Poor Little Lucky Me

Oak Creek Canyon before the recent Slide Fire. It has nothing to do with this post, but I like it.

I didn't fall off the planet, but it has been awhile since my last post. I completed the last of my four sessions of chemotherapy in April and had a follow-up PET scan last week. I got the results yesterday and the scan showed no sign of cancer anywhere in my body. Yippee!

This proves again how lucky I am. The much-dreaded chemo wasn't that bad; I was rarely nauseated and did not lose one hair of my head.

I was anemic for awhile, but a transfusion and a series of shots took care of that. 

That's the lucky me part.

Am I back to normal? Not exactly. Let me tell you a sad story about poor little me:

A year ago my income increased to the point where I decided I could afford my own apartment. I chose one close to my grandkids and started packing and making plans. I was going to volunteer at a nearby hospital, and maybe the library. I was going to help at school and have lunch with the munchkins once in awhile.

Well, you know what happens when you make plans. 

One day I noticed that my leg didn't want to bend as I was walking. A little while later I turned to do something and felt a sharp pain in my knee. I was hoping it would go away, but Tylenol and ice didn't help.

I went ahead with the move as I had already signed the lease and was still hoping that the knee pain was temporary. Instead it has become increasingly worse. I'm able to do a (very) little housework and I can drive myself to doctor appointments, but son Toby buys all my groceries and does my other shopping. I walk with a cane or a walker (which is too heavy for me to put in my car) and every step is painful. There is no pain when I'm off my feet.

As a result, I do as little as possible and am horribly out of shape. I am scheduled for knee replacement surgery in August, if my primary doctor and cardiologist give their blessings. I'm looking forward to the end result but the surgery and long, torturous recovery, not so much.

I'm losing weight and doing strengthening exercises to aid my recovery. I just hope it's enough.

OK, enough whining. I'm going to concentrate on all the great things in my life.

See you next time.

Marianne