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Martha's Health Journey Update: Treatment Day 1
If you're checking out this blog post you may have heard me mention on the air that I underwent my first chemotherapy treatment to reduce my chances of a cancer recurrence, as I talk about in more detail below.
The main thing I want to tell you about my chemo day is, it wasn't that bad. I was so scared and had no idea what to expect but the infusions didn't make me feel sick and I left waving goodbye to the nurses and staff.
The next day? I felt very tired. The wisdom is, moving can help lessen the fatigue so I have been doing as much walking as I can. Slowly my energy has been returning to where this morning, Monday, it's feeling good to get lost in the rock 'n roll.
There's five more treatments to go, thank you for taking this journey with me!
In May I was diagnosed with endometrial cancer, a cancer that develops in the uterus. Very soon after my diagnosis I underwent a hysterectomy. I was very relieved to learn after the surgery I was Stage 1, meaning no cancer spread to my lymph nodes or surrounding areas, but chemotherapy plus radiation has been recommended to make sure no undetected cells start new colonies anywhere. No thanks colonies, not today!
One way my husband Jordan and I are getting through this stressful time is we’re placing a high priority on finding joy every day. We start in the morning by declaring, “Today is going to be a great day,” and then look for ways that prediction is coming true. We finish our day by asking, “What went right for us today?” That can be Cheap Trick dance parties in the living room with our kids, enjoying beautiful sunsets together or finding my mother’s engagement ring that I thought had been lost! My producer Karena Velazquez and Christie counseled me early on to make a choice each moment to walk towards the light. I picture myself walking like Michael Jackson in the Billie Jean video, walking on the light-up sidewalk squares.
Please check out the Cleveland Clinic’s early-warning signs for endometrial cancer:
- Vaginal bleeding between periods before menopause.
- Vaginal bleeding or spotting after menopause, even a slight amount.
- Lower abdominal pain or cramping in your pelvis, just below your belly.
- Thin white or clear vaginal discharge if you’re postmenopausal.
- Extremely prolonged, heavy or frequent vaginal bleeding if you’re older than 40.