A week later

Here it is on Thursday, one week after treatment two, and, once again, I'm feeling almost normal.  It's annoying and frustrating that it seems to take me an entire week to recover from the treatment.  But, if that's the worst I have to deal with I suppose I need to count myself very lucky.  The doctor was nice enough to push the next treatment a week so that I won't be sick and unable to attend my son's wedding next weekend and for that I'm VERY grateful!  He said that a week wouldn't make any difference in the treatment and it will make a difference in my well being!

In anticipation of losing my hair (which, as I've said, started coming out by the handful last Thursday) a very wonderful friend took me wig shopping.  The shop owner and she both picked out a wig each to try on.  The first was interesting - great color and looked good, but was straight and I've never had straight hair in my life!  My friend picked out another wig - it was wavy and almost the identical color as my hair used to be when I was having it highlighted!  I finally put it on yesterday, after I'd talked with my hairdresser and asked her to fluff it and give me her opinion.  She loved it! Said the color was amazing and that there was nothing she needed to do to it at all!  When I got home, I took a selfie in the car - don't like any of my pictures! - and I have to admit it's one of the best pictures of me I've seen in a long time!  It will mean that wedding pictures won't have a bald me!!  I would hate for them to have that!

See - I think it came out looking pretty good!  Wish my own hair would have ever done as well, but I have a cowlick right in the middle of my forehead and my bangs never looked this good!

Today, I just have blood work (hopefully that stays as good as it was last week) and then I have an entire week free - of blood work and treatment - I won't know how to act!!

PS I'm going to look at new cars next week - don't know if I'll get one but I'm serious about looking for something smaller.  I love my big truck but smaller would be easier right now I think!

Infamous 3rd Day

Today, Saturday, is the third day after treatment and is shaping up, once again, to be the worst day. Last time it was awful, especially since I wasn't sure what was going to happen.  This time, I tried to be more proactive - took a nausea pill last night and one again when I got up this morning.  I have had breakfast (well, I drank a boost!) but there's a bit of churning going on - baby steps.

Today Bry is going to clip my hair short after I take scissors to the long parts!  Might as well as it's falling out anyway.  I need to get some headscarves I suppose and a nice winter hat cuz my head is going to be cold!!  I do have a baseball hat a friend gave me - it's pink and says W.I.N.O.S (Women in Need of Sanity).  That'll do for a bit!

I'm looking forward to the wedding at the end of the month - I do have a wig for that and my wonderful hairdresser is going to comb it out and fluff next week so it'll all be ready.  Guess I won't need to see her for a while afterwards!

Already thinking about Christmas and presents - Amazon is going to be my new bestest friend I think.  I already get dog food/cat food and various pantry supplies from there - love the home delivery and have gotten gifts there before.  Clicking is so much easier than shopping in a store - especially when I get light-headed and tired so easily.

This too shall pass - and I'm further along the road than I was a few weeks ago!

2nd Treatment

Today my blood work was fine, I hadn't lost any weight over the week and that's good too, even though I do want to lose about 5 more pounds as safely as possible!  So treatment 2 went forward.

On a somewhat down note, I showered, washed my hair and as I was combing it out, handsfull (literally) of hair came along with the comb.  I was told it was going to happen but as late as last night, I hadn't noticed any real hair loss but WOW today!  And every time I touch it or run my fingers through it, more is gone.  Oh well - it's hair, it will grow back - eventually!  I do have a wig but don't plan on wearing it much.  I have a baseball hat a friend gave me - W.I.N.O.S (Women in Need of Sanity) that will probably get some wear and I've seen some lovely scarves and of course a cool knit hat for winter!

On a positive note: The Dr. and I agreed that the 3rd treatment is going to be pushed back a week so that I will be able to attend my son's wedding.  It would have been only two days before, with day 3 always being the most miserable day.  This way, I'll be fine, get an extra week chemo free and be able to meet, greet and enjoy - in my new wig! :) I just don't want bald pictures for their wedding!

All in all, I have whined and complained and felt blah and weak and dizzy at times but I'm OK and I'm going to be better than ever!  It's still definitely a process and the process is a production!

PS got my temporary handicapped placard today too - the plastic, laminated one will be mailed but the paper one will work until then.  Most of the time I'm able to walk without any problems, but some days it's a chore!  Will make it easier!

Interim Week

It's Friday - after an eventful week of illness, sleeping and, finally, appetite and a bit of energy! Feeling good but my blood work yesterday showed that my white blood cell count was way low - I apparently have a small infection tho I'm asymptomatic so I've been given 5 days of an antibiotic to counteract that.  More blood work next Thursday prior to chemo tho I suppose if it's still a mess there might be a miss there.  I don't know if it was the news or the antibiotic or what but sleep was elusive last night so, after looking up any drug interactions between the new medicine and Xanax and finding none, I took one.  Blessed sleep!

This morning, a good friend picked me up and we went wig shopping.  If my hair is leaving and it is according to all the medical people involved, I wanted to be ready.  I don't anticipate wearing it all the time but for special occasions!  Anyway, the first place we went, the lady was so sweet - she picked out one wig and my friend picked out another.  The first (the salesperson's choice) was fine - right color but the hair was straighter than mine but looked good.  Then we tried the second one and "WOW" - it looked exactly like my own hair - curls, waves and all!  The color is lighter than it's been in a while but in the same family and I swear I've had my hair cut this way before!

When I got home, my son said - "That's perfect!  Looks like you reached in a box and pulled out your own hair!"  So I guess it's unanimous - it's a hit.  Which means no bald pictures at the upcoming wedding and I can look pretty much the way I do now!  And the saleslady (owner) also told me, if I want a change - come back and get the other one too!

I can't thank my friend enough for going with me, driving me the entire morning and for picking out the perfect wig!  Now, I need the perfect winter hat!!

Whew

Whew - what a weekend this has been.  Saturday was a total washout for me - no energy at all, no appetite, and tons of sleep.  Drank lots of water, ate what I could (which wasn't much) and took one of the nausea medicines - and then more sleep.  Nothing felt right or good or normal.  The Tropical Smoothie was good!

Today (Sunday) is better.  Made some scrambled eggs for breakfast, ate an apple, a cheese stick, drank tons of water and a yogurt smoothie then had an almost normal dinner!  Progress!  And, although I did take two naps today, I was up more and able to focus on reading which held no appeal yesterday at all!

I realize this is a process and it will take time but I didn't realize just how nasty I could feel.  I don't know what I expected but it wasn't feeling as if I'd been run over by a truck and dragged. Anyway - it's one step forward on the fight and that makes it a good weekend even though I felt like dirt for most of it!

The Day After the 1st Day!

Today has been ok so far - a little feeling of being just off - not sick or anything just off with a light headache.  Anyway - I thought I'd do a recap of tests, just to show how I got here.

• Felt and saw something strange in my breast - it seemed at first almost as if it were swollen up around the nipple - called PCP and Gynecologist - the Gynecologist could see me first! 
• He scheduled a 3D mammogram for approximately 3 weeks away, in the meantime I saw the PCP who updated meds and agreed with the mammogram.
• 3D mammogram showed something and it was recommended that I have a biopsy the next Monday (true to tell, the 2016 mammogram was cleared by the Radiologist and the Gynecologist but I was a few months late on the 2017 one - my bad tho all the doctors have said it wasn't that late!)
• Biopsy done on two places - OUCH and met with the Radiologist on Thursday.  That poor man had to be the one to give me the news that it was cancer UGH.  The nurse navigator had already talked with Dr. Martin (Gynecologist) who'd recommended Dr. L Goldstein as the surgeon and an appointment had been set up for the following week.
• Dr. Goldstein poked and prodded (gently) and said she wanted me to see an oncologist (Dr. Alberico) right away because between the two of them they'd decide what treatment was best - she then sent me down for an EKG, more blood work.  
• Dr. Alberico (Virginia Oncology) met with me at his Norfolk office and ordered an MRI, CT and Bone Scan (already described and more blood work!)
• MRI (with medicine to get me in the thing) and dye showed that one lymph node was involved (BAD but not as bad as it could be)
• CT scan was clear
• Bone Scan was clear
• Blood work was excellent
• He scheduled a Mediport placement and decided that treatment would begin the next week (YIKES)
• Then decided he wanted an echocardiogram to ensure my heart was doing well
• Port placement was Monday - with more blood work - getting low here!
• Echo was done Tuesday
• Treatment began yesterday (Thursday) and Dr. Alberico said my heart was strong and healthy.
• Treatment took about 3 hours, then the neulasta was put on - sometime this afternoon it will give me it's medicine and be discarded.  In the meantime, I now have two types of nausea meds and am taking Clariton to counteract some of the effects of the neulasta - they don't know why Claritan works but it apparently does.

The mammogram was July 18, 2017 - so I've been on fast forward for the past 6 weeks and it looks like it's going to be that way for at least the next 4 months and that's all before surgery to get rid of the offending mass.

Did I mention I also have a new prescription for Xanax for those times I'm feeling totally out of control??? Haven't used it yet but I will - it's what got me in the MRI and if it can do that, it will help with anything!  

Did find out I'll lose my hair.  Have a huge event coming up the end of September and, while I allow few pictures of myself anyway, I certainly don't want any there being bald so it's off to find a nice wig - if I only wear it once or twice it will be totally worth it!

A special thanks to all my friends and family who have sent such supportive messages to me - they mean a lot!