April 15, 2020 - Who Can Take a Sunrise?
Even though we are all seemingly trapped in our own homes during this period of self-isolation, a lot has transpired in the last 2 weeks.
We ventured to Quest for a blood draw.
We celebrated Mason's 10th birthday quietly
I experienced my first video doctor's visit with my Oncologist
I met my new normal
I gave Mason a haircut (oh, yes I did!)
We celebrated Easter and found out that the Easter Bunny is an essential worker.
Quest Blood Draw
I approached this event with much trepidation. I was armed and ready. I expected to enter a waiting room full of people. I was outfitted with gloves and a mask. As it turned out, Quest was practically empty. The phlebotomist was adorned in covid-19 war gear from head to toe, and I thanked her for that! And to top it off, it was the easiest blood draw I ever had. I'm usually a 3 stick girl, but this gal got it the first time with no pain. Before I could catch my breath, she had 4 vials drawn. If we weren't social-distancing, I would have given her the biggest hug! I left feeling happy and safe. Jamie and Mason had the appropriate Clorox wipes ready when I came out of the office. Proper protocol for removal of gloves and mask were followed.
Mason's 10th Birthday
When I say Mason is a special kid, I mean it. His original party was going to entail lots of laser tag and boisterous running around with other little boys. With Covid-19, he knew that we would have to cancel his party. He took it like a champ. It just rolled off his back without any issue. Of course, he was disappointed, but he understood and just moved on. He never gave it another thought! Our dear friends surprised him with a Happy Birthday sign. And, of course we had cake and presents. He was a happy 10-year old.
Video Doc Appointment and My New Normal
Jamie and I met with my Doc via video conference. She had my results from the blood draw. She said everything looked good with my numbers. She also confirmed that I am Postmenopausal. (Oh for all of you men out there who just cringed, just suck it up and keep reading). This is a very important data point to my new normal. The results of that test dicates with medicine that I will be on for the next 10 years.
If you remember, my cancer was ER+/PR+, which means my cancer loves estrogen. Estrogen makes the cancer cells divide and multiply. NOW, we are very hopeful and optimistic that chemotherapy and radiation took care of those evil cells, but you never really know if there are any stubborn dormant cells waiting to be awoken. That is why it is important to take the oral medication to prevent reoccurence.
Because of the results of my blood test, my doc wants to put me on Anastrozole (Trade Name: Arimidex). Anastrozole is an anti-cancer hormone therapy. It is used to treat breast cancer in postmenopausal women, i.e. ME. If you want to read up more on Anastrozole, Chemocare.com is the best site, oncologist approved.
This is an oral medication taken daily. I will find myself taking both Anastrozole and Claritin daily. The most common side effects for Anastrozole are Hot Flashes (yay!), Muscle/Joint pain (already have that - thank you Chemo), and Stomach Upset (hopefully, this one will skip me). There is a laundry list of other "less common" side effects (occuring in 10-29% of patients), but I will not focus on those.
And if you recall, Claritin is a wonder drug for joint pain. So, with any luck, I will breeze through taking this drug. I am on day 6, and I really haven't noticed anything drastically different. I am still achy and creaky when I wake up in the morning. I'm very achy and creaky when I find myself sitting for too long. I am trying to make friends with my new normal. You all know how sociable I am!!
Mommy Cut Mason's Hair!
This probably deserves it's own post! For all of you that know Mason or have seen pictures, you know he has a mop of curly hair. He probably has not had a hair cut since January, but since it is curly, you can't tell the length unless it is wet. A good indication of needing a haircut usually borders on the Willy Wonka look. I feel like breaking out into song:
Who can take a sunrise? (Who can take a sunrise?) Sprinkle it with dew Cover it with chocolate and a miracle or two
The Candy Man (the candy man) The Candy Man can (the candy man can) The Candy Man can cause He mixes it with love And makes the world taste good
Sigh, I digress.
Well, he started complaining about his hair tickling the inside of his ears, I knew it was time. We would love to see Miss Sarah, but Covid-19 changed that! And, when Miss Sarah reads this, she will probably cringe. I luckily borrowed clippers from a neighbor, and after a few YouTube tutorials I felt "qualified". I only used a #8 guard, but.... I think Mason was more traumatized by me using clippers to cut his hair than anything. Miss Sarah always uses scissors. Suffice it to say, I did an "okay" job on the first shearing. However, he was not having it. He was very upset with me. I managed to convince him to shower and then let me use a comb and scissors to even it out. After that traumatic afternoon, I think I ended up doing a passable job! He was no longer upset, so that was a huge WIN for me. And, uneven or not, he looks so much better!!
Easter Weekend- Self-Isolating
It has been very surreal not attending church the last month during the virus. It was even more surreal not attending Easter services on Easter Sunday. We managed to celebrate as a family, prayerfully. In addition, Mason found out that the Easter Bunny was an essential worker, so he was happy with an Easter Basket full of goodies.
This was also our first Easter without Grandma. Over the weekend, we decided to do things that Grandma would like. Not only did Mason watch "The Ten Commandments" (1956) for the first time, but he also watched Grandma's favorite movie, "Gone With The Wind". I do think he will see "The Ten Commandments" again, but I am not so sure about "Gone With The Wind". His first reaction was, "Scarlett is a terrible person" and when it ended, he said, "That's IT! That is the ending? That is a terrible ending!". I couldn't help but laugh. After those 2 movies, I think he is yearning for another Avengers movie!
I hope everyone had a joyous time with their family celebrating Easter, Passover, or just each other. And remember, just mix it with love and make the world taste good!