Radiation Treatments and Daycare

[SilverSabre25]

No advice but hugs and healing thoughts!

[SandeeAR]

Met with Doctor today. It is a .8 cm tumor, small but stage 3, very aggressive. It will be Chemo not radiation. More side effects, but it will make things easier for scheduling to be off. I can get chemo on Fridays, see the Dr on Mondays. The two days my DD is off and can be here anytime.

Thanks for the prayers and tips. I have a big bottle of aleo vera Sharlan. Will I need it for Chemo or just if it was radiation?

[SandeeAR]

We will be praying for you. I wish I had the funds to send you money so that you could take time off. You are fantastic! Your husband is such a blessed man and your family is a blessed family to have a woman like you. lovethis

Thanks that is so sweet of you. I will make it through LOL I figure if I can keep it going until nap time, I can rest while they sleep and then DH or DD can be here from 3:00-5:30 to help out.

On a good side note, my DH is being more attentive to me than ever in 32 years!!!

[mema]

No advice here, as it affects everyone differently, except do what you need to do for YOU. I'm glad you will have some help. Do you have personal days in your contract? Even if they are unpaid? That way at least if you are feeling icky one night you can close for the next day and rest.

Hugs and prayers coming your way!

[SandeeAR]

No advice here, as it affects everyone differently, except do what you need to do for YOU. I'm glad you will have some help. Do you have personal days in your contract? Even if they are unpaid? That way at least if you are feeling icky one night you can close for the next day and rest.

Hugs and prayers coming your way!

I do have 5 paid days in my contract. However, in April, my DH had 2 surgeries and was off for 8 weeks. I took all my time then while he was in the hospital. Thankfully, mine are both out patient and one day Friday surgeries. So I can recoop on Sat and Sun. If I'm really bad, I can close and not charge my families. I'm going to try very hard not to do so.

[Lilbutterflie]

Oh WOW, I am SO sorry to hear this!!

I can't offer any advice, but (((HUGS)))!!!

I had a very large breast tumor removed last year, but I am so grateful that it was completely benign.

Prayers are going out to you now; for successful treatment, understanding clients, helpful family members & healing!

[momma2girls]

So sorry to hear this. Prayers are sent your way!!

[bunnyslippers]

I am going through chemotherapy and steroid infusions currently. I have not closed my daycare, although I do have summers off. I was open when I began my treatments, and did not close down. On days that I have appointments, I find coverage through friends and family.

I was very up front with all of the daycare families. I gave them a monthly schedule for who was covering and when. I tried to keep the lines of communication open.

I did reiterate to all of them that I had a compromised immune system and would not accept children when they were sick. I was very strict about this policy, and everyone respected it.

It can be done. I was tired some days, and those were the days that my routine was a little bit more relaxed. I think it is a personal decision, and that everyone responds differently to these medical treatments.

Good luck to you. I will keep you in my prayers.

[Country Kids]

I'm so sorry to hear of this with you. I know the Lord is watching over you during this difficult time.

Please be very honest with your parents though on how you are feeling. I know everyone is different but no one I have personally known with radiation/chemo responded well enough to have been able to run a daycare. I know as a parent I would be worried about your energy level, if you are sick how well can you handle the children, what happens if you don't respond well and can't do the childcare. I know you have help but you need to be prepared for parents to possibly find new childcare.

I would sit down and let all your parents know what is going on, what your plan is and as someone said give a very detailed calendar of everything.

[MyAngels]

I have no advice, but just wanted to add my prayers and support as well. (((Hugs))) to you and keep us posted if you are feeling up to it lovethis.

[SandeeAR]

Thanks so much for the input and prayers. A lot has changed recently.

Last night we had a scare when a 9.4 cm mass showed up in my brain, on my CT scan, I had to close 1/2 a day for a brain scan. Met with the Dr tonight and thankfully, it is a "cavenous malformation", not a cancer tumor!

However, even before we knew of the possible brain tumor, I had come to a decision. After much prayer, I have decided to close my doors, at least for several months. I have 3 months of chemo and 2 months of radiation. I know I need the time to focus on me getting well. The fear was my being around the small children and their illnesses.

At the end of this, I'll make the decision to reopen or not.

Thanks so much to all you have given me great advice on this board.

[SilverSabre25]

I was just wondering how you were doing; thanks for the update. So glad that wasn't a tumor in your brain!

Under the circumstances I don't think anyone can blame you for choosing to close and focus on healing, etc. Have you made dietary changes to help battle the cancer?

Good luck and we'll be thinking of you! Keep us updated, okay?

[sharlan]

Thanks for the update. The aloe is for the radiation. It really helps with the healing.

You have to do what is right for you. Only you know what that is. What is right for one person may not be the right thing for you.

For me, it was the right thing to continue with my daycare both times. The kids helped keep me from dwelling on my cancer. You can't sit in a corner and cry when 6 kids are waiting for lunch. I was told by one dr that we could beat it, but another gave me 6 - 9 mos. That was 10/91, almost 21 years ago and I'm still going strong.

One issue that I had was mouth sores. I found that when I came home from having chemo that if I swished baking soda and water in my mouth for a few minutes, I didn't get them that week.

Funny story about lunch. I had thick blonde hair the first go 'round. The week after my first chemo, it started falling out in big clumps. The kids wanted pb&j for lunch. Every time I went to put the two slices of bread together, hair would fall into the pb. After throwing away the 6th sandwich, I loaded the kids up in the car and drove through McD's. I had my head shaved that night and the kids loved rubbing my bald head.

[kendallina]

I am in tears reading this post. I do not post often but lurk daily here and a cancer forum (I do not have cancer, but have been through some scares recently) and when I saw your username on that cancer forum my heart sank. The Internet is not such a vast place afterall.

I wish you the very very best and please continue to update us when you can.
Katy

[momofsix]

Thank you for the update. I'll continue to keep you in my prayers. Please keep us posted on how things are going for you and how we can support you in our small way.
(((hugs)))