Life With Lydia
Volume 1: Cocktails
2011-04-01
I am sending this note to a number of personal friends so if you already know this, don’t worry, Lydia is NOT going senile. This is not an April Fools joke!
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People ask me “How am I feeling?” every day.
I am fine. Nothing has happened. I am taking a little pill each day to keep the boogies away and it has, as yet, no effect on my general health.
But- Cocktails are on the way. I picked up my anti-nausea medicine this afternoon.
Last December, I had my annual mammogram and a lump was found. Nothing new. I have had bits and pieces cut or suctioned out since 1973.
This one was a little different. It just appeared suddenly. My primary physician, in the midst of retiring in December, said “Lydia, we should do something rather than wait. Do you have a surgeon?” A rather odd question to ask the patient, but I responded, “Let’s use the one from before. We already have a relationship.”
Everyone was away over Christmas, so I went to my surgeon in early January and scheduled surgery for early February.
Of course, I caught the flu and gave it to Charles. I made a resolution. I am NOT going back to an SSPC convention in Las Vegas. This is the second SSPC convention in Las Vegas. I came home with the flu both times.
Surgery for the lump was Feb 21. It was malignant, but all CANCER cells were contained in the lump. Nothing elsewhere- no lymph node involvement, no margin involvement. A great success.
But- cocktails are on the way.
There is a procedure to reduce re-occurrence of cancer in the whole body. I was given a little pill for estrogen sensitive cancer. I was promised a side effect of hot flashes, which didn’t really bother me as I already have hot flashes. Then a follow-up report came in. The little pill won’t really be effective against this type of cancer.
Yesterday, the oncologist and I discussed the change. I go in for four treatments of a chemical cocktail once every three weeks, starting on April 6, and again on April 27th. This doesn’t sound nearly as much fun. But I have an excuse to take a nap whenever I like. I am told the typical patient can continue to work, but be prepared to be dragging.
Keep in mind, this is the current routine protocol for people who had all of the cells removed.
I am bulking up by eating popcorn for the time when I will lose my appetite. I can gain 3 pounds a day on one bag of popcorn. Sunday, Charles, Ed, Rita, and I are going to see Osage County at Zachary Scott Theater. I plan to bulk up on wine and good company that day.
I’ll let you know how the days are progressing. In the meantime, I keep on working. I enjoy what I am doing. I am trying to balance technical brain-dead engineering with creative novel writing and publishing. The garden is coming along nicely.
