First Radiation week

The time is going quite fast here. There seems to be little time in the day for other things after I do the 2-3 hours to and from the hospital for my treatment and then have my siesta. The leisurely breakfasts also take up a lot of time. We are trying to be very laid back, but I guess it is still stressful. I started having heart palpitations on Wednesday: it doesn't seem to be serious, but is likely due to stress. I wore a holter monitor for 24 hours and will get the report next week. I really think I just need a good massage therapist,( preferably male and good looking).

In the meantime, the treatments are going well, with no bad effects to my skin. Five down and twenty-five to go. I will finish on May 1 unless they are able to fit me in for some Saturday sessions. We are planning our return for May 2, but have not booked it yet in the hope that we may be able to leave earlier. We would like to get there as soon as possible so we can file for our FM3 resident visa when we get back - this will let us renew the license plates on the Jeep. This is a change in law - we were able to buy our Jeep as tourists, but we can't renew the plates until we have resident status.

On Wednesday we went to see the house that Cameron and Jessica are interested in and they put in an offer on it. It is a foreclosure and there were several other interested parties, so we are all waiting anxiously to hear the outcome. Jessica was a real trooper, to be up moving around so much after her surgery on Monday. She is doing very well, saw her Doctor on Friday and he is pleased with her progress. She plans to return to work on Monday. She and Cameron joined us for Fish Fry on Friday night and took their Margarita pup back home with them for a while. Daisy would have liked to go too I think, as she misses Jessica.

Plans are coming together for Reagan's wedding. We've picked out my dress and Ron's suit. A new experience for me - clothes shopping on the internet. I also have some new watercolors coming soon, and I hope they will be the inspiration I need to get going on painting again.

Today we took advantage of the milder temperatures to do some yard clean-up and we have quite the leaf pile out there. Wonder who will do it next April? - we will be in MEXICO. Apparently there is SNOW in the forecast for Monday. I prefer the greening grass.

Ron's mother is planning to visit soon for some shopping in preparation for Reagan's wedding trip: she is really looking forward to the wedding. Cameron, Jessica and Tyler are also planning to attend and it will be a very special family time. Reagan has put a lot of thought into making it a special, intimate occasion.

We are planning to spend several nights at Hacienda Santa Ines with our family; and the construction crew is working hard to get things ready for us. The roof is now completed on Cameron's house, and the electricity should be going in soon to his house and Reagan's. The doors and windows for his house will be installed soon also. Tyler's house has its roof, but is not ready for occupancy yet, as we are still negotiating the details of the doors and windows with the carpenter. But next year we will have lots of guest accomodations. Get your bookings in early! We will be shopping for some twin beds when we go back. In November we will buy another king size bed for guests. It is nice to have some twin beds too; they can be moved around to reconfigure accomodation as needed. We are looking so forward to having this time in Mexico together.

We are also spending time planning for Reagan's wedding party in Muskoka on September 12. Ron has been working on recorded music for when the bands aren't playing on the party weekend . We have a busy construction schedule ahead of us, but we have lined up our contractors and we've had offers of help from some several friends, so I am optimistic things will be in great shape by fall. It will be a busy time. I hope this summer's weather is better than last summer, but when you are working, there is both inside and outside work, so I guess it doesn't matter too much. Lots to keep us busy.

Shopping Therapy

A great weekend of shopping. First Ron and I got busy shopping for our wedding clothes online. We have both been very successful. I have an e-bay bid in on a vintage hat, so won't know until tomorrow about that. I have ordered my dress. Ron has found some suits he likes.

We also went shopping for houses with Cameron and Jessica and that too was successful. They are considering placing an offer soon.

After that Jessica and I went shopping at the galleria mall. Jessica is having a surgery tomorrow and I am starting my radiation, and shopping was a great way to take our minds off that! We both found party dresses for the wedding weekend, and a few other bargains also. It was really a fun day. Now, I think early to bed is in order, since I missed my siesta!

Sunshine in New York

The weather is doing its best to convince us that spring is here. The sun is strong and you would think spring weather was coming now, in conjunction with the first day of spring. We northerners know not to get our hopes too high, as we likely have one or two more snows to live through yet, but we know the end of winter is near. It really helps my mood.

We went up to Daisy Island, for an overnight and one last check before we can't get there for awhile. Ron needed to gather some tools and his guitar, for our period of confinement to Lewiston. All is well there and the heating system is doing a great job. It was 74 degrees inside and very comfortable. There isn't much snow and walking over and all around the property was easy. Daisy and Margarita had a great time. The forecast is for rain and warmer temperatures on the weekend so the ice will be deteriorating soon.

We had such a quick trip, because I needed to be at Roswell today at noon for a practise session, called a "black session" for checks and more measuring and practising the breathing technique for treatment. The radiation will begin on Monday at noon and proceed until May 1. They may try to fit me in for some Saturday sessions, as we go along, in order for me to have more time to recover before the wedding. At any rate, I should have at least a week to get it together before the big day. Everything seems to be working out under control. I like that.

The Treatment Track

We have returned to Lewiston, New York and have begun the process of radiation treatment for my cancer. This is part of the protocol for Partial Breast Lumpectomy and much the same as the treatment I had three years ago. However, there continue to be changes in treatment even in just three years. The targeting is more precise, I met a new and innovative machine, and as is usual, met some more upbeat and brilliant staff people. They make the process of treatment, if not completely enjoyable, much more fun than you would expect it to be. I was shown the pictures of treatment from last time, Xray scans of exactly what was treated and by how much, and a description of how they will do it this time. Only a small portion of my lung was irradiated last time, and it appears that most of my heart will be out of the way of the radiation beam this time. They are trying the planning two ways; with an inspired breath-hold and with breathing normally, to determine which gives my other organs the best protection. They are really doing a thorough job for me. There is a device that shows me that I am taking and holding the same amount of breath each time on cue. It took a little practise, but it isn't too hard to do. Like a new kind of video game.

In the interests of giving me as much time before Reagan and Bing's wedding as possible, they are custom designing a program for me that would give me a little higher dose over a slightly shorter time period, that should give me about one week to recover before the wedding.

They are doing the planning in a much shorter time than usual. It usually takes 10 days to two weeks for this process. They measured, mapped, marked and tatooed my chest today and hope to have the details worked out by Friday so that I can start treatment by Monday. You can't do much better than that!! I did very well with my skin not burning the last time, so that is causing them to think the higher dose will be okay for me. This protocol is used in several other countries, but it has not yet been adopted as standard practice at Roswell. So I must trust that the same strategy of the honey ingestion and Aloe on my skin will help me to get through this again. I told Ron that I think I should have breast massage with aloe at least twice per day. He'll try to fit me in to his schedule!

Decision Complete

We are returning to New York to begin my radiation treatment. Doctor Khan is fast tracking the preparation for me and by beginning next week, I will be free for Reagan and Bing s celebration on May 9. It is not advisable to delay treatment until after the wedding as the tumor was a high grade and it is too risky. Once begun, treatment cannot be interrupted for more than a couple of days. So that does not work either. We are sad to be leaving here so soon, but at least we had this time. We both feel better for it. We very much regret that we will be unable to spend time with friends here in Mexico. Hopefully our lives will be again our own, when this is behind us.

Mexico Powered!

We are now at the end of our third day in Mexico, and despite a much faster pace of life, my internal battery is charged well beyond any level I have known in the past 3 months. Since our arrival we have re-connected and breakfasted, lunched, dined, partied, imbibed, danced, toured, shopped, explored, philosophized and learned with many of our friends in Merida. We have been graciously hosted by Carlos and by Mary Anne and Allan. We have also made a few new friends along the way. The social calendar is now filled for the next two weeks and we will leave for the country tomorrow to visit good friends there and to begin to accomplish some of the work we have been unable to attend to. We look forward to connecting with many other friends in Merida when we return to the city later in the week.



Decisions . . . Decisions



This morning I had a long telephone conversation with Dr. Khan, my radiation oncologist, to explore various approaches to my post surgical treatment. He was most generous with his time, and is exploring the efficacy of four possible approaches to treatment, all of which would make me available for Reagan and Bing's wedding on May 9. The nominees are:

1. an accelerated program of conventional radiation. This would involve 33 treatments over 7 weeks and would necessitate a return to New York this weekend, social calendar notwithstanding.


2. a deferred program of conventional radiation. This would again involve 33 treatments but would be initiated in mid May


3. a fractionated program of radiation. This would involve a shorter term of treatment at a slightly increased dosage. This would begin in early April.


4. tumour bed radiation. I would receive 5 treatments of higher level radiation focused on the area from which the tumour was removed. This is a clinical trial rather than a standard protocol and there is some doubt whether I could qualify for this program.

Dr. Khan is going to evaluate the impact these various options are likely to have on the success of treatment and advise me. I will then make my decision which way to proceed. I will also investigate the potential to have option 1 performed in Merida; Dr. Khan agrees this would be a viable option.

Tonight, with Chuck and Mary Ann Taylor, we returned to our favourite destination in Merida, Restaurante Amaro, and were greeted like family, with warmth, joy and relief. Enrique danced salsa with me as he had promised by internet. Jaime and the waiters made us more than welcome, anticipating, with total accuracy, our orders. Roberto Cañedo, who played and sang during my birthday party, was once again on stage and performed many of my favorite songs. Olga, the owner, was not able to be there, but upon learning we were back in Merida, called to congratulate me on my return and to invite us to her home to welcome us back. She also invited us to attend a fundraiser for AIDS children sponsored by our friends Allan and Mary Ann, which we had already planned to attend. We could not have been made more at home.

In all, this has been a glorious three days, and has has done much to alleviate the trauma of the last three months. It is wonderful to be back in our winter home.

Escape to Mexico

We are finally making our long desired escape back to Mexico. We will be dining with friends in Merida Friday evening. We are flying out on Friday, so it will be a long day, but we are going to try to travel light this time. I am feeling really good about getting back to work on the project as soon as I am ready, but especially getting back to all of our friends in Merida; Some of whom are just about ready to head back north. Some of our friends had plans to be with us in Mexico, and had to change their plans. I am very sorry that happened, but we could see no way around being hostage to the medical system, until we could get the all-clear. There just didn't seem to be any way to get things accomplished faster. But now I am FREE! well, almost.

The Best News

Today was a Good News Day for me. Dr O'Connor gave me the news that I do not need to do Chemotherapy! It is considered that the surgery and radiation are sufficient treatment for me at this time, and there is not a reason to do a regimen of Chemo. Of course there is never a complete guarantee that cancer could not recur, but my odds are only a little more than the general population, and I will take those odds. They feel confident that since the cancer was caught very early, there is every possibility that the surgery and radiation will have taken care of the problem. That's why we do those Mammogram's. It really is worth it to catch this early!!!!

Since I don't have to give up drinking for chemo, here's a toast to the Mammogram Departments Everywhere.

Outing for Visiting

Today Ron took me out of the house for a nice trip to Port Colborne, to visit Aunt Mer and Uncle Edgar. It has been quite some time since I have seen Aunt Mer, and it was good to see them both today. Aunt Mer has late-stage Alzheimer's disease, and is pretty quiet these days, but it was apparent to Ron and I that she was aware of our visit and perhaps knew who we were. One of the nurses came over to express her surprise to us at how alert and chatty Marilyn was with us. We couldn't really tell what she was trying to tell us, but there were lots of recognizable phrases and it brought back good memories to hear her voice and way of expressing herself. She seemed pleased that we were there. She ate a good lunch for Uncle Edgar when he came in, but seemed content to let him do the talking then. Uncle Edgar does a wonderful job of caring for his wife, and comes twice a day for her meals.

After the visit, we went to see Gord and Pam and ended up going out to lunch for really good fish fry with them. Then back home for a needed rest.
Gord and Pam gave up on waiting for us in Mexico and came back early, and decided to save their vacation time and money for a trip next November, when hopefully we can be there with them. I'll try not to mess them up again.

I hope to have some real information for the blog tomorrow. It will feel better I think, to really know the plan. I know there is more to be done. I just want to heal well, and then get on with it!

SLEEP

I can't seem to get enough sleep these days. I didn't know I had built up such a deficit. I no sooner get up and I am thinking about going back to sleep again. Must be HIBERNATION MODE. The weather really hasn't been that bad, cold but lots of sun. I really should be finding something more interesting to do than sleep.

I know that the Monet "Art of the day ", in this blog are likely depicting France, but once again today, the sunny patio, makes me think of Mexico. We are hoping to be sitting there later this week. I better get some energy up soon. I am healing very well, and I am decreasing the pain medication right down today. Maybe then I will wake up.

Sunny but Cold

Another day of sun and cloud mixed in Lewiston New York. For a February Day in this climate, it is perfect. We are working away on the great bedroom redecorating project and fielding e-mails from friends in exotic places.



It seems that the Taylors have fallen prey to the seductions of Mexico, and are extending their stay in paradise by three more weeks. Hopefully that will allow us the opportunity to spend some time with them there soon. We are thrilled that they are having such a wonderful time. The pictures MaryAnn has taken look wonderful, and her recounting of time spent with mutual friends, has us feeling nostalgic about all we have missed. We are very happy to have been instrumental in them finding an alternate life that they find so satisfying. I hope their children will forgive us.

We are keeping busy while waiting for our Appointment with the Doctor on Wednesday. Cameron and Jessica joined us for dinner last night, and we will be seeing them again tonight for dinner as well. We are all hoping that their offer on a house in Niagara Falls will be accepted. We are all excited about having a new project, and have many ideas for the house. It has been great reviewing houses with them and a bonus for us being here to assist while not in Mexico. There is always a silver lining!

We are looking forward to our family time in Mexico in May for Reagan and Bing's wedding. That will be here before we know It!