Editor's Note: 7NEWS Meteorologist Pam Daale is grateful to all of the viewers who have expressed their best wishes as she wages her fight against breast cancer.

Daale has chosen to use TheDenverChannel.com as her way of keeping the public updated on her health. New journal entries will be posted weekly.

BREAST CANCER See Pam's Story Her Struggle From Her Husband's Perspective Pam's Last Chemo Treatment E-Mail Pam Spread Word Survival Stories Myths and Facts Cancer Quiz Risk Factors SELF-EXAM How To Do It Diagrams How Do You Check? How Often? ARTICLES: Fitness Center For Patients WEB RESOURCES: Susan. G. Komen Foundation National Alliance Of Breast Cancer Organizations Breast Cancer Info National Breast Cancer Organization National Breast Cancer Coalition

I had my final treatment of Adriamycin/Cytoxin last week. It marks the half-way point in my chemotherapy. Yippee! And boy am I glad it was the last of the AC. Next up are four treatments of something called Taxol. Supposedly, the side effects aren't as severe, or was someone trying to make me feel better?!

For some reason, this last dose of AC smacked me good. I was more nauseous, and the "sneezy" feeling didn't want to go away. The "sneezies" weren't really that either for me. If was more like a pain throughout my entire sinus cavity. You know how sometimes the hot mustard from the Chinese restaurants can make your nose burn? Well, that's how it's felt, throughout my whole sinus! I can feel it some even now, but not nearly as severe. I am SO glad to be done with the Cytoxin, which is the chemical that has that effect.

But one good thing in this last treatment was that I got to take a test drive with my port. Boy was I stupid in putting that off. It was the easiest thing on the planet!

If anyone is out there thinking they don't want a port because they don't want the extra invasion of something foreign in their bodies, and they have good veins ... THINK AGAIN!

Remember, chemo messes with your veins, good ones, or bad ones. I had (HAD) great veins. One person even told me once that if someone can't get my veins on the first try, I should ask for someone else. Then chemo came along, and my veins weren't so easy any more.

So for the last two chemo appointments, I suffered (as did the poor folks trying to find my veins) through the poking. But as easy as this port worked, the one hour of surgery to have it inserted was well worth it!

But, not being one who gets along well with inactivity, I had a rough week. The chemo kept trying to pull me down, and for the most part it did. I spent a lot of time sleeping or just lying around this week.

My brain tried to fight the longing-to-lay as much as possible. I reasoned that maybe since I hadn't been able to exercise much over the last couple of months, this last treatment got to me more. So I got out on my hand cycle Friday morning, even though I wasn't feeling well. I have to say it didn't do much good. But I do believe that if I get back into a regular exercise routine, it has to help in the long run. I can't expect much for short-term results.

Aside from how I feel, things are going well. My tumor marker (a blood test showing the amount of protein produced by tumorous cells) is normal. That is great news! The chemo is doing its job. Too bad it has to do such damage to the good cells too.

Maybe some day they'll figure out how to attack just the bad rapidly dividing cells alone. But I am just thankful there is at least a treatment available that will extend the time I'm able to spend with my family.

Speaking of spending time with family, Thanksgiving is coming up. Wow!

There is so much to be thankful for. I'm thankful for the doctors who are treating this horrible disease. I'm thankful for the researchers who are working on cures. I'm thankful for nurses whose caring makes the journey easier. I'm thankful for family and friends who are there whenever there's need. I'm thankful for the strangers who come up and give encouragement (or send e-mail, or letters, or leave voice mail). I could go on and on, but I'll stop and say that most of all, I'm thankful that God has allowed me to live on this beautiful planet, enabling me to experience the joys that are so plentiful around me.

May God bless all of you this Thanksgiving and always.

Until next time ... keep getting to know your breasts!

Pam Daale
The Happy Cancer Patient

You can e-mail Pam Daale at Pam_Daale@TheDenverChannel.com.