FRUIT PARLOR GOTO|

Manten sushi: 26-course Sushi Omakase for only $50

Trip to Japan and Korea

 

In spite of the anxiety about scheduling my mastectomy we were able to go on our scheduled trip to Tokyo and Seoul in December (and I had the surgery on my return). The whole thing was wonderful. In Tokyo, we stayed at a little hotel near where Rosemary will do her residency this coming fall. We tromped around and did some visits to new neighborhoods and old. Ate wonderful food, including a return to Fruit Parlor Goto

and the oden restaurant Otafuku

Rosemary had some friends in town so we met up with them and went to an amazing sushi restaurant called Manten. Seventeen or eighteen small plates all of outstanding  quality. Best sushi I have ever had.  

We flew to Seoul and spent nine days there. Our hanok style hotel was lovely--our room had a balcony overlooking a garden. We stayed in the Bukchon neighborhood and enjoyed tromping around looking for restaurants and cafes. We went to many of the museums I had already seen when I was there by myself but I was glad to go back.

The food was great. We had barbeque a couple of times.

It was cold but I had my  puffy coat which was plenty warm.  We walked every day until my energy gave out, and sometimes Rosemary would go out on her own while I rested at the hotel.

Aftermath

 The radiosurgery was tedious  but uneventful.  I had to dose up with benadryl to prevent an allergic reaction to the iodide contrast dye. Every stage of the check-in inolved hurry up and wait. The actual radiation was a little uncomfortable because of the mask, but it didn't hurt. Now I have finished with active treatment for both the breast cancer and the unrelated brain tumor --surgeries and radiation-- except that I must take an aromatase inhibitor medication called anastrozole for seven years. So far the only side effects seem to be the occasional hot flash (which could also be just a response to the hot weather we're having, and some fatigue when I get out for a walk. Because of the weather I have been laying low and hunkering down in front of my fan. I went to the store today to get coffee filters and a few other things. I can only get the filters at the organic deli and they have lactaid but only whole milk. I will go to the other store in a few days to get salads and fruit. I stopped drinking as much because my PET scan showed a fatty liver. No more daily beer. I have still been having a drink about once a week when i go to a restaurant or sometimes I'll get a tall one for home. I have been having ice cream because they have been putting it on sale at my market. 

 

I was supposed to have two MRIs last week for the brain follow-up but they didn't authorize them in time. We rescheduled and I called my insurance company and they said it takes fourteen calendar days. Today I got copies of the authorization letters in my mail. They authorized the brain and all three segments of the spine. As far as I know, they only need to do the cervical spine but we shall see. Rosemary offered to go with me but there's really nothing for her to do except wait a long time so I told her no need. She may be out of town any way because she's going to Spain to see her yaya who was in the hospital and has had to move into a residencia. No more living on her own. At least in Spain it is affordable. When my sister and I were starting to look for a similar housing situation for mom it was hideously expensive. In the end we did not need it--she went so fast. 

It has been a little strange to be done with the active phase of treatment. I've been a little bit emotional after being so distracted by the logistics of traveling to clinics and getting procedures done for all these months. The MRIs coming up are to see if the tumor that was removed is growing back and if the little baby tumor they left behind is growing bigger. Then I will have more MRIs in August for the breast surgery follow-up. I am left to be more or less anxious about scans in between time.