Five down, one to go!

Hello everybody. It's Wednesday, August 11th, and I'm at my townhouse to update my blog. It's been almost three weeks since my last chemo treatment, and I'm feeling pretty good. I have a certain amount of fatigue now that doesn't go away, but overall, I'm doing well. I tolerated my last treatment without too much difficulty. By now, the effects of the chemo hit me by Saturday evening, and they last until about Thursday evening. Last time, I migrated from the recliner, to the couch, to the bed. Good news though: I have FINALLY graduated from the recliner! I never thought that I would appreciate getting into a bed and getting a good night's rest like I do now. It's just one more "baby step" towards getting back to a normal life........

Since my last post, I have celebrated my 42nd birthday; and let me tell you, after being diagnosed with cancer, birthdays take on a whole new meaning. You care much less what you do. You just celebrate what you can do: I bathed myself, dressed myself, ate what I wanted, ate as much as I wanted, and went to bed thanking God for being able to go to bed. All of those tasks were things that, at some point, I haven't been able to do for myself during the past five months. I also find myself valuing the people in my life more and more all the time. You've heard the expression, "You find out who your friends are?" Well, it's true. There are people who say, "Call me if you need me." There are those who don't call at all. But for every one that doesn't, there's someone who you least expect that steps up and makes your house payment for you, or takes your hand and prays for you, or shows up with a hot meal. Yes, you definitely find out who steps up and offers to help carry your burden for you. Let me take a moment now and thank those people, from the bottom of my heart, for everything you are doing. I'm sitting here now with a list of people that I need to write thank you notes to. Please forgive me if I've forgotten anyone. Sometimes, when I'm really wiped out from the chemo, it's hard to remember things I haven't done. I know I don't always mention every card that I'm receiving, but it's hard for me to do that due to the huge amount that I am receiving. I appreciate every card, every phonecall, every prayer being offered up on my behalf, every gesture of kindness extended to me, as well as my family. As I've said before, an individual doesn't get cancer, a family does. This has taken its toll on my entire family, and I don't just mean immediate family. Please be in prayer for my daddy who continues to suffer from Parkinson's disease; and my mother, who has just been told that her fibromyalgia is starting to manifest itself in her body. She is having an extremely difficult time with pain right now. She has an appointment next Tuesday with her doctor.

The next few weeks I have several appointments, so I'm just going to list them below:
August 13th - final chemo treatment
August 16th - final Neulasta shot, first meeting with radiologist since April
September 3rd - first week of receiving Herceptin only (the estrogen blocker)
this is also the very earliest that radiation can start
September 13th - five month followup appointment with surgeon

Hopefully, after meeting with the radiologist on the 16th, I'll have more details about when radiation will be starting. Also, I am hoping to participate in a 12wk program offered to cancer survivors at the ViQuest Center here in Greenville. It will involve meeting on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays for three months. I am hoping to attend the informational meeting that's scheduled for next Tuesday the 17th, but that falls at the worst possible time as far as my chemo. If I participate, this program will be starting around the first of September, which will be approximately two weeks after finishing chemo.

Another baby step to report: after sleeping in a recliner at my parents' house for over four months, I spent the night in my townhouse for the first time on July 30th. (Big shout out to my cousin, Robin, for chaperoning me, hooking up my printer, getting my ipod going, making my bed, ironing my clothes, baking me oatmeal and raisin cookies, etc., etc.) I spent the night ALONE here last night. I'm not home to stay yet. I just had a lot of work to do on the computer, and it made more sense to stay and go to work from here than driving all the way to Bear Grass. By the looks of it, I might be staying here again tonight.

Okay, that's it for now. Thanks for tuning in. The life and times of Cindy Taylor........
Ya'll try and stay cool in this oppressive heat. As for me, I'll be avoiding it like the plague, especially by Saturday. Take care......

Cindy