Breast cancer awareness pins

ginger daughter

Here are pics of the little pins i bought thru the etsy website from artsinhand. The woman who makes them donates 70% of the cost to Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation - pretty awesome and so cute.  I'm on the fence about Breast Cancer Awareness month coming up in October...wish it weren't necessary, wonder how many companies just do it to profit off a vulnerable population, but i always come back to the idea that if it encourages one person to ask questions about her health, or get a mammogram, or let me wear cute pins, it's all good:)

ginger figurine

Chemo #3 Treatment today

I'm home from chemo and feeling fine, although I've taken some pepcid and already suggested going to bed soon and it's only 7pm;)

My friend AnnMarie was my chemo fairy today:) She picked me up and drove me, sat with me while i got my treatment for 4 hours, and perhaps best of all she brought snacks!!! She is such a blessing to me, thank you AM! I might actually look forward to chemo if it means i get to have time to catch up with my friends!!

I'm still getting all the pre-meds before the taxol, including the steroid, although it's effecting my sleep and i think causing the headaches.  But, I talked to my pain management angel Darlene today too, she approved me increasing my headache prevention meds, so here's hoping no headache tomorrow and the rest of the week - thanks for the nudge to do that sissy.

Still no baldylocks news:) my hair is definitely thinning, but i don't think it's noticeable yet, so am holding back on making a drastic bald making appointment.  Will let you know if it's time to break out the do-rags:)

Hair loss inspiration:)

         There once was a woman who woke up one morning, looked in the mirror, and she noticed she had only three hairs on her head. “Well,” she said. “I think I’ll braid my hair today.” So she did, and she had a wonderful day.
The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror, and she saw that she had only two hairs on her head. “H-M-M,” she said. “I think I’ll part my hair down the middle today.” So she did, and she had a grand day.
The next day, she woke up, looked in the mirror, and she noticed that she had only one hair on her head. “Well,” she said. “Today I’m going to wear my hair in a pony tail.” So she did, and she had a fun, fun day.
The next day, she woke up, looked in the mirror, and she noticed that there wasn’t a single hair on her head. “Hooray!” she exclaimed. “I don’t have to fix my hair today!”
Attitude is everything.

Baldylocks?

So, this morning I was combing through my long lovely locks with my hand and lo and behold, lots of hair in my hand. I swear I was mentally prepared but I was still frozen by it. Plus it's a little creepy! I can actually hear the strands pulling loose from my head! Spooky. How come no one warned me about that?! I've already bought some little do rag caps, thinking I'd just donate them when I was one of the 4% who didn't lose their hair on taxol. See? Prepared and yet...:) I had a hard time tearing myself away from the mirror this morning, gazing at my curls (sorry boss!;)) maybe it's just thinning?

Side effect?

The weird thing is, i think every little thing is a possible side effect (or more cancer.) Yesterday my leg bones hurt, then last night kept hurting, including my hips and knees. So, i researched the webs of course and found that it's a fairly common side effect of the taxol. Yay. It's funny cuz so many of the people who had taxol effects said the same thing: my dr says it's very rare, but...i think drs just like to say that, makes us feel special:) anyway, am feeling better this morning and am saying prayers of thanks for my pain meds;)

Chemo treatment #2, Taxol

So, because the oral medicines I was on (first Femara, then Aromasin) weren't keeping the cancer under control, I started my first ever chemo last friday, then got my second dose just this past friday. My oncologist said that Taxol is one of the gentler, better tolerated chemo agents, and so far that's been true.  Some of the experiences I've read online with Taxol haven't been so positive, and because the effects are cumulative, who knows what the next treatment will bring, but I've only been tired. Strangely, I'm not sleeping deeply, i think because of the steroids they dose me with before the chemo, so I'm tired but not sleepy which is an odd place to be.
One side effect that seems fairly common according to the literature is hair loss around the 3rd treatment, so I'm mentally preparing myself for that:) I've got lots of support, especially my sissies and Will! who have pledged to either go short or bald with me if it happens, so I'll keep you posted!

hi!

Hi my family and friends!
This feels very strange, talking to myself, and I know it's taken me 4 years to finally give in to the blogging thing:)  This seems like a good time to start using this technology to keep you up to date on what's happening with my health and this way you can all send me positive vibes and messages...that's my real goal:)