Monthly Archives: August 2007
08.26.2007 Posted 7:33 pm
Putting Everything In Perspective
I have been back at work for two weeks and I am happy to report that, on the whole, I have been very good at taking care of me.
Work has been very hectic as there has been a lot of organizational change. My boss (the CMO) along with the CFO resigned the week before I got back and I had three resignations in my department since I got back to work. But, rather than stress out about it, I have been taking everything in stride. I have been working fairly long hours but they are not stressful and I have been the one making the decision to stay late if I need to. I have been getting to bed between 9-10PM every night, eating well and exercising.
My first chemo cycle has been pretty uneventful. I think my body is in a bit of shock that we are “back to chemo again” but, with the exception of 1 really tiring day, I am feeling really healthy and strong.
I have my “port” …
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08.12.2007 Posted 9:02 pm
Taking Care of Me
It is Sunday night and I am getting ready to go back to work tomorrow. I am looking forward to getting back to my “normal” schedule but I need to make sure that I continue to prioritize myself.
This became very clear when I met with Dr. Maki this past Friday before I started chemo again. I asked him how much longer I would be on chemo and his answer was “long”. I asked him the question that I have been thinking about the most lately; “Since the tumors were removed with surgery and you can no longer ‘see’ any cancer cells on a CT scan, when will you know when to stop with chemo?” His answer was honest but not cut & dry. He basically said that he would like to keep me on the chemo for up to a year…based largely on how well I handle it. If I get run down, tired, have bad side effects etc., he will lower the dosage or take me off chemo completely.
The …
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08.6.2007 Posted 12:24 pm
Just what the Dr. Ordered…Another Week at Home
Dave and I met with my surgeon on Thursday and he ordered me to stay home for one more week. Part of me was frustrated with this news and the other part of me was a bit relieved. I am anxious to get back to things as I am going a bit stir crazy in the house but, given that I have had lots of bad stomach cramping and soreness, I agree with him that I am not “back to normal” just yet. Because all of your internal organs are “removed and put back together” during surgery, it can take a month or so until everything is working well again. Basically, your stomach is confused and is trying to re-route its path. So, I am home for one more week.
Dave and I met with the development team at MSKCC this past Wednesday to talk about the future of Spin4Survival. The event is near and dear to our hearts and we have a lot of energy to make it even bigger …
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