I haven't posted since April 26?!
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How the heck did THAT happen? Wait...I guess it could have something to do with the fact that I'm working full time, keeping 2 children alive, trying (but failing) to keep the house (somewhat) in order, going to PT twice a week and to the surgeon every 2 weeks. I'm worn out every night but according to my Band (did I mention I got a Microsoft Band 2 when my FitBit bit the dust - loving it!!!), even though I'm in bed for 6-8 hours, I'm getting roughly 1 hour of sound sleep per night. Now that I've said all that, you know what I'm not going to do? COMPLAIN!
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I am going to confess though.
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I think I'm finally coming out of my "funk". I think I thought I was coming out of it the last time I posted it but it's been slow going. I think I mentioned it before but working has helped...a lot! I'm telling you, semi-retirement isn't all it's cracked up to be. Granted, I've been recovering from major surgery so I wasn't doing all of the fun stuff that retired folk might do, but from what I've experienced, I'm not going to like it. I tried. I really did. I colored, I read, I watched every show and movie that interested me on Netflix, Amazon and Hulu. I helped plot and plan our projects around the house. The biggest challenge was (and still is) my inability to get back to the workout regimen I had this time last year. I think that has pushed me back down into my funk. My mental state is so much better when I exercise, I'm still quite limited in what I can do with weights. I'm sure it will be get better in time but I may explode by the time that happens. I'm in the process of changing up the plan so I can get some exercise in that I can actually do without detaching a muscle or causing my back, arm and hand to fill with fluid. It's tricky!
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Anyway....
When last we spoke, I had just seen my plastic surgeon, I was preparing for an appointment with my oncologist and praying for that Friday to arrive quickly so I could go for my first physical therapy session. I'm happy to report that all went well at the oncology appointment. My blood work was good and he decided to modify my schedule again. He now only wants to see me every 4 months, instead of every 3 months. I know that's a good thing but I still have moments when I worry that it's too soon to take the training wheels off and send me out in to the big bad world on my own. The good news is that I can relax for a (very brief) bit before the next appointment and required blood work. I won't lie to you, it's been over 2 years now and it doesn't ever get easier when it's test time. I have lovely, long periods of time when my mind is not consumed by the thought of recurrence but when appointment time comes around again, cue the scary thoughts!
I'm happy to report that I've completed 4 sessions of physical therapy and , though there has been soreness and some discomfort, we are already seeing progress. Breast-cancer-patient-friends, if you have scar tissue problems and or fluid issues, ask about PT! My physical therapist specializes in working with breast cancer patients. As I type, she is in Shanghai (yes, China) presenting at the World Cancer Congress. She's 50 kinds of awesome, people! If you're in Lexington, your plastic surgeons and oncologists probably know about her. If they don't, they should get on the bandwagon. Scar tissue and fluid may not sound like a big deal but I can tell you, if I had to live with that discomfort for much longer, I'm not sure what I would have done. I'm not anywhere near 100% yet but I can function. ASTYM is FABULOUS! We have more work to do but my range of motion is improving, the extreme tightness is slightly less extreme (it takes time). We are also working on lymph drainage to help with the fluid issues. I saw my PS again this week and she "only" pulled out about 125 cc of fluid. That's a significant improvement. I've been wearing compression, as instructed. I'm not in the bodysuit just yet. I have my sleeve and my gauntlet (glove) but I haven't jumped in and purchased a "real" compression cami. I'm wearing a mild compression shirt under my clothes with an added foam pad for my back to help target the pressure. I seem to be doing ok with that but if I have to get drained again, I'll invest in the real thing.
So, to summarize, things are moving along. I'm still recovering after 3 months, but I feel like I'm on a steady climb up. My guess is that right about the time I'm feeling pretty good about myself, it will be time to go under the knife, yet again. I'm through the hardest part of the hardest part of the journey so I can handle what comes next. A little (really a lot) of fat, some snug compression accessories, some fluid and some scar tissue won't keep me down. It just makes for a better story on the other side, when I fit, healthy, happy and somewhat whole again.
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Love to all!
Andee