Looking Good, Feeling Better

Last week, Mom met with her oncologist.  The doc said she looked great and healthy and should be pleased with the way things have gone so far.  Then, gave her a big hug.  It's great to have affirmation. In this stage, there are lots of appointments to manage.  In addition to going to radiation every day (Monday-Friday at 10a.m. until July 2), Mom is going to physical therapy twice a week to work on the cording in her arm and general range of motion.  Monthly, she will check in with her oncologist and surgeon as well as going to the infusion center for Zometa, a drug to help strengthen her bones.  Mom has done 3 of the radiation treatments and there are no ill effects yet.  There are some effects from the hormone therapy, but "nothing awful" (Dad's words.  I'm curious to know more but afraid to ask.)

Over the weekend, Mom went on her first excursion out of Richmond since her diagnosis and visited Jess in DC.  Proof that when this woman puts her mind on a goal, she makes it happen!  Mom and Dad also had a fun afternoon in Richmond on Sunday including attending Richmond's first Food Truck Derby.


Tonight, Mom and I went to a program at the hospital called Look Good, Feel Better. It was a two hour workshop on make-up designed for women going through cancer treatments. It was a fun way to pamper Mom a bit. And, she walked away with about $200 worth of free make-up donated by most of the major cosmetics companies! In addition to discovering that Mom lost most of her eyebrows and eye lashes without any of us noticing (we think it's because they were so light in the first place), we learned how to make a turban out of a t-shirt.  This will be much cooler for the summer heat!  She's got some peach fuzz hair growing in, but it will probably be a while still before her hair grows back fully.

It was also really special for Mom to be in a room surrounded by women who had also been detoured by cancer. One was much older, one was much younger. All of the women had their own stories. But, they also had one big thing in common.

Here are some snapshots of the evening:

Mom's goody bag of products

Before her "makeover"

All the products from her goody bag

All done! Check out that smile!

A Natural and Unnatural History

Prior to Mom's surgery, I wrote a post about our family's frequent conversations about breasts.  Imagine my surprise (and entertainment) when I found out that someone else was also "consumed" by them.  I first heard about Florence William's book "Breasts: A Natural and Unnatural History" on a morning radio show.  I ordered 3 copies of the book that afternoon (one for me, Mom, and Jess-I figure Dad can share with Mom if he really wants to read it...).  Since then, I've heard about the book in other various media outlets.  I'll be delivering books to Mom and Jess this weekend.  If you'd like to join us in this literary/scientific/humorous journey, feel free!

According to one review "Be brave, buy this book, and withstand the giggles and sniggers of your friends. For here is a wonderful history, stretching across hundreds of millions of years, of an astonishingly complex part of the human body.  Williams weaves together research on nutrition, cancer, psychology, and even structural engineering to create a fascinating portrait of the breast: that singular gland that gave us, as mammals, our very name." (Carl Zimmer)

Click here to visit her website

Sorry, Dad, I fear there are even more conversations about boobs in your future.

(If you do by the book, I'm under familial obligation to encourage you to order from Barnes and Noble!)

One Step at a Time

“You just have to do what needs doing when it needs to be done.”  That was a line from our January 15, 2012 blog.  So let’s see where we’re at with Linda’s “to do” list:

·        Chemo?  check
·        Surgery? check
·        Hormone therapy? Check and ongoing
·        Radiation?  Bring it.

Linda has been working hard with two-a-day stretching sessions and about three miles of walking daily.  She will be side-lined for the NBA playoffs, but her progress has been terrific.  She has a list of exercises to regain her range of motion, but is hampered a bit by axillary cording in her right arm.  That will be treated in physical therapy which she’ll start this week. 

Last week, the Radiologist marked her skin with small tattoos to indicate where she will be radiated.  Assuming her surgical incisions are healed sufficiently, the radiation could start later this week.  She will have a check-up with her Oncologist on Wednesday.

I secretly took this picture on her walk on this beautiful Mother's Day morning.  This scene and how she looks with her Stevie Van Zandt bandana, makes me think of Springsteen’s “If I ShouldFall Behind.”

Itsy, bitsy spider

It’s been a while since the last update.  Healing is progressing well following the April 17 surgery.  The drain tubes were removed just six days later.  Since then, Linda twice needed some fluid aspirated manually.   I think she just likes going to see the doc.

We met the Radiation Oncologist on Wednesday who provided an overview of how radiation therapy will go:  30 minutes a day, five days each week, for six to seven weeks.  This will start as soon as all of the surgical incisions heal sufficiently (about another two weeks).  From the radiation, she will have some sunburn-like symptoms along with some fatigue.  It also puts her at a higher risk of lymphedema (swelling). 

To get her fully ready to start radiation, she has to be able to “strike a pose” like those glamour shots:  hand on head as if propping your head up while lying down.  The exercise routine to get her ready for that is kind of comical.  She has to stand facing the wall, toes touching the wall, and her hands have to climb the wall like spiders until she can’t go further – hold that for 20 seconds.  Repeat 5 times.  My job is to measure how far she gets (she has improved seven inches in a week!).  So while I’m saying things to coach and encourage her, she’s singing “itsy, bitsy spider.”  I never hear that song at the gym.

She started hormone therapy this morning.  As stated in an earlier post, that will bring on menopause-like symptoms (fatigue, and what others – not me – refer to as bitchiness). 

The weather has been great, so she has been walking at least two miles a day.  We do a walk after dinner too – a good idea even if it’s not part of a get-well plan.

Thank you again for all your good thoughts, cards, notes, visits, meals, snacks, flowers, and gifts.  They are truly uplifting and your messages are well received.  One of our visits was with Ella, the baby daughter of Adrienne’s friends Sara and Ryan.  Here’s a pic of Ella "striking a pose" and another with Jake the Dog.  Hope these make your day like they did ours: