Wow, what a few weeks it has been! Last week I returned to the office all five days and was getting back into the day-to-day events after about 5 weeks of pulling back. Overall it was great to be back and see everyone and know that everything is still churning right along with lots of work and fun to be had. I haven’t gotten too in depth with the work I do through this blog yet and I will in time. Just know everything I strive to accomplish in the corporate world is closely linked to these recent life experiences and I now see how I can utilize the skills acquired over the last 11 years in a different way. I am capturing all I learn so I can be a better person; healthier, kinder, harder working, having an impact and so the list goes on.
Not only did I get back to work this past week, I got out of the house and back to a few of my favorite past times. I got back to working out and walking more normally and I went out and saw live music!! The timing was perfect since an artist I start following at the beginning of my treatment was in town about a mile from my house. John Splitoff (featured photo) came to my life through Spotify and his song “Sing to You” mentally carried me through my treatment days. Having the ability to see live music and dance along while someone showcases there talent was a special gift of this week.
The best news overall: My health has continued to improve! The time spent focused on recovery did the trick and I bounced back from my last chemotherapy faster than ever before. This past Friday 2 out of 3 of my important counts were already back in the normal rage (white cells and platelets) and my red cells were moving up the charts. I feel energized and for the first time since the start of treatment I don’t feel like I am sitting under a fog. Tears of joy flooded my eyes as I walked out of the oncology department with a skip in my step as I felt healthy.
I have mentioned that my journey is not over and it is a long road, luckily that road is a flatter and more pleasant ride. I will continue to received IV treatments of Herceptin every 3 weeks through January of 2019. This particular treatment is due to my diagnosis of being Her2 positive – I have added an explanation of my diagnosis at the bottom of this page. I have also been prescribed Tamoxofin which is a pill to help prevent a re-occurrance which I will take daily for 5-10 years. I am still researching the advantages vs. disadvantages and have a few more appointments before determining if this is for me. In addition, I have many tests to evaluate the impacts of the chemotherapy (Taxotere and Carboplatin) and Herceptin – based on some side effects. And finally, I have an upcoming surgery to complete my reconstruction process. This week alone I have 6 appointments including an MRI and heart echo! The beauty of this is that I am now able to work this into my day just like any other meeting or appointment. I have never been so thankful that I thrive in organization and learning how to continuously improve.
Improvement has been the name of the game for the past 6 weeks. As my fog lifted I had the energy and frame of mind to learn about my diagnosis, treatment and what I can do to improve my life through daily actions.
I sought out different views on how to treat cancer from the standards of western medicine to herbal and natural options along with the power of food. I have spoken to a variety of doctors and health experts gathering nuggets of information and testing some of their advice in my daily life. I have acquired a lot of information and am currently starting back with the basics and incorporating some of these lessons in as I can…working to not make any drastic changes but rather continual improvements. I will begin sharing these with you along with sharing the resources I have found helpful. This blog is only my experience and only hope to encourage others to stay positive and take the time to learn about how they can make small changes to be happier and healthier despite any unforeseen circumstances.
I cannot wait to share what I have learned about personal health, food, natural treatments (CBD oil) and fitness. I hope you also share your stories with me so we can learn more together!
Courage for Good, Better, Best 