A brief talk or a bit of a personal rant with photos tossed in to soften my thoughts On 1 Year ago today.
On March 18th 2025, 1 year ago today I had a total hysterectomy for Endometrial cancer that was diagnosed several days before, after the surgery it was confirmed I also had Ovarian cancer. I'm in a recovery period. I stopped Chemo after 2 rounds because it made me so ill I lost a significant quality of life. During this time I realized March has not been a very good month for me for a few years. It all began in March 2011 when I had my 1st heart attack, this took me by surprise because I was eating a healthy diet, I exercised daily as well as walked 2 miles every day. I took my blood pressure medication so when I felt that awful pain in my arm I knew. A trip to the hospital ER confirmed it. During recovery I once again revamped my healthy diet and exercise routine.
For a few years things went rather well. Then in March 2020 when Covid crept into our lives I became quite ill with abdominal pain that had me hospitalized several times over the course of 18 months. All the testing done came out negative which was a good thing but no one could find out where the pain was coming from. On a whim I called the cardiologist I saw when I had the heart attack in 2011 test revealed several clogged arteries in the abdomen. After 2 years I had answers. New medication, an attempt to stent the arteries failed and life went on. More stents in the coronary and carotid arteries were done. Improvement to my health was minimal but I kept at it hoping one day things would go back to normal.
Last year the cancer diagnosis and surgery felt like a mere set back to me but in reality it had taken a lot out of me knowing when I had the surgery I wasn't in the best of health and recovery is slow and the aging body doesn't help matters. So far I have been cancer free since the hysterectomy. My stress test I had this month came back normal, I had worked on getting my cholesterol lower and it dropped 70 points from August to Feb. Without the aid of medication, I can't take Statin drugs because the side effects. The cardiologist put me back on Repatha for awhile to get the cholesterol lower. Even though 209 seemed great to me I agreed only if I could get the medication through my insurance which has turned me down twice, at over 600 dollars for 2 application I wasn’t having it. He managed to get me through a program offering it free.
There are days when I want to stop all of the medications just to see how I fare but so far I haven't had the courage to try. I'm happy the doctor took me off of 1 medication and changed another which actually helps reduce the swelling in my legs from one or more of the meds I take. This March I haven only had to see a few doctors and have a few test. So far so good. I long for a Doctor free month but I think I have to wait 4 more years to meet the 5 year cancer free point.
So each day I face with a smile on my face or maybe a grimace. I get out of bed, start my day, no longer able to get down on the floor to do some yoga. I know Tai Chi and that keeps me moving. I walk whether I am up to it or not, I haven't done 2 miles yet, I haven't even done a mile but I walk and I have Hope that one day I will once again find my Joy.
And Spring is on the way.
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