Week 3 Done!

Last Friday, I completed week 3. Moving right along. This afternoon will be treatment #19. Sorry I haven't been more prompt in posting to my blog....it's been a hectic week. I will be done on Nov11 assuming they can radiate my scar line and armpit in one shot. This is for the "boost" which is a special treatment for the last 5 days. They give an extra boost of radiation to the scar line & lymph area because those are the likely spots of recurrence. So, if they can't fit the necessary areas into their field of radiation, I'll have to do serial treatments. Bottom line....I'll have to go an extra 5 days. This would push me to Nov18. Not a big deal, but the driving is sure getting old and tiring.

My skin is looking good. The dr & techs have commented on how well my skin is taking the beating. Using lots of aloe & cream.

On Monday, I went to my oncologist. The previous week I had blood drawn & a MUGA scan to check my heart. My labs look good and she is not concerned about me getting sick. I'm so thankful for this timing of my counts rebounding. That's the good news. The disappointing news is that my MUGA scan was marginally better, but for all intensive purposes flat. She's not worried about me, but the test results do not make sense. Especially since I have no symptoms that would indicate there is a problem with my heart. She spoke to a cardiologist about me over the weekend and wants me to see her. There are more comprehensive tests that can give us a better picture of the health of my heart. Unfortunately, I don't see her until Nov 13. We need my heart to be in a healthy range to continue herceptin. I feel great so I'm not really worried. I'll keep you posted on my visit with the cardiologist. Yet another dr enters my life!

The kids have been sick......maybe H1N1....who knows! They bounced back incredibly fast compared to other friends. So far, Mark & I have dodged the bullet. Please pray Mark can stay healthy another few days. He is doing his first Half Ironman on Sunday......1.2 Mile Swim, 56 Mile Bike, 13.1 Mile Run. He's trained so hard for many months. We will be out there to cheer him on.

I started training.....very slowly.....for the Iron Girl 5k. It's almost painful to go for short periods and slow pace. I know it will pay off in the long run (ha!) to be patient & disciplined. The race is Nov15. I'm so excited to have that goal.

I started another exciting adventure this week with a fantastic group of women. 13 of us are learning to row on Tempe Town Lake. It's been an interest of mine for many years and I'm so thankful it's come together at this point in my life. On Tuesday, we met at a pool to do the "Float Test" to prove we can swim and watch a safety video. We get on the lake next Tuesday. There will be many photos to follow. Here's our group.

Have you ever tried sunflower butter? Tasted it for the first time this week. It's amazing! Yum! You've got to try it. Head on down to your local Trader Joe's. We've gotten away from peanut butter and moved to some healthy alternatives....mostly Raw Almond butter. Thank goodness my kids like to try new things without much complaining. Oh, and another new treat in our house is chocolate almond milk. Wow!!!! Try something new today!

Here's a quote from Henry Ford that I like......"If you think you can do a thing or think you can't do a thing, you're right." We say this often in our house. Positive thinking is powerful. Prayers help a lot, too!

Love, srb