Tuesday 11.11.2008 Veteran's Day

First of all, thanks to military people, past, present, active, retired, home, away, those who returned, and those who didn't. And to their families and friends who support them. My own family consists of several veterans. I'm not going to try to list them, because I know I'd miss a few. You know who you are. I am humbled by your experience.


I seemed to wake frequently during the night, even though I returned to sleep fairly soon. I got up about 8 and got in the shower. I let the warmer water run over me, and extended my left arm over my head into the spray. I did the stretches that Ike has encouraged me to do, which did loosen the cording in the arm somewhat.

My breasts are sore, as anticipated, of course the left more than the right. The left one feels "lumpy" to me, too. It's probably fluid that I hope will find it's way out to wherever it belongs.

After breakfast I got ready for my appointment with Ike, and got on my way. She called me in within 10 minutes or so.

She asked about the mammogram and I told her it went as well as it could. She started evaluating my arms and torso, checking the cording in the abdomen and axilla and down the arm. When she was checking the breast, she noticed the lumps right away and seemed concerned. There was a lump on the top next to the incisional scar, and on the bottom she said it felt like cording. That strand ran now from the bottom half of the breast , down over the ribs, and joined the previous presentation of the cord. Great.

I told her I had done some warm-up therapy while in the shower, and she seemed pleased with that. She started on the cording in the abdomen, a little on the breast, then the armpit/arm, then the remaining 20 minutes or so moving the fluid pockets out of the breast tissue. Oh, yeah, it's tender. I had taken the tylenol/motrin with breakfast so it was on board.

I left there, dropped of materials at the library, and came home. I visited with Daniel some, but I wasn't feeling too good. I had a snack, then made a wonderful soup for us. We ate, I laid down for about 20 minutes, and when I got up I got ready to go out for a walk. Daniel asked where I was going--I told him and invited him to go with me. Ok, he said. So we did.

We didn't go very far, or fast, but at least he got outdoors.

The rest of the evening I checked the computer and wrote here. Daniel has drifted off to bed. I've kept tylenol/motrin on board, but the left breast especially is sore like a bruise(s).

I work Wednesday and Thursday, then see Ike again Friday.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.