Amber Chase's Musings on Cancer and Life

To start off, thank you everyone for letting me know that you still check up on me, and enjoy reading my ramblings.  I really appreciate all of your support!!!!

I had a really good week.  My energy is finally starting to return, and I can actually go a whole day without having to take a nap.  Of course, I over-do it for several days in a row, and then I crash for a day or so.  I just need to have patience.

We had another birthday in the family last week.  Abby turned 8.  She wanted a Hannah Montana birthday party.  Abby is a very friendly child, and so she invited 24 girls to her party. That was fine with me because I figured only half would come.  Um, wrong.  We ended up with 18 giggling, crazy, hyper, enthusiastic, energetic girls.  It was very fun, but wore me right out.  I had hoped for good weather that day, so we could have the party outside, but it was a cold windy day.  So, we were stuck inside.  Luckily my house was still standing after the party. 

I gave a talk in church on Sunday about how hope in Christ can help us to have optimism.  I am much more comfortable writing my feelings than speaking in public.  I spent hours and hours preparing my talk, and then I just ended up blubbering for 10 minutes.  When I sat down after my talk, I couldn't even remember what I had said.  Several people told me they enjoyed my talk, though.  The gist of my talk was that when times are hard, if we trust in Jesus Christ, we can have hope that everything will work out.  All of our trials, and heartaches, are learning experiences.  As we go through these trials, if we can have faith, we can receive the help we need to endure our trials well.  Sometimes we bring our trials on ourselves, and sometimes they just happen (like getting cancer).  That is the purpose of this life.  If we never had sorrows or hard times, we wouldn't have joy or  appreciate the good times. 

I had my cancer treatments again today.  It was a really long day at the hospital  and I am exhausted.  My stomach already is upset, and I feel lousy.  But even though that is bad, my sister was kind enough to watch my boys today, my neighbor brought dinner tonight, and a friend is watching the little boys tomorrow so I can rest.  And while I was at the hospital today, my house was cleaned top to bottom by another friend.  So even though I don't enjoy feeling yucky, I am continually blessed by the help and support from friends and family.  I couldn't do it without all of you!!!!!!!!!!!

It has been a couple of weeks since I updated my blog.  I didn't know if anyone really ever reads this anymore, but I have been gently scolded by a few people for not posting, so here I am.

It was 11 months ago today that I was diagnosed with cancer.  WOW!!!  When I was diagnosed, I didn't think I would be here for another spring, yet here I am. 

My last cancer treatment of Herceptin and Zometa was 9 days ago.  My oncologist is going to do both drugs every time to see if I can't get more pain relief from the bone mets.  Dan went with me to my appointment, and told the doctor about my side effects from treatment, so they changed my premeds, and added steroids again.  I felt a lot better.  I should have complained a long time ago, and had these changes made months ago.

The doctor also adjusted my pain meds, so hopefully my pain can be managed better and I can do more.  The only problem with taking stronger pain meds, is they make me even more tired.  So I have to decide if I want to be limited in what I can do because of pain, or if I want to be limited in what I do because I am groggy, out of it, and tired.  So, I am trying different combos of pain pills at different times of day.  The doctor told me that eventually I will get a tolerance for the drugs so they won't make me so out of it.

My hair is growing nicely.  It is SOOOOO curly.  I look like a poodle.  Dan is also growing his hair back.  He looks great.  I think the guys he works with who are missing hair are jealous that he is growing hair, and they're not.

So there is my update for those who are curious.  Thanks for caring!!!!!! (And I mean that sincerely!)