A Life Update…Which I REALLY Slacked On

I know I have gone long periods of time without posting updates on life and medical updates, but this time I really really slacked off. I noticed I actually haven’t posted anything since 2015! Time just slipped away. I’ll try to keep to the major things.

We planned a move to NJ in 2017. Before that, because of my medical issues and genetic mutation, the doctors recommended a proactive bilateral mastectomy. It was a huge decision, as it required multiple surgeries, and reconstruction, etc. At first, I put it off. I figured, I’ll wait until I get to NJ, and get to better hospitals. But it nagged at me, and I figured I’d get it over with. But it involved me staying with my parents to recover so I could be near my surgeons while the rest of the family moved. (4 surgeries in all, starting in the beginning of 2017, plus tattooing.) The irony? I’m very lucky I didn’t put it off any longer. The left breast had a precancerous lesion.  I now follow up with both a regular (breast) oncologist, as well as my gyn/onc.

I also had to have a mass removed from my scalp, a tumor. Thankfully it was benign.

A major one: A few years back I lost most of the use of my right side. (My right leg is too painful and weak to use, my right arm and right side of my face are pins and needles numb.) I use my left to shuffle short distances inside, but for outside the house I need to use a wheelchair. At first it was my scooter, but that quickly became impractical due to it not being able to make sharp turns. I now have a traditional electric wheelchair.

This past year I’ve had a lot of spinal injection procedures. Then I ended up having to have my pain pump replaced after it flipped on it’s side. It’s been a rough year! Right now the doctors are trying to troubleshoot and figure out a mystery illness that has been plaguing me since November.

Kenzie has graduated. In this time we had finally got her IEP. She did fall through the cracks and we learned a little too late that she had all this time been on the spectrum, in addition to many other things she is struggling with. She was also diagnosed with anemia.

We lost Pop Pop several years back due to his lung cancer returning. He was in the middle of radiation treatment. (Palliative, not curative.)

My Dad also got lung cancer, due to Agent Orange exposure in Vietnam. He was able to just get surgery he didn’t get chemo. So far no recurrence.

My Mom needed a knee replacement this past year. It went well and she is recovering and doing so well in PT.

I think those are the major updates. I will post a crafting update soon. I did lots of crafting for the holidays, I just didn’t post.