04-30-2020
It is the final day of a tumultuous April.
Many are looking at this first quarter of 2020 as pure hell, but today, I feel good, I slept and I call that a win.
Perspective points to different conclusions. I celebrate I’m alive another day, with some energy and hope that things are just going to get better.
For me, it would be easy to look at all of this as a scorched earth situation, but it’s also easy to look at this as an opportunity embrace change, as well as to build and strengthen a community that can work together to help our fellow earth occupants on so many levels. I choose the later.
With that in mind, I will be holding my first virtual workshop for Karen Pryor Academy students in Northern CA on Sunday and Monday, and hopefully it will be an enriching experience. Being in person does allow for more observation of handlers and dogs, however, watching the students in their homes, where they and their dogs are comfortable is also important in how each deal with training situations gives me a lot of good information as well.
Since I have been able to hang in there all day for the last couple of days, and my energy is starting to come back, I am excited to see the students interact, (virtually), with each other, and I’m looking forward to this first of 4 workshops. It’s a change from our regular “meet in person” workshops, but I think it will be fun and educational, and I’ll not be disappointed that we can’t do it like we alway have.
Getting and staying well
Physically, and after speaking with Ellie, the PA yesterday, I’m doing well. She gave me a lot of good information about the process going forward, and so far, my blood work is “excellent” according to her, which means moving ahead with the treatment without any changes at this point is the plan.
I’ll have my blood draws every two weeks now that the baseline is established, and again, thanking that I had the port put in to make all that easier.
Having breast cancer is not cheap, and again, I feel blessed that we have great insurance along with Medicare to cover the expenses. The last bill we got was nearly $50,000 for the surgery and I was an out-patient! The Savi Scout was nearly $6,000 and we haven’t gotten the first chemo bill yet, but I’m sure it’s going to be a bit of a shocker as well.
I also got a bill today that was for $30 all by itself—I’m guessing it’s for a bandaid!
It’s difficult to fathom how people without insurance, or that are underinsured are dealing with the financial part of any medial treatment, but really breathtaking to think about something like those that were hospitalized for weeks with Covid19. Scary stuff.
I asked Ellie when the final bruising and swelling from the surgery will go away and she was guessing it was still going to be another couple of weeks.
It’s getting better now, although I’m still lopsided. Scaring and misshapen breasts after a lumpectomy is not uncommon, but I think I will look fairly normal once all the leftover swelling finally dissipates. The incisions look healed, so the swelling is the last of the residual from the surgery.
Pain levels are pretty much fine, with just some now and then twinges, but easy to deal with. The port is nearly healed as well, so by next week, should be less tender to touch, but that has also subsided.
I’m grateful for the time to reflect, hang out with my dogs and Mike, and to be pretty much pain free at this point, and also accepting the changes in my life, because, after all, it’s life and that’s a good thing.