On my home from diving today I stopped in Anchorage to visit with my buddy, Skye.
Skye is not a diver, but has been a horseback riding buddy for years. If my mom would marry the guy she's been living with for 12+ years, Skye would technically be my aunt
Anyhow, she was diagnosed with metasticized breast cancer in March of last year. Tumors were found in her breast, inside her chest wall and in the lymph nodes of her neck and axilla (armpit). Skye has found non-cancerous breast lumps in the past so is pretty diligent about checking herself. These were not palpable even after she knew they were there!! The first indication of a problem was a painful lump in her neck. Anyhow, at the time of diagnosis she was given a 2% chance of surviving 6 months with or without treatment. She opted for treatment and the attitude that she will contribute to the 2%. She started out with 2 different kinds of chemotherapy. These knocked her for a loop. She lost her hair, had muscle and joint pain to the degree I lost my riding buddy, had to reduce her work hours to part time.
After the tumors were shrunken she was supposed to have surgery to remove the primary ones. Right before that happened she she got septic from some unknown infection and had to be hospitalized. This was about August I think. When I visited her and delivered her favorite horsey and smut magazines, I asked if there was anything else I could do for her - she said she wants naked dancing men - I said I'll see what I can do. Her reply was yeah, that's what everybody says. Well - I used to work with the crew on C shift at Fire station 3 right next door to the hospital. I brought in the usual bribes of pie-n-ice cream and asked a favor. When they got off shift the next morning, 5 of the guys showed up in Skye's hospital room wearing turnout pants (with the requisite red suspenders) and fire helmets and did a bare-chested dance around her bed.
Skye told me later that this was the first day she had been truly depressed - she had been told they would not do the surgery until her fever broke and she had been there a week. She said she had not gotten out of bed, brushed her teeth, taken a shower or eaten breakfast. She was sweating from the fever and sick of the IV's. Those guys could not have picked a better to show up! They bought her a FD tee-shirt and all of them signed it with an encouraging message. Skye said after they left she got up, took a shower, cleaned up her hospital room, went to the room next door and asked that patient if she needed anything! She keeps telling me that though I'm not one to coddle anyone, when I do, I do it big time.
Anyhow, her fever broke, she had the surgery 2 days later. She then started a different chemo treatment and eventually radiation.
Skye's last radiation treatment was Thursday and her last chemo treatment was a couple of weeks ago. ALL of her tumors are undetectable on CT scan or conventional Xray. She feels good, her hair is growing back and as soon as it's not so icy she wants to go riding. She's thrilled about being among the 2%.
And today - she still talked about the dancing firemen. I'll call them tomorrow with an update, since they still ask about her
Skye is not a diver, but has been a horseback riding buddy for years. If my mom would marry the guy she's been living with for 12+ years, Skye would technically be my aunt
Anyhow, she was diagnosed with metasticized breast cancer in March of last year. Tumors were found in her breast, inside her chest wall and in the lymph nodes of her neck and axilla (armpit). Skye has found non-cancerous breast lumps in the past so is pretty diligent about checking herself. These were not palpable even after she knew they were there!! The first indication of a problem was a painful lump in her neck. Anyhow, at the time of diagnosis she was given a 2% chance of surviving 6 months with or without treatment. She opted for treatment and the attitude that she will contribute to the 2%. She started out with 2 different kinds of chemotherapy. These knocked her for a loop. She lost her hair, had muscle and joint pain to the degree I lost my riding buddy, had to reduce her work hours to part time.
After the tumors were shrunken she was supposed to have surgery to remove the primary ones. Right before that happened she she got septic from some unknown infection and had to be hospitalized. This was about August I think. When I visited her and delivered her favorite horsey and smut magazines, I asked if there was anything else I could do for her - she said she wants naked dancing men - I said I'll see what I can do. Her reply was yeah, that's what everybody says. Well - I used to work with the crew on C shift at Fire station 3 right next door to the hospital. I brought in the usual bribes of pie-n-ice cream and asked a favor. When they got off shift the next morning, 5 of the guys showed up in Skye's hospital room wearing turnout pants (with the requisite red suspenders) and fire helmets and did a bare-chested dance around her bed.
Skye told me later that this was the first day she had been truly depressed - she had been told they would not do the surgery until her fever broke and she had been there a week. She said she had not gotten out of bed, brushed her teeth, taken a shower or eaten breakfast. She was sweating from the fever and sick of the IV's. Those guys could not have picked a better to show up! They bought her a FD tee-shirt and all of them signed it with an encouraging message. Skye said after they left she got up, took a shower, cleaned up her hospital room, went to the room next door and asked that patient if she needed anything! She keeps telling me that though I'm not one to coddle anyone, when I do, I do it big time
. Anyhow, her fever broke, she had the surgery 2 days later. She then started a different chemo treatment and eventually radiation.
Skye's last radiation treatment was Thursday and her last chemo treatment was a couple of weeks ago. ALL of her tumors are undetectable on CT scan or conventional Xray. She feels good, her hair is growing back and as soon as it's not so icy she wants to go riding. She's thrilled about being among the 2%.
And today - she still talked about the dancing firemen
. I'll call them tomorrow with an update, since they still ask about her 
!
