Recovery Update!!!

The first week was rough. I felt (and looked 😳) like a boiled and peeled tomato. I was using so much silvadene that at every prescription refill the pharmacist said it was too soon. But one thing the doc and nurses were right about - once my skin turned the corner, it healed quickly!  

While I was at my worst, we went to NY. First, to bring home our oldest and his cousins from my in-law’s house. Second, for my end-of-treatment reward to myself - I got to see my stunning rockstar friend in her latest Broadway role, as Papa Ge in Once On This Island.  The show was amazing.  I grinned from ear to ear for most of the show - until Merle’s emotional performance made me cry!  It makes me indescribably happy to see friends or family so successful at something they love - and Merle has such a powerful voice and presence.  

We go home and had one uneventful week of naps for me and day camp for the boys.  But this past week, my oldest was away at Camp Kesem - an awesome sleep-away camp for kids affected by a parent’s cancer. He had a blast. He had no fear. I was so proud of and happy for him. When I picked him up from camp on Friday, we indulged in some funnel cake at the county fair!  Then I bribed him with iPad time to let me nap before time to pick up his brother from his day camp. 

I also went back to work part time last week. My goal is to resume a full time schedule by September!  But at least last week, I was still needing an afternoon nap every day.  

I’m very conscious of the warnings many have given me about not doing too much too soon. I’m trying to let myself crash and plan for the naps. But I’m also anxious to get back to a relatively normal life. I am trying to resume my 3-morning-per-week run with a couple friends and for now those include a lot of walking. Yesterday I biked 20 miles at Hains Point - my first time riding there and my first real bike ride (not commuting, not just an easy ride with Dan) in about 7 years. It felt awesome. I can’t express how great it felt to have slightly rubbery legs all afternoon. And afterward, I napped twice!

Today felt like a pretty normal pre-cancer Lim Sunday.  The boys scooted to church. After church we picked up a pizza on the way to a gravel criterium race where Dan finished third (which he is not happy with, don’t bring it up, he believes he was second loser).  After we got home, I crashed for a long late day nap and Dan took the boys to the pool. Only difference was pre-cancer me probably would have made it to the pool but today I opted for the rest. 

Now it is past bedtime and I need to be up in a few hours to run!  I suspect I’ll post less frequently going forward but I’ll try to update on some key events. I forgot to mention that I did get my first Lupron shot this week - so we’ll see how that goes. I have a “survivorship” appointment in October with the NP for my oncologist. I have a 10-miler in October and a half-marathon in December. And I will be having my reconstruction surgery in about six months!  The main parts of treatment are done but there is still a lot ahead to readjust to post-cancer life.