Cycle 14 is a go!

  This is (hopefully) my last chemo session ever, but I don’t want to jinx myself. 

Another surgery

 

 Today I had a total hysterectomy (removal of uterus) with oophorectomy (removal of ovaries) and salpingectomy (removal of fallopian tubes). This is a surgery that may or may not be required when one has hormone receptor + breast cancer. There are pros and cons to keeping them vs. removing them so it is important to talk through all the options if you find yourself in my situation. For me, they’ve got to go!

Cycle 13 is a go!

 

 My next to last cycle is a go! My body is still accepting the chemo as well as it can so I can stay on schedule. It’s a beautiful sunny day!

 My panoramic view from my chemo chair:

Reading

 I recently returned to reading books, which I used to do often. I thank my patient who shared his own book and allowed me to return to taking time to sit down and read. I also thank my friend and colleague for inviting me to a book club where I’m reading a book I would have never chosen but am enjoying. I’m finding it peaceful and relaxing, taking me to new places such as New Caledonia.

 Returning to reading is also possible due to my ability to attend to the task and process what I am reading, which has been limited due to my brain fog. I am finding it is easier to do these tasks and am focused to practice these skills so it continues to get easier and allow me to return to my prior thinking potential. I am taking another course from A Time to Heal which focuses on Brain Fog. I am looking forward to the evidence-based approach to return to my prior level of thinking.

 Returning to reading has also led me to potentially join another book club offered by Nice News for the book, Good Morning, I Love You: Mindfulness + Self-Compassion Practices to Rewire Your Brain.

 This book parallels my blog, focusing on internal changes rather than external changes. A quote from the book:

 "Although we're not all born equally happy, we can all become happier. Revolutionary findings in neuroscience have demonstrated that we can change our happiness setpoint. But it's not through changing our external life. It's through changing our internal landscape."

Don’t Be Afraid.

 

Cycle 12 is a go!

 

 Staying right on schedule. Only two more to go!

Benefits of Resistance Exercise

  Since my colonoscopy, I've had some new found energy! I think a cleanse does a body good. Also news of no polyps or sign of cancer gives some relief as my familial risk of colon cancer was much higher than my risk of breast cancer (only 15% chance on my genetic testing). 

 With this new found energy, I was able to begin resistance training. We went to the gym and worked out our legs today.

 Benefits of Resistance Training during Acute Therapy (Acute treatment options for breast cancer range from surgery, to chemotherapy, hormonal therapy, targeted therapy, immunotherapy, and radiation therapy, often in combination.):

• Muscle Strength
• "Resistance Training (RT) was found to be safe and effective at improving upper- and lower-body muscular strength in women with breast cancer undergoing acute therapy."
• Secondary Lymphedema
• "RT has been found to be safe for women surgically treated for breast cancer and does not worsen breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL) symptoms."
• Cancer-Related Fatigue
• "The exercise guidelines published by Campbell et al. added RT as an effective method for treating cancer-related fatigue (CRF).
• Quality of Life
• "Quality of Life has been reported to be affected positively by RT during adjuvant therapy."

February 27, 1985

  What happened on February 27, 1985 besides this classic being #1?

 I was BORN! Happy 40th birthday to me! Thanks parents! Here’s to my 40’s being kinder to me than my 30’s.

 Have the best day ever everyone!

Therapy is strength

  Mental health stigmas are rampant and should be put to rest. Seeking mental wellness should never be looked down upon. One doesn’t have to be the extremes of mental illness to seek therapy as an avenue to navigate thoughts and feelings of an event or situation in their lives. 

 In my life, I have had two therapists. The first one I interviewed and she sent me NPR recordings of her work. I chose her and it was a great fit. She was a Psy.D which is a Doctor of Psychology and is a licensed clinical psychologist. She was what I needed at the time and although we only needed a few sessions, she was essential to my ability to move on from my experience. 

 I am now seeing and LCSW which is a licensed clinical social worker. Better yet, she is a cancer sister. This helped to make my decision on her being my therapist as someone who could truly understand what I was going through. I find it important to find the right therapist for you and to not be afraid to try a few out until you find the right one. 

 I’ve often thought, why can’t I just talk to my friends instead of a therapist? There are benefits to both but here’s why:

 Finally, therapy isn’t just talking to someone about your problems, it is much more:

 

Encouraging my cancer sisters and brothers

  I can across this graphic that extends the feelings one might go through with any cancer (in my opinion), beyond the stages of grief: 

 While I can see why these are in this particular order, just as the stages of grief, these emotions can be experienced out of order or simultaneously. I find myself on both sides (and the middle) of this spectrum experiencing numbness before I was able to name anger, anxiety, and depression, but have always had fight, positivity, courage and the purpose of my blog, encouraging my cancer sisters and brothers.