Scattered Thoughts . . .

A s I wait for my latest oncology test results, I've been doing some research about treatments and drugs that my oncologist has discussed with us in a recent visit.  I have to admit that I actually have been losing sleep over the direction my health is headed in recent years and this research isn't helping any.  If anything, I'm losing more sleep! My health has been so poor that the poor health makes it very difficult to sleep at times.  Most times, however, I can't keep my eyes open but, now, what I'm learning in my current research is keeping me up at night.   For the first five years or so that I've had this illness, I was very active in support groups and research.  I was actually a board member and had written a few lengthy papers for this national support group to help newly diagnosed patients.   In the beginning, this research helped me understand and come to terms with my future of surviving with this incurable illness.  Also, I was h...

For those following this blog, you know that Sheila has been in treatment for her second bout with breast cancer.  Additionally, this time around, the cancer had spread to her lymphatic system too.  She has been through successful surgery to remove the cancer (well...  this was actually her third cancer surgery), aggressive radiation therapy and, at this point, 13 months of ten years of drug therapy targeting her specific form of cancer in order to minimize the chance of recurrence.  More importantly, as many of you already know, Sheila has been having a very difficult time with the first 13 months of this drug therapy...  although I suspect few know just how much this long-term treatment has affected her quality of life.   Sheila's problems with this drug treatment have been so difficult and so severe that she has been to the ER.  Even the ER doctors were visibly concerned and a bit shaken because the initial thoughts were that perhaps her c...