a mote, floating
Entries 103
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Gifts in Here Be Dust
Every day has been (and will continue to be) “Christmas” for me. Instead of the child who runs in pajamas to look beneath the tree for presents, I get out of bed (slowly, still a bit cautious ab...
Healing in Here Be Dust
In short, I am amazed. My breast still looks burned, especially where I got my boost radiation, but it looks worse than it feels. Five days after my last treatment, the blistered skin on my areo...
Body and Mind in Here Be Dust
In 1995 I did the first Boston-New York AIDS Ride, bicycling from my adopted city to my birth city in three days with thousands of other people. I had trained for that ride for about nine months...
Rite of Passage in Here Be Dust
On Friday, nine months and one day after I received my diagnosis, I completed “active treatment” (defined as surgery/chemo/radiation) for breast cancer. (To read the slips of paper in ...
Home Stretch in Here Be Dust
I’ve been thankful to have a four-day break between the end of my first phase of radiation and the start of my second phase, “boost” radiation. The boost phase guards against cancer recurring at...
Five Weeks Down/Eight Treatments to Go! in Here Be Dust
Smooth sailing (relatively speaking) under radiation continues. I move to an earlier time slot next week and have already adjusted my alarm. The treatment facility closes on Thursday and Friday...
Four Weeks Down in Here Be Dust
Time seems to speed up under radiation, and suddenly I am almost two-thirds of the way through treatment. Chemo had lasted for more than five months, compared to the expected six weeks plus a bi...
Three Weeks Down in Here Be Dust
I am almost halfway through radiation. I noticed some minor skin changes after I got home today (I’m a bit more pink), but nothing bothers me. So far, so good. The radiation center was decked o...
Milestones in Here Be Dust
One hardly thinks of a dental cleaning as a milestone, but that’s how I viewed mine. During chemo I had to be very careful to avoid anything that might make my gums bleed. Not only was my immun...
Morning Person in Here Be Dust
I used to be a morning person. Then I started working at home on flex time and became a night owl. Now, at least for the next six weeks, I’ll be a morning person again for radiation (an importa...
The Next Phase in Here Be Dust
Oddly enough, I have not felt depressed since I got my cancer diagnosis. I’ve stated earlier that I feel as though I am on a perilous adventure, but an adventure nonetheless. My mindset is that...
Shufflin' Off With Buffalo/An Adventurous Week in Here Be Dust
One to go! Full Size (The moon is based on my shot of the May 5, 2012, Supermoon.) Almost ready for blast-off! If all goes well, my final chemo infusion will occur later this week. *happy dance*...
Sleepytime in Here Be Dust
Two chemo infusions to go! Large size The arch is based loosely on one that I had photographed in Ybor City, a neighborhood in Tampa, FL. The eyes are based on an imprint from one of my homemad...
Whew! in Here Be Dust
I am now down to my last three chemo infusions. Full size The bird is based on my 2006 photo of a wood stork at the St. Augustine, FL, Alligator Farm and Zoological Park. The park includes a ro...
Masked Marvel in Here Be Dust
I am now down to my last four chemo infusions. Full size (The butterfly is based on (and color altered from) my photo of a Palamedes swallowtail. The azaleas are based on my shot of one in ...
Pumping Iron, Part 2/Ruminations in Here Be Dust
Seven Taxol infusions down, five to go! Full size I’ll say one thing – wearing my Groucho mask is great for keeping my nasal passages moist (recommended for my irritated blood vessels there)...
Pumping Iron/Genetics, Part 2 in Here Be Dust
I am now halfway through my Taxol infusions. Six down (in addition to my four earlier Adriamycin/Cytoxan infusions), six to go. Full size (The birds are based on photos I took of swallowtail ki...
Genetics in Here Be Dust
Five Taxol infusions down, seven to go. My next chemo will occur tomorrow if all goes well. Full size I had plenty of questions for the ARNP this last time and am still left with several myster...
Watching the Bloodwork in Here Be Dust
This past Thursday was my fourth Taxol infusion. Eight more to go! Full size At least, that's the plan. We'll see what my body says. I've been feeling relatively fine, all things considered. C...
Nine to Go! in Here Be Dust
My chemo countdown continues: Full size Life under Taxol continues to be smooth sailing compared with Adriamycin/Cytoxan. In contrast to 9 hours of naps after my first Taxol infusion, I needed 5...
Chemo Countdown Begins! in Here Be Dust
I have now had two Taxol infusions. Two down, ten to go. That's worthy of a meditation doodle countdown. :-) Full size So far, my side effects are minimal compared with Adriamycin/Cytoxan (...
Fierce in Here Be Dust
I posted this as my Facebook status last night: "Need to call our health insurer first thing tomorrow, given what I picked up at the PO Box today. Good thing I've got my paper trail. My hope is t...
Fable in Here Be Dust
There's a life-and-death battle in progress in my laundry room. It's been going on for more than a day and a half now, between (as I can best determine) an American House Spider (Archaearanea te...
Celebrating the Supermoon in Here Be Dust
Yesterday was a double-header day. I had a follow-up appointment with my surgeon in the morning and my usual blood draw/consult at the cancer center in the afternoon. Errands fell between and a...
Goodbye, A/C. Hello, T! in Here Be Dust
Today I received my last infusion of Adriamycin/Cytoxan (fourth of four cycles). On average, this is the toughest phase of my treatment. If that is indeed the case with me, I should have pretty...
