so off we went to Kripalu! I absolutely love that place.
Apparently I am very tired-every time I sat in a chair I fell asleep. But I did finish C. J. Box's Trophy Hunt and made significant progress with Why Buddhism is True by Robert Wright. Here I am reading it in Kripalu's sun room--and I'm awake!
We spent some time drawing in our art journals. Here's my picture of what I saw out the window of the Kripalu Cafe.
November 2nd was Anne's 70th birthday. Once we both got over the shock of the fact that we are both turning 70, we enjoyed celebrating her birthday at Kripalu.
Tonight we'll have birthday cake with Becky and Bernice and continue the celebration.
Of course all of this is colored by the fact that we are still waiting for my breast to heal so that I can have radiation. And the more I learn about radiation, and the "adjuvant" hormone therapy the less happy I am. One good thing about turning 70 is that there is some question about whether women over 70 need radiation. One bad thing about turning 70 is that I already have some osteopenia which radiation could easily turn into osteoporosis, for which I'll need another medicine.
I sure wish that doctors knew more about the long term effects of all of these medications-I would rather not be "cured" of breast cancer and then fall and break a hip because I now have osteoporosis.
None of this makes me happy. I bought a book when we were at Kripalu--The Definitive Guide to Cancer by Lise Alschuler and Karolyn A. Gazella. I also saw Dr Susanne Salzman last week. I'm interested in doing the least amount of damage possible, boosting my immune system as much as possible, and staying as healthy as possible.
I'm not so sure that all of the oncology specialists see the whole patient--they may "cure" the cancer but what about what Nancy Stordahl calls "collateral damage?" Her post refers more to those women who are dealing with metastasized breast cancer, but she makes a great point when she says
"Sometimes procedures and treatments that save or prolong lives also impair them. This is just reality in Cancer Land. However, patients should be warned beforehand and also offered guidance when impairment does happen.
The risk of developing long-term side effects from cancer treatment is very real. It’s important to be aware of them – not paranoid, just aware."
Waiting for my breast to heal has given me lots of time to become an educated patient. I have a very long list of questions for the radiation oncologist, who we are seeing tomorrow.
More to follow!
On a sadder note, my friend and colleague Jean Coppola died this past Sunday, of cancer. She was just 53 years old. She and I were communicating in messages on Facebook. I let her know of my diagnosis, and she wrote back, on October 21, just eight days before her death. "It's unbelievable connie ... So sorry to hear of your diagnosis .. Will pray. I'm at sloan hospital not doing well more radiation needed" I answered her "I’m sorry to hear that. I’ll keep you in prayer too." Little did I know that "not doing well" meant "dying." Rest in peace, dear friend. You left us much too soon.
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| Connie reading |
Apparently I am very tired-every time I sat in a chair I fell asleep. But I did finish C. J. Box's Trophy Hunt and made significant progress with Why Buddhism is True by Robert Wright. Here I am reading it in Kripalu's sun room--and I'm awake!
 |
| Journal Page |
We spent some time drawing in our art journals. Here's my picture of what I saw out the window of the Kripalu Cafe.
November 2nd was Anne's 70th birthday. Once we both got over the shock of the fact that we are both turning 70, we enjoyed celebrating her birthday at Kripalu.
Tonight we'll have birthday cake with Becky and Bernice and continue the celebration.
Of course all of this is colored by the fact that we are still waiting for my breast to heal so that I can have radiation. And the more I learn about radiation, and the "adjuvant" hormone therapy the less happy I am. One good thing about turning 70 is that there is some question about whether women over 70 need radiation. One bad thing about turning 70 is that I already have some osteopenia which radiation could easily turn into osteoporosis, for which I'll need another medicine.
I sure wish that doctors knew more about the long term effects of all of these medications-I would rather not be "cured" of breast cancer and then fall and break a hip because I now have osteoporosis.
None of this makes me happy. I bought a book when we were at Kripalu--The Definitive Guide to Cancer by Lise Alschuler and Karolyn A. Gazella. I also saw Dr Susanne Salzman last week. I'm interested in doing the least amount of damage possible, boosting my immune system as much as possible, and staying as healthy as possible.
I'm not so sure that all of the oncology specialists see the whole patient--they may "cure" the cancer but what about what Nancy Stordahl calls "collateral damage?" Her post refers more to those women who are dealing with metastasized breast cancer, but she makes a great point when she says
"Sometimes procedures and treatments that save or prolong lives also impair them. This is just reality in Cancer Land. However, patients should be warned beforehand and also offered guidance when impairment does happen.
The risk of developing long-term side effects from cancer treatment is very real. It’s important to be aware of them – not paranoid, just aware."
Waiting for my breast to heal has given me lots of time to become an educated patient. I have a very long list of questions for the radiation oncologist, who we are seeing tomorrow.
More to follow!
On a sadder note, my friend and colleague Jean Coppola died this past Sunday, of cancer. She was just 53 years old. She and I were communicating in messages on Facebook. I let her know of my diagnosis, and she wrote back, on October 21, just eight days before her death. "It's unbelievable connie ... So sorry to hear of your diagnosis .. Will pray. I'm at sloan hospital not doing well more radiation needed" I answered her "I’m sorry to hear that. I’ll keep you in prayer too." Little did I know that "not doing well" meant "dying." Rest in peace, dear friend. You left us much too soon.
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