Recovery Mode - August 19th - September 21st, 2020

I have to admit that I thought I would be "fully recovered" now, 33 days post-surgery. Pain is not the issue. My biggest problem has been shortness of breath. This means that on most mornings, I wake up and feel very weak, until I'm able to eat breakfast including O.J. and a banana. I have low postassium levels.

Last week I ended up visiting the E.R. I was gasping for air for several hours. I was diagnosed with minor dehydration and low potassium levels. A bag of IV fluids and some potassium pills fixed me right up.

For the first time today, I actually woke up without breathing issues. It's amazing what being able to breathe can do for you. Not only did I feel good, but I suddenly started setting up appointments for the vet, tile and grout cleaning, etc. In addition, I am writing this. This makes me feel so optimistic that perhaps I've turned the corner.

Last Friday, I had an appointment with my radiation oncologist. I was disappointed to hear that she wanted me to have 30 radiation treatments vs. the 20 she had anticipated pre-surgery. When I asked why the change, she said that due to the extensive involvement of my chest wall, she felt more comfortable with extending the radiation. In addition, the last 10 will be more focused on the chest wall than the overall breast.

During that appointment, they made a mold of how they want me to be positioned on the table and used permanent marker to help them position me correctly. They will send the mold to a satellite office close to my home where I will have the actual treatments -- probably starting next Monday. So now I am pretreating the area with lotions and salves in an effort to spare any burning during treatment.

Just when you are starting to feel good, you have to prepare yourself for the next episode. At least I have the benefit of believing that I will be cancer free after this. Prayers for my friends who are also battling this disease under much less optimistic circumstances.