Tennis Elbow

For the last week my left elbow has been giving me twinges. Last weekend it was giving me fits. One time I reached over to the end table by my recliner to get my glass of tea with my left arm and it just said "NO!" It hurt so bad, I had to just put it down. So I nursed it the rest of the weekend and called my oncologist to see about it.

The Herceptin I'm taking can cause arthritis, as can the other poisons they gave me during chemo. They told me to take Tylenol brand placebos or Motrin and if it swells or gets worse to come see Dr. Brooks.

But I'm feeling stronger every day and the radiation areas are healing great. I was prepared to have tanned, orange-peel skin. I do have some extra freckles now that I didn't have before, but other than that, I am so thankful for how the radiation went!

Happy 5th Birthday, Hailey!

Hailey Christine Smith was born on September 19, 2002 at St. Luke's Hospital in San Antonio, Texas. She was born at 5:07 a.m. and weighed 8 lb 10 oz and was 20.75 inches. Hailey, you are so precious to us! Love you, Granny & Granddad

See Spot Run

Today is 4 days since I've had radiation. And I'm much better with each passing day. I'm still soaking each night with the Domeboro--it is amazing at how it takes away the heat from the skin. It's all starting to itch, which is a good thing. My nurse told me it would start to itch when it started healing up. I'm still pink, but it's not bright red now and doesn't hurt like it did. My back even has a big pink spot on it where the radiation went all the way through me. I'm just hoping for NO freckles out of this. . . . one side spotted and the other plain. Hmmmmmmm. . .

Happy Birthday, Kelly!

Kelly turned 34 today! He asked me if I could believe that I had a child that was 34----what is really hard to believe is that I have a granddaughter who is 10!!! This picture is a five generation taken in January 1974. Holding him is Laura Swaringen, his great-great grandmother; to my left is Cristol Swaringen, his granddad; to his left is C C Swaringen, Kelly's great-granddad. How fast the time flies!

We love you, Kelly Ray, and are so proud of you. Mom & Dad

Woo-Hoo! Radiation is Over!!! I'm Done!

Today I took the 28th radiation treatment to end that journey of my cancer treatment. I was so excited. And I’m very thankful that I didn’t get any blisters or open sores. With my fair skin I just knew that was a given. But all the goop I kept slathered on the tender areas got me through it in pretty good shape.

I had another Herceptin treatment after my radiation today and I asked my oncologist how many more treatments I have to take. ONLY 4 MORE!!! Two in October, one in November and one in December, each 3 weeks apart. I will officially be finished with my cancer medical treatment by the end of the year. There for a while when we were in the thick of things with chemo and the surgery, it seemed like this would go on forever. The Herceptin has no side effects, so it is a piece of cake. I have the surgery ahead to remove the tissue expander and insert the actual breast implant in about 3-6 months. But the worst is over.

David took me to Cristina’s (our favorite Mexican food restaurant) after the treatment. It was a nice end to a wonderful day for us.

I can’t think about all I’ve been through without thanking all of you who are receiving this email-----you helped us get through each step of this with encouragement, prayers, laughs and love. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart!

Two. . . .

I got wonderful news today at the radiology lab!!! Starting today they only do the 2 side-angle burnings---they don't have to do the one right over me that goes for so long on my neck and the upper part of my chest above the breast. That area is really sore. Plus I was in and out of there even faster today.

I have a Herceptin treatment Friday, so I changed my last radiation treatment to 2:30 and then the Herceptin at 3:00 p.m. to get it all done at once. Got to remember to ask Dr. Brooks how many more Herceptins I have left. . . .

And Then There Were Three. . . .

I am so close to being finished with radiation!!! Just 3 more treatments. The 3 days off helped, so today's treatment isn't too bad so far. I've soaked again tonight with the Domeboro while watching TV. It really cools the skin off, although something in it makes you smell like a pickle. I told David that it reminds me of Mama pickling stuff when I was a kid.

Where were you 6 years ago today? We were all a little fatter, a little sassier and a little less naive in our comfortable USA life at 7 a.m. on 9-11-01. God bless America and God bless our service personnel standing up for us in our cities, states and around the world.

In Remembrance --- OPD

Two Odessa Police Department officers were killed last night and another critically wounded. Arlie Jones and Scott Gardner were killed and Abel Marquez was wounded answering a domestic disturbance call. Domestic disturbances are the scariest calls a police officer has to go to. Typically someone is drunk, high, mad and armed. David worked with Arlie Jones when he was on the OPD.

Our hearts and prayers go out to their families. With a husband who was a policeman and a son who is currently a policeman for the Austin PD, this is always tough to understand.

Robin Red Breast Alert!

Yesterday was #24 out of 28 for radiation. My radiation team is now officially worried about me and the condition of my right breast. I guess I can officially start whining about it now. They were all urging me to watch the skin very closely and keep it medicated this weekend to avoid blisters and open sores.

My nurse, Wendy, gave me some more hydrogel pads to put on the skin. Then she came back in as I was dressing and wrote down the name 'Domeboro Soaks' for me. So I picked up a box at Walgreen's on the way home. It is little powder packets that you put in water and wet a washcloth with the solution, then soak the affected skin with the cloth. We watched a movie last night and I soaked for about an hour. There was a noticeable difference in the skin afterwards. This would be good for lots of skin ailments, either as a compress like I'm using or as a soak. I'll use it lots this weekend. Since it has aluminum traces in it, I'll have to be sure and wash it off good Tuesday morning when I have my next radiation treatment. Don't want to be sparking like a fork in a microwave.

# 6 Down & 5 to Go!!!

You see this pink ribbon? See the darker pink shades in it? That's what my poor radiated body parts look like. Sure is smarting today. Looks like it's time for round-the-clock Tylenol. But only 5 more treatments to go!!! I'm so excited. My radiation tech told me today that the inside of my skin is redder than the outside. She said that it actually cooks you from the inside out. I told her that my saline-filled tissue expander is probably boiling inside there!!!

Happy Birthday, Daddy!!!

Is he not just too cute???

Thomas Cristol Swaringen was born on September 5, 1933.

Happy 74th birthday, Daddy!

Hair Today --- Gone Tomorrow

I've been rather surprised at the lack of reactions to my new hairdo this week! I was all prepared to have people at work really look at me funny. It just hasn't happened like I thought it would.

But it has been so sweet-----people have been so genuinely happy for me that I had hair again! Even if it is only 3/4 inch long.

I don't know what my boss is going to use now as his standard joke. He has told co-workers not to make me mad, or I'd pull off my wig and whip them with it. We've had a great relationship through this process and I have appreciated the openness I've been able to share at work. We can all laugh or cry as the need presents itself. I wouldn't have it any other way.

Do I miss the wig? N-o-t o-n-e l-i-t-t-l-e b-i-t !!! Thank you, Lord, for my hair!

# 21

One more burn treatment down! I stopped at the pharmacy at the hospital and got 2 more tubes of the Radiagel. That, along with the hydragel pads my nurse gave me, might just get me through this. Sure am pink and tender.

Labor Day Holiday

My right breast is certainly glad to have this 3-day weekend to recover from the radiation last week. The lower half of the breast and the right armpit area are really tender. I've kept the silver sulfa-cream on it all weekend. This morning I put on aloe vera first and then put on the cream to see if that will help it cool off some. I told David that I'm going to apply ice to it today to see if it will cool it off some. I turned over once during the night and landed on the right side. It woke me up and I immediately knew it and got off of that side.

I only have 8 more treatments! Four this week and four next week. Next week I have something else to do on Monday, so it will be Tuesday through Friday again and I'll be finished!!!

So far I have no blisters or open sores. I'm feeling fortunate about that. Wendy, the rad nurse has been very good at getting me things to combat the side effects up front.

No More Hair Hats!

I went to see Melissa again for her to trim my hair and give me a cut that I could wear without the hair hats!!! It is so liberating to be able to just wear my own hair and not have to put on a wig. Especially since it's summer time. Wigs are so hot anyway and with the heat and humidity here, they are not pleasant.

She was glad to see me. I took her one of my little quilts, some picante sauce and some grocery lists with her name on them. She basically just trimmed and layered the back and side over my ears. She didn't touch the top at all. We want it to grow out. I've learned to comb my hair to the right instead of to the left and it doesn't lay flat against my head like it was doing.

We went to the Johnny High Opry show in Arlington . Ate supper at Bodacious BBQ, just right across from the new Cowboy stadium that they are building. That's always our 'thing' when we go over there. Great BBQ and great music.

Now I've got to put the wigs in plastic, I guess, up on the top shelf in our closet---and hope I don't ever need them again!