Outstanding Patient
Certificate of Appreciation
is hereby granted to:
Mrs FlightTest
Best wishes for your health and
happiness!
Your Radiation Therapy Team

I did have 2 days extra off from radiation, Friday the 7^th & Monday the 10^th of July due to the extent of the burn and the fact that on a scale of 1 to 10 my pain was at about 11!!! I was prescribed silvadene cream & lidocaine 5% ointment. The stuff is great and it worked wonders. The last 6 days of treatment were what they call a “boost”. The radiation was more focused on the area where the tumor was and did not penetrate as deeply. But yesterday I noticed lovely blisters that oozed yellow crap all over my bra, likewise it happened today and the smaller one actually bleed a teensy tinsy bit. A call to the radiation oncologist gave me <sarcasm>relief</sarcasm> as he let me know that it is possible that the skin reaction would actually become worse over the next few days, but then should calm down. Gave me the symptoms to watch for that would warrant another call and/or visit to his office. Oh the joy never ends!

Fortunately I do not glow in the dark. However, my right breast was red as a lobster for awhile & the burns caused a great deal of pain. I only took 2 partial days off from work due to the burns though. For those who are curious as to how icky they looked, you can see for yourself. But be warned, these may not be safe for work or SO's, if you've just eaten, are getting ready to eat or are faint of heart. OK so maybe I'm exaggerating a bit, but don't say I didn't warn you. Be sure you really, really want to see it before you click.

Burns under my arm

Another view of the underarm

The area under my breast didn't hurt until later when the skin peeled more, but we failed to get a picture of it at its worst.

It was actually redder than this at one point, but after a few days without radiation the color started to fade a little.

These are the newest blisters, this pic taken just a few minutes ago, they are not oozing as much as they were yesterday.

Lopsidedness:
This may contain TMI, so consider yourself duly warned before you continue to read this section. It is now evident that my breasts no longer match in size. Depending on what I am wearing it is more or less noticeable. I have to “arrange” the girls to get the proper headlight alignment. If I just plop them into the bra, they do not match. My cleavage will never be the same again. At a later date I will post some before and after pics in the same bras or tops for comparison, right now I am still too sore to be sporting anything but a really comfy bra.

Outback:
As you may already know if you have read FT's diary, we have a new car. I really, really, really like the fact that I can set the temperature on my side at 65 if I want. Dual climate control really rocks. The moon/sun roof is cool too, but since I'm not supposed to hang out in the sun for about a year, we only open it at night. It could have more storage area in the passenger compartment, but overall, I am glad we got it. It is very comfy to drive.

Bullet:
Again, if you read FT's diary you already know about my dad's new dog, but here is another pic anyway. I think he is beautiful. Although his hindquarters don't seem to be quite big enough for the rest of his body. From what my dad says, this dog is quite the character. He follows my dad everywhere and is already very attached to him. He also likes to help my dad. When my dad is out in the yard (he has an acre of land) looking for gopher holes so he can set traps, Bullet helps him by digging the hole out!! His other dog, Lucky lets him know when a gopher gets caught in the trap! Bullet also helps dad “rake up” the horse manure! I am really glad my dad got the dog and it seems that Bullet is bringing a lot of enjoyment to my dad. I know he still really misses his horse, but he has a new buddy to help keep his mind off the loss.

FlightTest:
I have the absolute best husband in the world. He has been so wonderful during all of my treatment. I know that he is worried about me, he is afraid to touch me for fear of hurting me. I feel so bad for him. I know this has been hard on him as well, but there doesn't seem to be any type of “treatment” for the husband. I have been moody, irritable, and tired ever since I got the diagnosis. In fact, I haven't slept through the night yet since getting that awful call from my doctor. FT has gone to many of my appointments with me, he runs out and gets me whatever I want, be it a movie or food. I think he should get the spouse of the year award for taking such good care of me and putting up with me through all of this. He really hasn't complained much either. I want everyone to know I LOVE FLIGHTTEST!! He is the bestest hunny evar!

Review:
Had my 3 month review yesterday. My new boss absolutely loves me and I get to stay!!! The job as Administrative Assistant is so much less stress than the billing job I had I cannot believe it. Plus one really nice thing is that I have so many varied duties, the job doesn't get monotonous. I have even been able to work some from home when needed. I like all of the people and they all seem to like me. It is a bit different from what I have done in the past, but I really believe this was a great move for me.

Adoption:
We only have 2 more parenting classes to go, then our formal “training” will be done. We had our physicals last week and got the stamp of approval from our doctor that we are suitable for use as parents. So far we have gotten CPR & First Aid certified, gotten our fingerprints done and the physicals. We still need to get our DMV printouts, make copies of our proof of insurance, marriage license, divorce decrees, complete our questionnaires (really more like autobiographies - what life was like for us growing up, our family life & why we want to adopt, etc), and complete the form indicating what type of child we want. Once we get all that done, we still need to clean up the house, have our individual interviews with the social worker, then finally our home study. If all of that passes muster, we create a photo album for potential children to look at so they can decide if they might want us as parents, then finally we get to meet a child that may one day call us mom and dad.

Education:
I only have about 5 or 6 classes to finish my AA in Small Business Administration. I have been working on this 2 year degree since Spring of 2002!! Wonder if I will actually finish or not. A lot will depend on if/when we get the kidlet. For Fall 2006 I will be taking ECON Macro and the fitness PE class again. The ECON class is online except for the orientation, midterm & final which take place on campus on Saturday. I don't mind, it will make it easier for me I hope.

The End

P.S. If I bore you to sleep or tears, it is your own fault. You should know by now that I am boring!