Katherine and I baked a family favorite last night (Mon. Dec 8), Spritz Cookies. Actually, she did most of the work with dough I had made earlier. The cookie gun is fun to use.
It's so much fun to use we actually broke it. I've had it for a few years now, and it's my second one. Looks like I'll be buying #3 for next year!The PET scan I had shows the cancer is 'resolved.' That means there is no visible cancer, but not that I'm totally out of the water.
I will be having surgery later this month to get rid of nearby cells so that will hopefully mean I'm done, at least as far as breast cancer.
Dr. S is aiming to December 29, but it also might happen Christmas Eve. I guess that would just mean we do our 'party' at another time. I hope for the later date, but either way we are getting it done in 2020.
I have to call Dr. B for a pre-op exam. And I will have a Covid-19 test a few days before the surgery. Damn Corona Virus just wants to hang around. They are talking about vaccines. Soon, I hope!
On Sunday, Nov. 29, 2020 Mike and I celebrated 40 years of marriage. "Celebrated" is a relative term since we stayed home and had sauce like every other Sunday. Between Covid (restaurants aren't running at full power) and worry about my recent tests (no results yet, but mammo looked okay) I just said we could celebrate another time. And that was fine! After all these years, we don't need to do fancy romancy.
Kids gave us a card and a gift card. Mike gave me a card with the promise we will look for a new couch soon. The one we have is a hand-me-down from Michael and it is awful.
Michael did me a favor and made Katherine's birthday dinner this year. She had the usual "Western Hospitality Casserole" and it came out delicious as usual. Michael is an excellent cook.
Michael showed us the basement he and Megan are having finished. It looks good so far!
I'm never in any of these photos but you can see my reflection in the mirror. That is, if anyone ever reads this blog in the future.
So now it is November 2nd. My breast cancer is down 85%!!
I had 3 rounds of radiation two weeks ago for the cancer on my spine. (T2 vertebra, that is.) It will be several months before we know if it worked. Meantime, I am having the side effect of 'esophagilia', or something like that. Hard to swallow things so I'm living on liquids and things like yoghurt. I am uncomfortable. The radiation does damage to the esophagus, but it is only temporary. I am starting week two of feeling like this, so I'd like to know how 'temporary' it really is.
Enough of that. Michael turned 38 on October 11. James turned 34 yesterday and Katherine will be 36 on the 9th. I could not enjoy Jamie's cake, alas. He had scungilli and sauce for dinner. Katherine usually requests Western Hospitality Casserole. Michael is doing me a favor and cooking her birthday dinner this year. God, please, let me be able to eat like a normal person by then!
I treated myself to a crafting 'toy.' It's called a Cricut Joy and you can make all sorts of things with it. I have cut out some neat things for the wedding album I'm making for Michael and Megan. Also learning how to make pantry labels. It really is a cute thing and lots of fun. A nice diversion from all the cancer crap.
I've also taken out my Christmas crafts. I hope to finish off some things I did not get to do last year. I have a set of "12 Days of Christmas" cross stitch magnets I started 2 years ago! Nobody is going out much these days, since the pandemic is still around, so I should be able to get a few things done, at least.
We vote for president tomorrow. It scares me to think I will have to wait on some long line, because my meds mean I am more likely to 'catch' something. Also, not being able to eat makes me feel weak.
But I will definitely go with Mike to vote. I pray to God that Trump wins again. People are actually boarding up store windows because they anticipate rioting. God help our country.
In case I didn't already blog this, I got some good news. I had a sonogram of my breast and the tumor has gone down 30%! The meds are working. We will keep monitoring this to see if I need surgery by the end of the year. Hopefully, not!
Not only did the breast tumor go down but he couldn't even find the one in the lymph node.
As far as the one on my vertebrae, they will be zapping me with radiation to take care of that. I went for another MRI today. It will be more concise than the previous one. Tomorrow I get to do another CT Scan. The radiologist will put the two tests together so she can have a precise area to shoot the radiation.
I am told I will only have to go a few times, and that there are no side effects (except I might get tired).
It would be nice if I can have all this done by the end of the year. The oncologist told me if I had to have cancer, this was the best kind to get. Very curable.
The biopsy went well. Any time I'd moan they'd give me meds, so that's good. It was pretty quick. I did get lost looking for the right place, though. Followed signs that said "Surgery Waiting Room." Sat there 20 minutes, then decided to look for a bathroom. I pass a desk that says, "Surgery Sign In." So I ask the guy about this and he sends me back upstairs to a different check in area. And then I'm sent back down again, only this time I was given what to look for: "Special Procedures." They said they'd been trying to find me and I told them I was sent the wrong way. But it all worked out okay.
I am still somewhat sore from the procedure, though.
Went to Dr. Ahmed's office yesterday to get the results. Mike and I were both very nervous, not knowing what we'd hear.
Yes, I do have cancer on my spine. But even though I'm in Stage 4 (I think that means it has started to spread) we caught it very early. I'll be on 2 different meds for some time that will deal with the breast cancer. (Actually, "malignant neoplasm of left breast, estrogen receptor positive.) I might need surgery or radiation. There will be a meeting of the doctors to discuss my case. I go back in 2 weeks to see what my next step will be.
Mike and I are both feeling very relieved. I'm still sick, but I think I can handle this. I have been on one med for a while (I think it is an estrogen blocker) and add a second one as soon as it gets delivered. I haven't felt side effects from med 1, but might with med 2. Mike points out that I will be more likely to get sick from other people so I have to avoid anyone with a virus. Not that I hang out much with anyone, anyway.
I've come to the acceptance stage of all this, but I will always wonder how the hell it happened.
Side note: 2 of my neighbors have cancer, too! One has rectal cancer (ouch) but I don't know what the other one has.
I'm beginning to think Long Island Syndrome is a real thing.
I have to be there at 10 and will be under sedation. Alas, Mike can't come with me. But since I will be there 4 hours I'm sure he'd prefer to do something else than sit in the waiting room!
I am steeled to the possibility of this being cancer. At this point, nothing would surprise me.
They were going to send me into NYC for a biopsy of my T2 vertebrate. Mike and I said, "NO." It is just too stressful for us to go into the city these days. For one thing, it's about a 2 hour drive from here!
So Dr. Ahmed made a call to StonyBrook to see if there was someone there who would do this procedure. (Apparently it's tricky.) Mike took it on himself to make phone calls, and spent over THREE HOURS being shuffled back and forth until he finally got through to the office of the doctor who can do this.
So the goodish news is that we are set to go to Stony Brook next week. Really good news would be, "whoops, our bad--you don't have cancer."
But this is just wishful thinking.
Inside says: "deserves a great big 
I made heart cookies with dough I didn't use at Christmas.
Walking back down the aisle, Mr and Mrs!
Mike and me, the other "Mr and Mrs Pastore." 
So much joy
Katherine took me to our favorite Japanese restaurant, "Aki." We both got Bento lunches. So good!
Flowers from the kids. I also got candy and gift cards, including on for Joann's from Mike I will surely enjoy using! 
Trees are getting expensive.This one cost almost $50! (So we kept it up a few more days than we usually do.) But it was a very pretty one.
