This will be my last post.  I am now 5 years out of my cancer and considered cancer free.  I am living a new normal.  The vast amount of radiation I had has narrowed all orafices below my belly button.  I am lucky I can still go to the bathroom normally however I do have to watch what I eat.  I cannot have sex any longer.  My butt is still sensitive in that I cannot ride a bike unless I am not sitting directly on my butt.  I have occassional bleeding from the anal area due to scar tissue breaking open.  As my surgeon says,  "get over it you're alive".  So life goes on.  It's a very good thing I have a very understanding husband.  My activity is back to normal. I have gone through 2 knee replacements since the cancer and have come back from those pretty well.  Thanks to everyone reading this you are probably friends or family and I appreciate you. 

Wow! It has been Jan since I posted. That should tell you I am doing fairly well. I was encouraged by a nephew to update. Today I played 18 holes of golf. I am very tired but excited to be out on the course. I am still taking pain medication. Actually it is for pain that still exists from radiation and also my arthritis in my knees and back.
I have an appt in April with my radiation oncologist and a colonoscopy in May. (I scheduled the prep on our 35th wedding aniversary. How stupid was that).
I have started attending a cancer support group. I am trying to be a supporter rather than supportee. However, in this group it works both ways. In April I will be attending a camp for adult cancer survivors. I am excited the weather has started getting better. We have had so much snow and cold this year with no breaks. Usually we have a day or two that is warm enough to get outside and/or play golf. But this winter there was nothing. Today we were in the 60's although windy and tomorrow is supposed to be 73. I hope everyone is doing well. I am continually getting a little stronger. I am still healing. Take care.

Another 3 weeks have passed since my last blog. So I thought I would catch you up. My port was taken out on Monday. It was done in the doc office but it took close to an hour. My upper chest feels like someone cut it open. Wait, they did! I can't lift anything heavy for a week so between the snow we have had and that I haven't been to the gym in about a week. We are supposed to get more snow tonight and tomorrow so that will keep me in for another couple of days. The good news is my "new " car does great in the snow whether fresh or packed down.
Let's talk about residual effects. I am still having nasty secretions coming out of everywhere. I am still having pain although it has let up a lot. I can finally sit square on my rear which made me think maybe I could continue back with my sit ups that I haven't done in 7 months but the pressure is too much. Some days I can cut back on the pain med other days I can't. But I need to cut back more because I don't think they will be renewing any of my prescriptions. I have a check up with the oncologist in Feb a check up with the radiation oncologist in April and a colonoscopy in May.
I am getting ready to send resumes into our 2 local hospitals to do volunteer work. The thing is I don't want to sit at a desk or open doors. I want to act as a liaison between cancer patients and doctors. Doing things for the patients the doctors can't. For example, my radiation oncologist has said they have patients calling in wondering if they have a list of good comedy films. Lists of things to do to keep their minds active and off the disease. We will see what happens.
In the meantime my hair is growing back. It is slow. I still don't have any bangs.
Keep the faith and I will check in sooner. Love to all

Hi Everyone, Yes I know it has been about 3 weeks since I have posted anything. I will tell you that I have relished each day knowing that I am cancer free. I have an appointment on Monday to have my port flushed out and I have an appointment on Jan 4 to have it removed. It has been the maximum amount of time since I had it flushed so I can't wait until it is time to get it removed. I am still impatient with my hair. It has grown but I don't have any bangs yet to cover the forehead. I'm sure it will be another 2-3 months before it is back to normal. My fingernails have almost grown out from their nastiness. My thumb nails are still bad but they have improved. I am still on pain meds but not as often. Certain activities really seem to aggrevate the pain. I am getting to the Y about 3 times a week. It is disheartening because where I was once lifting 60-70 lbs on certain machines I am doing 40. But I have started to see some improvement. My walking has gotten faster and more sure. After I go to the Y I am pretty depleted for the rest of the day. After the Y, I can do things but not anything very tiring. I have started back to church and the choir. I sang in our special service last Sunday which was a joy.
We are celebrating our Christmas with Scott and his girl tomorrow. They will spend Christmas morning with her family and then they will get ready to go to Chicago on the 26th. Look for them on tv on the Sunday night football game (Bears vs Vikings) they will be sitting in the end zone. So Mel and I will have a very quiet Christmas. It's ok as I am enjoying the quiet and peacefulness of wellness. I hope you have a nice weekend and if I don't write sooner a very peaceful and joyful Christmas. Love to all

Doctor's Visit

I went to the surgeon's office today. I told Mel as Iwas walking out the door, "I will not be examined". Let's call a spade a dirty shovel here. I have been poked, operated on, chemoed, radiated, and scoped all in 5 months. I have not had a chance to heal from the first when the next occurs and so on. I am tired of everyone and their brother messing with my butt. So the nurse said, Undress from the waist down. I said, "no". She said "Yes you will". I said, "Not without a lot of protest". When the PA came in I told her "here's the deal. I still hurt. You examine me and hurt me and you will know it the people next door will know it maybe the whole first floor of the building will know it." She said I won't hurt you I promise. Right, and how many times have we heard that ? Well, she was gentle and it was uncomfortable but I couldn't classify it as hurt. I told her "my husband wanted me to let you know I still have times in the morning that I hurt so bad I can barely walk and I have to go soak in the tub. " She said, oh you still have a lot of tender tissue down there. (REALLY? Do you think?) Then she said, it is normal for you to take another 6 months to heal from the radiation. People don't realize what radiation does to their body. Well, I thought I did but not to this extent I guess. So I left with prescription in hand for my next colonoscopy prep (in May) and a waddle in my walk. I've gotten quite good at my duck imitation.
Hope you all had a good Thanksgiving. I have a lot to be thankful for. Right now,,,my life.
May God Bless and I will be writing again.

Joyous news!

I was told I would get results of the biopsies on the 30th of Nov. We received a letter today saying "there is no evidence of cancer". It will be a very thankful Thanksgiving. I'm sorry I haven't written but you really didn't want to read my whining about the fact I'm still having pain. This has been a real pain in the BUTT. Ha Ha! I think I am impatient about the pain this time because I feel pretty good otherwise. I am trying to get to the Y 3 times a week to do small workouts but I still tire pretty quickly.
My chemo doc will decide when I get my port out. I have another colonoscopy in 6 months but I'm hoping I will not have to wait until then to get the port out. I have an appointment with her in Feb so I'm hoping she will schedule it. It is an in office procedure with local anaesthesia.
I hope everyone has a great week and a great Thanksgiving. I will stay in touch. Thank you for the support and prayers. I can't say that enough. God Bless You

OWEE OWEE AGAIN

The pain killers wore off at about 2 pm. Wow. This is as bad if not worse as when I had the tumor removed. I am not sitting for more than about 2 minutes. Last night I tried my faithful tramadol and it didn't touch the pain. I waited a couple of hours and went to the percocet. I did cut them in half as I can't take hydrocodone and percocet is oxycodone with tylenol. They make me very sleepy but they do take care of the pain. (not enough to want to sit) I started today with a percocet and this afternoon took a tramadol with tylenol (as my internest had told me I could). It seems to be kicking in pretty good. The tramadol I don't get sleepy or have any side effects. So I will probably take those during the day and the percocet at night. Now you all know my drug history.
I have been receiving emails from all over. I can't help but worry the congrats may be too soon with the biopsy results still out but I'm still praying for the best. I did get good news today that my pap was clear. If you don't remember the surgeon told me these cancer cells are the same ones for cervical cancer so I will have to be very careful to get paps every year. I'll keep you posted on how the sitting is going. My love to all