Tag: jp drain
How It Healed
Posted on August 2, 2017 by Valerie Powell
WARNING: GRAPHIC IMAGES For some crazy reason, I thought surgery wouldn’t be a big deal and the first week of recovery would be a little tough and then the next week would be more like a staycation at home while they made sure everything… Continue Reading “How It Healed”
The literal only picture I took today. It was scan day. And one of the longest I’ve had in a while since diagnosis in 2017. I envisioned my 5yr follow up to be somewhat of a relief, a lifted burden, a really good deep breath that marks a long-awaited milestone. And it was…sort of. But it was also the stark realization that there’s no real known “safe zone” for the type of head and neck cancer I had. It’s a lifetime of periodical follow-ups. But more than that, it feels like another lifetime of fear to wade through that I thought I was past.
Many of you will recognize this setup before I tell you 🥴 Today was my first scope. And it was as terrible as I imagined. Blog post coming soon! #ent #otolaryngology #scopecam
(4.20.22) Today is exactly 4.5 years from my last radiation treatment. I know it seems silly to document a half-anni but when we’re talking cancer, every single day is a gift to be celebrated. Can I get a good amen?
Today was my first appointment in the new Sullivan Survivorship Clinic at UAB (named after the late great Pat Sullivan). This is a program that was initiated by my brilliant surgeon Dr. Bill Carroll and carried out to support head and neck cancer patients during treatment and beyond. Thankful to be one of those “boring” clinical visits for the team today and incredibly grateful to know the Sullivan clinic exists. More to come soon! Onward and upward! #goneglandagone #cancersurvivor #salivaryglandtumor #headandneckcancer
Just admiring this little strand of magic after letting my hair air dry! 🦄 I have board straight hair that I typically flip over my head, hit with a hairdryer, and walk out the door but radiation gifted me some stellar curls when my hair grew back in at my treatment area and they have delightfully hung in almost 5yrs out! While my day-to-day is much different now, it’s still the little things that keep me humble and remind me of what I conquered. Praising the Lord today for spirally little curls instead of constant mental spiraling! 😵💫💁🏼♀️ #goneglandagone
NEXT THURSDAY! Don’t miss it! Support is crucial through and beyond a cancer diagnosis! #headandneckcancer
Recent Posts
Categories
- How did we get here? (7)
- Radiation Education (9)
- Reflections (23)
- Treatment Updates (14)
- By the Week (8)
- Uncategorized (23)
- Where are we now? (17)
Gone, Glanda, Gone 