Thanks, everyone, for your calls, emails, cards, flowers, freezer meals and for wishing me the best tomorrow with my PICC line. I'm such a wuss about the idea of things being inserted in my body, especially when I'm awake for it. I'm more nervous about the PICC line than I was about the surgery! I'll be glad when it's over. My appointment is for 3:00 tomorrow and then I have my first chemo treatment at 1:15 on Wednesday. I'll start stewing about it after I'm PICC'ed.My cousin Velma provided a positive way of thinking about the chemo. She told me that instead of thinking "OMG! CHEMO! Ewwwww ...!!", she thought, "Thank God for Chemo. Chemo will kill all those nasty cancer cells." It's helpful for me to visualize it that way. To see the chemo as positive and not just scary.
Besides being scared silly about tomorrow's little procedure and the chemo, I'm in a good place mentally and emotionally. I'm feeling strong and eager to get started and move through this to the other side. What helped me get to this peace of mind was all the information I got from and through my friends and family. You came through amazingly! How lucky I am to have such a network of fab people who know some pretty amazing people both in the medical system and who have experienced breast cancer themselves. All the information I got helped me feel more confident in my oncologist and with my treatment plan and better empowered me to ask more questions. I liked that Gerry told me that the oncologist he spoke with said that Taxatane is "not just palliative, it's curative"! Gotta like that. "Curative". Yeahhhhh!!
So thank you everyonel ... more than Kevin and I can express. Now for a good night's sleep.
My dear mons amis George,
ReplyDeleteYour blog is a great idea and will be a great way for all your family and friends to keep up with your progress. I think your cousin Velma is a very wise woman in that she, as well as all of us realize that you MUST do the chemo to kill the cancer! It will now become your full time job to beat this opponent ! I love your mantra "We're here. Might as well WIN !! I feel as all those that love you do, that it will take a team effort for you to get through this "cancer adventure"...it will change all of us for sure ! We will all have our roles to play and we'll happily support you in every way we can to get you through this. You will never be alone in this fight ! We are all scared of the unknown but remember "courage is the art of being the only one who knows you're scared to death" ! I know that you are brave and strong mons amis and you WILL get through this ! Love, Martha
Thanks so much, mons amis, Martha! It makes all the difference knowing I'm not going through this alone. Love, George
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