First off, saw the ortho doctor (Nick Webber … a/k/a Dr. McDreamy … sigh) last Monday. Said the x-rays show that my progress is far better than he’d hoped. Just what a person wants to hear. Can you say “YAHOO!?!” I knew you could.

He also said that with my past history, he wasn’t surprised. That somehow he knew my tenacity would exceed his expectations. (Perhaps not those words, but that was the gist of it). Confirmed that I have around 7 or 8 screws in me and that he wanted me on a total of 10 weeks of weight restriction on my left leg. In other words, counting the first four weeks since the surgery, I have another six weeks of hobbling around with the walker. I made a face and said the employers weren’t gonna be happy. I was then told that if I felt up to it, I could go back to work in a couple of weeks. Bonus! I informed him that once I got into the building, that I’d be able to plant myself at my desk and make everyone else do my running. It was the steps that would be a challenge. The back steps of the office would be my best bet since there are fewer (five) and there was a rail and a ledge that I could use. Figure I could do a week or so of part time to see how it goes and then perhaps full time from there. I’m very excited to get back to work.

Oh, and I can also drive since the surgery was on the left hip and I don’t use that leg (and foot) for driving. Double Bonus! My independence was just returned to me. I had John bring my car out of the garage and practiced getting in and out. Easily done. I have to have John take the car to get the tires topped off since a couple of them appears soft, but then either tonight or tomorrow, I’m going to do a test run. Planning on taking it easy but I have a feelin’ that getting back in the saddle (so to speak) will not be a problem.

All in all, a primo checkup. Have to go see Dr. McDreamy at the end of the month for a followup.

‘k … as far as chemo goes … back on it. Did a round of it yesterday and as always, it was a treat. I had to change my appointment from 8:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. I had asked my brother to drop me off at my oncologist’s office, and then John would pick me up after he was done with work and bring me home. Worked out pretty good, except as usual, the infusion took longer than I anticipated. John ended up cooling his heels for awhile before coming on up. That was fine. There was a final 20 minutes to finish and then we headed home.

I fully expect the usual reaction with this chemo. Heightened fatigue, feelin’ yucky … that sorta stuff. Still, the hip is getting better and better every day, so my optimism is at a high right now.

And remember to repeat after me …“YOU ARE A CANCER WARRIOR”

Finally managed to get off my butt and get in a Monday Writer on Writing blog. Gotta say that this having time off to recover from my surgery does have a few advantages. Granted I left this to the last minute (as usual), still … I managed to get it posted.

First off … I FINALLY finished writing my UF. For whatever reason, the Sunday I was in the hospital, at about 3:30 in the morning, inspiration struck and I wrapped up my urban fantasy in something like five minutes flat. Not quite sure how that happened, but I’m not about to start questioning progress.

Now, I gotta get off my butt and get started on the editing. Like any pantser, what a story starts with and what it ends with are usually two different things. The story takes twists and turns that you really don’t expect, but which ultimately makes the story all the better. Now I have to start at the beginning to make that portion of the plot conform with the ending.

Something that I’m actually looking forward to.

And its about time!

Sorry everyone, for not posting for the last couple of weeks. I was actually about to take a nap when I realized that it was Friday and once again I didn’t do my Cancer Warrior Blog. Tsk. Bad Liz … very bad. Should keep up on this.

So here I am, ready to give you an update. The revision surgery on my hip went well, and the pain has already lessened, although that could be due to the fact that I have a 30% restriction of weigh on my left leg and I’m totally on a walker. Yep … me and that walker are good buddies right now. Looks like it may be at least four weeks before I’m mobile again. Not too happy ‘bout that, but I’ll behave and do what I’m ordered.

The day before I was sprung from the hospital (two weeks ago? Already? Wow) I spoke with a surgeon who assisted Dr. Webber. The way he explained it was evidently the cup that surrounded the ball of the hip somehow jammed into my pelvis and cracked it. I asked if it was possible that this would happen again and he said not likely, but also not an impossibility given the brittleness of my bones. They did the slice and dice, replaced the cup and sorta rebarred it into place with screws and re-grafted bone behind to act as a sorta cushion against the pelvis. So basically I’d been basically screwed and glued.

As a result, I pretty much have to stay off my left leg until everything adheres. Certainly not the quick recovery I’d been hoping for, but whacha gonna do? I have an appointment with Dr. Webber this coming Monday and we’ll see what he (and the x-rays) have to say. With luck, I’ll have the weight restriction lifted and will be able to start putting weight on that leg.

Will try to keep you updated.

And remember to repeat after me …“YOU ARE A CANCER WARRIOR”

First, I have some good news. My tumor markers have come down again. From 2,930 to 2,815. That’s over a hundred points. Ya-Hoo! Something going right for once. Let’s keep it going that way.

Then there’s the hip. I’m at the point where I’m actually lookin’ forward to my surgery next week. The hip is hurtin’, so anything will be an improvement. There’s another week to go before that occurs. Wish me luck with getting through said week.

Now … on to my loss. Actually the loss to a number of patients at my oncology clinic. If you read my Friday Cancer Warrior blog with any regularity, you will have heard me raving about Nurse Judy … who was first Dr. Divgi’s head nurse and then Dr. McGartland’s after Dr. D retired. Well, due to the short sighted bureaucracy of the major medical institution that had bought out Oncology of Wisconsin, Judy is now leaving for greener pastures. And, although I wish she wasn’t leaving, I totally understand her reasons. After years of working long hours — during which she has been asking for help, she was basically told nope, ain’t gonna happen. I guess that pretty much did it for her.

The fact that whenever Judy called me with any information or news, it was usually after 7:00 p.m., tells me a lot. She obviously spends the entire day working with patients and doctors, and is only able to get to the paperwork and phone calls after everyone else is gone and the clinic is quiet. I’m sure she worked well past 7:00 p.m. and no doubt her private life has been taking a major hit. So — yeah, I do understand her desire for a steady 9:00 to 5:00 job.

I wish you the best of luck, Judy. You are going to be sorely missed, and your leaving is certainly a great loss to everyone who has known or worked with you.

And remember to repeat after me …“YOU ARE A CANCER WARRIOR”

Last Wednesday was the first time in a long time that I had to miss my writer’s sprint. I try to get together with some of the other WisRWA members on Wednesdays for these sprints because they’re so productive and I get a hellava lot of work done. However, with the problems I’m having with my hip, I didn’t think it would be a good idea to hobble through the Brookfield Mall parking lot. The parking at the mall is such that most of the time you have to walk (what seems to be) a half mile to get there.

So, I was a good girl and went home to whine. Liz S. had emailed me and suggested that I join the sprint via the Chatzy room that she’d set up for those members who wanted to participate but couldn’t get out to Brookfield. Was a brilliant idea. So … promptly at 6:00ish (or more like 6:20) I logged into the Chatzy room, all set to jump into the 20 minute sprints with the other girls, aaaaaand … heard nuthin’. No one had logged in. Hmm. Waited a few minutes while I read over the stuff I’d written the previous week and checked again. Still no one. I was beginning to feel a little lonely.

Undaunted, I started doing some editing and moved on to doing some actual writing. Periodically, I’d check the Chatzy room to see if anyone joined in. Nope. Crickets. I eventually wrapped up my writing session … not having accomplished half of what I’d hoped and skulked off to bed.

Granted, I did get some work done, but not nearly as much as I would have had I attended the actual sprint. Perhaps this coming Wednesday I’ll just bite the bullet and get out to Brookfield … hip be damned. I’ll manage it somehow.