Happy Easter!!

It's been an up and down couple of weeks for me!

During radiation, my skin was doing really well.  The technicians told me every day that it was looking good and that they didn't think I would experience some of the side effects that most people get.  Well, I think they spoke to soon...or I should have knocked on wood or something!  Last weekend my skin began to blister and break!  OUCH!!  It got really red and sensitive as each day passed.  I continued to apply my cream and polysporin to the entire area, hoping that I could maintain and control more blistering.  It did help some but I did get two more large blisters around my scar that opened up the same day.  I made an appointment to see my Radiation Oncologist and Nurse.  They looked at it and told me it looks awesome...WHAT??....looks awesome?   Really?  My nurse told me that on a scale of 1-10...my skin is a "0".  She said that whatever I am doing, keep it up...it looks really good compared to what most people look like.  I can't imagine it being worse, because it really was painful.  I have continued the cream and it is healing nicely and not as sore as it was.  I do see improvements everyday! :)

I've also been experiencing some nausea and pain in my upper stomach, just under my diaphragm.  It seems to happen every day around supper time.  It's not always after I eat or before...it just seems to be that time of day.  The pain and nausea was so bad I took two Gravol and went to bed.   I called my nurse to see what she thought and she suggested that I see my GP and get a referral to a GI Specialist.  I haven't made the appointment yet...will do it the first of the week.  I have noticed that it only happens on the days that I exercise.  I don't know if I may have an ulcer that is getting irritated when I exercise, causing the nausea or what it is. 

One of the hardest things for me now, is when I am not feeling the best or have a pain, my head goes to..."could this be cancer some where else".  It's hard not to think like that!  There are no tests that the doctors do to confirm that you are cancer free.  The government doesn't have a protocol for cancer screening after treatments.  It's absolutely crazy!!  So, I have to live the rest of my life, terrified every time I have an odd symptom!  It just doesn't seem fair!  The only test that I will continue to have is a mammogram and my Liver MRI.  Most times, I can shake the thought from my head (that the cancer might spread)...but that odd time, I worry...which I think is quite common.  I just need to continue to work on making me healthy...physically and mentally!

I have been thinking of Mom a lot lately.   I started purging my house and came across some birthday cards that she sent me...very emotional to see her hand writing and read her words.  I am so glad that I kept them...although it is hard to read them, it's a nice reminder of how much she loved me! :)  Mom spent every Spring purging our house and re-decorating...looks like I am cut from the same cloth! :)

Easter reminds us that hope must never be lost for as dark as the road may seem, there always lies light at the end of it. May all your prayers be fulfilled. May our Lord send his choicest blessings upon you and your family this Easter. Have a Blessed Easter.

Be patient, be strong and continue to pray!