TGIF

I've survived my first week back in the office.  Of course, it wasn't a full week there, just 3 days, but it's a start!  I also have some pretty exciting news: New Boobs Day is officially happening on Wednesday, November 6th (only 82 days!).  I can't wait to get these rock-hard, uneven, armpit-bags outta here and some pretty new softies put in.  I don't even care that I'll have to go through more pain; it'll just bring me one step closer to feeling normal again! I've been told that this surgery is much easier than the one I had in June; I won't have any overnights in the hospital and I'll be back to work in the office within days of the operation.  Awesome!  I'll have (I do already!) so much to be grateful for at Thanksgiving!

My expansion yesterday went really well - getting a needle through a bruise didn't hurt as badly as I imagined it would, and I'm slightly less sore this week than I remember being last week. The ride to WI last night went fine too.  Something's up today though; I feel nauseous and have a slight headache.  I took the same dosage of pain meds I've been taking during the last couple expansions, but I have a feeling they have something to do with how I'm feeling.  I'm considering not keeping up with them today - I'd rather deal with the pain on it's own than this sick feeling I have right now. 
 

View from the passenger seat: a hot air balloon just as we got into Wisconsin.

I also think that the hot flashes have started (of course, it's a beautiful 75 and sunny right now, so that might have something to do with it).  They're nothing terrible, but I'll get super hot and take off the tshirt or sweatshirt I'm wearing, then I'll get super cold and have to put everything back on.  It's happening maybe once an hour, and I don't think they're intense as I imagined they'd be.  If this is it, I'll totally be able to handle it for the next 5 years.  I've been adding ground flax seed (thank you Joelle!) to my food and my mother-in-law Barbie just suggested incorporating more soy into my diet to minimize the flashes.  I'm totally up for trying any natural remedies, especially if they're healthy in other aspects too!

Oooofta

Talk about jumping back into work.  Before I went out for my surgery 6 weeks ago, my goal was to attend and work the event in Duluth.  I did it, but holy cow did it wear me out!  The early morning hours and longer-than-normal days totally took a toll on me and I was a major grouch last night (sorry Jas)!

It was awesome being back in Duluth again, even if I was working most of the time.  We went to all of the places that have become my favorite after years of visiting Rachel while she lived there.  Sunday was my favorite: we started the "vacation" by hiking at Gooseberry Falls, then had dinner at Hanabi and took a cruise of the harbor on the Vista Star.  Monday I was so exhausted after work that we had dinner at the Anchor Bar in Superior (best burger in MN, in my opinion), and passed out at the hotel by 10pm.  After a long and successful day yesterday, we stopped by Grandma's for an unwind beer before hitting up Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory and starting the trip home.

Some snapshots from our trip

It was so nice to get away for a little bit!  Now that I'm back I need to be in full-speed-ahead mode but I think my refreshed brain is ready for it :)

No new news on the cancer-front, other than the fact that I found an email in my work inbox today that I sent the morning of my diagnosis.  I get nervous all over again thinking about that day :(  Good news: no sign of side effects from the tamoxifen yet (knock on wood); watch, now that I've said that I'll get hot flashes all day haha!

Third Time's a Charm

I had a successful expansion yesterday in which I had 35cc's injected into each side. It's like Goldilocks - 50 was way too much, 25 not enough, but 35 was just right :) I was a little sore last night and today but tolerable, and I think tomorrow I'm going to see how it goes without any pain meds. 

I'm very excited for tomorrow: Jason and I are going to have a little adventure in Duluth! I'm scheduled to be there for a work event but that's only for a bit tomorrow night and then during the day Mon/Tues. Jason's never been so I'm pretty pumped to show him all the places I've learned to love while visiting my friend Rachel while she was in Duluth for pharmacy school. It'll be like a mini vacation, which I think we're both in desperate need of. The weather should be nice and I can't wait to see the gorgeous city. It's been too long Duluth!