18 August, 2012

Lots has happened since my last post.  I had my port removed.  When I had my port implanted in February, the anesthesia didn't work and I felt the entire procedure.  Unfortunately, the same thing happened this time, but I hardly even cared; I was just glad to get rid of my port, which had caused me trouble the entire time I had it!

As I mentioned in my previous post, my doctor found a pulmonary embolism, or a blood clot in my lung.  To make sure the clot dissolves and to ensure that another one doesn't form, my doctor put me on an anticoagulant called coumadin for six weeks.  It takes a while for the medication to get into my system and for them to figure out exactly what dose I need, so in the meantime, I had to take painful shots twice a day.  The doctors originally told me I would need to take the shots for five days, but they tested my blood and the medicine wasn't in my system yet.  When they told me I needed to continue the shots, I broke down and cried, right there in the doctor's office.  This was very uncharacteristic for me, as I usually am not a crier, but in this case, I'm glad I did.  I think the doctor felt sorry because she told me I could take the shots once a day instead of twice.  It's taken three weeks to get my correct dose figured out, so instead of having ten shots (twice a day for five days), I had twenty-three shots!  But I am glad to report that I am now on the correct dose of coumadin and no longer need shots.  I have about three more weeks of taking the medication and then hopefully I'll be done with all my medical issues!

On a more positive note, I had an ice cream social to celebrate being cancer free.  Thanks so much to everyone who came!  I also had several friends tell me they were eating ice cream in my honor from across the country.  And my cousin Kristie made me a batch of adorable cookies that she sent from NYC.  You can check out her website here.  It was so great to have a celebration, which finally gave me a sense of closure regarding my battle with cancer.  I finally feel like life can get back to normal and I can begin to move on.



Katherine, Adam, and Maureen celebrating in Atlanta
I'm also excited to report that my family and I are leaving our house at 4:00am tomorrow morning and heading to Alaska for two weeks!  This will be our first family vacation in six years. I cannot wait!  I'll be sure to tell you everything and post some photos when I return!

xoxo
Lauren