Jacki's Stories
Share your health experiences with others.
Forecast: Sunny
It’s been 16 days since my tummy was tucked. And I’m back. Back to standing upright, back to driving my kids to and from school, back to walking for exercise, back to my bed—so long, recliner. Still no running, still no functioning without a compression garment wr...
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Discharged again, April 2005
I am home from the hospital—hopefully for good this time. After my first hospital stay, I had in my head that I couldn't go through that experience again. And I thought there would be no reason that I'd need to. Until March 30. On that day, I felt once again that my body ...
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Blue jean blues
If you find yourself in the market for a tummy tuck—translation: You’ve gained lots of weight, had great success at losing it, but find shockingly a good chunk of skin dripping from your mid-section—and you actually go through with this major abdominal procedure, ...
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How things change, March 2005
I changed oncologists. I did not feel much warmth from my first doctor and needed someone who would be a partner with me in my medical decisions. So yesterday, I met with my new doctor. He told me something I did not expect to hear—that I do not need Taxol, the drug I was ...
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Home at last, March 2005
I am home. And I am fine. My skin rash is a bit worse but otherwise, I feel pretty good—and some good lessons came my way during the past few days.I learned that I can let go of my responsibilities and that life goes on. In the hospital, I had control over n...
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Tummy tucked
I’m calling it my post-breast cancer reward. It’s also my Mother’s Day gift, my birthday present, and my anniversary surprise. No matter how I slice it, the tummy tuck I received on April 23, 3008 is a gift that will keep on giving—not just because it’...
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New blood, March 2005
I have never been a blood donor—well, once I was. I donated blood once at Kent State University while going to college. But I got dizzy and thought I would faint as the blood was being taken from me. Someone had to ring a bell and someone else came running with a special red...
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Getaway, March 2005
Yesterday was the day we planned to go to the beach—me, John, Joey, Danny, and my mom. We planned to relax, play on the beach, and dig in the sand. I didn't feel well but I thought the break would be good for me. I wanted to clear my mind and return to Gaine...
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Chemo #4, March 2005
Today I had my last chemo treatment with the Adriamycin and Cytoxan drugs. I have had a total of four treatments and now they are behind me. But I have four to go—with a different drug called Taxol. I'm worried about this one—it has nerve implications ...
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Ax the alcohol
The connection between alcohol and breast cancer existed at the time of my diagnosis. Nothing conclusive, just a possibility, yet enough for me to forgo that occasional cold beer in a frosty mug at dinner and that sometimes social drink. I don't want cancer. Once was enough.I think...
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Surrender, February 2005
My hair is gone. My head was so sore today, from my heavy hair weighing on my scalp. And my hair was pouring out—so I gave in. John and Joey (my hubby and three-year-old) were my stylists. I put my hair in three ponytails and they took turns cutting them off. Then they s...
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Handfuls of hair, February 2005
Handfuls of hair are coming out today. It's nothing that anyone else would notice but I know I am losing more hair today than is normal. Most people lose about 80 hairs each day and my count was much higher than that. When I run my hands through my hair, my hand is full of lon...
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Toss the trans-fats
What causes breast cancer? Oh, I don’t know. Genetic mutations. Family history. Environmental factors. Poor diet. Lack of exercise. Alcohol consumption. Obesity. All are possibilities. Here’s one more: Trans-fats.The link may not be strong at this point but preliminary ...
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On waiting, November 2007
Today, I am a disgruntled patient. I've been one before, once after waiting four hours to see my oncologist; another time after waiting almost that long to see the same doctor; another time after being dismissed by, yes, the same doctor, when I complained of serious chemotherapy si...
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On waiting, January 2005
So far, the waiting is the hardest part of my cancer treatment -- I mean the actual amount of time spent waiting for doctors to see me. Today I arrived a few minutes early for a 10:30 AM appointment. I gave some blood for lab tests and then waited until after 12:30 PM t...
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Better
I constantly work at being a better person. I work at criticizing less, gossiping less, whining less, and yelling at my kids less. I try to understand people instead of judging them. I try to keep my crabby moods from troubling others. And I try to admit when I’m wrong, even ...
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I have a port, January 2005
My "infusaport" is in. The procedure went well. I was a bit sedated but otherwise conscious and then spent two hours in the recovery room, wide awake and feeling fine. I ate crackers and drank water and then my sister brought me lunch. I got dressed and we walked to ...
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Blogging breast cancer
I just received a copy of MAMM magazine in the mail—the March/April 2008 issue—and I wish I could lead you to the online version of this publication but the issue is not yet available on MAMM.com. Bummer. Because if it were there, you could read this article titled &ldq...
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The learning never ends, January...
Some days I think I know all about my breast cancer. Then I read or hear something that prompts me to ask more questions. Today I learned that I am HER2/neu positive. That has something to do with the protein found in my lump. Because I am positive, I may have to take a drug called...
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My Boo-Boo
I wrote this essay on December 4, 2006 for Orato.com. It still appears on this site in its original published format.Two years ago, I told my two little boys—then four and 18 months—that I had cancer. I told them cancer meant I had a boo-boo in my boobie. I told them do...
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Tests & a wig I won't keep, ...
I had my chest x-ray on Tuesday. On Thursday, I gave a vial of blood for use in a research study about breast cancer. I had a test done on my heart today. Next Thursday I will go for an evaluation of some sort prior to getting a port inserted into my chest. The port goes in next Fr...
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Why I hate tumors
There’s nothing fair about the way it happened, the way Amy died just 15 months after a breast cancer diagnosis seemingly similar to mine. She heard the same string of chilling words—you have cancer—as I did, just months after a doctor hurled them at me, over the ...
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