Wednesday, February 11, 2009

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly


THE GOOD
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Well the results are in, and they're good. The PET scan didn't find any cancer in my body, except for the one breast area. The family was concerned because of the lympth nodes being infected.
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The Good News is that chemo will start on Monday, with four treatments every other week, then the medication is changed, and then another four treatments every other week. Then comes six weeks of daily radiation.
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I was warned that there would be hair loss. Hello! I won't be shaving my legs for awhile, nor will I have any bad hair days.
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I have a few hats, but they are straw. I wonder if the insides will scratch my head? This is a good time to buy a really cool hat. Something that will go with my personality.
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And of course there is that wig I bought last year that I haven't worn yet, as I couldn't get it to look right on my head. Maybe a loss of hair will make me look better.
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THE BAD
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The oncologist gave me three prescriptions to fill, and one of these is for nausea. I hate being nauseated. Now this might turn into a 'good' if I can shed some poundage.
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We'll be doing a lot of driving as the Cancer Center is thirty miles away.
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For the first time in years, I'll be missing the RWA National Conference. I figure if everything goes right, that I'll end treatment in July a week before the conference begins. But there might be delays, and radiation is a daily thing.
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Only three 'Bads'...that's doable. I can live with that!
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THE UGLY
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I still have some bruising from the last two surgeries. But they will go away in time.
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SOME MORE GOOD
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I can't help but admire all the good people who have reached out to me during this lengthy process. Their words of encouragement are so comforting. Let me end this post before I start crying.
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Oh, the picture of the beagle is there, because it reminds me of my childhood dog, who was like a brother to me.

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12 Comments:

At 7:51 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Donna, I'm so sorry to read that you've got cancer, but you have an amazing attitude about fighting it. I just wanted to drop in and say hi and thank you for putting my article Why I love (and hate) the Sims in your newsletter. Would you mind sending me a copy of your newsletter where my articl appears?
Thanks, Denise Barone

 
At 10:26 AM, Blogger Edie Ramer said...

Donna, great news that the cancer hasn't spread. Yay!!!

My CP wears scarves and looks great in them. Very stylish. :)

 
At 11:01 AM, Blogger MAGolla said...

Donna, you are a treasure! Keep on, keeping on!
Look at it this way: you are saving numerous hours not shaving and washing/drying/styling your hair. Shoot, you could even sleep in in the morning!
Cheers, Sweetie!
Margaret

 
At 11:05 AM, Blogger Liz Lipperman said...

Donna, I will send you copies of everything I get at Nationals. Hang in there but allow yourself to have bad days. Get that preseciption for anti-nausea medicine filled. You may not need it, but if you do, you'll want it fast.

I love that you're so upbeat about this. You're an inspitration to others going through this.

 
At 6:22 PM, Blogger Donna Caubarreaux said...

Oh, I got that nausea medication filled.

I learned a lesson from the pain meds!

First, our newsletter is on a loop, we disposed of paper newsletters years ago. But it will live in our archives until Yahoo goes under.

I already sleep late in the morning...but not tomorrow, or Monday, doctor appointments.

If I can encourage just one person with this journey, then that's all I want.

Again, thanks for giving me support and encouragement. I treasure the kind words.

 
At 6:33 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hi Donna,

So very sorry to hear all this. Keep up the positive outlook. You'll be missed at Nationals! I registered but still might not go. I hope and pray the best for you in the coming months and that you won't need that nausea med often, if at all. They've come a long way in chemo treatment over the years.

Keep us informed on your progress.

E

 
At 5:57 AM, Blogger Marian Pearson Stevens said...

Donna--I think a positive attitute is half the battle. And we are all here to pick you up when you need it. That's great news about the petscan. Celebrate each victory!

Hugs,

Marian Pearson Stevens

 
At 4:51 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hey, Donna-
I'm so glad to hear all the GOODs and will keep the BADs in my prayers. If anyone can beat cancer, you can! I'll keep my fingers crossed that the nausea will be minimal. I'm with you there. Hate nausea.
I'm not going to National either. Maybe I'll drive down to have lunch with you and we'll celebrate the end of your treatments?
Hugs and hope to see you at the NOLA conference. I'm saving a big hug for you.
Beth Cornelison

 
At 7:27 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Donna, funny but when I think of you, there is nothing bad and ugly. It's all good. You're an amazing person. And I'm sorry that I had no clue you had cancer until I read your blog this morning. I knew you had surgery but didn't realize it was cancer. Not sure how I missed that except that I've been so remiss in checking any of my loops.

You are an amazing woman and I wish I was there to go hat hunting with you. Hey, I may even look around Houston and see what I can find.

 
At 10:31 PM, Blogger Nicki Salcedo said...

Donna, your posts are entrancing. Thank you for writing about your experience. I work at the American Cancer Society and there are tons of resources for not only you but your family members, too. You can go on line to www.cancer.org, but you can also call 1-800-ACS-2345 24hrs/day. You can get specific medical info or just tell them you need help finding a hat or wig! Really, they will point you in the right direction.

Some more good. The fact that you noticed the good!

 
At 8:37 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Donna,
There's nothing bad or ugly about you, girl! There is courage, valor, generosity, kindness, compassion...all the GOOD stuff.

And if you ever wanna borrow that gorgeous tiara you sent me, just let me know. With a sparkler like that on your noggin, who needs hair?

Hugs to you.

 
At 11:17 AM, Blogger Cheryl Wyatt said...

Have been praying for you and will continue to do so! Glad you're doing well with treatment.

Hugs!

Cheryl

 

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