Heading to San Mateo - Again September 6, 2010

Happy Labor Day Everyone!  I hope you've all had relaxing, fun weekends...maybe with a little sun and outdoor time involved?!

Here in Crescent City, we've been lucky enough to have sun and relatively warm weather (60s - which is really nice here).  Jim went crazy yesterday in his garden and brought in handfuls of tomatoes (yellow babies, various red heirlooms - so good!) and actually canned five quarts of pickled beets.  He just loves having those veggies from his childhood in the pantry for winter-time surprises.  For me, the pickling brine smelled good, but frankly, I couldn't imagine actually eating the final product.  Maybe later.

So we're about to join the traffic as we head to San Mateo for my chemo (#5) tomorrow.  Again, not looking forward to it...though it will be a new drug and a new experience.  The AC kicked my butt again this time during the first week - but relented a bit last week.  I was able to be up and about for some hours everyday Monday - Friday...got some work done, saw some friends.  Yeah!  Have been a couch potato for Saturday/Sunday, but the US Open Tennis tournament is on...

The big news for me was getting in an airplane and flying to the Bay Area for my doctor's appointment on Friday.  I haven't been in the air since before the first surgery in April - a long time, given my business - but finally saw a physical therapist about potential lymphedema in my right arm and was told what to do.  Turns out that every mastectomy patients has about a 2% chance of getting lymphedema (swelling) in the arm/s where the lymph nodes have been removed.  That risk continues, apparently, into the future and prevention activities help to avoid it. 

I don't have lymphedema now and have a pressure sleeve for my arm which I wear, especially when flying.  Turns out that the pressure gradients while in an airplane can drive lymph fluid into the arm cells and make things worse.  The long and short for this trip?  No problems...except for getting diverted from Arcata Airport to Redding because of fog (first time for me since living up here), staying overnight there and then being bussed back on Saturday.  Nothing related to my wonderful medical issues...just another adventure!  Thank goodness our friend Rick drove Jim to Arcata to pick me up and drive me home on Saturday afternoon - I would have made it, but I was tired!

You can tell, I'm sure, that I feel better this week.  I am anxious about tomorrow, but trying hard to use my semi-Zen breathing and meditation techniquest to calm down and stay focused on good things.  Thanks to everyone for all your support and for letting me be a princess-sized whiner!  Randy, am thinking of you everyday - hope your first week has gone well.

Cross your fingers for chemo tomorrow and the week afterward!  Should have less/no nausea and an "easier" time - that's how it's advertised.  Love to you all!