L is for less burn

I saw my radiation doctor this morning and he says it looks to be healing well and less swelling. I have been feeling the affects of the last week of treatment , so I get woken up at least once a night with a burning feeling - I put lotion on and it settles down. I think it is just going to keep getting better. The doctor wants to see me in 2 weeks and thinks that the wound should be closed by May.

The boys and I spent spring break in Newport and had a fun time with my Aunt Ginny and my Mom. We went to the beach, aquarium, marine science center and undersea garden. It was rainy, but we still had to have ice cream. I hope to continue to work on my thankful list and am also working on entering the Pillsbury bake-off.

L is for less worries

My tests at OHSU all came out clear for cancer today! CAT scan of lungs took less than 10 minutes and MRI of ankle and foot took 2 hours! I am so glad to be home. I will need to have the test again in July and then every 4 months for the next 2 years. The skin on my ankle is healing well, but it was funny to see the reaction from my orthopaedic oncology doctor today - I think it was the funkiest thing he had seen all day.

L is for LAST ONE!

I had my last radiation treatment today. Not sure it is a good sign that it was on Friday the 13th. I am still feeling good and ready to get on with my life. Have a great weekend!

L is for last five

I just returned from my radiation treatment. I will just need to do this week and the doctor says I probably won't feel the effects until April 1st. My skin has healed well and all the doctor's staff were amazed at how much better it looked - it still has an open wound at the surgery site, but that should just keep getting better and then get a little worse and then better - the doctor thinks by May it will look good. I have a follow-up appointment with him on March 31st. I still will go to OHSU on March 18th for a CAT scan of my lungs and an MRI of my ankle. Keep up the prayers - I am doing very well!

46 - 50 on Thankful List

46. Socks - the other day my feet were very cold and I actually put on socks - I have not worn socks since December. My skin has healed so well that I only needed a band aid.

47. Boxtops / Soup Labels - I am the coordinator for my boys school, so I have been kept busy cutting and counting. I enjoyed having friends over to help and we collected over 6,000 boxtops and 4,000 labels. Wow!

48. Rain - We have had some hard rain over the last week and I really enjoy hearing it pound on the windows! The funny thing is it reminded me of Wisconsin more than Oregon.

49. Teeth - Luke lost another tooth - it was a top one, so now his other top tooth is very crooked - it is hard to keep a serious face when talking with him. Jake just went on a pre-school field trip to the dentist - Grandma Joyce got to go too!

50. Seriously - This is Jake's new favorite word - it is so cute hearing it from a 4 year old. Seriously Mom I want cereal for breakfast, seriously!

Have a great weekend!

L is for Lisa gets to decide

I met with my radiation Doctor this morning. He says that my skin is healing well. Last week it blistered and then drained. He said to come back in two weeks and I can decide if I want more treatments. Studies show that 6,000 units is what you need - I have had 5,000. It could have gotten all the cancer, but there is no way to know - if I get another tumor they would want to amputate. So...I can get 1,000 more units (5 treatments) or just be done. My first thought was Yeah! I am all done, but since I have thought about it and feel like I am healing well I say BRING IT ON!

L is for luminary

This week I attended our first meeting for our Relay for Life team - we walked with a team from the boys school (Whitworth Elementary) last May. For those of you who don't know Relay for Life raises money to fight cancer. I enjoyed this event last year and we bought and decorated luminary bags for Bud's Dad and my Mom - these candle bags are lined up around the track and then are lite so you can see them as your walk during the night - it was very touching to find each bag. This year I know I will make a bag for myself - I also know that when I find it on the track I will break down in tears. I will be grateful that I will be able to walk and that my Mom is still living a full and happy life, but I know I will cry for the loss of Bud's Dad - he had a wonderful life, but we still miss him. The event will again be in May and our team is working on fundraising - we plan to do a garage sale and car wash. I am adjusting to the fact that I am one of the people everyone is fighting for, but I will keep walking, fighting, praying and laughing!