Thursday 02.19.2009

Wow!! After the usual interrupted-type sleep, I woke up about 8:15. Hm. I feel Good! As I got myself ready for my appointments, I thought about how I was feeling. I realized that today is the first time since going to The Breast Cancer Planet that I feel... ummm.... normal?? Like myself?? Like I felt before having BC be the focus of my physical self. Wow!!! Hey!! This feels Good!! No, wait. This feels GREAT!!! PRAISE THE LORD for feeling good!! And for all of you who have traveled this journey with me. Thanks to God, thanks to each of you.

So I have the DEXA scan. A very simple scan--you lie on a cushioned table and an arm attached to said table moves slowly over the hips and lower back. That's it. No billowy gown. I had a wonderful girl named Tammy who is a Certified Dosimetric Technician (I hope I remembered that correctly) who welcomed me back through The Door and led me to The Room. I sat on a chair while we finished paperwork, then I sat on the table itself. I laid down and the lovely Tammy placed sandbags at the outside of each ankle to hold me "slightly pigeon-toed". I unfastened my pants and tucked the zipper under on each side. She sat at a desk with a computer and monitor and explained that since the dose of radiation is so low she doesn't have to leave the room. The arm moved over my hip and made a low buzzing noise. First it imaged the left hip, then the right hip, then moved up a few inches getting the lower vertebrae. That's it. I asked her if she had the images on the screen--she did, and I looked at it, but better yet, she printed it out for me. Although the machine calibrates and plots the findings, the radiologist has to "read" the images and create a report. But my numbers were good. No osteoporosis, no osteopenia (beginnings of osteoporosis). The vertebrae in the spine are a little crooked, but that's not new. Woo Hoo!! Another reason for Praise!! God is Good!! Tammy was so nice--I enjoyed our brief interaction. And she hugged me when I left. Thank you, Tammy.

I went back home and got organized for my next outing. I had lunch, and shortly thereafter left to go to therapy. Ike did a good job today; where it was feeling tight again on the underside of my upper arm she worked on it, and it's better. Not gone, but better. And of course, the rest of the arm, and the breast and shoulder and the shoulder blade on the back. I see her again next week.

I left there and went to Meijer, filling the gas tank, and on into the store for a few groceries. As I was leaving the store, the phone rang. Leah, the massage girl. She's sick and cancelling appointments for tomorrow. Bummer. Get well soon, Leah.

Next stop, storage unit, to drop off a box I had filled, and to pick up another to sort and take back. Then home.

I put the groceries away, heated up my supper and ate, then started a loaf of bread in the bread machine. This time I used ingredients instead of a mix. It smells really good.

I wrote here. Dan called; it rained quite a bit down there today. I think they may be golfing tomorrow.

I'm getting tired, but I still feel good. I am sooo happy to feel good. I hope it stays.

Thank you for reading. And thank you, -B-, for commenting. It's nice to see feedback.

Hugs.