking very good. I have to have blood test every month, both for cancer reasons but also because of the study drug that I am taking.
This last week has been a rough one for me. I'm calling it post treatment depression!! Treatment is over and I want to feel all better!! The problem that I have to come to grips with is . . . it just doesn't work that way!! It's very frustrating because I still have no energy and worse, I have no motivation. I just don't feel like doing a stinkin' thing!! But at the same time I get terribly bored. Then when I do try to do something it totally wipes me out and that causes me to get frustrated.
We've had incredible, amazing, ridiculous amounts of snow all ready this year. My first hose for watering the horses got buried when my hubby shoveled off the roof, so we pulled another one out of storage. I put it on top of the giant snow barrier that came off the roof, where I thought it would be safe. Well it might have been if it hadn't warmed up, rained and melted some snow, so it all got heavy and settled and then it snowed on top of it again. So a couple of days ago I had to water horses and my hose was buried again!! My hubby has been outside for weeks plowing driveways, shoveling off roofs, plowing driveways, again and again, so I wasn't going to ask him for help, plus he was at the time doing some MORE plowing and shoveling!! So I got the snow shovel and proceeded to dig out my hose. WOW, it was really buried and I thought I wasn't going to be able to get it, but I finally did. By the time I was done I was so exhausted and felt like I was going to have a heart attack!!
This is really sad and hard for me to accept much less admit!! On another cancer blog that I'm a member of I mentioned that I feel like a lazy bum and boy did I get my butt chewed by the other cancer patients and survivors on there!! They told me to not be so cruel to myself and to give myself more time to heal . . . my body has been through an awful lot!!
So yesterday I was talking to the nurse about some of this and how I've been feeling and I wasn't very thrilled when she said "it could take months". Ugh, not what I was wanting to hear!! I know it's different for everyone and some might bounce right back and others take longer. I just would have thought that I'd be in the "bounce right back" category!!
So that is the latest on me. I've been working on my business website, making some changes and updates and getting ready for the new year. I will start to contact some people and start booking work for this summer. It's hard for me to imagine doing this while I'm feeling like I do, but I have to believe that by the time I start shooting shows, etc., that I'm going to be feeling TONS better!!
I want to wish you all a Happy New Year!!!
Hugs,
Wendy
