My "I Kicked the Snot Out of Breast Cancer" WNY Tour

This post is overdue.  It seems like I think about writing it (and others) and then something stops me.  Writer's block? Perhaps?  But often, I find myself wanting to nap instead.  

Speaking of napping, I do believe that God thought I had too much planned on my trip.  Yeah, in an attempt to slow me down, I got socked with an awful head cold.  I ended up cancelling many of the things I had planned to do.  I guess I didn't comprehend the concept of "your immune system has been compromised by cancer" enough so fate had to step in.


I did see my mother-in-law fall and break her hip (see last post) which is always a treat. (That's sarcasm...I love her...we do NOT have the stereotypical MIL / DIL relationship.)  

Me & Chic

I did meet up with friends and my brothers, Jim & Ed at Desperadoes in Angola on 11/11.  That was fun for a few hours.  I drank way too many O'Dooles! :)  

Jon & Amanda

Uncle Bob, figuring it out.

On Saturday (11/12), I met up with Jim, Ed, Marlene (SIL), Amanda, Kate, Devin (Kate's BF) Jon, cousin Louise and Uncle Bob at Applebees in Blasdell.  That was fun too. It's good to see Uncle Bob whenever I'm in town.  He's 86 and still interested in figuring out his phone. :) 

Tammy, Devon & Kate

Linda, Carol & me

Ed & Don

 On Sunday, (11/13) we had a Bills party at Jim's.  Yeah, I think the Bills played...you certainly wouldn't have known 

from the score against Dallass! Yeah, I may be an Okie but I sure don't care for those Cowboys. Anyway, it was great just the same as my cousins, Carol & Don & Kimberly and Linda & Ray came over as did Tammy & Ray (my brother's ex-in-laws) and Ed & Amanda. Kate, Devon & Jon were there too.  We had fun just visiting...didn't really watch the game much anyway.

On 11/14, I went to the hospital to see Mama Mahoney. This lady is such a trooper.  They are not going to do surgery, just let it heal.  Well, we say that but she's in rehab now and she's not sitting around healing.  They get her up to do occupational therapy every morning and physical therapy every afternoon.  I get that this has to be done but how can a bone heal if it's being moved around? I just don't get that.  After leaving the hospital, I drove in the pouring rain. I had to stop and get gas and nitrogen in the tires and get the oil checked because the "check oil light" kept going on.  I found a place, by accident...not that I believe in accidents, that would do all three.  This meant several trips out in the cold and rain. I drove in the rain back to Jim's.  Kate was waiting to take us to her grandparent's house for dinner.  Kate's such a little trooper; the monsoon we drove through didn't hardly phase her.  Dinner with Ray and Tammy was wonderful...thank you guys.

On Tuesday morning 11/15 I was officially sick.  I managed to go to Peppers in Angola to meet my former neighbor, Judy.  She's a former nurse and she told me I needed to stay at Jim's and sleep and not go off visiting people.  It wasn't good for me or them at this point.  So I cancelled seeing Uncle Bob again. I cancelled my plans for Wednesday and Thursday. I didn't get to see Mama Mahoney until Friday and I still kept my distance.  I also did get to see my friends Gemma and Kevin.  

Kate, Me and Devon

Then Saturday I was back, flying those friendly skies.  Fortunately the head cold is gone.  

Kate, Me and Jon

It was so really great to be back in WNY.  I wasn't able to take my annual summer trip this year because of my treatment.  I appreciate my family and friends for helping me kick the snot out of breast cancer! :)    

I like this pic of me and Jim.

Mama Mahoney

I came to visit Mama Mahoney today. I had everything planned out. I would come early because I had to take advantage of a ride to her house and that meant being at her house early. I'd visit with my sister in law, who I haven't seen since 2005 for a bit and then I'd sleep on the sofa. Mama Mahoney would wake up and after she got herself situated, we'd play Yahtzee and Scrabble on my IPad and just visit a while. Then we'd work on the jigsaw puzzle she had been working on. We'd eat lunch and then I'd be on my way.

This was what I had planned. It didn't work out that way. I got there early; this did happen. I was talking to my SIL, Mary when Mama Mahoney emerged from her bedroom. I motioned to come to her to give her a hug but she said, "I have to go," as she plotted along with her walker to the restroom. I figured I'd hug her when she came out and I turned my attention to Mary. Suddenly there was a clamor and then Mama Mahoney was yelling. My first reaction was to look at Mary because I was sure, in that split second, she was going to tell me, "oh, that's okay...it's just ma making the same noise she makes every time she goes to the restroom." It wasn't. Ma was on her left side; the same side she had hip replacement surgery on in 1999 and she was yelling out in pain.

Mama Mahoney has a hairline fracture of the hip. I'm sick with worry. I wish so much I had walked the four steps to her. I really believe if I had, the outcome would be different. But it wasn't. Mary had told me that ma was doing better. She was getting to the restroom on her own; doing things independently and now she's back to square one. Grrrr....I'm so sad.

They say that a hip fracture at an advanced age means a recovery is not likely. I think she could come back from this though. I've known this woman for over 25 years and in that time I never known her to break a bone. Her brother, Al, broke his hip at 87 and now, at 91 he's fine; getting around, still driving.

All of this is so reminiscent to when my mother was alive. She died shortly after the bones around the plate they put in her hip just crumbled. Her osteoporosis was so bad than a simple step on the day before she was to finally go home changed her life and mine forever.

Fortunately for Mama Mahoney, her bones are much stronger. I pray she can work through the pain and get better.

The Hard Part is Over!!!!

Aw man, what a bell of freedom rings through me.  I am finally done with treatment.  I am cancer free!  Praise the Lord!  This is truly amazing.

For my last radiation treatment, the gals (Debbie, Hope, Maggie, Jess and Dr Young) at Cancer Specialists of Oklahoma gave me this beautiful flower arrangement.  Thank you so much for your work, compassion and thoughtfulness during my treatment. Thanks for putting up with all my questions. I know I can be as annoying as Sheldon on The Big Bang Theory rapping on the neighbor's door saying, "Penny...Penny...Penny." :) But we gotter done! 

Now I need to heal and heal I will. It will just take a little time.  I had posted on Facebook that my chest - on my right side (where apparently all the fighting was happening) - looks like a map of some burnt out third world country.  The left side depicts the aerial view of amber waves of grain.  The equator cuts through both sides (my scar). I feel so sorry for the people who live on the right side...surely they must be hurting. I imagine they are wearing bandages around their heads and walking with tree-branched makeshift crutches. I think there was an infomercial on television the other night asking for aid.  I'm sure many of the inhabitants of the right side were forced to jump to their death in a nearby volcano (my armpit).  It's a sad sad situation.  I'm so looking forward to the day when amber waves of grain rule.

Until then, I will relish in the fact I'm cancer free!

Responses from Facebook:· 

Eva Dinkuhn Mahoney: is going to get radiated for the friggin' last time!!!!!! Yahoo!!!!

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• JoAnn Geary, Maggie McGill Wallum, Laura Wood and 33 others like this. 
  

• Margaret Dick That's a great way to "kickoff" your birthday weekend. Hope it's fabulous. 
• Ann Rammacher Good to hear you'll be done with that! 
• Melanie Willoughby glad to hear that Eva try and have a good day 
• Chic Ciccarella Bazydlo ‎*+*+*+*++*+*+*+ I knew you could do it!!! 
• Rosalie Atti-Holguin You made it.....Praying your day goes well! Always on my mind friend. 
• Michael Panzica Stay strong Eva you can do it!!!! 
• Christine Ferguson Yawney whoo hoo! see you soon! 
• Linda Just Glad to hear you are done with it! 
• Joann Ellis HAPPY BIRTHDAY TOMORROW, EVA!! ENJOY :O) 
• Patty Puckett Glad last radiation! Happy birthday woman! 
• Nita Hedrick Benefield WooHoo!!! So 
• Nita Hedrick Benefield Happy for you. Sorry. I got so excited I didn't finish. LMAO!!! 
• Joe Jackie Androff Bracco I really don't know where you found the strength, I'm so proud of you! Happy Birthday Eva and I really hope I can say that in person when I come up next year!

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A Little Too Crispy

J R Martinez - A true inspiration!

I have new found respect for anyone who has been burnt in a fire or even gone through radiation treatment.  God Bless all the burn victims.  I can't imagine their pain.  There is a man, J. R. Martinez, on Dancing with the Stars. In 1993 he was serving in Iraq when he was seriously injured.  He suffered burns over 40% of his body.  Oh my God, I can not imagine the pain he went through. I feel sorry for myself - to be going through radiation treatment. My skin is deep red to dark brown along my chest where the cancer was and it hurts more than I ever imagined!!!!  I know it's nothing compared to what he went through.  Fortunately, this is my last week. Praise the Lord because I don't think I could take more of this.  No one ever told me it would hurt so much.  I'm going to be hurting by Friday but then I should be on the road to recovery.  Praise the Lord!!!!

Now if only the neuropathy and total forgetfulness would get better...then I'd be set.

PS...I don't want to minimize the fact that I am cancer-free.  I know I am so lucky and perhaps I shouldn't complain about a side effect that will go away eventually but right now...aw..I just need to let you know how it really is.  Remember, not complaining, just informing. :).