December 9, 2021

Just When You Think You're Out

They Pull You Back In

This week I got to meet with both my surgeon and oncologist. I received the results from the second surgery, and the good news is that we have clean margins this time, so no more surgery. So that second surgery that I really, really didn’t want to have, was really, really important for me to have.

The less good news is that the lump of cancer cells in there was bigger than they thought.

December 5, 2021

Learning Patience

Patience Patience Patience

I’m not a naturally patient person. The patience I have has been acquired painfully, but I’ve learned to make those lessons easier.

I’ve learned to pay attention and to honor painful, scary, or confusing situations by asking what I can learn from each one. I’ve even reached the point where I welcome the opportunity to learn from the experience. Sometimes. Eventually.

Having to go back for a second surgery was an opportunity to learn. I didn’t want to go back because the first one was so trying. But there wasn’t a good option that would let me avoid going back to surgery. So what could I learn from this experience?

November 10, 2021

Post Surgery Week 2

Pathology Results

The first week post-surgery wasn’t too bad. I was mostly looking forward to the post surgery check-up because that’s when I would get the results of the lymph node biopsy. The great news there is that there is no cancer in any of the lymph nodes they removed. That means it hasn’t spread and I won’t need to have any chemotherapy.

I do have to go back in for more surgery though. They have to go back in to take out more tissue, because there was a “positive margin” in one part of the tissue they took out. That means that there was no border of clean tissue in that area.

November 1, 2021

Post Surgery Early Lessons

Things Just Got Real

I really haven’t had to address anything regarding the cancer diagnosis until now. I just had to wait until the surgery date.

In the interim, I took care of myself. I did my morning stretches and intentions. I went for walks. I rowed. I felt really good mentally, physically, and spiritually.

But coming out of it, I feel like I lost something. My feelings are still raw and unprocessed, not unlike the wounds from the surgery. And those wounds are not pretty.

October 11, 2021

Van Insulation Install

Adding Insulation

Insulation was always in the plan - eventually. But if you’re not going to do it when everything is out of the van, when will you? So I bought some Thinsulate sm600l, and a couple of cans of spray on glue, and got started.

It was a fairly simple job. First, I used a citrus cleaner to wipe down the van wall. Then, I held the insulation up to the wall with the backing facing me, and marked where I wanted the cut using a piece of kid’s sidewalk chalk. Oddly, I had a piece of chalk in the van.

October 8, 2021

Cancer Treatment Path Good News

First Fork on the Path

Yesterday, I got the answer to which fork I’ll be taking on my cancer treatment path, and it’s good news. I don’t have the BRCA gene mutation, so I’ll be having the easier surgery.

The next data point will come after the surgery when we’ll find out if the cancer made it to my lymph nodes.

While We Wait

I find myself not really waiting for anything. Nothing requires my attention or any action right now. Nothing I do will change whether I have a gene or where the cancer cells are today.

September 28, 2021

Treatment Plan

We Have a Plan - One Step at a Time

I got to spend some quality time with both my oncologist and especially my surgeon today.

I learned a lot about breast cancer surgery options. The treatment plan all winds down to a couple of key decision points.

The first decision point is which type of surgery I’ll have. That depends on whether I have the BRCA gene mutation. If I don’t, then it’s a lumpectomy and radiation. Otherwise, I’ll have to have a double mastectomy, and there’s no need for radiation treatments in that case.

September 22, 2021

New Teacher

I’ve Been Assigned a New Teacher

And look… she comes with a workbook

Breast Cancer Treatment Handbook

I’m Sorry to Drop That On You

What do you say when you are told you have cancer? Well, my sister and I laughed about it after the inital downer that the sentence, “I have cancer” brings to a conversation. We both said that we’ve been expecting this our whole lives. Both parents, both grandmothers, all that time swimming in a river full of agriculture chemicals, not to mention my time around radioactive sources. I’m a very lucky person, but that’s a lot of risk factors.

September 12, 2021

Van Electric Build Part 1

First Componets Delivered

Electricy Gives Us Freedom

The electric system is a huge part of what makes van camping so convenient and van life so enticing. We want to be able to hop into our vans and travel to wherever we like, and live and work from the road. That requires electricity, and that’s why it’s worth the time, money, and effort to do it right.

August 5, 2021

Lake Shetek State Park

Trip Notes

Lake Shetek State Park is a beautiful park with a large lake and lots and lots of trails. We spent part of three days here and walked every day without having to repeat a trail. There was a small oak forest bordering the lake, and praire further from the lake shore. There were fish ponds that unfortunately weren’t ponds due to the drought, but still plenty green and full of wildlife.

Life

There's a lot to Learn