My Mother's Journey Through Breast Cancer: Radiation to the Present

I can't hold it in so I'm gonna have to skip around a little bit - SHE'S DONE WITH ALL THERAPY TREATMENTS!!!!!!!!!

Radiation was a breeze other than it lasted 5-6 weeks Monday thru Friday and the severe burns it caused on her skin. She had to have special deodorant and lotion to ease the itching and awkward smells - lol...

My mom also quit smoking for good! I quit too, but it's been pretty rough. I thank the good Lord every day for Scott and I getting along better since the divorce because I am having troubles with the smoking. But anyways, it ain't about me...LMFAO!

There were a couple weeks Mom had run out of her anti-depressant and went 48 hours without sleep - TWICE - and that combined with quitting smoking, plus the fact her and I don't always see eye to eye...yeeeeeeah, you can just about guess there were a few blowups. She recognized something wasn't right and she asked for her to be put back on the meds herself. I have to admit that was my proudest moment of her! She recognized things were rough, not only for her, but for all the people around her when she wasn't on the anti-depressants. All is good now. She starts her implant "inflation" on Thursday of this week, hopefully. All us girls (and my Dad) are trying to convince her that she'll be happier with C's instead of small B's like she had before. I don't care, I just want her to be happy. Well, I don't care as long as she doesn't go all Pamela Anderson on me...

She's actually on a hormone therapy now. The drug is called Tamoxifen. She has to be on it for, at least, five years. Even though she has gone through menopause because of the chemotherapy, the Tamoxifen can cause her to go through menopause, again. It can even cause her to start her periods again, which is actually a BAD sign, according to Doctor Mayer. As far as Doctor Mayer is concerned though, Mom will not have to be on the Tamoxifen for the rest of her life. This is, however, something we have to take in stride.

Mom has started back to work. I think she feels more normal again. Her hair is really, REALLY, REALLY curly now. It makes me jealous even though my hair is rather curly too. She seems happier and attended the Relay for Life in Mooresville because she felt terrible during the Komen for the Cure event. She can actually pick Raigen up, which she hasn't been able to do in almost a year because of the cancer treatments and surgeries. She has been a trooper and has made it through a lot. Honestly, the hardest part for her, in my opinion, was that the people she thought would and should care about what she's going through, didn't and the people she'd even forgot about came out of the woodwork and supported her through and through!

We've been having a Girl's Night with Polly Newlin, Patty McGowan and Sandy Tristler once a month. Mom has loved every single second of it. It's good for all of us to hang out together considering all the history involved. Next Girl's Night - July 12th at Polly's house...because Applebee's is WAY too family oriented for us...ROTFLMFAO!!!!!