2 months post-chemotherapy and radiotherapy

I just could not ignore these beautiful blooms at the Penang Botanicals Garden....yes, be like a lotus, be grateful to the mud.....be grateful to the harsh realities of life and challenges ahead.... 

Life was definitely good (and busy) after I completed my chemotherapy in Nov 2016, followed by radiotherapy in Dec 2016. Hence, the silence! I was busy correcting students' theses, wrote a manuscript along the way, reviewed manuscripts for journals, submitted a grant proposal and currently working on a different grant application! I also took time to attend the viva voce of my students and I felt really proud that both of them passed with flying colours! Students who are highly motivated and with respectable character are definitely hard to come by...

Life was also quite routine, I cook on most days, do household chores, and allocated time for yoga and exercises.  I guess life after breast cancer treatment was more or less the same like before! I am lucky that I still have a few months more to rest and rewind. I hope to resume work soon.

Just when I thought that I will be going through a phase of recovery (with ease), a few side effects just cropped out from nowhere....sigh...

Right joint pain near shoulders and knee

I woke up with a sudden joint pain in my left knee one morning, and a few days later, stinging joint pain near my shoulders. Fortunately, the pain only occurs with certain movements or positions of the hand and leg, not severe enough to limit movement or cause loss of mobility. I took some celecoxib capsules (NSAID) daily for a few days but eventually stopped taking them when I realized that the pain killer provided no significant relief. I decided to manage the pain without drugs instead. Stretching exercises and yoga helps a lot, although the pain is still there with certain movements.

I understood that joint pain may be a delayed side effect of chemotherapy (Taxotere) or probably contributed by Tamoxifen. Whatever the circumstances, I have to learn to live with it.

Swelling in and around the left armpit and breast

For the past two weeks I have been living with a slightly inflated and heavier left breast! The left breast where the lumpectomy took place appeared to be swollen. The armpit felt tight, and there was decreased flexibility in the affected arm. Bra definitely felt tighter on one side, so I'd rather let it loose most of the time! I noticed the breast turned slightly red and I could feel some prickling and shooting pain at times. I guess these side effects are delayed onset reactions of radiotherapy.

I have decided not to see my doctor until March because I think I should be able to manage with hand exercises, massages and yoga. Exercising the hand and fingers with a grip ball appeared to improve the condition.

Numbness

Numbness usually set in in the middle of the night, probably a result of poor blood circulation in my hands, especially if I positioned them somewhere behind my head or under the pillow!. I have to move my hands down next to my body and rub my fingers to facilitate the blood flow. Recovery will take minutes. I am not sure if these are direct consequences of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (caused by Taxotere), as the numbness only happen at night.

The sudden episodes of numbness disrupted my sleep at times. I am managing it with neurobion (Vit B1,B6, B12) tablets and gingko biloba (Tanakan) daily. and the symptoms appeared to occur less frequently now.

Fatigue

I normally don't feel tired. I have been exercising routinely, either walking on an incline thread mill for at least 30-45 minutes or taking a night romantic 2-3 km stroll along Persiaran Karpal Singh, Jelutong! I usually sleep better after that.

Diet

I have been on low carbohydrate diet for the past few months and I think I am doing great. The only problem was to figure out what to eat everyday!

Fasting glucose level

I have been checking on my fasting glucose levels routinely.  Unfortunately, the average levels remained somehow higher (between 5.5 - 6 mmol/L) as compared with levels before taxotere treatment, despite the low carbohydrate diet. I guess I need to give my body some time to adjust. Patience.

Leaving a small mark..................

Leaving a mark........

A lot of people asked me if I am comfortable revealing all the personal medical information and  documenting my inner feelings and emotions along the way......

When I first knew about my diagnosis, I googled frantically for information. Guess what? the most important and relevant information to me were from blogs and personal accounts of cancer survivors! Nothing beats information coming from the mouth of the sufferer! There was this sigh of relieve, feelings that you are not alone, anticipation that you will be able to manage whatever that comes along, emotions of gratitude and that "I am ready"! All these personal accounts have definitely helped me cope with life post-diagnosis. I thought I should do the same, hoping someone out there will be happy reading this blog.

Documenting personal experiences is therapeutic. Writing down emotions and feelings as in keeping a diary helps overcome upsets, feelings of uncertainty & anxiety. Naturally, mindfulness set in, followed by acceptance.

This blog will also serve as a memory for myself as well as for my loved ones in the future.