Well, I wasn't home free on the back spasms....they started up Saturday morning. But, they weren't nearly as bad as the previous round. However, the bone pain did amp up this time and Friday night was really tough. I broke down and took a vicadin which turned out to not be a great idea. I felt like a teenager after a night of too much malt liquor. I got the spins and felt like I was going to throw up. Made it through.....won't do that again. Been surviving on ibuprofen since.....helps a little, but I still ache sooooo much. Real tired too. It's hard because I'm ready to start doing all the things I need to do and I get so tired I can't finish what I start. So, I've started prioritizing 3 things I want to accomplish each day and I try to get going on them early because by the end of the day you can't peel me off the couch. I think it will get better as the next week or two goes on. But, I'm sure it will return once the radiation gets underway. Oh well.

Had an appointment with my oncologist yesterday. Just a check to make sure I hadn't mutated since the last chemo. Everything looks good.....whatever that means. Speaking of mutating, I got a little good news on that front yesterday. My insurance approved BRCA testing for me to see if I carry a mutant cancer gene. I had to swish Scope for a total of 60 seconds and spit about 4 times into a test tube. We'll have some results in the next couple of weeks. It is limited because they've only identified a couple of genes so far. I could be carrying other genetics, but the cancer geniuses haven't identified any of those genes yet. Bottom line, I better not be positive.....don't want to think that I've passed this ugly monster on to my kids and their kids.

Well, off to see The Girl From Lymphedema........still having a hard time not singing the song every time I say lymphedema. She's going to help me with my range of motion a little more. I've got an appointment with the radiation oncologist tomorrow to get the simulation done. Won't be long now.

Oh yeah, yesterday I got a call from the plastic surgeons office to let me know they had approval from my insurance to go forward with the reconstruction. Huh? When I told her I was getting ready to take a couple of months of radiation she was confused too because she said tissue expanders wouldn't work with radiation and I'd have to do it another way. Anyway.....lots of confusion on both ends of the line, so we have an appointment next week so they can tell me what my options might be if I decide to get those double d's.