Recovery issues

This is quickly turning into "the cancer blog" and I really hate that. It was so much more fun when it was happy, funny, cute posts about the girls and things we'd done. Now it just seems like it's all about me and that's no fun at all. I'm looking forward to the days when all of this is behind us. But it is somewhat therapeutic for me to write everything down so I will continue. I did get the other drain out last Monday and that was wonderful but I've had another issue this past week with my recovery. My skin literally hurts. Not the incision areas because those are still numb, but like the area below my collar bones, under my arms and the back of my left arm. I don't know quite how to explain it other than that. Everything, including the softest tee-shirt, that touches me irritates my skin. I'm so uncomfortable it's not funny. It's a strange phenomenon. I'm sure it has something to do with recovery and nerves regenerating but when it involves nerves there is little OTC medication that can be taken to alleviate the pain. Even the Lortab I have does nothing for it. Oddly enough the one thing that "helps" it is pressure. Not a lot of pressure but if I place my hands on the area it takes the pain away. I'm really hoping this is just a phase of recovery and it goes away soon. I have a follow up appointment with my Plastic Surgeon next Wednesday and will ask him about it if it's not gone. Hopefully he can help if it's still lingering.

I have been trying to concentrate on other things to keep my mind off of it but it's difficult. One of my favorite book series (other than the Twilight series) is by author David Eddings. He is a fantasy writer (sorcerers, mythical creatures, dangerous quests, etc) and one of my favorites. I was introduced to his books in college and re-read them every few years. They are easy reading, very entertaining, humorous, have endearing characters and are just fun to read. Two of his series are about the same characters and that's what I've been reading. I took the first book to the hospital and just finished the tenth book. There are twelve in all. I have also been working on our yearly photo book. I do NOT scrapbook or print out photos for an album but I do like to do an annual photo book online....I like York Photo. I have done several of them over the past few years...an annual book (since 2006), one for each of the girls "first year" and one from my wonderful trip to England. I really like the digital quality and getting the final product in the mail. I narrowed it down to just over 200 pictures from 2008 and finished it last night. It took me about six hours total over the past week to do the whole thing. It's a matter of formatting the pages with the pictures, adding captions and picking backgrounds. I think formatting the pages takes the longest because the layouts are preset. You have quite a few to choose from but you have to make sure the pictures all fit into each layout or add pages to make them fit, rearrange photos, etc. It's a project but I look forward to doing it every year now.

Since so many people were asking about my Chemo schedule I have (obviously) added a calendar to the blog. I will update it with my Radiation schedule once I know about that, but it won't be until after my Big Chemo is finished.