Recovering from cancer, Addressing the issues Presbyterian Kaseman Hospital >>open to all cancer patients>>Wednesdays 1-3>> call 505-559-8761 to join group or come to an individual class. FREE and Supportive +++good for any level of ability 10-1-14 Lymphedema discussion …
Ageless, petite, dressed in her usual ankle length tights and colorful full shirt. Sitting next to me. Waiting for our turn to get zapped in the radiation room. She said when her mother died of cancer, she didn’t know how to help. Now she knows how to help. She volunteers her hair dressing services to hospice. Very helpful and very satisfying. She is worried. Her cancer is progressing. Who will take care of her hospice patients when she is gone? I said, “Then, you need to get better so you can continue to take care of them.”
A sweet little old Hispanic gal, fresh from open heart surgery, finally decided to take a Percocet at bedtime. Two hours later she coded. The response was fast as the whole seventh floor was heart staff and always happy to help out at a code. Revived. She opened her eyes, looked intently into mine and said ” It was the pill.” She was moved to the SCC, the ICU for open heart. I would miss her. Fortunately for me, I was soon invited to work in this unit. I was very happy to be there.
Perky and energetic, she invested many hours involved in cancer programs. She exercised, attended support groups. Kept current with local cancer events . Was always happy to share her knowledge. Her cancer was a lymphoma, chronic. Always with her. Always being monitored. Somewhere in her consciousness, she felt unsettled. She was sharing her body with an unfriendly stranger. She took great pride in her children and grandchildren. And in her husband, a good looking supportive man. A cruise is planned for next summer. She is committed and excited about the trip. Still, she wonders out loud, “Will I still Be here?”
T-Day I have to admit I was afraid. I had set it aside while on my trip. But today was the day. No more ignoring the possibility of more ca. Today was CT scan day. I start my day with my normal routine. Thyroid pill. Load the Starbucks beans. Enjoy as the grinding releases the unmistakable aroma. Coffee brewing in the dependable Cuisinart. Check the blood sugar. Say hello to Max and give him breakfast. He is busy, but he definitely is not a morning person. Settle into the first coffee of the day. Comfy chair. TJ bouquet is Fall colors. Nice. Journal out. Start writing. Write about yesterday. Tough as my RA was flaring again. Probably because of the 25% cut in prednisone. Light breakfast. Need three hours of fasting for this test. Just make it. Front Desk Procedure I arrive at KM Hospital x ray department. Take a number from the automated ticket dispenser. Sit in a room full of unhappy looking people. Waiting. Number called. Electronic signature times two. One for permission …
Surviving Cancer is a tough trip. After the treatment is done, before the next tests, there will always be the worry that the cancer will come back. There will be the worry that a new one will soon reveal its ugly form. After all, the body betrayed itself once. Then, after all the dust has settled and friends and family have disappeared back into their own lives, the long term effects of treatment settle into roost. Fatigue. Fatigue and more fatigue. So common. So very hard to deal with. Chemo brain. Peripheral neuropathy. Feeling fragile. Being fragile. Reality. Then there is the huge financial upheavals. Maybe a visit to the Caring Hearts Support Group at Kaseman in Albuquerque is in order. This group embodies what human spirit is all about. A group sharing a common experience, meeting for a late lunch, a presentation by a medical oncology specialist, time for talking. People who understand your issues and are willing to help. Be brave come for a visit. Caring Hearts Support Group meets in six …
All of us who have a serious disease that may be chronic or may be life threatening are a little nervous when we go for a doctor’s appointment. We may get more bad news. We may have to make another decision. We may have an issue that requires us to be assertive, like questions about what is going on. And here we are: in The Doctor’s Office. I do mean the place they park you after they get your weight. It’s like being in a foreign land. I was thinking bus station, but maybe not. There is the familiar computer. The chair for the Doc. The chair for you. There is the exam table. The sharps container is on the wall. There is the awful gown you are expected to put on. First tip The nursing assistant takes your temp, BP and and asks all the standard questions. Have you fallen in the last 30 days? Do you feel safe in your home? I do wish they would check the notes from the last visit. …
Cathy, my very dear sister-in-law, and I were having one of our long conversations. She is in New York. I am here. If we were in the same place, we would spend a lot of time together. She was saying we have no choice but to carry on. We were discussing difficult times and when someone says, “How’s it going?”, she says what choice do we have but to say fine because we have to carry on. Her husband, my brother, died of metastatic colon(appendix) cancer about two and a half years ago. She’s had a hard time. They were married over 40 years. They were a good fit. Being alone has been hard for her. I am always missing my brother so it has been hard for me too. I have two cancers. I had to be tested, to have surgery, to have radiation treatments, to have new pills and then more doctors’ visits. New news is shocking, life changing. There is the adjustment period. Then adaptation and just keep going. With the nature …
Shaggy bleached blond at 9 years old. He was on the heavy side but solidly built. Beat up old sports shirt. He stood solid in his shoes. He knew who he was and where he stood in the world and was fine with it. He had a sureness about him many adults wished they possessed. He followed the rules. He did ask his mom if it would be okay if he walked around. Off he went with his cousin, a boy who also had a devilish glint. We are at zoo music. Paula Cole is the entertainment. Lounging in lawn chairs after a picnic of summer delights. Feeling good. Under the trees. On the grass. Surrounded by an amazing supply of people just right for people watching. Good to be with friends. I just finished my 6th week of Cancer Rehab at the Healthplex. I am stronger. I have better balance. The program is doing what I had hoped. I am rebuilding. I will be healthier or I will have more stamina for the next …
Cancer victims have concrete problems. Cancer makes a person face his mortality. Suddenly life is no longer taken for granted. Survival becomes an issue. Add to that the scary thought of the big C spreading throughout the body. There is a feeling of loss of control. Unnerving! Life becomes uncertain forever. Still, many cancer worries are about everyday issues. Am I going to be able to function independently during treatment? Where do I turn for help? How do I get to the pharmacy for prescriptions? How to I make meals when I feel so sick? What if I become very sick during the night, will I die alone? How will I pay for my treatment? Are my friends avoiding me because I have cancer? Cancer can be fatal. Some cancers can be cured. Cancer can also be a chronic condition. There are many cancers that cannot be cured but can be managed. These cancers require careful monitoring and intermittent treatment. Cancer can recur. It can recur any time after treatment. It can recur after years of …
Cancer Girl New Mexico 