mistake and took it to work with him once.
later.. so he had time to go home and switch shirts.
Through Every Season
Do you keep calling your kids “kids” when they become adults?
I am starting to understand what the doctors meant by a “Two Month” “Recovery. ” At first, I thought they meant that in two months I would be recovered. That’s not it at all. They meant I wouldn’t be able to do anything but recover for at least two months. After that, I would slowly get back to my new self… (I hope. )
When preparing myself mentally for the surgery, I referred to my post-surgery self as “Frankenstein’s Bride. ” When Judi saw me for the first time in the doctor’s office, she said I looked like a zombie. I refused that label because I still had a brain (most days), and insisted that I was more like Frankenstein’s Bride. She consented to my logic.
What I could never conceive was how much healing a body needs to do after it’s been taken apart and put together again, how much of a toll 11 hours of anesthesia takes on a body, how much work it is to recover from all that blood loss, and how long a body can continue to swell. Although I never read the books or watched the movies, I am pretty sure Frankenstein’s Bride got right up and did whatever she wanted the moment she woke up.
Tomorrow is my two month anniversary and I am still not up to doing whatever I want. I am definitely not my old self that could walk 5 miles in a day. I have to plan out my day so that I can do the bare minimum and not wear myself out. I still have to rest up between breakfast and shower… etc. I am letting the puppy in and out more for myself (she only wants out 50 times a day). 🙂
Last week, just warming up my meals in the microwave was challenging. This week I am stir frying my meals from scratch again (Yay!), but I have to sit on a stool while I sir and it’s still a challenge to do all the walking it takes to gather up all the stuff I need from around the kitchen. Last week, making in and out of the store was a huge challenge. This week it’s a little easier. I can unload the basket onto the conveyer belt now. Last week, one of the baggers offered to do it and I was happy to let him do that and carry my groceries out to the car. I am still doing only a little shopping at a time. Some things on the higher shelves are a challenge to reach and I am still not up to pushing the basket or carrying the heavy groceries or putting them all away.
I started driving again a couple of weeks ago. At first, I hated seat belts and right turns really hurt (I guess more than left, because they are tighter). This week, I still don’t like seat belts, but I don’t mind driving as much. Honestly, just riding in the car tires me. My top half doesn’t do well at following my bottom half around the curves. Maybe when I am driving, holding the steering wheel helps? Now that Joel and Judi both have jobs, and Joel is preparing to get his license and start school, driving instructor/chauffeur is my job. I am doing the best I can.
A couple of weeks ago, I was REALLY struggling with the pain by the end of the day. I can block most of it out during the day, but when I am trying to rest at the end of the day, it still bothers me some; muscle soreness, twinges… I don’t know what to call them all… ouchies? Truthfully, it’s 9 am now, and they are bothering me now… it’s just by the end of the day, I am so worn out that I can’t deal with the pain as well.
I haven’t taken anything for the pain since my day of vomiting except the daily aspirin I have to take as a blood thinner and some Arnica which does seem to help a little. I try to reserve taking other stuff for emergencies because of their side effects. I figure my liver has plenty to deal with as it is. I am glad I have a high tolerance for pain and don’t need more.
Although, all last week my body kept asking me, “Why did you let those mean doctors do this to me?” and my only answer was, “I don’t know??” I don’t regret doing the surgery. If I had chosen the other main stream, American option, I might doing radiation now and have radiation fatigue for the next 4 plus years, and who knows how I would have done on the tamoxifen.
If some brave soul is ever able to get the American Cancer money making machine to concede that there is a better way to cure cancer, I’ll be happy for the patients that follow and don’t have to choose between the two very destructive options I had.
I am glad I studied up and chose not to let them take my lymph nodes even though “Expert doctors, like me, think it’s the best thing to do. ” After a logical discussion of all I understood about the non-existent benefits of taking a few lymph nodes, that’s all my breast surgeon could come up with. She did get part of one during surgery, but warned me that sometimes it just couldn’t be helped.
They try to make your lymph nodes out to be such small things… no big deal… Your eyes are small, too! Your lymph nodes are an important part of your immune system. And even though the doctors don’t have to be concerned with your lifetime struggle with lymphedema afterwards, you do.
I am still dealing with swelling daily. May still be a long time before it subsides. Went for a dental cleaning last week, and my arms and hands swelled up while the hygienist had my head lower than the rest of me. Most of the time it’s only my core that’s swollen. I am hoping that it’s still too early to be worried about lymphedema.
I still have a lot of healing left to go… and prayerfully with that the swelling will improve.
When I first had to tell people about my diagnosis, just getting the words out was difficult. I know how hard news like that is to take, and no one ever knows what to say. Most said, “I am so sorry. ” or “I am so happy we caught it early. ” I loved it when “they were so happy” because I could rejoice with them and it made it easier for me to have shared the news. I wasn’t up to comforting the ones who were sorry… and couldn’t afford to be sorry with them… it would have been a long, slippery slope into a deep pit.
If someone had told me last week, that they had just been diagnosed with breast cancer all that I would have been able to do is cry and say, “I am so sorry. ” This week I am feeling a little stronger and think I could be a bit more of a support. 🙂
I am still positive that cancer is from the devil and it baffles me how he curses anyone who believes on Jesus.
We are free from the curse… free from sin… free to love Him freely. He became sin for us, taking the curse on Himself. It is finished. All we have to do is believe. And I am so thankful for my for my Healer and for the season of healing He is allowing me to walk though, however long it may be.
Love,
Jenny
I’ve been continuing to go for acupuncture every other week now. And I am so glad I went yesterday. I’ve been having a hard time standing up for very long. The kids are still having to do most of the shopping, laundry, dishes, cooking etc. for me. I’d really like to be able to do more for them when they go back to school.
It will be a really challenging year for Joel and Josh. They share a room and Josh is always losing stuff. You can not make someone be organized. They will both be working and going to school this year; Joel’s first time for either. I am praying for lots of wisdom for Joel especially.
Anyway, after about 25 minutes on my feet, I’ve been having this overwhelming desire to sit down. Gravity is not my friend. When at the store, I am not sure if or not I will make it through the checkout lines. I actually sat on a low shelf at Walmart one day while waiting to check out.
I mentioned it to my surgeon at my last visit. He understood what I meant and asked if I felt like my abdomen was dragging and said it was still early (6 wks.). I wanted to know what was wrong.. I couldn’t find anything in any of the recovery accounts on line that talked about what I was experiencing (they are usually way more informative than the doctors have been), and I was still “dragging” a week and a half later. Next Wednesday is my 2 month anniversary and I am supposed to be ready to go back to “work.” If I had a job where I had to be on my feet all day, I’d be quitting now.
So when my wonderful acupuncturist, Dr Paula Gilliam, asked if I had any concerns I told her about them. She said we could try a womb strengthening technique. Nothing to loose right? I so like that there are no negative side effects. She put 5 little pins in my tummy. I felt the usual surge of energy. It’s amazing to me how she knows when a pin is in the right place and how my body responds to them but, I didn’t expect much in real results for this.
On my way out, I spoke to the receptionist and she asked how I was doing. I told her, too. She said that she’d had several surgeries and that it just took time, and that my body was telling me that I need to rest more. I felt better after talking to her, except that my standing up minutes were ticking away and I was starting to feel the need to sit again.
On the way home, Joel (driving practice) and I stopped at Earth Fare. I can usually get in and out of Earth Fare in just a few minutes, but this time I was already tired; shower plus appointment doesn’t leave much time for shopping.
After about 10 minutes at Earth Fare, I started getting that feeling again, but instead of being overwhelmed by it, my muscles kicked in. It was amazing! Like they had woken up out of a coma. They tightened up so tight that it felt like I was wearing a corset. They were holding everything in, instead of letting everything fall victim to gravity.
I still felt tired and plan to keep “listening to my body”and get the rest I need to heal, but I am so happy to have those muscles again. I called Dr. Gilliam right away to tell her about the miracle she’d worked. And I felt them working several times later that day and today, too.
Thank you, Jesus!
Jenny
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