Wednesday 08/10/11

Shannon and I returned home this past Sunday from a cruise to Mexico. The ship stopped in Cabo for 2 days and then to Puerto Vallarta for 1 day. We didn’t leave the ship once! I read two fun books that were almost 600 pages each and started several others (on my new color Nook). We played cards and just had a VERY relaxing week. It was a good break between the events of the past 10 months and the beginning of this next chapter.

I had chemo Monday 8/8 and the oncologist’s office was able to have the Taxol available. It was an uneventful treatment and so far I have no symptoms or side effects. I should have the latest CA-125 results sometime today. I’ll post when I receive that number. My hemoglobin was still down at 9.6 (normal is 12-18) so I needed to have another shot of Procrit so the anemia would not plummet after the chemo. I go next Monday for my week after chemo blood test to see how those numbers are doing. My white count will go from 2.2 the week after chemo, to what it was on Monday (3 weeks later) at 6.5. It is the anemia that seems to stay low. I am amazed that I am able to function so well at those low numbers and can only imagine how much more energy and vitality I will have when I am no longer so anemic! Look out! :)

Lindsay and I go to see the oncologist on Wed 8/18. The goal is to postpone more treatment pending the results of a PET scan that will need to be scheduled. If my scan is negative, then I will hopefully be done with chemo. I’ll keep you posted.

I was back into my sewing studio yesterday working on a project out of a magazine that Cristy and I have been challenged to finish by the end of this year.

I was awake at 1am yesterday morning so I got up and started doing some initial planning for the upcoming school year. I start back to work next Wednesday with 3 days of teacher only prep time before the kids start on Aug 22. I don’t feel that I am stressing about going back to work, just starting to get prepared a little at a time so that doesn’t happen.

I have also been reading about topics that relate to my dissertation. I will hopefully finish with all of the participant interviews by mid-October so the writing can begin in earnest. The intent is to have the bulk of the initial draft completed by the time my Ph.D. program reconvenes in January. Then I have a few months to tighten it up and submit the final draft in plenty of time to graduate June 2012. I not only want this to be a quality project, I also want to limit stressing myself out by pushing to finish before the June date. My mantra is balance, balance, balance.

Thank you all, once again, for your support, encouragement, prayers, and love. I know that they have been an instrumental piece in my recovery.
Hugs!
Dar