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Jennifer's Care Details on what's happening with my cancer treatment.

15/01/2025

1/13/25

Had my checkup with Dr. H to review my December scans and bloodwork.

MRI, CT scan, bloodwork … All is well!! So well that he doesn’t need to see me for 12 more months, and he said we won’t even schedule scans at this time, until MAYBE after my next checkup.

Beyond RELIEVED!

BEYOND GRATEFUL!!!

Beyond WORDS!!!

Scans coming up in 2 weeks. Lots to think about. Yes, I’m nervous, but I try not to be scared. I have pain in both of my...
11/12/2024

Scans coming up in 2 weeks. Lots to think about. Yes, I’m nervous, but I try not to be scared.

I have pain in both of my arms occasionally, but not constantly, thankfully 🙂. My cancer arm has pain from the damage done from radiation, including not being able to fully extend my elbow, and occasional numbness, sometimes probably just because of sleeping positions. Hoping this is just “normal” stuff. But as a cancer patient, every type of pain creates a special kind of contemplation. Not very fun. My other arm, the one with the formerly frozen shoulder, is doing pretty well 🙂. Just a little bit of shoulder pain, but I’m not dealing with any major limitations like before.

Here is an August photo of my graduation day with my awesome physical therapist, Dr. Potena. My silly shirt was because he used to call me (and probably many of his other patients) “Trouble”. 😀 It used to belong to my son when he was as small as me, and after he outgrew it, I saved it because it fit me and it’s funny. Ha!

Wish me luck on Dec. 27th! Results will be known about January 6th.

23/03/2024

3/23/24

Checking in.

Physical Therapy
Yesterday was my 8th PT visit for my frozen shoulder, so Dr. P took my measurements to gauge my progress. I’m happy to say that I’ve been a good little patient doing my exercises daily despite how painful they are, and progress is happening. My best score was measuring my external rotation. I started with a score of 14% (normal is 80-90%), and I’ve reached 41% with his assistance, and 31% on my own 🙂. Very painful, that external rotation stuff. But my everyday function is noticeably better—I can reach for some things and find myself thinking, “I thought it would hurt to reach that, but it didn’t … very much 🙂 “. I’m very happy with this. It will take months more therapy to get better, but it will happen.

Cancer
I had a checkup with Dr. H a couple of weeks ago, and everything looks good. He wanted me to come back again for a 6 month MRI around June and then an annual CT scan at the end of the year. To save some money I talked him into combining the two appointments closer to the annual mark, so I won’t see him again until December. All is well!

Weight
Can you believe it? This morning I weighed in at exactly 1 lb away from my ultimate goal weight. Thank you, Noom! I can almost smell the finish line!! FYI, my ultimate goal weight is .5 pounds less than what I weighed at the end of my chemo year. (I was never “underweight” during chemo, don’t worry.) I would love to know that I have lost ALL of the unwanted weight that I gained after chemo. So happy about my accomplishments in this area!!

Looking Outward
I love to give people cards. I have slacked a little bit, but managed to send a few cards recently and remember now how uplifting it feels to encourage people in this way. I want to keep sending more. Please let me know if you know of someone who could use encouragement by receiving a card* in the mail—it could be anonymous, or from you, however you wish. We are all here to support each other!! ❤️

*Some of my cards I’ve made myself, but lately I’ve resorted to sending some non-homemade cards as well and I let the words alone be the gift … because something is better than nothing, and I just don’t have (read: make) time to create homemade cards as often as I’d like to. Sorry about that.

Last thing: Blessed with friends
I received two amazingly kind cards from friends in the mail last month, and it lifts me up to the clouds to feel that kind of love.
A friend at work stopped in my classroom at the end of the day last week, to ask me how I was doing. It left such a lasting effect on me to receive that kind of care!
I have a girlfriend who joins me once every few weeks to watch movies that I pick out 😉. I love our friendship to the moon and back!!
When something devastating happened in my family recently, a thing that I had to keep private from almost EVERYONE, I had one special friend that let me call her on the phone and spill all the details and she listened, and felt the heaviness with me. She really helped me get through that.
I have friends that came over last month and played games with me, and we laughed and felt healing from the stresses of our lives. I don’t know if they realized what a gift they gave me that night.
I have friends that read books with me in a (now virtual) book club that was born over 9 years ago, and I LOVE our monthly chats, even though we all like different things!
I have friends that I serve with in a church Primary (children’s program) calling. We have a special bond, and I wouldn’t know them if we hadn’t been called together for this service. I’m grateful to my Heavenly Father for them.

-I feel lonely sometimes. So lately I have been making efforts to spend extra time with my friends, and CHERISHING so much how these friends bless my life. I am grateful for ALL OF YOU whom I call friends!! You mean the world to me, and I want you to know this. THANK YOU for blessing my life!!!!

Love,
Jenna
❤️

2-21-24Got an answer: I have what they call a frozen shoulder. What causes it? It can come on for no good reason at all....
21/02/2024

2-21-24

Got an answer: I have what they call a frozen shoulder.

What causes it? It can come on for no good reason at all. And funny thing—my new physical therapist said that the majority of his frozen shoulder patients are women over 30 with fair skin (that’s me!), who are apparently more susceptible. Hmmm!

My range of motion is terrible right now—the main concerning number he said should be 90, and I’m at 14. And that’s a 14 with me grimacing.

Doc P says that with diligence and good luck, I can hopefully start to feel better in about 3 weeks, and hopefully see most of my function return in closer to 6+ weeks.

I will certainly do my best!! I am really hurting right now after the evaluation; I hope I push myself just the right amount, not “to the pain,” as they say in Princess Bride. Wish me luck!

P.S. I also got a neurology appointment … but they couldn’t get me in until the end of June. Sheesh. Who knows—maybe this PT will be all that I need?

—

Photo of my cute Valentine’s nails for interest 😀 ❤. I did them myself! Gel nails kit that includes 60 small different colors of polish (!!!)—best $30 I’ve spent in a LONG time 😀! (These will last 2 weeks!)

07/02/2024

2-7-24

I’ve been on the anti-inflammatory medicine for just over a month now … and the condition of my left arm seems worse.

I messaged Dr. H and he is on board with my desire to see a neurologist. Unfortunately, the neurologists are booked through June/July. UGH!! So, Dr. H is going to bring me in just a little sooner to see if there’s anything he can do for me. Hmmm. I really wanted to see a neurologist for answers.

Meanwhile, I just have to be careful. I’ve started working through the pain in the mornings, doing certain exercises to increase my range of motion. Physical therapy is a good idea, gotta keep myself as flexible as possible, but while I believe PT can be helpful for my muscle/joint limitations, I don’t believe it is going to solve the worsening nerve pain issues. There’s a distinct difference between nerve pain and muscle/joint pain, I’ve learned. I guess I’ll just get to the neurologist’s office when I get there. Hopefully sooner than later. 😕

In other news … remember Noom? I’m about 7 months in—still using this app and still working on my weight loss goal. It’s still going so well!! I started with a goal to lose 28 pounds. I finally recovered from my little Christmas gain (only 3 pounds, ish), and today I hit another new low 😀 … only 2.8 pounds from my final goal! Getting sooo close!!! I keep thinking I’m happy where I’m at now, and could stop right here and be satisfied, but I can’t figure out how to modify my end goal on the app, and I can’t just quit until I reach an official finish line, so I’m going to keep working on that last 3 pounds, ha ha 🙂. It’s going to happen, people.

Well … in case I don’t see you 😉, ❤️Happy Valentine’s Day ❤️, coming up! 26 years for Mr. Jefe and me on that day. I hope you have a good last-coldest-month-of-the-winter!

❤️

05/01/2024

1-4-24

NINE DAYS. That’s how long I had to wait to get my left arm MRI results. Wow—that was hard!

But today I got the incredible news that there is no evidence of cancer in my left arm!! Can you imagine how giddy that made me, to receive that message while I was at school today? I got it in an email finally, just a quick little summary from Dr. H’s admin, who said “no cancer” and promised me that he would call me after school. I‘M SO CRAZY IN LOVE WITH THAT GOOD NEWS!!!

When I shared the news with my high school students, they were so cute—they clapped for me! One solitary student started clapping, and then they all joined in. It was the sweetest thing! The expressions on their faces. They changed from being in the classroom with their every-day substitute teacher, to being in a classroom with someone they wanted to celebrate LIFE with. It was a JOYFUL MOMENT!!

Dr. H did call around dinner time (bless him for working late sometimes!), and told me that what he did see was just inflammation and some fluid buildup. No cancer, no tear, nothing alarming. Just what looked a lot like an over-use injury. Like a tennis arm injury.

“But how? This isn’t even my dominant arm. I certainly haven’t played any sports with that arm lately.”

No, but it is actually quite possible that I’ve been favoring my right arm, overcompensating with my left. Especially with all the boxes of books that I’ve been hefting since I recently started a used book sale business (up to 50 pounds per box). So, there could have been an isolated incident that gradually got aggravated with over use. That makes enough sense!

My next step, we decided, is going to be to take some anti-inflammatory medicine for a couple of months, which should help with the pain, and hopefully will lead to healing. I will so gladly be willing to try this.

I’m beyond elated ❤️. Words can’t even tell you how much it means to me to not be going into cancer treatment again right now. I feel like someone just handed me a brand new life with a big silver bow wrapped all around it.

And, I have two hands 🙂. Two arms. Neither of which is housing cancer.

HALLELUJAH!!!

29/12/2023

12-28-23

I got a text today that my test results posted on the patient portal.
Unfortunately, I have no desire to try to interpret the results on my own.
I am not interested in seeing words there that don’t make sense to me.
And, if there does happen to be a word there that I do understand that does mean cancer, I am not interested in pondering that word without the IMMEDIATE feedback from Dr. H.
I’m only interested in seeing those results with him being available to interpret them for me, and talk to me about what my next step will be.
So, I have not yet gone in to see what the test results say.
I’m waiting for Dr. H to call me, or to request an appointment with me.
Yes, I already sent him a text, and I messaged his administrative assistant as well.
Those results might just have to sit there for a few days.
😕

12-29-23

Update: So … funny story. I just got a call from Dr. H. However, it turns out that the text that I got yesterday was not actually announcing my test results—it was just a text inviting me to start an online patient portal account so I CAN see test results. Which I already have, so I don’t know why I got that text. Anyway, Dr. H said that the results have not been posted yet, so he’s looking into trying to find those results for me. Said the image hasn’t even been posted yet, and he’s not sure why. He’ll get back to me asap. Huh. Oh well …

12-27-23I had my left arm MRI today. The procedure was smooth, once I got there*. I was very comfortable—I was so worrie...
28/12/2023

12-27-23

I had my left arm MRI today. The procedure was smooth, once I got there*. I was very comfortable—I was so worried that they would ask me to raise my arm over my head, because I would have told them I’d need sedation for that. I even got to lie on my back instead of my side like I always do for my right elbow. I’m pretty sure I fell asleep, I was that cozy! A big blessing.

*I accidentally went to the wrong hospital, so I was very late for my appointment. The wrong place and the right place were 40 minutes apart 😣. They were sooo kind and understanding; they were amazing to accommodate my error—they went ahead and took their lunch breaks an hour early so they could be ready to go when I arrived. I was so grateful!

I was glad I had brought this little book to help me de-stress once I arrived to the right waiting room (I had about a 15 minute wait while they finished their breaks). I recommend it 🙂.

Now we wait for the results.

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