The Fabulous B@ker Blog

Tomorrow I head back to work after a quick three weeks of recovery. I am feeling great! Not much to write blog-wise, mostly just sitting around and reading (which actually has its disadvantages as my back gets sore and I don't sleep as well at night since I'm not exerting a lot of energy ~ poor me!). But, there are a couple of noteworthy things to report. Cam is (finally) back at school, having started his spring term classes yesterday. Wow, six weeks was a long time to be off. Seriously. The reason RIT goes back so late is because they have a three-week winter term. Last week on Tuesday Cam took the Megabus to New York to visit Shaina so that kind of broke up the monotony for him (and me!). On Thursday, Mark and I headed down to DC to visit Mom and take her the Honda CRV. Her car would not pass inspection...and we were thinking of moving on from the CRV...so the timing was perfect. Except that last night we ordered a new Subaru Outback that will not arrive for 8-10 weeks.

Today I had my follow up with the surgeon and am doing great in my recovery. I can return to work (I picked Wednesday, January 28) and can drive again. The best news...NO CANCER in the uterine/ovarian tissue. YAY! I feel like I can breathe easy now knowing that the two areas of the BRCA1 gene most affected have been taken care of. Boy, do I need a vacation - a statement that has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that I've been sitting around for a week. I need the OTHER kind of vacation; the kind that involves sun, a pool, and mojitos!

While I would love to be independently wealthy and not have to work, there is definitely a difference with the restrictions that come when you are recuperating from surgery vs. having the means to travel the world in your free time. I am a week out of surgery and soooo bored. I have a lot to watch and tons to read, but I'm trying to get up from the chair a lot as I need to keep my activity level up to 1) not be sore from sitting, and 2) be able to sleep soundly at night. I'm feeling well and no longer taking pain killers, but my appetite is not great (probably due to little activity!). I'm thinking today I may have Cam take me over to the Red Bird Market to pick up a couple of items and just GET OUT! I good problem to have, I suppose.

I am on the other side of my hysterectomy, recovering in the fluffy chair next to the fire. I'm glad that's over! The procedure was a little more involved than expected due to my uterus being enlarged and my fallopian tubes being freakishly "stuck" to my uterus. As a result, the surgeon had to make a small incision to get all the junk out, but now, although sore, I'm on the mend. The stay at the hospital was crazy as they were in an overflow situation and I, along with eight other "boarders," spent the night in the post-op recovery area since there were no beds (bad flu season). Noisy and bright, with the lights on all night. I'm sure it will take me a couple of days to catch up on my sleep! The good news: the preliminary results show no cancer. They will now do the deep dive into the tissue to be sure, so I'm hoping for definitive good news when I go for my post-op appointment on January 15. I'm feeling very optimistic, though, and read

Dr. Pessin called with the great news that Jasper did have a tumor, but it was benign...not a thing to worry about. He said it could happen again and to keep a look out for similar occurrences. We are MUCH relieved!! It's a good sign for 2015!

Today is the first day of the new year...filled with promise and great intentions! I'm not that interested in exploring the usual "look back/look forward," as my weight and financial goals are unchanging. In the new year I am just hoping for good health news for me as I undergo a hysterectomy as a continuation of addressing the effects of the BRCA1 gene (hopefully no surprises), and I am also waiting for positive news on a cyst-like nodule Jasper had removed from his neck/shoulder region on Tuesday. I am a little worried about him as cancer is the #1 killer of Golden Retrievers, but hoping for the best. Between our neighbor's passing, our other neighbor Ann's difficult recovery from a fall in November, and Cam's speeding ticket the last couple of weeks of December (not to mention my health issues earlier in the year and my Mom's passing) have not been particularly uplifting. But, that's the great thing about a new year, isn't it? A new start,