Cat Scans

Last week I went for my 1 year cat scan, 1 year since my cancer was found. I have always had mixed feelings about this procedure, it doesn't hurt but it is very emotional to alot of people, including me. When I experience my first scan.....it was full body scan to see if there was more than one tumor. I became in tears while in the large tubular circle machinery that  repeatedly "jur clunked" with every photo, I was  thinking...."Yep, it's checking everything, checking, checking and more checking." The technician told me, (she wasn't to diagnose) that she saw what was indicated on the file, and just that. Whew! Happinnnnnesss!

My scan last week was the same exact scan except with this time...... I looked in the window directly above my head and  my thought was, "Go ahead, I dare you, just dare you."

I will find out the results this week, I didn't expect any word from the tech.

Cat scans (Tomography) are series of 2D x-rays that are computer generated to 3D images. The slices of photos are taken around a single axis of rotation.

 To have a gastric scan the patient must drink a solution of iodine called contrast, it makes certain suspect areas glow as in the one x-ray shown above. It is a cat scan image showing 3 tumors on the kidneys.

This is the 3D image of a skull. MRI's, to the best of my knowledge, already take 3D X-rays. They are not as available as cat scans.

The maximum dose of gamma globules rays (whatever it is!) is 3 per year. A cat scan doses between 3-8 each procedure. I knew one scan equaled 400 chest x-rays but I did not know about the recommended limited exposure formula. 

 I can't tell you how many I've had in the past year. BTW, did you know they cause cancer?

No, really.....C&G Design

Words and photos by Dawn, C&G Design.

Hair today, gone tomorrow

Alright, we will have to do this post backwards. Since I've been AWOL for the last 6 months, an update was due for my editor and it is different from the other editor, it might take awhile to get use to. The other editor loaded the photos with the last one on the post being uploaded first. This editor is opposite and I've never been able to move the photos around either. Oay vey.

Anyway, the first photo of me was snapped yesterday. For close to 30 years I've had hair down to my lower shoulder blades, now it is short.

Here is the back and you can see how baby fine it is, I've snipped the top and the sides in hopes it will grow faster.

This is the middle of my illness.

Then.....my husband cutting what was left. Only the sides were to my shoulder but the back was bare. I held the sides back with a hair clip, after awhile that didn't work much either. I saw so much of it on my hospital bed in February, I decided time to cut it off. Control with cancer is important to the patient. Oh yah, I did go blond just to see what it looked like.

Remember our nice congressman Weiner? Well, Good Morning American analyzed his facial mannerisms and talked about his lying pursed lips. The facilitator commented that a furrowed brow means sadness. That's all I see in the last two photos, it seemed like a very long time before I'd be done with chemotherapy and so many things happened.

Here I am though, and today.....I laugh with life. C&G Design

Words and photos by Dawn, C&G Design.

Just Call Me Miss 1 Percent

Beautiful bouquet from a customer

Well, I went for my chemotherapy port on Friday, it was day surgery--in and out. So I thought.

I figured it this way, I had 4 additional complication with the cancer removal, the rare "1%", what else could go wrong?

The plan was a 1/2 hour to 45 minute surgery with the port being placed on the left shoulder. Funny, when I came awake, the clock indicated the time was 2 hours after I entered the OR. I had to ask a assistant because without my glasses I thought I was seeing things. Nope, the time was right.

My port was actually on the right side with a bandage on my left, they could not locate the proper placement, soooo I have a needle hole instead of the planned port on my left and the contraption on my right. I really don't mind which side the port is on just as long as it works.

By the time I got back to recovery I was feelin' the ole' ache and pain in my lower ribs on my back. The "one percent" risk with port placement is a collapsed lung, well mine had collapsed 30%, enough to have an extra overnight in the hospital. Joys....

I'm home now, I have chemo teaching today. C&G Design

Happy November.

Words and photos by Dawn,C&G Design.

My Next Challenge

I saw my chemotherapy doctor last week, I was somewhat nervous and I still am, the idea of pumping chemical into my body just doesn't seem good especially if it makes me sick.
I will be in therapy for 6 months, going every 2 weeks for 3 or 4 hours apiece.
I will have a port instead of the nurses seeking for a vein spot every time, a port is a junction (so to speak) into the artery with a plastic intravenous capsule outside of your skin. I had one in the hospital except it had 4 capsules. It was called a central line.
The kind of chemical cocktail (2) I will be getting is exclusive to colon cancer, one has a peculiar side effect. I won't be able to touch anything cold or my throat will spasm making me feel as if I were being choked, I will have to wear mittens to take anything out of the refrigerator or freezer. The Internet claims this is true with cold weather also. Oh boy! Winter in Maine! The Internet also states that the chemical (at least one of them), interferes with the cell construction at the DNA development. That's the second stage of cell growth, unfortunately it will affect the good cells also.
I read that there has been a recent new drug approval for chemotherapy. The drug targets the growing area and chokes the blood supply off to the tumor.

Gosh! Great works in motion! C&G Design

Words and photos by Dawn,C&G Design.

A Short Note on my Progress

I want to let my readers know that it has been a good week for me, I have felt stronger everyday and I"m looking forward to the upcoming week. I have some outside plans to do, packing the little people, removing our canopy, and maybe taking a few fall photos.
I am hoping that by Halloween I will be able to walk with Madame when she trick or treats, it may be the last time she'll want to do it.
While in the hospital I had 2 orders from Etsy and a Email from a friend of a prior customer, she ordered 5 sets of a craft I did a while ago, more on that later.
Next week I also meet with the oncologist doctor, he'll brief me on chemotherapy.
Until then, catch you on Monday. C&G Design
Words and photos by Dawn,C&G Design.

I'm Back

It has been a long haul in my battle to be cancer free. I had more than one complication while in the hospital and spent 26 days under their care. The primary thing that happened was the re-connection of my colon came undone from one staple, that one staple cause a battery of problems. I had to have a re-connection surgery, and a follow-up surgery to be sure my abdomen was all cleaned out. Somewhere in there I was moved to ICU for an irregular heartbeat.
This is the flowers my younger sisters sent me, the peach rose was gorgeous. The picture really didn't pick up the vibrant. Not only did I have a nourishment bag of food by IV, but insulin to counteract the high sugar content. I had days....I mean days of vomiting which prompted me to ask for a stomach tube so the acid from my belly could be removed.
My stairs to my front door was decorated by my employee and his wife. I got this photo right when I came home.

I had a ride to another hospital so a abdomen abscess could be drained and finally a fissure developed in the surgical area which set me back another week. The doctor made it clear that all the setbacks had nothing to do with the cancer. It snowballed from the disconnection and so I shouldn't think of it in terms of the "C" trying to beat me. Ha!

But I'm home now and everything is on a upswing. I'm going to try to get back to my schedule of postings but I also want to play it by ear, some days will bring weakness and I tend to relax (sleep) rather than doing alot.

A bouquet from our company supplier.
Happy October. C&G Design

Words and photos by Dawn,C&G Design.

Missing Post

As my readers know......some of my posts are not here, I actually missed a Raggedy Wednesday :( and broke a 2+ year pattern, oh well the little red haired dolls will forgive me.

I just wanted to let my reader's know that there has been a few complications in my cancer treatment, nothing to a great deal of "edge of death" just a set-back, that's all.

So until further (short) notice C&G Design will be in vacation mode.

Thanks for all your support and thanks to my big sister for the beautiful flowers. C&G Design.

Words and photos by Dawn,C&G Design.

On that Gut Feeling

Wikipedia has the definition of "guy feeling" as a "visceral emotional reaction to something, and often one of uneasiness". I figure it's time to post about my health.


"Sensitive" sculpture by Miquel Blay, 1910.

I've shied away from blogging about something so personal because I fear making readers uncomfortable so I will be very non-graphic about my thoughts.


My colon tumor biopsy returned as adenocarcinoma, colon cancer.
My course of treatment has been swift, I've had a CT scan with both ingested iodine dye and intravenous dye, to which I found the machine to be scary.

So far....CT scan of the abdomen shows no metastases to the liver or lung (what lung that could be seen), ruling out stage 4.


Oh, I love you, I love, love you machine!


I am informed that there will be more CT Scans before I'm done.


I'm going to be in surgery soon, the whole right side of my colon will be removed and the lymph nodes will be biopsied, if one shows the spread of the tumor than it means chemotherapy. I'm alright with that considering it is a relief not to have stage 4 cancer.


I'm uncomfortable and fatigued most of the time and was sick Saturday night, a combination of bad roasted peppers, nerves and a heavy gut feeling. This is a living thing inside, waiting to come out and die.


Wikipedia describes ''gut feeling" as "may also be used as a short handed term for a individuals "common sense", what is considered the "right thing to do."


My CT scan showed a 5 centimeter sized cyst on my left ovary a adenobenign cyst and 5 centimeters is the surgical size for this kind of cyst. It will not shrink on it's own. The right ovary may be involve in the "mass". The "gut feeling" thing to do...is...removal of both, the names are too close for my desire. The possible issue in the future could be, scar tissue might interfere with....as in another surgery and chemo will destroy anyway.


Menopause...here I come!


And on that scar tissue......


Wikipedia says "Gut feeling, like all reflective unconscious comparisons, can be reprogrammed by practice and experiences."

I can live with that, signed ; (semi-colon) C&G Design


GUT FEELING BY DEVO, November 1988
From the Devo album, "Are we not men, we are D-E-V-O"

Words and photos by Dawn,C&G Design.

Birthday Wishes

Although I'm a day early (I don't post on Saturday) I'd like to wish my mother and niece happy birthday! On a post script, my colonoscopy has resulted with a tumor, we don't know the pathology of it yet so we are waiting on biopsy. Either way that part of the colon will need to be removed. I will keep my readers posted.
Thank you in advance for all your kind words. C&G Design

Words and photos by Dawn,C&G Design.