Month: April 2017

A week ago today, I took a turn on my journey that would determine the next chapter in my life. My CANcer Chronicles…

Wednesday, April 5th began VEEEERY early thanks to I~85!⚠️ My day began at 6am so we would not be late for my 8:00 day of reckoning!!! My surgery was scheduled for 1:30pm. You might ask, as I did, “Why am I here at 8:00am when my surgery begins at 1:30pm?” Well… here’s the low down for those who are scheduled for a lumpectomy or those who are just curious about where the time goes. Your day may vary depending on your situation:
6:00am 🎶Rise and shine and give GOD the Glory🎶
6:30am Leave for hospital earlier than usual due to fire and collapsed bridge on I-85!⚠️ Long story about a fire under an overpass in Atlanta, an overpass that collapsed due to the fire and an already congested highway now shutdown on the first day of Spring break!!! Our commutes will not be the same for a very long while…I digress!
7:57am Arrive at Women’s Center and check in.  We did good!

8:16am Go to pre-op area for instructions and change into fashionable hospital couture. I received a lovely gift from the staff . A plush pink blanket, pink footies, lavender lip balm, and a sample lavender lotion. Northside Hospital really has gone above and beyond in this process!!!

8:25am Check vitals sign consents.  I felt like I was closing on a house!
8:45am Watch WSB and the weather shenanigans! …and more about the bridge…
9:00am Nurse check in and get schedule for day😮 (…understand why I had to come at 8:00am… there’s a lot to do to prepare for surgery!)
9:15am More TV and window watching… storm has me worried but prayer handled that and was told the storm would not affect anything!
10:00am Walk to ultrasound… poking …prodding… doctor in and out…
Is there a problem? “Well… I can’t see it…” They ultimately found the tumor, but it was “… so small…” God’s work!
10:45am… Mammogram and wire placement to prepare for surgery.  Yes, I said wire placement.  I can’t remember all of the details, but there was a wire inserted into the mass (tumor) in my breast.  This was so the surgeon had a clear indication where the mass was and how to get to the necessary area where they would need to extract.  This was a very thin wire that resembled a thin, stiff, long piece of string.  By the end of this procedure, I surely felt like a robot, a mechanical being, with superpowers!!!
11:45am Headed to get scanned to make sure everything is in place and my breast is prepared for lumpectomy!  The hospital was huge so I was wheeled to what seemed miles away to get these scans.  This is really a process!
12:30pm I am back in my pre-op space with the nurse who packed me in this aluminum foil package which my son called my plastic bag! I joked with him on the phone about the doctors having to “bake mommy” like a hot pocket! Little did I know I wasn’t so far from the truth! This contraption was to keep me good and warm for surgery…. just like keeping the ribs warm at a barbecue! I was so hungry!  I then received pain medication, anxiety medication, a patch behind my ear for nausea and a continuation of fluids through the IV which was supposed to be my breakfast and lunch since I couldn’t eat before surgery.

1:25pm Headed to surgery.  They wheeled me in my hot pocket!
Like clockwork, at 1:30pm as scheduled, I received my general anesthesia. The nurses put the mask over my nose and told me to breathe in deeply… I was hesitant, nervous, and really didn’t want to breathe! I was encouraged to breathe deeper and relax and that it would be ok. So, I sent up my thoughts to God and took my deep breath. In what seemed like seconds I felt a touch and heard my name called by a nurse. I remember looking at her and asking when I was going to have my surgery?!?! She laughed very lightly and told me not only had I had a successful surgery, but I had also been sleeping in recovery for the past 2 hours!!! I was shocked and relieved, thankful and encouraged. One lymph-node was removed and was benign. Great news!
5:15pm My husband came back to recovery. I was able to sit up, get dressed and stand without a problem. Some become nauseous and may even be dizzy. Me, I felt fine!
5:30pm I was placed in a wheelchair and taken to my car to go home… no complications, no overnight stay needed!!! Go home, rest and relax!

 

At home, especially the next couple of days, I was sore and did not have the complete use of my left side where I had my surgery. I have to sleep on one side or on my back so I do not pull or put pressure on my stitches. The first 48 hours, I had to wear a bandage wrap around my chest to my underarm where they took the lymph node. I must wear a sports bra 24/7 until I have my follow-up appointment and be careful not to pull the dressing off or get it soaked with water. It’s a little uncomfortable, however, it’s getting better day to day and it sure beats having a cancerous tumor!!!

Overall, I am thankful for God’s mercy and grace and his work with my team of health care professionals. This process has been tough and at times down right painful, but prayer, my husband, son, family, and friends have helped me through!

My CANcer Wisdom to You: What doesn’t kill you, should make you stronger!

http://blackdoctor.org/485227/how-to-detox-your-armpit-to-prevent-breast-cancer/2/

‘Twas the night before surgery and all through the house, I was cleaning like crazy with my son and my spouse.
They wanted me to stop, but I told them I can’t, this has got to get done or I’ll go on a rant.
My husband said, “Calm down, please don’t you worry. We’ll get it done so you’re not in a flurry. The dishes he’ll load and the clothes he’ll fold, my son then vacuumed just as he was told!
When cleaning was done, they gave me a kiss, “We’re headed to track practice you will be missed. So I sat and I thought I have surgery soon, I do need to rest, I’ve been moving since noon! This surgery is serious and what I do need, to rid of this CANcer and illness indeed. As I continue to rest and think many thoughts, I doze off to sleep on the pillow I bought. In what seems like minutes, I am awake from my sleep, as my husband and son return with more than a peep. Well it’s now time for bed, to real sleep I go, preparing my mind for the lumpectomy show. So as I lay my head down and pray, a successful surgery and the CANcer away!

It’s April 4th, the day before my lumpectomy. I’m filled with lots of different feelings; some of them anxious some of them worried and some of them excited. I almost don’t know how to feel. I shouldn’t feel anxious and worried because I pray and I have faith that the Lord will take care of those doctors, surgeons, and the nurses and will ultimately take care of me. I have this sudden burst of energy where I shopped for the whole month, I’ve been cooking food and I’ve been cleaning the house from top to bottom. I know my husband and son are ready for me to sit down already…when I get in that energy box of cleaning, they know to run and hide because I’m coming for them too!!!

Any type of surgery is scary. There are risks and unknowns. I have a great team and have faith that they are skilled and will be guided by God’s hands to relieve my body of this CAncerous tumor. I’ve often thought of myself post-surgery. How would this new me look, how will I think, and how will I change. This surgery is somewhat symbolic. My new life, new chance, re-birth…a new me, healthier and more cognizant of my many blessings as well as how to live a healthier life overall. I am looking forward to the challenge and looking forward to fulfilling my purpose.

My CANcer Wisdom to you: Pray, have faith, and trust!

When I was first diagnosed, of course I thought about my family and what we were going to do, how would we pay for treatment, would I live long enough to fulfill all of my dreams for me, my husband and son, etc. Our lives would change forever.  I also thought about my job. I’m a special-education teacher and I am always thinking about my students. What can I do to help them academically, how can I make them better contributors to society, how will I make it to Spring Break with these little people????  I am supposed to make sure I do all that I can to meet their individual needs while closing the achievement gap and also teaching them how to think, how to behave, how to live up to their full potential.  When you have CANcer, I found that even thinking can be challenging!  Teaching with CANcer can be extremely challenging. Several missed days due to treatment and recovery. Fatigue on top of fatigue due to constantly playing catch-up.  I am still responsible for meeting deadlines and attending professional development, duties, etc. I am a teacher and I am accountable.  Meeting these expectations while nauseous, not being able to eat, drinking gallons of water, impromptu bathroom breaks (…and for a teacher, going to the bathroom is like planning the great escape from Alcatraz!!!) To be honest the vanity of it all is interesting as preparing to look professional is taken to a “whole ‘nother level”, as the kids say!  The challenges of losing the hair on your head and your eyebrows, debating wigs vs. scarves, having painted on eyebrows and trying to remember to check periodically to make sure they’re still there are all new and eventful challenges! I still have to show up on time with a smile and teach my students, be effective and engaging and shield them from my challenges.  Challenges…challenges…

I told my principal my situation and she shared it with her administrative team.  They have been understanding and supportive throughout the process which is a blessing these days in education.  The human side is often lost in test scores and daily routine, but at my school, I am human.  It was really hard to share my new journey with my colleagues as there are so many that could potentially be affected.  We work as a team and collaborate and make decisions together.  We support each other and depend on one another for help or just a listening ear when our walls close in on us.  I made the decision to tell my colleagues once I came to grips with it all with the help of my principal.  At first, I wasn’t  going to tell anyone which seemed OK at the time, however, selfish.  I am now glad I told my colleagues because so many have told me how I have helped them be stronger in their lives and even prompted many to get those mammograms they have been putting off.  I realized that telling others about my journey and allowing my colleagues into health, gave me a small platform to help others and become an advocate for early detection and taking care of our health.  It also brought prayers and support, hugs and visits to my classroom, conversation and a genuine, reciprocal care for each other.  Made my new work life manageable and removed unnecessary  and added stress!

In the beginning, I was conflicted about saying anything to my students.  They had enough on their plates and I didn’t want to add to their challenges.  But I had to say something as MY students would indeed notice any changes.  Knowing that I would be out more, I knew I had to say something.  Closer to my first treatment in November of 2016, I sat my students down in a circle and told them I had some health challenges that would require me to be absent a lot in order to get help to get better.  I did not want them to worry, so I gave them minimal information.  I assured them not to worry and to continue learning all they could and make me proud.  Surprisingly, they ask only a few questions that thankfully I was able to answer, nothing was too intrusive and thankfully none of my students asked me the two questions I dreaded: “Do you have CANcer?” and “Are you going to die?”  Phew…

My students adjusted well to the substitutes.  The beginning was rough and I thought substitutes would NEVER come back to my class.  There were a few students who were constantly “performing” and I thought for sure I would come in a half day and see the substitute ducked taped to the board!!!  Luckily, I was able to find a substitute that was excellent and willing to come any time I was out.  He was able to manage the class, made sure the students completed all of the assignments, followed my lesson plans and my students liked him.  Thank the Lord!!!

All in all, my decision to continue to work through and with CANcer has turned out to be a blessing.  While in my classroom, I am always focused on my students and instruction and therefore have no time for worry.  I stay busy and work hard.  I have a stool to sit on by my board, we have an elevator so I do not have to use the steps and the bathroom is close and I have great teammates who step in when needed!  My students are sweet and nurturing and carry books for me, run errands and even bring me snacks and chocolate…they know my love for chocolate!!!

My CANcer Wisdom for You:  At the beginning of our school year, our principal welcomed us with the theme of “The Energy Bus” which is a book by Jon Gordon that provides us with 10 secrets for approaching life and work with positive energy.  Who would’ve known this would be what I needed!  I have always approached life in a positive way being the optimist…well MOST times…and not letting too much keep me from continuing to move forward.  This book is a good read and helps you to keep your life and work in perspective whether you are dealing with challenges or just trying to keep your head above water.  I am on the Positive Energy Bus and will ride it ’til the wheels fall off!  

http://www.theenergybus.com/