Still Healing

My incision is still draining albeit much slower now and not really blood anymore. But what a hassle and pain in the butt! I'll be so happy when everything's dried up and I can move on to the treatment phase of this whole experience. Tomorrow to the oncologist.

Had a wonderful time with Andrea and fam - a pic of the coast here which we just love. Wish I could go there more often. Will have to make another trip yet before the end of the summer/start of winter.

I'm worried for my brother and family who are living at the foot of the mountain which is on fire right now. They're on evacuation alert right now. I dearly hope they don't have to move out - praying for them, for sure.

Busy day planned for today with some shopping, some cooking and another visit with mom and dad to hopefully help them begin to downsize some of their belongings and thereby reduce the anxiety of "what should we do with all our stuff?" Hope it will be somewhat helpful.

Vacation/Healing

Ah, finally my incision is completely closed up with no further drainage. Last night was the last time I put a fresh dressing on. This morning, absolutely nothing and it is bonded together now. What a dip in the boob, though. Sick! I am curious to see how it all heals up in the next few weeks and months. Will it fill in somewhat? Will it just remain a strange shape that it now is? Or will it fill in somewhat with fatty tissue? I have an appointment with the oncologist on Monday. I can't wait to go because I'll have more questions answered including the final lab results as to the hormone receptors and the HER2 gene. Those results I don't know about yet and of course right now it's not going to make a hoot of difference since I have to wait 6 weeks post surgery anyway to begin radiation treatments. Maybe they will only recommend hormone therapy? And will I gain weight when I do that? Will they still want to do chemotherapy anyway? All these questions I need to have answered and hopefully will on Monday. I don't plan to go to work on Monday. My appointment is at 8:45 - early.

At the moment we are in Oregon enjoying some R & R, visiting with Andrea and family, playing games, watching movies. Today we drove to Tualatin area to a specific shopping area because it has a Whole Foods. Here's an aisle, with Ralph poking around - he enjoying searching the aisles as much as we did because the products are all so unique.

I spent quite a bit there. Then we walked across and had lunch at the Macaroni Grill - yum! Delish Italian food - a couple of pics of course!

The healing process is a very lengthy one, it turns out. Had a frightening experience with drainage from the incision while at Camp Hope, by myself, with no one there to help me ... suffice to say it was not pleasant and it really freaked me out. Obviously, I'm still okay. Went to the surgeon twice since the surgery. He is happy with the progress. His response, "I wasn't going to go in there a third time!" when I asked him how I managed to get so bruised!

I'm having to still apply a dressing twice a day but hoping that in a week's time or so things will be healed up enough to no longer have to do that. I'm on two weeks off from work and we managed to get to Banff/Canmore for 3 nights. On the 2nd day I got really sick - in this picture I'm smiling but I'm feeling really, really lousy with yet another head cold - the third one since January. Not good. I need to have a few months off work and just take care of myself, I think.

I have an appt with the oncologist on the 24th - can't wait to see what he has to say about my prognosis and recommended treatment!

Anyway, back to our little vacation - it was so nice to be a tourist for a little while. The hotel was really nice. We enjoyed the peace and quiet of Canmore - there were no sirens, we heard nothing from any of the other guests in the hotel and didn't have to listen to anyone else talking than each other! It was lovely! It rained at the end of our day at Banff but not before we were able to fit in a couple of sightseeing things.

Even though it was only 2 whole days, and 2 driving, it felt like a long time actually because we weren't interrupted by other people talking, etc.

Off to Andrea's in a couple of days to do some shopping, movie watching and general vistation!