Update
It was pointed out to me recently that I haven't posted in a while. So an update:
About three weeks ago I was diagnosed with severe anemia, probably caused by my recent cancer treatment. (Both severe hypothyroidism and radiation cause anemia). I'd been in denial about feeling bad and getting worse for a couple of months, and refused to even consider going to the doctor until I started losing my balance and needing to sleep 18 hours a day. Stupid. I'm feeling a lot better today. So at least I'm on the upswing. I don't feel like sick chick today. That's a bonus I'm grateful for.
On the cancer front: at 6 months post radiation, I'm still reading cancer-free. I'm off the "every three months" schedule to once a year, which shows you just how unworried my endocrinologist is about me. An ideal resolution to what has been a textbook treatment process. For the record: when someone tells you that a certain treatment is easy, remember that no cancer treatment is easy on your body. It's more of less easy for the doctors to conduct, and requires more or less direct intervention from hospitals and doctors, but cancer treatment is hell on your body. I'm very happy it's over, and the idea of ever having to go through it all again could very well give me a mental breakdown. (That's not a good "cancer survivor" attitude, is it!)
I'm feeling relatively at peace with my cancer survivorship status; I'm interested in getting more involved in Relay for Life (both in the real world and in Second Life. I've bonded with other folks with the label. I have forgiven my body for the bad things its done, and I'm grateful to it for the things it didn't let happen to me (using calcification to prevent metastases, for instance, and for keeping my malignancy differentiated and easy to treat). I'm interested in talking about what it's like to have cancer and raising awareness in general; not about cancer (everyone knows about cancer) but actually about how many of us survive and go on to be productive members of society. Everyone dies eventually; lots of people who have had cancer do go back to having normal lives, and the incredible fear that comes along with cancer is way out of proportion. I want people to see how many of us have been through it and are still around and making the world a better place.
In other news, I'm heading off to Copenhagen tomorrow for a week-long conference on internet research. My newly-acquired husband is a founding member of the association hosting the conference, so he'll be there as well, which is great because we live in different countries right now. I'm really looking forward to it. That conference is tons of fun, and hey, who says no to Copenhagen?
My darling cat, Horatio, is going to stay with a friend for the week. Right now he's curled up on his chair by the window, completely unaware of the fact that, in a few short hours, I'm going to quickly and quietly dump him into his carrier and he will be whisked away. Hopefully one day he will learn to forgive me.
I've been watching star trek episodes at work, starting with season 7 and working backwards. I'm on season 5 now. I've got two monitors, so I keep the episode at the farthest corner from me. It plays in the background, and since I've seen every episode, they're just comforting. The people I work with have taken to looking at my screen through the window and guessing which episode I'm watching. Work is awesome, and I can't quite believe how lucky I am. Not only do I have what is certainly the best job for my personality, my employer and my co-workers have been incredibly understanding about my on-again off-again health. I guess this is one of the bonuses to having a terrible diagnosis (not so terrible though, really!)
The husband sent me a 6-month-iversary present; a glowing little shy guy (him) that flickers colours and light in response to sounds. Also a guide to touring Amsterdam, Brussels and Bruges, which is where we're going for our "honeymoon" right after christmas. The distance thing? Not so bad. Not when we're both online constantly, employing twitter, flickr, IRC, IM, Second Life, and blogs on a regular basis. It's like he's right there...except...that he's not making dishes for me to wash. :) Looking forward to hanging out with him in Copenhagen, though.
I'm doing American Thanksgiving with his family in Ohio. His mother has cats. 12 cats. TWELVE CATS. She rescues them and then can't part with him. You gotta love a woman with 12 cats.
So how are you?
About three weeks ago I was diagnosed with severe anemia, probably caused by my recent cancer treatment. (Both severe hypothyroidism and radiation cause anemia). I'd been in denial about feeling bad and getting worse for a couple of months, and refused to even consider going to the doctor until I started losing my balance and needing to sleep 18 hours a day. Stupid. I'm feeling a lot better today. So at least I'm on the upswing. I don't feel like sick chick today. That's a bonus I'm grateful for.
On the cancer front: at 6 months post radiation, I'm still reading cancer-free. I'm off the "every three months" schedule to once a year, which shows you just how unworried my endocrinologist is about me. An ideal resolution to what has been a textbook treatment process. For the record: when someone tells you that a certain treatment is easy, remember that no cancer treatment is easy on your body. It's more of less easy for the doctors to conduct, and requires more or less direct intervention from hospitals and doctors, but cancer treatment is hell on your body. I'm very happy it's over, and the idea of ever having to go through it all again could very well give me a mental breakdown. (That's not a good "cancer survivor" attitude, is it!)
I'm feeling relatively at peace with my cancer survivorship status; I'm interested in getting more involved in Relay for Life (both in the real world and in Second Life. I've bonded with other folks with the label. I have forgiven my body for the bad things its done, and I'm grateful to it for the things it didn't let happen to me (using calcification to prevent metastases, for instance, and for keeping my malignancy differentiated and easy to treat). I'm interested in talking about what it's like to have cancer and raising awareness in general; not about cancer (everyone knows about cancer) but actually about how many of us survive and go on to be productive members of society. Everyone dies eventually; lots of people who have had cancer do go back to having normal lives, and the incredible fear that comes along with cancer is way out of proportion. I want people to see how many of us have been through it and are still around and making the world a better place.
In other news, I'm heading off to Copenhagen tomorrow for a week-long conference on internet research. My newly-acquired husband is a founding member of the association hosting the conference, so he'll be there as well, which is great because we live in different countries right now. I'm really looking forward to it. That conference is tons of fun, and hey, who says no to Copenhagen?
My darling cat, Horatio, is going to stay with a friend for the week. Right now he's curled up on his chair by the window, completely unaware of the fact that, in a few short hours, I'm going to quickly and quietly dump him into his carrier and he will be whisked away. Hopefully one day he will learn to forgive me.
I've been watching star trek episodes at work, starting with season 7 and working backwards. I'm on season 5 now. I've got two monitors, so I keep the episode at the farthest corner from me. It plays in the background, and since I've seen every episode, they're just comforting. The people I work with have taken to looking at my screen through the window and guessing which episode I'm watching. Work is awesome, and I can't quite believe how lucky I am. Not only do I have what is certainly the best job for my personality, my employer and my co-workers have been incredibly understanding about my on-again off-again health. I guess this is one of the bonuses to having a terrible diagnosis (not so terrible though, really!)
The husband sent me a 6-month-iversary present; a glowing little shy guy (him) that flickers colours and light in response to sounds. Also a guide to touring Amsterdam, Brussels and Bruges, which is where we're going for our "honeymoon" right after christmas. The distance thing? Not so bad. Not when we're both online constantly, employing twitter, flickr, IRC, IM, Second Life, and blogs on a regular basis. It's like he's right there...except...that he's not making dishes for me to wash. :) Looking forward to hanging out with him in Copenhagen, though.
I'm doing American Thanksgiving with his family in Ohio. His mother has cats. 12 cats. TWELVE CATS. She rescues them and then can't part with him. You gotta love a woman with 12 cats.
So how are you?