Let's update my mom first.

Con Ed came and checked again after the guy came back and once again cleaned the boiler. CO2 still out of control. NO ONE can figure it out now. I say the thing is gasping it's last, and there's gotta be cracks or something that the CO2 is escaping from. So now we're in the state of mind where the boiler has to be replaced. So that's gonna cost somewhere around $4000 at the very least. Meanwhile she's go no heat and she's freezing. Thank God it's gonna warm up a bit for a few days. Sheesh.

I saw the surgeon and he was of literally no help. I think all he did was admire his work and my stitches. He gave me no advice for the pain and gave me no meds. Told me to talk to my oncologist and see him in February.

When I told this to my oncologist, he was pissed.

Scans are good, nothing to report, so that's good.

Next step is to start shots called Lupron which shuts down your ovaries. Choice was surgery (eeeeeek!) to remove ovaries or this shot. I opted for the shot. No more surgery, I've had my fill, thank you very much! I have to eliminate estrogen production. Shot works for men as well, shutting down progesterone production for them. I tell my mom, and she's like, what no children? I started laughing my head off, I'm like, mom, I'm in my late 40's for crikey sake! She's so funny sometimes, I swear...but the thing is she means it.

See, my cancer is ER+/PR+, meaning it's hormone receptor positive, which means it reacts to hormone therapy. Some women are ER-/PR-, meaning all the hormone pills in the world aren't going to help them, so I am lucky in that regard.

Then I go see the radiation oncologist to map out my radiation treatment (oh joy - every day to the hosp. for 6 weeks for a 2 minute treatment! Hospital is 45 minutes away!). Keep in mind chemo is lurking in the bushes like the thing that wouldn't leave. We talked about that for like 40 minutes. He tells me like 30 times 'there is no medical proof that having more chemo or not having it makes any difference'. So I pretty much decided I'm not having it. I dread like the plague having more chemo. And since he told me over and over it makes not one iota of difference, why should I put myself through the agony of something that isn't going to make any difference? I said to him, well, I don't want to look back and say I shoulda had the chemo. He said, well, I don't want you to look back and say I shoulda started the radiation sooner.

THAT did it for me. Onto to rads.

My arm has been hurting like it's in a vise. But it seems to be getting a bit better. It doesn't hurt nearly as much. But in any case, I am going to see a therapist to see if I need a sleeve even temporarily to fight lymphedema, which you get when they remove lymph nodes.

That's about it really, except for gory details.

So I'll be going to rads while my mom is here for Christmas, something I REALLY wanted to avoid. But it's only a back and forth thing, not hours in the hospital. Ugh, life sucks.

Congrats to my girl Steph, who got married November 9!!


PS - Oncologist gave me new meds as I told him Vicodin no longer works on me. Tech name for Vicodin is Hydrocodone. He now gave me Oxycodone, which is Percocet. THIS is doing the trick, but I do have to take 4. I'm tellin' ya, I have a strong constitution!

OH! Somethin' like 39 or 40 days till Christmas. Give me a freakin' break......I haven't even bought a Thanksgiving TURKEY yet!