Christmas is a Time for Mascara

In honor Christmas, I decided it was worth risking all of my eyelashes falling out for some fancy dressing up mascara. I know, pretty exciting, but you don't think about those things with the chemo, eyelashes falling out and such. All is well, when I washed off the mascara, I didn't wash away all of my eyelashes. It actually is pretty sad times when you have no eyelashes because you totally get crap in your eyes 10x more.

Merry Belated Christmas! Here's to a happy healthy 2010!

Ps. I am not sure that new year's will bring out the mascara, apparently just fancy Christmas Eve church services merit that.

4th Treament Part 2

Back to Monday to give a little more detail about the craziness of chemo and cancer. So we always have to see the nurse practitioner or the oncologist every time we go, they have to be diligent to address any issues, and I have to tell them anything that is weird going on. So I had something weird. I noticed that I have a numb spot on my hip. Weird. I actually didn't think anything of it, Craig told me that I should share this with the nurse practitioner. Ok, so I did, what a mess! Who would have thought that what that made her worry about was cancer that could be causing numbness?! So MRI's and x-rays later say everything is all good.

Anyway, the issue sort of was complicated because we said we didn't want these tests. (WHAT?) Yeah, it is because we also didn't think the nurse practitoner was listening to all that was happening and for certian other reasons may have been jumping to conclusions. We thought it was important to check mind you but we offered to do the tests the next chemotherapy when there will be a two day trip because they are going to measure again with a PET, and we had more time in philly with the schedule. Usually we get back to our house from philly and it is after midnight, and we are getting up at 4:00 am, plus getting chemo. That monday we were supposed to get into columbus at 7:30! we were so excited. with everyting that had to be changed we got home and it was 11:30ish so not too bad, and the flight was on time a super blessing.

This also may not have much bearing on you all, but for me there is a definate line drawn for many who have cancer. With my family I saw that certian problems they had would be easily dismissed as the cancer, no one would listen to them, and just write off their pain or issue. Our bodies are complex, and we have the potential for many things (unfortuneately) to go wrong, cancer is not necessarily the answer for all things when a person has cancer. That day they suceeded in making me a broken down cancer patient, which I refuse to be. Like I said there was nothing wrong, it was prudent to check, but wow. Crazy times on Monday. I am glad that we got everything done on everyone's list, all I wanted was the drugs!

4th Treatment!

Finally! I have received the 4th chemo in this course of 6. I feel like I am back on track. I feel like I have had chemo but back on track. I don't have many side effects today, but I am definitely feeling a shock to the system. I was starting to get back more energy and had less muscle aches and bone pain so now that is all back. Ah well. If all goes as hoped there are only 2 more chemotherapies in this run. I hope there are not another bonus 6. There were a couple of other things that happened yesterday too, but I will have to take a minute to write you that story. Until then!

Other Blogs

Have you all taken a minute to use that view next blog icon when you are at this page? I do every now and again. It is amazing the amount of stories which are related to cancer, or others with a health issue or disease. Then when I find one (like I did just now, a breast cancer lady, 47) and I can't stop reading, sometimes it is just bad. It is like the train wreck no one can look away from. This woman recorded her symptoms, her struggles with double mastectomies, her reconstruction, and it is wow. I think how sad it is there are so many stories that are shared blogging which are related to disease. Then I think about this woman's struggles and it depresses me a little because cancer can be hard, it can take our loved ones, it can take joy, and it can break spirits. Anyway....I am so blessed to not have had all of the awful side effects that this woman had (she even lost total taste, how crappy is that?). I have only had a lumpectomy. It only took an hour! Does it take longer to get your tonsils removed? Really when I read something like that it is like a life check, remembering how much I have been blessed, what I have been spared from as of this moment, and God is good all of the time no matter what.

Four Years and Nine Days

I had actually meant to blog you all on November 21, 2009. It is a day that will live in infamy! It is the anniversary of my diagnosis. Four years. Doesn't that seem like a mess? It doesn't feel that long. It also doesn't feel like I have had to put my life on hold. The only thing that is lamented is there have been moments when I have not been able to comb hair, and other times when I had a terrible mullet from the hair that was hearty and did not fall out. I didn't keep regularly scheduled hair appointments when I let the mullet grow in. It did cut down on the time it took to get ready for work. That was nice. God is good. Four years blessed with life.

That being said, Dr. Kendra you still suck! Cancer sucks! Go CTCA!

Finally!

It is time! I have been able to schedule a chemo for December 7th! I joke with my co-workers because when I get all excited about being back to chemo I feel like I am saying I am addicted to drugs. I am glad to feel like I am back on track. It will be over 6 weeks since the last chemo and it just feels like a long time, plus it felt like a long pause to get the whole thing started up again.

Well anyway, I am back in the chemo chair, God willing, next Monday. All blood counts must be good, which I can't imagine they would be bad, but I haven't been in this situation before. I guess we'll see!