The Adventures of Toby the Ta-Ta Tumor

  With Dave’s recent move to “retirement” (aka long-term disability), the continued progression of his idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, and the extreme stress of trying to sell our house amid an uncertain geo-political environment, I have lost sight of myself and as a result, I have been living with a perpetual black cloud above my head and the weight of the world on my shoulders.   That’s where Facebook comes in – daily memories of life past.   These days, FB has been serving up plenty of memories from that turbulent time three years ago.   This photograph was taken March 13, 2022 at one of our favourite local restaurants.   It was our first night out since the previous October. I was nine days away from starting 6 weeks of daily radiation treatments, and very happy to be out of the house and someplace other than the cancer centre.   I thought I looked pretty good here, thinking that no one would know that I was in the middle of battling cancer.   H...

So, it has been a few months since my last blog post.  Life has been a whirlwind.  Here is an update on what has been happening. Dave Update: Dave’s surgical biopsy was at the end of August.  The pathology came back indicating  idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). This is not the best news as the options to slow the progression of the disease are limited.  That said, Dave started on an anti-fibrotic medication in November.  This medication is heavy-duty and harsh, and comes with some not-so-desirable side effects. We won’t know until March if the medication is having any effect.  So until then, it is one day at a time as he struggles with fatigue and breathlessness.  Dave is already on supplemental oxygen 75% of the time and will likely have to stop working by the end of February.  Pam Update: I decided to stop endocrine therapy in August when I started to lose the feeling in my hands and arms.  As a result, I have been releas...

Three years ago today I received confirmation from my doctor that I did indeed have breast cancer.  Not exactly an anniversary of celebration that’s for sure, but a date that I feel I need to recognize nevertheless. It was the day my life changed and nothing has been the same since.  The past three years have been a topsy-turvy whirlwind of a ride, full of some not-so-welcome surprises. As I continue to recover from breast cancer and the accompanying horrific treatment (recovery is a multi-year process that I am only about halfway through), I am thankful for my returning strength, energy and stamina.  It will likely never be what it once was but it is definitely much improved from even six months ago. And I need all the strength and energy I can muster now more than ever. With Dave’s continuing deterioration from interstitial lung disease, we are in the regrettable position of having to move from our beautiful heritage home in the country to something closer to our fa...

Dave and I recently celebrated our 30 th wedding anniversary.  Yes, really – 30 years!  This milestone has given cause to reflect on the vows we made so many years ago, and the promise “to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death us do part ”.  Well, the time has come to put those vows into high-octane overdrive practice. Envious that I was getting all the limelight with my own health crisis over the past 2.5 years, Dave has decided to jump on the chronically ill bandwagon with his own issue: interstitial lung disease (ILD).   Gitty up! All joking aside, this really, really sucks!   We literally just got our lives back on track and now the carpet has been pulled out from under our feet again.   Unlike breast cancer (which can be beaten down and forced into remission, never to return if you are lucky), interstitial lung disease is a chronic condi...

 Instead of writing about my continuing recovery from breast cancer, I am going a different direction with this instalment of The Adventures of Toby the Ta-Ta Tumour and would like to share the details of  “100,000 and Counting”.  That number is very bittersweet.   As of November 2023, it is the number of quilts that Victoria’s Quilts Canada has distributed to cancer patients since its inception in 1999.   It is a huge accomplishment to be celebrated but at the same time, so very sad that so many people received a quilt because they are afflicted with cancer.   I was fortunate enough to receive a quilt just after my second chemotherapy session.   On that dull Sunday afternoon in November 2022, I was bald, pale, sick, fatigued beyond belief and wearing my Sunday Best sweatpants – the ones without holes caused by sharp dog toenails.   I remember the volunteer who delivered the quilt to me – a very petite older lady with a sweet smile and soft vo...

Cancer.  The gift that keeps on giving. I know that sounds ominous, but don’t worry.   I am still NED – No Evidence of Disease.   I can’t say I’m “cured” or “in remission” for another three years but at the moment, NED is my best friend. 2023 was a busy year on the health front with two breast MRIs, resulting in an MRI-guided biopsy (just fibrocystic changes – hooray!) and a breast ultrasound (just cysts – another hooray!).   Also on the healthcare menu in 2023 were two mammograms, a bone scan, a full abdominal ultrasound, several x-rays, copious amounts of blood taken (white blood cells are finally back to normal – hip hip hooray!) and a few changes to my daily medication regime.   And all of this will likely repeat itself in 2024.   I simply cannot take anything for granted when it comes to my health, and every little thing that pops up needs to be fully investigated.   It makes me feel like a ticking time bomb, just waiting for cancer to rear it...