Saturday, Oct 29th

Hello to all of you out there who still may be checking on this blog from time to time.  I'm currently sitting in the airport on my way to Boise, Idaho.  I know, why Boise?  Rileigh, my niece, will be there with her college soccer team to play soccer.  We also have a cousin who lives there who we will be visiting and staying with.

I have been doing well.  I had my 6 month post-chemo appointment and blood work last week and all was normal.  I've been doing a lot to greatly improve my nutrition.  I'm now juicing every morning for breakfast: carrot, celery, 1/2 grapefruit, and romaine lettuce.  YUM!!!  I'm trying to do everything from the earth (all natural, no preservatives) and overall all food choices with a nutritional value.  I went to a wonderful workshop last weekend called The Cancer Fighting Kitchen. Blew my mind.  Even got me thinking about going to Naturopath school to become a doctor in naturopath medicine.  Not sure if I'm ready to go back to school, even though I'm always studying new things.  Either way I know my time with traditional western medicine is on the short path.  I will eventually be doing something more holistic rather than furthering the future of pharmaceuticals and extreme means for healing the body and mind.  The holistic way takes a lot more energy on the patient's part, but I feel it is the path for my future.

I've not had any hours at the Fremont Kaiser job the past couple of weeks so have been back to the gym regularly.  Some work-outs/classes I do okay and others are the biggest joke ever.  I did Pilates for the first time in over a year last week and someone should have seriously had a video camera on me for everyone to have a good laugh.  My body was drastically limited in being able to move the multiple ways the instructor was requesting of us.  I am happy to say a few days later I did a Boot Camp class and was able to jump rope for a whole minute straight.  This is a first with the neuropathy in my feet.  I continue to have sessions with Sandy on a weekly basis to help the neuropathy.

These past few weeks and the weeks to come have been a bit of an emotional struggle being this is the time of year, last year, that I was struggling so bad.  It's like having an anniversary of a death.  My ultimate call of plea to Dr. Probst with the unbearable pain happened on Nov 8th and my first surgery on Nov 11th.  It's incredibly hard to think about how desperate I felt during those days. MerriAnn has been working on some healing meditations to help me clear the negative cell memory revolving around these events. I continue to see the Acupuncturist every 1-2 weeks.

I hope you are all doing well.  Please keep healthy and active.  I've thought about creating a format to log my exercise/nutritional habits and information for those who want to follow.  Many of you have expressed to me how my daily walking, despite where I was in my chemo, inspired you to also increase your activity level.  I would love to be the inspiration in helping more people to get active and therefore healthy.  Let me know if any of you out there would like me to set this up.  I think it would help me to stay on track also.

Well they are starting to set up boarding for my flight.  Here is wellness to all of you.  I continue to thank you for all of your love and support.
Denise

Denise's 40th Birthday

On Sunday, September 18th family and friends help Denise celebrate her 40th birthday along with Rileigh's 19th birthday.  Here's a photo of Rileigh and Denise preparing to make their wishes and blow out the candles. 

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Wow, again it's been a long time since I've posted to my blog.  I continue to receive all the alternative medical treatments to help overcome the chemo side effects.  Besides fitting in a few walks a week, I continue to work out at the gym to build up my stamina.  I returned to work part time (3 days a week) a few weeks ago at Kaiser in Fremont.  It's exhausting to say the least.

I'm on a regiment to have a check up every three months for two years with my surgical oncologist.  I will have the CA 125 test every three months also.  As long as I am symptom free, I won't have any additionals test or check ups.  At three years, I will see the doctor every six months and the fifth year once a year.

I had many of you voice that you can't post a comment and I don't know why this is happening.  Feel free to contact me via text or phone.  I look forward to hearing from you.

Monday, Aug 8th, CT NORMAL

Hello to all of you.  I hope you are doing well.  It has been awhile since I've posted so I thought I would touch base with all of my supporters out there.  I am pleased to announce that my CT Scan done the end of July was normal.  I am on schedule to start work again next week with orientation at the new job.  Other than the commute, I am excited about the new opportunity.
I continue to see all of my alternative practitioners: acupuncture, healing meditations, neuro-reflex therapy, chiropractor and now lymphatic drainage.  I continue to walk with my mom.  I have also now started to swim laps again and did Zumba for the first time in almost a year, this past weekend. It felt great.  I needed to take a nap shortly after coming home, but at least I made it through the class.
I continue to look forward to all of your messages and would love to visit with any of you if you haven't seen me in awhile.  Hope you have an enjoyable time these last few weeks of summer.  I love the warm weather, so I'm going to hate to see the summer come to an end.
Thank you again for your love and support,
Denise

Tuesday, July 19th: Hello

Just wanted to say hello to all of you following the blog.  I've been doing pretty well.  Still trying to get the aches and pains of my joints and muscles under better control.  I continue to work with Sandy regarding my neuropathy.  I do feel like it is improving some, but still quite bothersome. I've developed a tendonitis of my left thumb that has been quite bothersome so I'm wearing a brace to remind me not to use it.  Dr. Shen is giving me some extra needles during my acupuncture sessions to help with that.  I have a CT scan this Thursday, which will serve as my new baseline, minus all the things surgically removed and minus the intraperitoneal port.  True to my nature the incision from the port removal is not healing well.  I had a reaction to the glue and had a rash for a couple of weeks.  The rash is now gone, but my body is "spitting" out the glue, so to speak and leaving the wound open.  So it will most likely heal secondarily and take a couple of months.  It doesn't hurt so that is good, but I'm afraid to go back to swimming laps for fear of infection.  Mom and I continue to go for walks almost daily and I am now doing Wii each day.  I hope to try Zumba at the gym sometime soon.
My other big news is that my hair is growing back.  I actually have gone in public with no hair accessory several times in the past week.  Becky says I just look like one of those "bad-ass girls" so I'll take that as a good sign. 
I officially resigned from my job at Planned Parenthood and took a job with Hayward/Fremont Kaiser as an "on-call" basis .  It will be doing phone assessments on patients about to have surgery.  About 15-20% of the patients will need an actual physical but otherwise the job should have very little demand on me physically.  I am a bit worried about the commute, but it is an "on-call" job so I will be able to control how many hours I accept to a certain degree. 
I hope you are all having a great summer.  I will post again once I know my CT results.  Thank you again for all of your support, kind thoughts/words/prayers and for being in my life.
Denise

Tuesday, July 5th

Happy Late 4th of July!  I hope everyone had a fun and safe holiday.  Thank you to Andie and Jenn for hosting a barbecue after I claimed I had no 4th of July party to attend.  Dana and Bobby (my sister and brother-in-law) usually have an annual 4th party but this year they traveled down to Southern California to visit Robert (my nephew).
Today was my post-op appointment with Dr. Chen in Walnut Creek.  She is not completely pleased with how the incision is healing.  In the past, I've had reactions to steri strips (the little pieces of tape they use to close a wound).  Because of this she closed the wound with medical glue.  Well, it seems my body does not like it either.  The area around my wound has been red and very itchy and it seems the wound has been expelling the glue and is trying to open up.  So I'm going to try to use the steri strips for a few days with the hope that it will be enough to close the wound without causing a reaction.
Due to my issues with pain and fatigue she extended my disability a little longer with the new date to return to work as August 1st.  She also said if I'm still having issues as that date comes closer to let her know and we can re-evaluate yet again.  I've realized I'm really fearful of returning to work because I feel like the healing I'm trying so hard to achieve in all areas of my life right now, will come to a halt or stop once I return to work, even if it is less hours.
I am sure there is much more I could reveal or discuss, but it is getting late now and I'm having trouble thinking so will post more later.  Hope all of you out there are doing well,
Denise

June 27, 2011 Post Surgery

Mom/Joan here.  Surgical removal of the lower port was performed quickly and without incident.  Whew!  All the staff and doctors were so nice and efficient.  We were on our way home before noon and no traffic problems. 

Traveling to Walnut Creek at 5:30 a.m. was another situation.  I have great compassion for those who commute.  Our average speed was 15-20 mph for one-third of the way!  We arrived just in time for her admin time.

Denise asked I post another photo of Dr. Oliver as he too deserves much credit for her well being and healing!  Thanks to all for your love, support and healing thoughts.