Fills, Frustration, Faith, Fun and Fahrenheit (100+)!!!

I knew it had been awhile since I posted something, but……..three weeks!?! Geez! However, there hasn’t been much going on since my last post either. I have been recovering from surgery and we have been traveling back to Kansas City every Friday, so I can get fills in the expander the plastic surgeon implanted during surgery. It was filled with 240 cc of air during surgery and since they have removed the air and it now has 450 cc of saline. The fills haven’t been too bad. It’s a little tight and sensitive the first day or so, but after that it’s ok. The incision is healing nicely too.

I’ve been working part time from home as I can and napping when needed. I’m not sure how I’m going to survive without naps when I finally get back to work full time! 😊

I had my first consultation appointment with the radiation oncologist last Thursday. Dr. Prasad, who is my oncologist, was on vacation, so I saw a substitute who comes up from Denton, TX. He was very nice and informative. It sounds like I will have 6 weeks of radiation (5 days a week) on the entire chest wall and about 4-5 weeks of radiation to the targeted lymph nodes (during the same time period). The big question is when I will start. The oncologist said they will start after the plastic surgeon has the expansion where he wants it and can deflate it. When I had my fill on Friday, my normal nurse was on vacation. When I asked the substitute nurse when I would be done and could start radiation, she said it was up to the radiologist because they don’t want to interfere with the cancer treatments. Aaaaaargh!  Hopefully, Dr. Chandler will talk to Dr. Prasad this week and they will come up with a plan!

So….I don’t know if I will get another fill when I go back this Friday (which I’m pretty sure will be my last) or if they will deflate it to prepare for radiation. Once it is deflated, I go back to Dr. Prasad for a CT scan, from that he will develop my radiation plan (which takes a few days), and then I start the radiation. The biggest symptoms from radiation are fatigue and skin irritation on the sites. I’m praying I get along as well with the radiation as I did with the chemo! I know God’s got this too!

In the meantime, the kids all came the weekend of the 4th of July, which was so much fun. Scott and I took Emma and Killian to the Wild West Fest parade (Kinley wasn’t here yet), we all took in the carnival and had quite the fireworks show one evening. We made a lot of new memories to treasure! 

Traveling to KC every week means we get to stop in Abilene and see them all on the way back too. Every week, I get a hair report. Killian tells me, “Grammy, your hair is getting taller!” and Emma gives me the color report, “Grammy, it’s getting browner!” At first, Killian didn’t want to touch it, but now….he rubs my head just like I like to rub his after his haircuts!

The hardest thing is I still have a 10# weight restriction from surgery. Baby K does not like it when she comes to Grammy and lifts those little arms to be picked up and I don’t do it. The tears are more than this Grammy can take and I can’t find a seat fast enough so someone can put her on my lap. I might have cheated a couple of times and picked her up with my left arm (those tears are torture!). 

Praying you are all surviving the heat and are enjoying your summer with family and friends!