Scattered Thoughts . . .

The rooftop garden at the hospital... the cafe's fresh vegetables are grown here. We began our week feeling positive and energized which was awesome because this is the first time we began a week in this way in months. Sheila had about five days off in a row so she could catch up on sleep and continue to recover from her recent surgery, the beginning of radiation treatment and a terrible cold that developed at a very inopportune time. By the fifth day of rest, naps, and recovery, Sheila was acting more like herself and showing a bit more energy so our week started off with both of us feeling great! The one danger of feeling great during a long and trying period of treatment is that it is very easy to overdo it by doing more than the body can handle over the next few days. We were both careful about keeping each other in check because we are already well versed in managing energy due to my own continuous health issues. That being said, it is now Thursday and we are running

Yesterday was a long and exhausting day which began as w e headed northward to the hospital in the morning for a relatively grueling day in Radiation Oncology. We both seemed a bit exhausted right from the get-go yesterday so we knew we were in for a fairly rough day. We managed to get the hospital visit and a few errands out of the way with little difficulty though. The appointment started with making a mold for Sheila so she could/would remain perfectly still during her radiation treatments. I wasn't allowed in the room for this so I have no photos even though this is one of the things I definitely wanted to capture in photos because it is rarely seen. Unfortunately, I was told I needed to remain in the waiting room for this part of the appointment which I found quite disappointing and a bit frustrating. This diversion in the waiting room allowed me to catch up on some reading while struggling to stay awake. In hindsight, I should have just taken a nap in the waiting room!  

We were back at the hospital today dealing with all the fun that cancer entails once again. On the positive side, I somehow managed to get an entire fairly comfortable waiting room to myself as Sheila did her thing with one of her doctors.  I think Sheila's day, overall, was good... it was a bit emotional for her... but, in the big scheme of things, it was a relatively good day.  Today, Sheila met with a new member of her medical team and this doctor is one from my own medical team.  We really do spend far too much time in hospitals... ...and, we're only just getting started this time around. Sheila and her doc as they were hunting me down... A fairly comfortable and, since I was alone the entire time, a rather private waiting room.

It is amazing what just a couple of nights of halfway decent sleep can do for one's emotional well-being! After our appointment with the Oncologist and putting that stressful waiting period behind us (awaiting test results which determine specific treatment)... and after arranging for counseling with an outstanding counselor specializing in cancer... and after arranging for insurance coverage for additional treatment to help with the side-effects of ten years of cancer treatment... Sheila managed to get a couple of nights of halfway decent sleep.   She still didn't sleep well and she is still understandably struggling with some anxiety but she managed to calm down enough to catch up on a little bit of sleep. This was enough to see a visible difference in Sheila's demeanor this morning.   That is great news! This evening we'll be making some Kansas City-style country ribs and homemade fries... That should help with both of our attitudes!

Our plan for today was to head up to Burlington to continue Sheila's cancer treatment plan. Unfortunately, late yesterday afternoon, Sheila received a call from her nurse at the Breast Care Center informing her that today's appointment with the Oncologist was canceled and rescheduled for late next week... another delay and more frustration. I have little doubt that Sheila is probably more frustrated than I am about the delay in treatment. I'm sure she doesn't like her whole treatment plan being put on hold, hanging over her head for longer than necessary, and weighing her down (and I am well aware that it is at this point in the waiting) .  We are also waiting for news about the latest test results which just happens to be the cause for this delay. Wondering about the results of this test is frustrating and causes some anxiety. Are the results going to show only a 'low risk'?  Or, are we dealing with cancer that rates as a higher risk? ...wait... wonder a

Yesterday, we spent the day at the hospital running from appointment to appointment and squeezing in a couple of unscheduled stops too.  We had thought it would be a straightforward day with no significant news (which means we expected no stress and no problems) . Not only did we receive some new news but we found that there is such a thing as different levels of bad news. We started at Genetics. Here we discussed new genetic tests that help determine whether there are any known genetic components to Sheila's cancer. If we find that there are any known genetic components, then Sheila's children and grandchildren will be on a completely different and more aggressive preventive medicine schedule than that recommended for the general public.  The purpose of this genetic testing is to rate the risk of cancer being carried genetically through statistics and common cancer genes in order to avoid potential cancer getting out of hand in any children or grandchildren before the r

After showering this morning, I came back to the bedroom to find Sheila propped up in bed and reading.  Considering the circumstances, it seems she is feeling quite well but not well enough to be frustrated by the inactivity. I'm not sure boredom has stepped in yet either because she is probably still catching up on much needed rest and sleep.  What I have noticed and understand all too well is her careful search and selection of different positions in order to find some comfort and less pain. Right now she is taking her first shower since before the surgery so I expect her pain to increase after this little bit of activity and pressure. Any movement, so far, has been quite painful and she is still moving quite slowly. As I mentioned in previous blog entries, the area where the surgeon removed a few lymph nodes hurts the most and this still holds true this morning.  All in all, however, I think she is doing quite well considering the past week and a half... and, it was n

Before a patient can be discharged from Post-Op Recovery, the patient must be able to effectively void their bladder on their own. Of course, they should also be able to get themselves to the bathroom without falling over to the floor and their vitals should be in a safe, healthy range. If everything checks out okay, then the patient can be discharged and sent home to continue recovery. One of the problems Sheila has had consistently in her previous two surgeries was bladder paralysis due to general anesthesia. Her team of doctors worked together to come up with a solution so Sheila would not again experience this excruciating problem again this time around. Both Sheila and I are very happy to report that her team of doctors succeeded in solving this problem this time around! When Sheila was able to effectively void her bladder on her own by mid-afternoon, we began our journey of checking out of Recovery and the hospital. Here, Whitney is wheeling Sheila out of Post-Op Recovery...

The surgery for Sheila's recurrence of breast cancer was yesterday so the day was spent at the hospital. For me, it was a day of just waiting and waiting... for Sheila, her day was a bit more hectic, invasive and painful. This time around, Sheila's opposite breast has a tumor shaped sort of like a bell or a Hershey's Kiss and measures 10mm x 15mm (approximately a little less than 1/2" x 5/8"). The imaging was showing no signs of the cancer being beyond the perimeter of the tumor so that was quite good news. Regardless, some lymph nodes needed to be removed and biopsied as well just to be sure the cancer has not spread into the lymphatic system. The team of doctors seems to be quite positive though.  So, before sunrise yesterday morning, we headed to the hospital to start the pre-op stuff for surgery. Here, Sheila is getting dressed (well...  undressed, really) for surgery... Discussing some of the proposed day's events with one of the nurses as she pr

Yesterday morning, we arose at o'dark thirty... unfortunately, not all that bright eyed and bushy tailed... so we could head north to check into the hospital for Sheila's third surgery related to recurring breast cancer.  I don't think either one of us slept all that well. I admit that I was a bit anxious and I know Sheila was a bit anxious too. Plus, I was concerned about oversleeping since we needed to get up so early. We arose on time, however, and were headed to the hospital within 45 minutes. We arrived at the hospital before sunrise and long before anyone else so we were treated to an empty parking garage and a front row parking spot... We headed directly to the Registration Desks to check in for today's surgery. While checking in, we had a nice conversation with the registration administrator about yoga, strength training, the kids, the grandkids, cruises and visiting Disney... After registration, we made the short walk to the end of the towering lo

Sheila has had a problem tooth for about ten months and we've been bouncing from dentist to specialist, back to dentist, then to another specialist during this time.  First, she hoped for a quick filling or repair... no such luck. She was scheduled to see a specialist for a root canal... went for a consult... more waiting for the actual procedure... Then when the root canal was to be done they told her they could not do a root canal because the roots of the tooth were intertwined with the nerves in the jaw. They then scheduled an extraction with a different specialist.  A consult appointment was scheduled for an extraction and that appointment was yesterday. In the meantime, Sheila's breast cancer had returned and we started all of those appointments a week or so ago.  The oncology surgeon had told Sheila that the tooth extraction was now on the back burner since the cancer surgery is more important. That being said, we didn't want to waste any time so w