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| Yes, it’s a little graying on top. I’ll decide later if I’ll do anything about it or just let my freak flag fly. |
It’s grown in a bit more since my last blog entry, which I can’t believe was over two months ago. I guess when chemo ends, there’s less to talk about. But, really, there shouldn’t be. I should be letting everybody know what life post-chemo is like. Well, here goes a bit.
The Arimidex, the post-chemo oral medication that I’m taking to suppress estrogen stores, is no barrel of monkeys. However, it’s not nearly as bad as the Tamoxifen and Megace that I took after my first round of chemo. I do get mild hot flashes — not the wake-you-up-in-the-middle-of-the-night with sheets soaking wet kind — but they do interrupt my sleep occasionally with the need to fling the covers off. The effect on my mood and fatigue are more difficult to deal with. I’m combating that with exercise, journaling, and, soon, getting back into community service. There’s nothing like helping others to change your perspective and bring on the feel goods.
I have been feeling good enough to do some traveling. To celebrate the end of my chemo and great last PET scan results, Paul and I went to Sonoma Valley to do some wine tasting back in October...the day after the wildfires started. We had to adjust our winery visits, but we still managed to have a great time. We didn’t realize it had been so long since we’d had a trip just the two of us. It was a great way to reconnect and look ahead toward the future.
Additionally, last month, I went on a 10-day solo trip to visit friends in Oklahoma and Texas, and, yes, I can affirm...there is no basement at the Alamo. I can also attest that Oklahoma wines are terrible and driving on highways around Dallas require nerves of steel. However, I had lots of laughs with several great friends, and the entire trip was beyond wonderful.
We went to the family farm in South Carolina for Thanksgiving, and while many of my thoughts turned to my mom and the incredible meals she prepared for Thanksgivings past, it was heartwarming to see extended family and share some quality time together.
So, here we find ourselves in the midst of the Christmas season. In usual Moore fashion, we don’t yet have a tree up, but we’ll take care of that soon. I find myself feeling well enough to host both Christmas Eve dinner and Christmas Day brunch, and for that, I am very grateful. I might need to take a few breaks to put my feet up for a few minutes along the way, but I’m so glad to be able to play hostess for the holidays.
I’ll have an appointment with my oncologist at the first of the year, and then we’ll talk about scheduling another PET scan a few months after that. But, I’m not focusing on that part of my life. It’s not like I can ever forget that I’m a stage IV cancer patient, but thoughts of it don’t invade my every moment. I have too much else to think about these days.
