For everyone who has been so concerned and supportive, I feel like I need to make one last update as my treatment reaches completion. Those of you who follow me on Facebook already know that I've been out and about quite a bit. Since my last update, I completed my radiation and immediately left for New Zealand to snuggle Archie, my newest grandson.  I spent two weeks there before returning for my regularly scheduled Herceptin infusion. Fortunately, the Herceptin (also known as Kanjinti) doesn't seem to cause me too many side effects. I pretty much get the infusion and move on to my next travel adventure. :) The biggest restrictor is that I have to get the infusions every 21 days, so all my travel has to fit between those dates. I will receive infusions through August 7th but have several trips scheduled in between infusions. After NZ, I spent some time in FL and just finished a road trip with friends to AL, MS, and LA. Mid-May, I will head to Venice to take a Croatia/Greece cruise with my sister, granddaughter and her friend to celebrate their high school graduations. (The trip was postponed from last summer.)  In July, I'm traveling to South Africa with three neighbors for a 15-day safari in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Botswana with a few extra days added on prior to the safari. We will get home just in time to get my FINAL infusion. 

I meet with a PA or my oncologist every time I have an infusion, and they monitor my blood chemistry which seems to be stabilizing. I also recently had a followup appointment with my oncology radiologist who said everything looks fine. In September, I'll have another mammogram and follow up with my surgeon. She will also then schedule removal of my port. The end of this treatment journey is definitely in sight!

My balance issues have improved, but I'm still not completely confident enough to return to playing  Pickleball. I started working out again with my trainer two days a week, so I hope to regain my strength quickly. My stamina is already pretty good as I can easily walk more than 10,000 steps a day without issue. I recently bought hearing aids and have rejoined the land of hearing people. What a difference! I've also given up the wigs and am sporting a very short buzzed look. The hair that isn't gray is much darker than my natural hair ever was, but I'm told by other survivors that the hair often comes in different a color/texture than original hair and may change over time. We'll see what I end up with...

Thank you, thank you, thank you to my friends and family, both near and far, who supported me with prayers, notes, cards, calls, gifts, and love over these last several months.  I very much appreciate all the support and assistance provided by so many people and truly don't know how I would have managed alone. I especially want to thank Kim, Chris, Lucy, and Lois who disrupted their lives to come care for me, making sure someone was with me constantly from October to January (and it wasn't always pleasant, believe me).  I also want to thank my Cresswind friends who provided fetch-and-carry services, checked on me often, and surrounded me with love. They are a treasure! Barring any significant change, I expect this to be my last update on CaringBridge. Again, thank you to all.