August 29

Well, I got my first tattoo - or should I say tattoos - today.

I went to my appointment with my Radiation Oncologist - Dr. Sause - and he set-up my radiation schedule. While I was there, they marked me with these little metal things and ran me through some sort of CT scanner. When I was done - they gave me little black pinhead sized tattoos on my chest and sides so they can line-up - with laser beams (every time I hear the word laser - I think of Mike Meyers as Dr. Evil in Austin Powers - fingers up in quotation marks - it makes me smile) and hit the right spot each treatment.

I will have 30 treatments in all. Basically - it will be 6 weeks - Monday through Friday - I will start Monday, September 15th and have my last treatment on Friday - October 24th. It only takes about 15 minutes for the treatment. I will start during my lunch breaks and change over to mornings

Dr. Sause assured me that this will not be a big deal and I should feel quite well - especially compared to chemo - while I am having the treatment. I certainly hope this is the case.

I know I am feeling better this past week since I have had several press checks and have been on my feet – standing around – all week at work and haven’t felt like I’m about to pass out. This is an improvement over the weeks during chemo. I really feel I am starting to get some of my strength and energy back.

Late last week and earlier this week – I was having some trouble sleeping. Dr. Morgan’s office has helped me and I am back to getting a good 8 hours each night – which I desperately need.

Work has been CRAZY busy. I was talking with Shawna about it and she said it’s a good thing that I’m not in the middle of chemo right now. A very true statement. I have had several HUGE projects going and printing all at the same time. I had 15 press checks – that means 15 trips to the printer – for one project - a coffee table book that we did for one of our clients. I got my first sample today. It turned out great – thank heavens. We’ve had several other projects going and this past month has been really busy for me. I’m taking a week off in a couple of weeks and going to the Tetons and Jackson. I need a break.

I will have a mammogram next week. Wish me luck. I don’t know that I will need it – but it can’t hurt.

I’m looking forward to the long weekend. No big plans – but after such a busy few weeks – I can use a little break.

And – drum roll please – I have fuzz on my head. It’s like baby hair fuzz. I should start seeing some real hair sprouts in the next couple of weeks. Yeah!!

Love you all! Thanks for still thinking of me and praying for me. I still need it.

Cyn

August 22

Well, today is the first Friday I won’t have chemo based on my chemo schedule. Yeah!!!

I have been doing okay the last couple of weeks. I still don’t have very much energy and feel pretty pathetic when it comes to my strength. I am, however, doing well and looking forward to feeling better in the coming days.

I have an appointment with my Radiation Oncologist next Friday. I will have my schedule for radiation from that appointment. I will also be having a mammogram the first week of September. I feel like everything will be okay and I will be cured of this nasty cancer.

I have been amazed at how many people I have heard about having cancer in the last couple of months. I am sure that it is because of my situation, but so many people have loved ones or friends that are going through their own trials. In fact, our sweet friend Betsey Berge could sure use our prayers as her Mother has just been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer.

I feel so blessed to have been able to catch my cancer in the early stages and have done as well as I have through my treatment so far. So many suffer much more than I have and my heart really goes out to them.

My nose is still running and I keep feeling like I might be fighting a summer cold or sinus thing. I have no idea what is going on with that. I can’t wait until I can stop using box upon box of tissue. I literally dripped a couple of times on some printer proofs I was going over the other day right in front of my vendor and co-worker. It’s so annoying.

No hair, anywhere. But, I have been assured that over the next 4 – 6 weeks, I should see some results. It will be interesting to see the color and texture it will come back in as.

Thanks again to all of you for your love and support. You have made the last few months much easier for me to get through.

Cyn

August 11

So, on Friday I had my last chemo treatment. YEAH!!!

Dr. Morgan was very nice and said I had done really well through my treatments and said it was great that I had been able to have all of my treatments on schedule. I took his office some cupcakes from Mrs. Backers to celebrate. I had no idea that Shawna had also made some of her famous chocolate-chip-pecan-oatmeal cookies to bring to my treatment as well. We left them on a major sugar high with a copy of Shawna’s recipe. They really are the best in the world. I tell her this all the time.

My hands and feet were feeling a little weird after my pervious treatment, so I actually got a reduced treatment – about 80% - for my last treatment. I shouldn’t have any permanent problems with this, but Dr. Morgan thought he would give me a reduced treatment to potentially help insure that. I have a meeting with my Radiation Oncologist – Dr. Sause – later this month and should probably start radiation some time mid-September. I’m so grateful that the chemo part of my treatment is behind me and I can start recuperating over the next weeks. I can see the end of the tunnel and I’m very grateful.

When I got home from my treatment on Friday, on my porch was the most gorgeous flower arrangement. Some of my friends went in together to send me a congratulations on my last treatment. They are so sweet!

A couple of weeks ago, Camille showed up with Betsey Berge and Shawna and brought over my finished quilt. I simply love it! I brought it to the office to let everyone at work see it. Shawna even made sure my dog Atticus was able to contribute a square. She is sneaky. Camille, thanks so much! What a huge undertaking. I appreciate you doing the quilt for me and will treasure it always.

I am doing okay, physically. Over the last few weeks, my energy level has started to get worse, but should hopefully start to pick-up now that I am done with my chemo. I haven’t been nearly as nauseated since switching pain meds and I haven’t had to barf in about 4 weeks. That has been really nice.

I didn’t feel well yesterday – Sunday is always my bad day – and Perry Clegg and James Martineau brought me the Sacrament to my house. That was very nice of them.

I have some really busy weeks ahead of me at work. I am in the middle of some huge projects. I would be traveling to Chicago for a press check if I was up to it next week, but my co-worker is going instead. It’s probably a good thing since I will need to be here for a slew of press checks on a coffee table book we are producing for one of our clients.

Thanks again to all of you for your prayers and concern. They really have been what has kept me going and kept my spirits up through this treatment. I bore my testimony in F&T Meeting on the 3rd and thanked those in my Ward for their prayers, blessings, everything. Thanks to EVERYONE for everything you have done for me during this trial. It has not been easy, and so many of you have made the burden lighter.

Love you all!

Cyn