One Year Ago

One year ago right now, I could barely tie my own shoes.

One year ago right now, I could not feel my feet or my fingers at all.

One year ago right now, I could hardly walk without assistance.

One year ago right now, nothing tasted good.

One year ago right now, I often could barely remember my husband's name, let alone facts about world history.

One year ago right now, I spent every Thursday in a big purple chair with poisons pumping into my body.

One year ago right now, I came home from school everyday and slept for at least 2 hours.

One year ago right now, I had given up playing drums for the foreseeable future.

One year ago right now, I had no idea I was BRCA-1 positive.

Today, I put on my favorite bright purple Converse and tied them myself.

Today, I still can't feel my feet, but I can feel my fingers enough to type well again.

Today, I actually jogged down a hallway. ( I was late to a Dr. appointment)

Today, I am looking forward to my blueberry yogurt and grapenuts at lunch time.

Today, I still have trouble with words and memory sometimes, but I'm competently teaching two world history classes and often refer to my husband by name.

Today, it is Thursday, and though I had an early morning Dr. appointment, I am at school and accomplishing lots of tasks.  I'm still taking several medications, but none of them are poisons!

Today, I'll head straight from school to my tai chi class at the Cancer Center.

Today, I'm playing on two different worship teams and have a practice at 8:30 this Saturday morning.

Today, I know about my BRCA-1 status and am actively dealing with the implications.

What a difference a year makes!!

Finally- an update!!

Hello,all.  I realized that it has been quite awhile since I sent out an update about my health.  Mostly that is because I've been doing great!   I am 7 months cancer free and enjoying every minute of it.  I think back to where I was a year ago and marvel at God's goodness and provision.  My journey is far from over, though.  Here's what's happening now.  

I still can't really feel my fingers or feet.  It's really, really annoying.  It is much better than it was in my fingers, but my feet are still pretty bad.  I'm doing acupuncture to try to stimulate nerve growth, but it just takes a really long time for nerves to regenerate.  It is possible feeling will never fully return.

Some of my medications haven't been working correctly, so I am scheduled to have a salpingo- oompherectomy (fallopian tubes and ovaries removed) on Dec. 9th. We like to call it an oompa-loomparectomy.  This is necessary because of my BRCA-1 positive status.  My risk for ovarian cancer is increased, so this is a preventative measure.  It is an outpatient procedure that will be done at St. Luke's.  Recovery is only a week or two.  We were hoping to combine it with reconstruction, but my oncologist and ob-gyn both want it done sooner since my meds aren't doing their job. 

I'm still planning on finishing my reconstruction in May up at Mayo Clinic.  I need to lose about 15 more pounds before that surgery.  It will include 4-6 days in the hospital and then 8-10 weeks to fully recover.  It's a huge surgery, but we really think it is the best option given my age.  The procedure is known as the 'gold standard' in reconstruction. 

When my feet and balance were much worse last winter and spring, I fell several times.  At some point, one of those falls caused a tear in my right rotator cuff.  Today, one of my doctors gave me a second injection to try to ease the symptoms.  I can have one more of these shots, but then it will be time to surgically fix the problem.   You can imagine my excitement when I learned I would need yet another surgery.  I'm going to try to hold off for a year.  

I told Darrin yesterday that it was hard to believe that a two centimeter large object could cause so many problems for so long.  It is kind of like sin, I think.  What we think is a small thing can cause problems for years hence if we don't root it out.  Even once the sin is forgiven and gone, we still have to deal with consequences.  it really is like a cancer. 

On a really positive, exciting note, Darrin and I are headed to Turkey to visit Amy and Dennis Fulkerson!!  We leave on Nov. 18th and will be back Dec. 2nd.  There is an international shadow puppet festival in Bursa (where Amy and Den live) during that time.  We'll be in Istanbul for a couple days, Bursa for the festival, and then to Iznik (Smyrna), Pergamum, Troy, and Gallipoli.  We are SO excited.  It is our gift to ourselves for surviving the last year and a half.   I haven't been out of the country since 2008, and I am itching to go!

Thank you so much for walking this journey with me and my family.  Your prayers and encouragement have made such a difference.