Recovery after UPSC

Donna Faye

I am starting a new strand to ask some questions about recovery after all we go through during treatment. Surgery, 1/25/17; 1A:3 rounds carbo/toxol, April/May; 5 bracky June/July; DVT/PE clots June; Lovenox until 12/13/17. (age 77)

I wonder if I am expecting to bounce back faster than I should expect. 20 years ago had Stage3 /BC - surgery, 6 rounds chemo, 6 weeks radiation;5 years tomoxifin ( age 57). Never missed a day teaching high school English from Oct. to June. 

This time has seemd like a much longer journey and tougher. Please know I was barrel racing in 2016 so in good shape and health.

I am now doing a senior exercise class 3 mornings a week and it is a good hour workout. Zumba 2 mornings a week. No weight gain or loss, and most days feel good. HOWEVER, some days I feel nauseous - not bad but just enough to feel unsure of myself. Short rerm memory is awful so I write notes to myself on a calendar. I am not as comfortable living alone as I was before this. Some of this is fear of falling or hurting myself while on these dang blood thinner shots.

Most people, even the doctors, think I am doing exceptionally well but for this old cowgirl, that ain't how I see it. So, am turning to you ladies once again for advice. It is better than anyone's becuse we have all walked the walk.

Am I expecting too much too soon?  I have great plans to be back on horses come January - know it will be slow going until I get broken back in, but just wondering. 

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you. I know I have much for which to be thankful and will put all of you at the top of my Blessing List. 

Donna Faye

 

 

CheeseQueen57

Be kind to yourself

Sounds like you are doing great gal!  I’m a year out from my frontline treatment and unfortunately have had a reoccurrence. The hardest thing has been the realization that my life has changed forever. I had to give up my business because due to the stroke and chemo ( I just learned at a seminar last week that chemo brain can be permanent- great!) I just am not as sharp as I need to be. Plus my eyes never fully recovered from the optic neuropathy so I have permanent vision problems. I dribble so I have to wear a little pee pee liner and I’m still a little anemic and get tired easily. But I muscle through and thank God for every day with my family. I hate the term “new normal” but I have to accept that there is one. The key is to not be frustrated by my limitations but be thankful for what I can do. 

MAbound

Amen

CQ said it so well. Be kind to yourself! You've been through a lot and while it's hard to keep being patient, it saves a lot of frustration if you can manage to temper the expectations you set for yourself. You are doing great things with all of your activity and plans that keep you moving forward, but you still have to listen to your body and make adjustments accordingly.

NoTimeForCancer

dear Donna Faye, I am sure

dear Donna Faye, I am sure you will be thrilled when the Lovenox ends - and that is soon - but I am betting not soon enough.  (I know that is what I would be thinking) 

Please remember you just put your body through a lot and, I think it is safe to say, most of the women here are over the age of 50, we probably will be a little different than before.  I played memory games with myself to work on getting that back, closer to what I remember, but I will get a brain fart every now and then and I wonder if it was the chemo?

I think I am probably not the same as before it all started, but I am also happy with the choices I made, so for me, there is a tradeoff.  

I agree with the previous posts:  be kind to yourself.  It sound like you conintue to move forward.

EZLiving66

Thing is, we sometimes expect

Thing is, we sometimes expect too much of ourselves.  I don't think I will ever be back to anywhere I was before this d*mn cancer.  It sounds to me you're doing better than a lot of us but don't rush yourself.  You deserve to pamper yourself.  

Love, 

Eldri