Hi everyone 🙂 Sorry for the long space between posts.

Well I’ve been to the family Dr a couple of times since the radiation was completed. I was told by all Drs that the radiation would continue to make changes in me for 2-3 weeks and I could expect that the skin would continue to change. Well it did, the skin under the breast had continued to redden and get angry looking, and finally the skin broke down. When I saw my family Dr she looked at it and said “ouch”. She advised me to try canesten cream on the area x 2 days, because it’s just the sort of place yeast likes to go. I did that, and it did seem to be helping some, but the skin continued to break down and be open, with blisters and open areas, so I started on the flamazine cream that I had been prescribed as well. (They told me not to use it unless area’s became the size of quarter or so and open) .  My family Dr advised I start taking it after the 2 days of canestin and so I did. After about 2 days of that, it felt so much better and the angriness of it started to subside. Now it’s still healing but it’s much more comfortable.

I still am feeling some fatigue but am hopeful that it will lift soon. I am at about 60% of my normal energy levels, but am on a stretch of days off now so hopefully that time will allow more rest and the levels to rise. I am starting back to work, which for me is a blessing. I feel like me being back to work gives me some normalcy back. It’s been a strange year healthwise and I can’t say it’s been easy. I am hoping the worst of it is done. Since last June 2010 = pinched nerve C6-7, still ongoing numbness in fingers of right hand from that,  Vaginal bleeding x 2 out of the blue, gyne consult and 3 pelvic US and 1 surgery (D&C) , Torn Left knee MCL (partial tear), routine mammogram and that showed the cancer, then repeat US’s, biopsyx5, then surgery Jan 11, Surgery Feb 1 as metastases to lymph node, then 5 weeks of radiation and 5-6 boost shots, fatigue throughout and continuing, my dad died Feb 22nd, so I flew home to be with my mum, sister and brother… and so now I am finished all of the treatments, and am on pills x 5 yrs, and get blood work done every 6 months or so. Plus I’ll have to have more frequent mammograms.

The hope is, that the cancer that spread to the  1 lymph node, did not even microscopically go elsewhere in my body. The hope is that I am cancer free. 🙂 Once this breast heals up, I will feel like I’ve jumped the hurdle and am back on the road to health.

I am doing a gradual return to work to see if I can get back to my regular hours. I have done a couple of 4 hr shifts and I’ll admit I was surprised at how tired I felt after each of them. I am doing another block of 4 hr shifts, and then will gradually increase so that I am back to doing my 12 hr shifts. It feels good to be going back, and I’ve been gone 4 months so there is some catching up to do, but it will be alright. 🙂

Thanks everyone who has called or phoned or visited, and helped me through this. It’s been one hell of a long haul. I hope it’s over!

…Pam…