As I mentioned the other day I had to go back to the plastic surgeon office in order to be injected with more water and to decide what size I might want to have during reconstruction. Well, first I went to be measure and I thought that was a bit of an adventure.
The doctor send me to see someone in Nordstrom, I guess that person might be a friend of the doctor and I am sure she was going to treat me really nice. But no...I went there after work and I wanted to go home early to go for a walk so I did stop at Macys as it was more convenient to me. Not sure if anyone who lives in San Jose has noticed this but if you go to Valleyfair to the bra sessions in Nordstrom the people who work there are young and really nice. But if you go to Macy's the age of the people working there is much higher and some are not that nice. This department reminds me sometimes of El Corte Ingles in Spain where sometimes you might be lucky if you get a smile, and many times you feel like if you owe something to the person who suppose to be helping you.
Anyway, first I had to get the attention from someone and I told that person that I wanted to be measure. She told me :" you will have to wait, I am with a customer", I thought great, this is not going to start well, it would had be nicer if she would had said:" I will be with you in a second". After looking at all the new bras around to make time, I had to go and find someone again as it was obvious that woman was not going to help me. I manage to get another one who did not look very happy but she agreed to do it, we went to the fitting rooms and I told her I was not planning to take the clothes off, just wanted an idea of the size with the clothes on....I had to listen to a lecture but I was not going to go into explaining I did not have breast.....She told me I could be two different sizes depending on the bras and she rush out like avoiding any question I might ask, not before saying you have got a really small breast. I looked at the door, thinking she was just taking the piss but I think she was serious.
So now I knew my size more or less, needed to go back to the doctor and decide what we do with the size. He said that if I want to be a size smaller from what I have now he needs to inject me additional 60 ml of water so if I do get fibrosis the breast will not contract to lower than the size I want. He injected the additional 60 ml and I guess by now I am close to DD or E or who knows and it does feel huge!. How people with large artificial breast manage?, I have to say that is a big difference between natural large breast or artificial large breast as it is like a stone you have in front of you.
I did this on Wednesday and I did not sleep that night, neither Thursday. I was in pain, I could not lay down and I felt like my temporally implant was about to explode any minute. There was no way I could live like this for another 10 months....I kept imagine the coming summer where you wear less clothes, I could see myself getting some unwanted attention. So yesterday morning I called my doctor again and ask them if they would see me that morning, they were so nice to fit me in the same day and he laugh when I told him that sorry I could not live with that breast. Monica and I were on the way to San Francisco to the Spanish Embassy to register Ethan in the civil register after 5 years!, but before we stop at the doctor's office. He took out the 60 ml of water and I could breath so much better....My breast is still bigger than what should be but I can live with it for a bit longer.
Saturday, February 18, 2012
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Back at work life
I am loving being back at work but what I am loving even more is being able to do only 30 hours a week. I have to consider myself one of the luckiest people on earth, and probably is true.
I had worked in NVIDIA for 10 years in the UK and the US when I decided to leave last year in May to take another role in another semiconductor company. I have to say that the new role was perfect for me running their finance department for their US and Latin America offices. I was not sure about the company as it is a European old fashion tech company that I was hoping with new management would had changed but when I joined realized how bureaucratic it is. Also, I have a really hard time working in environment where the management team has more privileges than any other employee just because they have vice president title: they can fly Business class when you are on the back of the plane, they have got more vacation than you, the company lease expensive cars just to drive from home to the office, they even have got special annual medical check ups that the company pays on top of any normal insurance. I am from the mentality that these differences affect productivity and normally example has to be shown from the top and not from the bottom....If I would had known this I probably would had never joined them but I did and as I said I loved the job a lot.
Unfortunately I was diagnosed with breast cancer two months after I started working with them and I went on 6 months disability which it was easy for me as I was still not attached to the job and the people. Everyone was super understanding and supportive, what can they do anyway....However that role requires me to travel a lot as well as a lot of effort to do the changes needed for improvement and meet the expectations from everyone, and do not forget that you need to prove to everyone that a Spanish girl can run a finance department of a US company. Well, this cancer was a wake up call for me and one thing I have learned for sure is to take my professional life much easier and put my personal life as a priority. For that reason I could not come back to work there, I needed an option.
NVIDIA people had been so supportive, that I called the CFO and asked her if they will take me back. We arranged for a lunch meeting and I was super happy to learn that I could go back to my old role and they will accept the only condition I was asking which was 30 hours a week!!!. So it is really nice to be back but still leave work at 3 pm and go for a walk, cook dinner and spend a nice family evening together. I am still on education mode which means that some people are still setting things up for me during my none working hours, some I accept, some refuse but slowly they are getting use to my new working hours.
As I said I am really lucky, no many companies will allowed you to do that in the current environment plus I can also afford that as I know many people even if they might want to give up their job they can't do it as they need the money.
I had worked in NVIDIA for 10 years in the UK and the US when I decided to leave last year in May to take another role in another semiconductor company. I have to say that the new role was perfect for me running their finance department for their US and Latin America offices. I was not sure about the company as it is a European old fashion tech company that I was hoping with new management would had changed but when I joined realized how bureaucratic it is. Also, I have a really hard time working in environment where the management team has more privileges than any other employee just because they have vice president title: they can fly Business class when you are on the back of the plane, they have got more vacation than you, the company lease expensive cars just to drive from home to the office, they even have got special annual medical check ups that the company pays on top of any normal insurance. I am from the mentality that these differences affect productivity and normally example has to be shown from the top and not from the bottom....If I would had known this I probably would had never joined them but I did and as I said I loved the job a lot.
Unfortunately I was diagnosed with breast cancer two months after I started working with them and I went on 6 months disability which it was easy for me as I was still not attached to the job and the people. Everyone was super understanding and supportive, what can they do anyway....However that role requires me to travel a lot as well as a lot of effort to do the changes needed for improvement and meet the expectations from everyone, and do not forget that you need to prove to everyone that a Spanish girl can run a finance department of a US company. Well, this cancer was a wake up call for me and one thing I have learned for sure is to take my professional life much easier and put my personal life as a priority. For that reason I could not come back to work there, I needed an option.
NVIDIA people had been so supportive, that I called the CFO and asked her if they will take me back. We arranged for a lunch meeting and I was super happy to learn that I could go back to my old role and they will accept the only condition I was asking which was 30 hours a week!!!. So it is really nice to be back but still leave work at 3 pm and go for a walk, cook dinner and spend a nice family evening together. I am still on education mode which means that some people are still setting things up for me during my none working hours, some I accept, some refuse but slowly they are getting use to my new working hours.
As I said I am really lucky, no many companies will allowed you to do that in the current environment plus I can also afford that as I know many people even if they might want to give up their job they can't do it as they need the money.
Monday, February 13, 2012
What size do you want?
It has now been a month since I finished radiation and have to say that my skin went back to normal really fast despite the horrible burn that I had. I have also started the 5 year pill,Tamoxifen, the day after my last radiation treatment and happy to say that I have not had any side effects that everyone tells you about which is great.
The other day I went to see my plastic surgeon and we agreed that I will not be doing reconstruction until sometime early 2013, first reason is because temporally expander are doing great and second because he prefers not to get me into surgery while I am on Herceptin. I have to be in Herceptin until early November this year, after that we will give it around 2 months break and expected to do the surgery in January or February 2013. Everything was great until the day after my visit that his office assistant called me and said he wanted to see me again.....I was....Uh....why?, but she did not know why, So I told her that I was sorry but I was not going back to their office until they would tell me why. So he called me and he said that he had a meeting at the hospital board and he saw my radiologist, they talked about me....I would have loved to listen to them....and my radiologist told him how bad my skin had reacted at the end of the radio treatment. Then my plastic surgeon asked him to forward the latest x ray and they agreed by looking at them that the internal burns were high as well, I do not feel anything by the way..SO, he thinks I have got small risk to have fibrosis and that will be devastating for the final breast reconstruction. The intention of the visit is that he wants to inject me more water and force the skin to be more tense so we avoid that small risk of fibrosis.
So last Friday after being at the hospital for my quarterly MUGA scan, I went to see him and discuss face to face what he wants to do. I understood perfectly what he is trying to do but I really do not want to make my breast any bigger....So he injected 60 ml of fluid and now they feel huge even if they are still smaller than they were before the mastectomy. He asked me to go home and think about the size that I want next year!!!, and I told him I have got no idea...how the people who increase their boobs made that decision!, the reason why he wants me to decide now is that if I do get Fibrosis the area will get reduced by skin and tissue contracting so whatever size I want he has to make now one size bigger!. So if I want to be a B, I have to be a C this year, if I want a C have to be D for the time being...too complicated and uncomfortable!. So I have not decided...can I be between B and C?, or can I have an implant that changes the size depending on the clothes that you wear.......they are definitely going to look great but still have not decided what to do. I am going back on Wednesday afternoon to see him again and suppose to say something by then!.
Also!, I told him that my final reconstruction will be permanent implant and not tummy tuck, sorry but even if I can do two things at the same time it is too big of a surgery so no thanks!. But....he told me that they will do a small liposuction as they use the fat in your tummy (which I do have) to fill out the breast around the implant to make it more natural. Something good has to come up from this process I guess!!
The other day I went to see my plastic surgeon and we agreed that I will not be doing reconstruction until sometime early 2013, first reason is because temporally expander are doing great and second because he prefers not to get me into surgery while I am on Herceptin. I have to be in Herceptin until early November this year, after that we will give it around 2 months break and expected to do the surgery in January or February 2013. Everything was great until the day after my visit that his office assistant called me and said he wanted to see me again.....I was....Uh....why?, but she did not know why, So I told her that I was sorry but I was not going back to their office until they would tell me why. So he called me and he said that he had a meeting at the hospital board and he saw my radiologist, they talked about me....I would have loved to listen to them....and my radiologist told him how bad my skin had reacted at the end of the radio treatment. Then my plastic surgeon asked him to forward the latest x ray and they agreed by looking at them that the internal burns were high as well, I do not feel anything by the way..SO, he thinks I have got small risk to have fibrosis and that will be devastating for the final breast reconstruction. The intention of the visit is that he wants to inject me more water and force the skin to be more tense so we avoid that small risk of fibrosis.
So last Friday after being at the hospital for my quarterly MUGA scan, I went to see him and discuss face to face what he wants to do. I understood perfectly what he is trying to do but I really do not want to make my breast any bigger....So he injected 60 ml of fluid and now they feel huge even if they are still smaller than they were before the mastectomy. He asked me to go home and think about the size that I want next year!!!, and I told him I have got no idea...how the people who increase their boobs made that decision!, the reason why he wants me to decide now is that if I do get Fibrosis the area will get reduced by skin and tissue contracting so whatever size I want he has to make now one size bigger!. So if I want to be a B, I have to be a C this year, if I want a C have to be D for the time being...too complicated and uncomfortable!. So I have not decided...can I be between B and C?, or can I have an implant that changes the size depending on the clothes that you wear.......they are definitely going to look great but still have not decided what to do. I am going back on Wednesday afternoon to see him again and suppose to say something by then!.
Also!, I told him that my final reconstruction will be permanent implant and not tummy tuck, sorry but even if I can do two things at the same time it is too big of a surgery so no thanks!. But....he told me that they will do a small liposuction as they use the fat in your tummy (which I do have) to fill out the breast around the implant to make it more natural. Something good has to come up from this process I guess!!
Saturday, February 11, 2012
New reality
I had this conversation with my mom the other day and we did not get to the right answer....20 years ago were there so many young people sick or I was just ignorant when in my 20s and I did not realize people were sick around??. The answer from my mom in particular about breast cancer was that when she was 40 there were many people being diagnosed with breast and ovary cancer but there were normally older people. My grandma was diagnosed with breast cancer when she was 66 more or less and one of her sister had breast cancer twice on her late years but never died of breast cancer. Now a days the people diagnosed with any type of cancer are younger and younger and I wonder everyday why.
When my son was two he was sick all the time, we could not figure out why and I behaved like a paranoid mom being at the pediatrician office almost every week. We thought he was dairy allergic as he was sick every time he will drink his milk, well.....we found out after some test that he is super sensitive to beef and cow's milk, and he is moderate to high sensitive to lamb, pork and some cheeses. Have you ever heard of anything like that?. We took all meat away from him (he still eats some chicken) and cow's milk and he has been since then like a new kid.
My point is....., is it what we eat?, is it what we breath?, what is it that so many people are suffering. Having cancer has made me meet many wonderful people who I have always said are the strongest of the strongest people you will find out there. People like Ainara who at the same time she is fighting with her own cancer she finds time to battle for everyone else's. People like Blanca that while going through Chemo makes me laugh every time I read a message from her. People like Marta that even if she got sick the other day, she is my key person to talk to about our illness. People like Janire that needs a bone marrow transplant as soon as possible, just lost a close friend for the same reason but still fights like mad to make sure there is enough education in Spain about bone marrow transplant. Or people like Paule, who has gastric cancer and just started chemo last week. People like my friend Mariam who is trying to find a way to live after losing her 5 year old to cancer 6 months ago. Or people like Eva who is in Madrid next to her son Mario who 12 days ago received a bone marrow transplant and is still in critical stages. People like Eva and myself who are trying to find our way back to normal life.Why is the list so long????, was I blind before and I lived in wonderland?.
When my son was two he was sick all the time, we could not figure out why and I behaved like a paranoid mom being at the pediatrician office almost every week. We thought he was dairy allergic as he was sick every time he will drink his milk, well.....we found out after some test that he is super sensitive to beef and cow's milk, and he is moderate to high sensitive to lamb, pork and some cheeses. Have you ever heard of anything like that?. We took all meat away from him (he still eats some chicken) and cow's milk and he has been since then like a new kid.
My point is....., is it what we eat?, is it what we breath?, what is it that so many people are suffering. Having cancer has made me meet many wonderful people who I have always said are the strongest of the strongest people you will find out there. People like Ainara who at the same time she is fighting with her own cancer she finds time to battle for everyone else's. People like Blanca that while going through Chemo makes me laugh every time I read a message from her. People like Marta that even if she got sick the other day, she is my key person to talk to about our illness. People like Janire that needs a bone marrow transplant as soon as possible, just lost a close friend for the same reason but still fights like mad to make sure there is enough education in Spain about bone marrow transplant. Or people like Paule, who has gastric cancer and just started chemo last week. People like my friend Mariam who is trying to find a way to live after losing her 5 year old to cancer 6 months ago. Or people like Eva who is in Madrid next to her son Mario who 12 days ago received a bone marrow transplant and is still in critical stages. People like Eva and myself who are trying to find our way back to normal life.Why is the list so long????, was I blind before and I lived in wonderland?.
Monday, January 30, 2012
Please sponsor us!!
I am super excited!!!, so far we are already 12 friends to do the Susan G. Komen in San Francisco. We have committed to raise between all of us $27,600 and we have so far already raised $2,970!!. If we do not raise that money we will not be able to make the walk and there is nothing that I would love more than walking 60 miles or 97 Km with these group of wonderful ladies.
Please sponsor one of us, the team web site is below. Even if you can only do $1, that is better than nothing.
Thanks very much in advance
Mila
http://www.the3day.org/site/TR/2012/General?team_id=203039&pg=team&fr_id=1768
Please sponsor one of us, the team web site is below. Even if you can only do $1, that is better than nothing.
Thanks very much in advance
Mila
http://www.the3day.org/site/TR/2012/General?team_id=203039&pg=team&fr_id=1768
Friday, January 27, 2012
How to raise money for Susan G. Komen
My dear husband sent all of us an E-mail the other day that you should all look at....I think it is very funny and some ideas might be good but this is how my husband is helping us!:
- Calendar girls -> you are 11 so far. You will need a new volunteer to complete the year. I can be ”September” if a 12 person doesn’t show up… You welcome!
- Plasma Donation: How to sell your blood for $260 a month – (http://madhubber.hubpages.com/hub/plasma-donation)
- Sell your own stuff on eBay or Amazon -> Even if you believe what you have in the garage is just junk… Well! It is but there is always someone out there ready to buy. Better than Yard Sales (For British : Car boot sale) because you do not need to display all your “miseries” in front of your neighbors.
- Offer your Services to Neighbors -> Babysit, handywoman, teach something to others, Dog walker
- Vegas -> Gambling. It is not my “cup of tea” and very risky but I know some of you have issues with this activity and might work when is for a good cause.
- Money box – This would be for all those coins that end somewhere in the sofa, underneath furniture.
- Metal Detector -> This is more for Summer season and the beach. Get one (Starting at $49.99 in any convenient store) and look for coins, gold, etc… meanwhile you walk (Training). This way you make of the training time a money machine maker.
o Go to http://goldprice.org/ for more information.
- Hand reading – You can make a fortune in short time doing this. For a quick course go to: http://www.wikihow.com/Read-Palms. And watch this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSbXfGRFBLg&feature=related.
Susan G. Komen 3-day walk
Now that my main cancer treatment has finished it is time for me to start doing something in the community that will help the fight against breast cancer. There were two options for us: Avon walk in July and Susan G. Komen in September. As many of my Spanish friends are going to Spain during the summer we agreed to do it in September.
Susan G. Komen 3 day walk is in San Francico and a total of 60 miles during 3 days that is full of experience. Lorraine and I went to a meeting the other day and it was really emotional, can not wait for the event to be here. However before that happen we better start training properly as 60 miles is almost 100 Km that I have never done in my life in such a short period of time!!!.
So far we will be around 11 of us, including Cheryl Sole, 5 year survivor. Marta Solsona, breast cancer fighter with me. And all my dear friends Fiona, Lorraine, Marcela, Monica, Gema, Neus, Rosa and probably some other friends that we might get to join us. Our team is called "Pink melting pot"
100% of the net proceeds from the Susan G. Komen 3-Day™ benefit Susan G. Komen™ and fund innovative global breast cancer research and local community programs supporting education, screening and treatment. Virtually every major advance in the fight against breast cancer in the last 30 years has been impacted by a Komen grant.
Please take a moment to see our page and please sponsor us on any amount you can, small is big so please $1 will make us very happy. Each of us has to collect $2,300 in order to do the race, but we will find whatever way we can do to make it!.
http://www.the3day.org/site/TR/2012/General?px=6469313&pg=personal&fr_id=1768
Susan G. Komen 3 day walk is in San Francico and a total of 60 miles during 3 days that is full of experience. Lorraine and I went to a meeting the other day and it was really emotional, can not wait for the event to be here. However before that happen we better start training properly as 60 miles is almost 100 Km that I have never done in my life in such a short period of time!!!.
So far we will be around 11 of us, including Cheryl Sole, 5 year survivor. Marta Solsona, breast cancer fighter with me. And all my dear friends Fiona, Lorraine, Marcela, Monica, Gema, Neus, Rosa and probably some other friends that we might get to join us. Our team is called "Pink melting pot"
100% of the net proceeds from the Susan G. Komen 3-Day™ benefit Susan G. Komen™ and fund innovative global breast cancer research and local community programs supporting education, screening and treatment. Virtually every major advance in the fight against breast cancer in the last 30 years has been impacted by a Komen grant.
Please take a moment to see our page and please sponsor us on any amount you can, small is big so please $1 will make us very happy. Each of us has to collect $2,300 in order to do the race, but we will find whatever way we can do to make it!.
http://www.the3day.org/site/TR/2012/General?px=6469313&pg=personal&fr_id=1768
Thursday, January 19, 2012
DE BOCA EN BOCA Y DE MEDULA EN MEDULA: Comunicado de pacientes sobre la donación de médula en las redes sociales
“Las personas que esperamos una donación de médula nos sentimos marginadas, exigimos al Gobierno campañas de sensibilización”
“Las personas en lista de espera de donantes de médula tenemos que acudir al Do it yourself-háztelo tú mismo intentando conseguir donantes en nuestro entorno, en vez de contar con el apoyo de Sanidad”
Como pacientes afectados unidos a través de las redes sociales (Facebook, Twitter) , que precisan o pueden precisar de un donante de médula y con el apoyo de otros muchos afectados por otras patologías y gente concienciada creemos importante dar a conocer el sentir general de las personas en espera de donante:
Independientemente de la guerra abierta entre la ONT y DKMS y sus problemas legales, nos indigna que la dejadez de las Autoridades lleguen a este extremo (La donación de médula, paralizada por las deudas. La Verdad) y comunicamos que:
1- La sanidad española debe recapacitar sobre el sistema español de donación de médula ósea y reconocer que se necesitan profundas mejoras. Es un sistema obsoleto y no funciona.
Se debe desvincular la donación de órganos de la donación de médula. En un país indiscutiblemente pionero en donaciones de órganos donde el sistema es un ejemplo para muchos países , estamos a la cola de donantes de médula ósea con sólo 90.000 donantes en 20 años. En España, aparece donante sólo para el 60% de los pacientes en búsqueda.
A modo de ejemplo respecto a número de habitantes (www.bmdw.org):
PAIS | Nº DONANTES | % HABITANTES DONANTES |
Alemania | 4.312.965 | 2.5% |
Estados Unidos | 7.000.000 | 2.5% |
Chipre | 111.976 | 12% |
Israel | 700.000 | 10% |
Portugal | 261.144 | 2.6% |
Brasil | 2.213.160 | 1.5% |
España | 88.382 | 0.2% |
Nos sentimos marginados. Sin campañas de concienciación ni sensibilización que ayuden a fomentar la donación de médula ósea en España, somos los propios pacientes y allegados los que tenemos que hacer campaña, la mayoría de las veces, encontrándonos con trabas, impedimentos y desaprobaciones por parte de las autoridades sanitarias de cada Comunidad Autónoma.
Por eso pedimos que:
- Se realicen campañas de información en medios de comunicación promovidas por el ministerio de sanidad sobre en que consiste la donación de médula dando a conocer el procedimiento de aféresis, método utilizado en el 80% de los casos y gran desconocido, con el cual no hace falta anestesia, ni es doloroso ni peligroso para el paciente.
- Se publique información en los CAP, Centros de Atención Primaria dependientes de la Sanidad Pública sobre la posibilidad de donar médula ósea o sangre de cordón umbilical
- Se informe a los donantes de sangre en los lugares de extracción de sangre sobre la posibilidad de donar médula ya que ellos son los potenciales donantes al tratarse de sangre.
- Se permitan las campañas masivas con la imagen de una persona en concreto. Los pacientes no vemos ningún problema en ello siempre que se aclare que la donación es universal y puede ir dirigida a cualquier persona en el mundo. Si las leyes actuales no lo permiten, pedimos que las cambien. Es evidente que esas campañas funcionan por que lo hacen en otros países y creemos que la única razón para que no se efectúen es el coste de los tipajes (análisis que deben hacer a cada donante para incluirle en el Registro) que tiene un coste de 300€.
- Se terminen con las trabas, impedimentos, saturaciones y que se producen en los hospitales para donar médula cuando un caso particular sacude un territorio determinado. Deben poner los medios suficientes, agilizar los temas burocráticos y ampliar el horario y facilitar las donaciones en esos casos puntuales.
- Se informe obligatoriamente a todas las embarazadas como norma y derecho de las mismas sobre la posibilidad de donar su cordón umbilical.
2- Estamos de acuerdo en que DKMS debe cumplir con la legalidad antes de actuar pero no debemos olvidar que la mayoría de los donantes (mas del 50%) que se reciben para pacientes españoles son de Alemania, y de estos, la mitad son donantes de DKMS.
Por tanto, hasta el momento y desde hace 20 años, sanidad ha estado pagando el importe que cobra DKMS por cada uno de esos donantes alemanes. No entendemos por qué nos hablan de privatizaciones. Esos 14.000 euros hasta el momento se han cobrado a sanidad, NO AL PACIENTE.
Por otra parte, todos los registros del mundo cobran aunque al no ser oficiales desconocemos las tarifas de cada uno de ellos.
Hay que valorar también, el gasto para sanidad del coste de los tratamientos y medicaciones que cualquier persona en espera de donante consume mientras aparece su donante compatible.
Por eso consideramos que la cantidad invertida en donantes, acortaría el tiempo de espera de los pacientes con lo que al final se ahorraría en costes para la sanidad.
Con esto no nos posicionamos a favor ni en contra de que DKMS entre en España, si de que haya cambios sustanciales en el sistema sanitario respecto a la donación de médula ósea con urgencia.
3- Por último, queremos solicitar a los medios de comunicación, ayuda para dar a conocer la verdad del funcionamiento de la donación de médula ósea y de cordón umbilical en España, aclarar en que consiste y desmitificarla.
También os invitamos a todos los medios de comunicación a que se sumen a la campaña #donamedula para que todo el mundo hable sobre la donación de médula en las redes sociales el próximo 24 de enero de 12.30 a 13.00 horas. Queremos poner de moda esta etiqueta con el objetivo de conseguir el mayor número de personas que se hagan donantes.
Somos un país generoso en donaciones de órganos, si no hay mas donantes de médula ósea y de cordón umbilical en España se debe a la falta de concienciación por parte de los Organismos que deben velar por nuestra salud.
FIRMA TU TAMBIÉN ESTE COMUNICADO LLEVANDOTELO A TU BLOG Y/O REDES SOCIALES
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Radiation side effects
I was just talking to Marta on the phone and told her...."put the cream on...". And yes because I did not think the burn that I have got on my armpit was going to be as bad as it is.
Everything started three days before the end of radiation, the area was getting really red and by the end of radiation the skin was peeling and the under skin was exposed. By Saturday I could not move my arm without being in agony, I had to call the Radiation department which I was really happy to have my doctor Dr Wang on call that weekend. He called me in one minute and told me that unfortunately if the area was not infected there was no much I could do apart from putting lots of cream. At this point all the creams were making the area worst so I could only was Aquaphor that I hate as it is very oily. What I have been using that has been very helpful was Domeboro solution and triple antibiotic cream and Advil. Today is much darker and better but still a pain as you can not dress as quick as you would like to...
I went to see him on Tuesday and he told me it did not look as bad as I told him!, I looked at him like...are you joking?. He thinks is not too bad. Now it is darker but still looks really sensitive and it is painful but not as much as previous days..
So....message to the ones doing Radiation and the ones that have to do it...Lots of cream, as many times a day as you can...
Everything started three days before the end of radiation, the area was getting really red and by the end of radiation the skin was peeling and the under skin was exposed. By Saturday I could not move my arm without being in agony, I had to call the Radiation department which I was really happy to have my doctor Dr Wang on call that weekend. He called me in one minute and told me that unfortunately if the area was not infected there was no much I could do apart from putting lots of cream. At this point all the creams were making the area worst so I could only was Aquaphor that I hate as it is very oily. What I have been using that has been very helpful was Domeboro solution and triple antibiotic cream and Advil. Today is much darker and better but still a pain as you can not dress as quick as you would like to...I went to see him on Tuesday and he told me it did not look as bad as I told him!, I looked at him like...are you joking?. He thinks is not too bad. Now it is darker but still looks really sensitive and it is painful but not as much as previous days..
So....message to the ones doing Radiation and the ones that have to do it...Lots of cream, as many times a day as you can...
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
The end of Radiation!!!
Tomorrow morning I will be having my last radiation treatment, 6 weeks later and a nasty burn on my armpit has taken me to the end of this long process.
I was at doctor Chen's office yesterday for my Herceptin treatment, blood work great and she gave me prescription for Tamoxifen. I start that lovely 5 year pill this Thursday and after hearing the horrible hot flashes that i am going to have not looking forward to it!.
Tomorrow my oncologist Dr Wang was nice to fit my last schedule of radiation first thing in the morning because as soon as I finish we are leaving to Palm Springs until Sunday. Can not wait to lay down in front of the pool, weather is so perfect for me to still be able to cover the radiation part without having a heat attack. My plan was to celebrate every milestone and this is the way for the 3 of us to celebrate the end of Radiation, doing nothing on a nice resort!.
Next week I am super exciteed to go back to work at NVIDIA, after I left in May I have realized how much I appreciate that Company and the people who work there so it is an honor to be back. I am sorry had to resign from my current employer but my circunstances are different and also my priorities, some people do not understand that but that is their loss.
I was at doctor Chen's office yesterday for my Herceptin treatment, blood work great and she gave me prescription for Tamoxifen. I start that lovely 5 year pill this Thursday and after hearing the horrible hot flashes that i am going to have not looking forward to it!.
Tomorrow my oncologist Dr Wang was nice to fit my last schedule of radiation first thing in the morning because as soon as I finish we are leaving to Palm Springs until Sunday. Can not wait to lay down in front of the pool, weather is so perfect for me to still be able to cover the radiation part without having a heat attack. My plan was to celebrate every milestone and this is the way for the 3 of us to celebrate the end of Radiation, doing nothing on a nice resort!.
Next week I am super exciteed to go back to work at NVIDIA, after I left in May I have realized how much I appreciate that Company and the people who work there so it is an honor to be back. I am sorry had to resign from my current employer but my circunstances are different and also my priorities, some people do not understand that but that is their loss.
Monday, January 9, 2012
Fertility
Cancer changes many things but one very important one is that affect your fertility for life or in my case probably has put me in menopause. There are so many of the people who are fighting cancer who would do anything to have a child and might not be able to have one. But on the other hand there are so many people who are healthy, do not take care of themselves and probably not capable of raising children but they do have more than they can take care. Unfortunately parenthood does not require any type of test or exam, and because of that many people will fail, it is ironic that we pass an exam for driving but not for being a parent.
Why do we want a child so much?, one of the most wonderful things in life is experience a new life and everyone should be entitle to it. Since we are adults everyone creates one way or another a picture of what they want from life: what to study, have a good job, financial stability, a family. The mayority of us will picture kids in their life as we want to feel the achivement of creating new life, building it and mentoring them to become good people.
I still remember the day Ethan was borned, he was so small and so cute, we were the happiest people on earth. I enjoy every single of his accomplishments like if they are mine, we encourage him to be positive, to do whatever he wants to do and we try to teach him boundaries around his life.
However i have to tell you that if you do not have kids life does not end there. It is easy for me to say that I have a son, but let me tell you that we have gone through hell to try to have more kids. It was priority number one and I could not understand why I could not have it. We had 6 miscarriages trying to get a second child, some of them were so dramatic that I will probably never recover from them. Now looking back I truly believe that there was a reason why we did not have that second kid, if my cancer started some time ago a full pregnancy would had been much worse for cancer to spread.
As humans we always want what we do not have, I always recall when Fiona will call me after each miscarriage and will say you have to decide when to stop getting pregnant before this affects more things in your life. We stopped trying last year after realicing that was causing too much trouble in our life. Now I appreciate what I have and expect to enjoy it as much as possible. I just wish everyone is happy with what they have and if they can not have it to find positive reasons why they can not have it.
Why do we want a child so much?, one of the most wonderful things in life is experience a new life and everyone should be entitle to it. Since we are adults everyone creates one way or another a picture of what they want from life: what to study, have a good job, financial stability, a family. The mayority of us will picture kids in their life as we want to feel the achivement of creating new life, building it and mentoring them to become good people.
I still remember the day Ethan was borned, he was so small and so cute, we were the happiest people on earth. I enjoy every single of his accomplishments like if they are mine, we encourage him to be positive, to do whatever he wants to do and we try to teach him boundaries around his life.
However i have to tell you that if you do not have kids life does not end there. It is easy for me to say that I have a son, but let me tell you that we have gone through hell to try to have more kids. It was priority number one and I could not understand why I could not have it. We had 6 miscarriages trying to get a second child, some of them were so dramatic that I will probably never recover from them. Now looking back I truly believe that there was a reason why we did not have that second kid, if my cancer started some time ago a full pregnancy would had been much worse for cancer to spread.
As humans we always want what we do not have, I always recall when Fiona will call me after each miscarriage and will say you have to decide when to stop getting pregnant before this affects more things in your life. We stopped trying last year after realicing that was causing too much trouble in our life. Now I appreciate what I have and expect to enjoy it as much as possible. I just wish everyone is happy with what they have and if they can not have it to find positive reasons why they can not have it.
Monday, December 26, 2011
Cancer changes you
I am almost over the Radiation and even if I will be doing Herceptin all next year I think after January 11th I will consider that my bigger cancer treatment is over after 6 months: Surgery, chemo and Radiation. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel but I will lie if I say that Cancer has not changed me, it has changed me in many ways, some good and some bad.
I eat much healthier than ever before, I do more exercise. I enjoy each day with my friends and family and I am thankful for each day. I have decided to do big changes with my professional life and I am super happy and excited about them, can not wait to go back to work!. I know who my real friends are and I know they will be friends for ever!. I have touched based with family that I have not spoken in years and really happy about it. I have met really special people who are going through the same as me, both here and in Spain these people are the strongest you will ever find, it is an honor to be part of their fight and life.
It has given me also many bad things that hope will get better. I do not have breasts anymore and the scarfs remind me of it every day. My body is not the same any more, I am still too sensitive to changes and do get tired very easy but I guess things will get better. I heard my son talking to a friend one day saying :" my mammy does not have hair but I like it", you probably know what I did when I heard that...I cried!, now the other day he come to me and he said.."mammy, your hair is growing"!. I also get really anxious about any symptom my body gives to me: a headache, a muscle ache anything...I know I am going to have a hard time dealing with it in the coming years as everytime something hurts I will think cancer is back.
But despite everything I am fully aware that I have got a good chance of being ok for many years and that I will not learn from this situation if I do not do real changes in my life and in me as a person. I am just really grateful for having this second chance and being able to enjoy it with the people I love the most who are my friends and family.
I eat much healthier than ever before, I do more exercise. I enjoy each day with my friends and family and I am thankful for each day. I have decided to do big changes with my professional life and I am super happy and excited about them, can not wait to go back to work!. I know who my real friends are and I know they will be friends for ever!. I have touched based with family that I have not spoken in years and really happy about it. I have met really special people who are going through the same as me, both here and in Spain these people are the strongest you will ever find, it is an honor to be part of their fight and life.
It has given me also many bad things that hope will get better. I do not have breasts anymore and the scarfs remind me of it every day. My body is not the same any more, I am still too sensitive to changes and do get tired very easy but I guess things will get better. I heard my son talking to a friend one day saying :" my mammy does not have hair but I like it", you probably know what I did when I heard that...I cried!, now the other day he come to me and he said.."mammy, your hair is growing"!. I also get really anxious about any symptom my body gives to me: a headache, a muscle ache anything...I know I am going to have a hard time dealing with it in the coming years as everytime something hurts I will think cancer is back.
But despite everything I am fully aware that I have got a good chance of being ok for many years and that I will not learn from this situation if I do not do real changes in my life and in me as a person. I am just really grateful for having this second chance and being able to enjoy it with the people I love the most who are my friends and family.
Radiation - More update
You lay down in the bed and they move the bed up and back to meet the machine. The top screen has got like laser beans that are align to the 5 tattoo dots around my left breast. Then they have got a computer in front of the machine that tells them what position I have to be located exactly. The front of the machine rotates around and the top has got like metal teeth that closes and opens depending how much radiation they do. All radiations are on the left breast but with different angles. They radiate 3 times in different positions on the right, one on the top and around 4 other positions on the left side. They are targeting my left breast, my underarm and the left chest all the way up to the shoulder as that is where the next lymph nodes are located.
I have now done 17 sessions and so far so good, I have not had any burns but my skin colour is different from the right breast. The cream that Dulce sent me from Spain has been really good and so far it is really working. I do feel tired but I am not sure if it is radiation or just the busy schedules that we are having during Christmas. Around 10 days ago the machine broke and they went through the list of who was high risk and who was not high risk, the ones high risk had to be back in the afternoon, the ones with the low risk had a free day. I was given the day free which was great, meaning low risk, however it means that I will be finishing now on the 11 of January vs. earlier. I had a conversation the other day with my doctor to do double days so I could finish earlier and he told me again that I do not gain anything good with it, the only thing I might gain will be a skin burn that my plastic surgeon will not like. So we will not be doing double days and we will be finishing on the 11 of January, almost there....
I did go last week to do Herceptin as well, nothing to report that way. One hour connected to the IV through the chemo port and no side effects so really happy with it!.
Merry Christmas
Happy holidays to everyone!, It has been two weeks without writing anything but I am just having such a great time that I have got no time for anything. This Christmas are really special for us as my parents, my sister and her family are spending Christmas with us. It has been probably 3 years that we did not have a proper Christmas together as two years ago we decided to stay in California and last year only Ethan and I made it to Spain as Alberto was working and could not make it.
The next 10 days are going to be busy, we have got a party arranged at home, a Sharks hockey game to go to, lots of shopping to do and two New years eve parties. During all these time I also have to do radiation and try to take things easy where I can as I do feel I get tired quicker than before.
Hope everyone has had a great Christmas, specially all the people who are fighting for their life, hope this Christmas has brought to them the strength they need to win the battle.
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Radiation update
Hi all, have not written at all as my life is too busy lately, I guess that is a strong sign that I am coming back to normal. December is always a busy time with social events plus this one I am trying to make special effort to make it as special as possible.
So far radiation is going well, no burns, no pains, some of the appointments are really short. Mondays are X-rays to make sure that everything is ok and the radiation is happening in the right place. Tuesdays are doctor visits after radiation appointment. But the rest of the week is just the radiation appointment and you are literally in the machine for short of 10 minutes. Last Wednesday they said they were doing more X-rays and I asked them why, they explained that the doctor had added a new blocker on my radiation which could happen if there are symptoms that some areas are being radiated more than wanted, like heart or lungs, the doctor reviews X-ray every week and might modify set up if needed.The machine that they use here is different from the photos that I saw in Eva's blog, the room here is super dark and the machine is like a big screen that closes and opens depends where they radiate, the big screen rotates around you to get different angles as well. I will ask them to make a photo one day... it is called Intensity Modulated radiation and they do X-ray and everything there.
I am using the cream Aquafor which is doing great but it is so oily that is leaving marks everywhere in my clothes...The doctor said I could use Nivea, the one of the blue box but he thinks will not be as strong as Aquafor so using Nivea during the day and Aquafor at night. One of my friends from Spain who had Breast Cancer 5 years ago recomended me another cream called Biafine but it is only sold in France. She was really nice to go to Bayona and bought me two of them that my parents will be bringing with them this week. I am hoping that all these creams will help to avoid any unwanted burns for the Christmas time...
I decided that I was going to buy presents for everyone that were important to me this Christmas, so I have been busy getting presents ready and shopping like mad. I have used also the time to meet friends and have the great time shopping, eating and having a great time with all my friends. These days are busy, from lunches to cookie exchanges to Christmas parties, I think I will have around 6 parties before Christmas but I am picking up and choosing some of them as need to be realistic and can not go to all of them.
Also have got the house ready for all the Camino visitors this Christmas, have two trees in the house, all decorations up and all presents under the tree (well...except Ethan's ones that are hidden). I can not wait to see my parents in two days and looking forward to enjoy a very special Christmas.
So far radiation is going well, no burns, no pains, some of the appointments are really short. Mondays are X-rays to make sure that everything is ok and the radiation is happening in the right place. Tuesdays are doctor visits after radiation appointment. But the rest of the week is just the radiation appointment and you are literally in the machine for short of 10 minutes. Last Wednesday they said they were doing more X-rays and I asked them why, they explained that the doctor had added a new blocker on my radiation which could happen if there are symptoms that some areas are being radiated more than wanted, like heart or lungs, the doctor reviews X-ray every week and might modify set up if needed.The machine that they use here is different from the photos that I saw in Eva's blog, the room here is super dark and the machine is like a big screen that closes and opens depends where they radiate, the big screen rotates around you to get different angles as well. I will ask them to make a photo one day... it is called Intensity Modulated radiation and they do X-ray and everything there.
I am using the cream Aquafor which is doing great but it is so oily that is leaving marks everywhere in my clothes...The doctor said I could use Nivea, the one of the blue box but he thinks will not be as strong as Aquafor so using Nivea during the day and Aquafor at night. One of my friends from Spain who had Breast Cancer 5 years ago recomended me another cream called Biafine but it is only sold in France. She was really nice to go to Bayona and bought me two of them that my parents will be bringing with them this week. I am hoping that all these creams will help to avoid any unwanted burns for the Christmas time...
I decided that I was going to buy presents for everyone that were important to me this Christmas, so I have been busy getting presents ready and shopping like mad. I have used also the time to meet friends and have the great time shopping, eating and having a great time with all my friends. These days are busy, from lunches to cookie exchanges to Christmas parties, I think I will have around 6 parties before Christmas but I am picking up and choosing some of them as need to be realistic and can not go to all of them.
Also have got the house ready for all the Camino visitors this Christmas, have two trees in the house, all decorations up and all presents under the tree (well...except Ethan's ones that are hidden). I can not wait to see my parents in two days and looking forward to enjoy a very special Christmas.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)