Chemo Grad

That would be me, I am done with chemo as of 5:15pm this evening! It was an unusually long and busy day at the ROC, testing my new patience I think, but I came equipped and was calm, cool, and collected throughout the 7 hr. process that usually takes 5 hrs. Andy was there with me working away. Ran into a few friends that helped pass the time, watched the olympics, and did Continuing Ed. Credits for my license on Depression and Suicide, very uplifting I know, but it is my world, at work that is.

So Breakfast was this:

and lunch was this:

and dinner is this:

yup, home and cozy with my Baldwin pink hug blanket and a bottle of Veuve Rose that I got on my birthday to drink upon completion of chemo. so drinking I am, that should help the side effects right? Also notice I exposed my bare head for you. I have been so busy hiding it with hats and wigs, alot of you probably haven't even seen my pretty little bald head. Well look now because the hair will start back growing in 5 weeks now that chemo is over.

So on to the next chapter and radiation on Thursday. Will let you know how it goes. 

Until then, here i am kicking cancers butt trying to get out of my comfy heated chair at the ROC for the last time! 

and back to the Olympics! 

Killing Cancer one cocktail at a time

As you all know this coming Monday is my 8th and final chemo treatment cocktail, yeah! I have been laying low and been a bit more tired, seems the cumulative effects of all the treatments do add up and have caused me to slow down. Not like sleeping all day and doing nothing, more like still doing everything, but doing it slower, for example this picture is a good indication of how it has been going. napping on laundry or

I have been finding myself just sitting there and staring into space on several occasions






In preparation for finishing chemo., I had an appointment with my Radiation Oncologist today to get that ball rolling. She has said in the past that she likes to wait a month after chemo before starting radiation, I told her I would not be very good sitting home with no treatment and resting. that is the only reason she likes to wait, is to give your body a chance to rest and heal. I convinced her chemo was a breeze for me and I am well rested and we should just start radiation and while I was thinking we could start in a week or two, she came out and said we could start next thursday, 3 days after chemo ends! 
                           Here she is, the bestest Radiation Oncologist in the state, Dr. Anna Shapiro
                                                        


In preparation for starting radiation next week, I had a CT scan today. They put down a foamy mat on the table that they inserted air into and then formed it to me. Then they scanned me and marked me so they would be able to have exact placement for each treatment.no tattoos, just big sharpie "X's"  

So, I will continue to rest, best as I can do, in preparation to complete chemo and start radiation next week. A big week in my quiet world of late.

Chemotherapy #7, Taxol #3 - Completed

So I had the second to last chemo on Monday, went down smooth and was full of energy that whole day, I actually stayed out until almost midnight as a matter of fact, but then the steroids wore off and I have been dragging ever since. That is my excuse, I have been too tired to blog and I am getting ready to go to bed now, just wanted to let everyone know that it is nothing worse. 

The funny taste in the mouth is back, the aches are setting in, but good news is, they are right on time and I know they will be gone in a day or two, so I will just go with them and let them be. As with anything, the more you fight it, the worse it is. The more you let it be the sooner it is gone. 

Nighty, night

End of Week Update

HOLIDAY TIME
Happy 6th of July! I hope everyone had a happy, safe, and relaxing 4th. It was a beautiful day. Ruby and I went to the Country Club with friends for the annual lights on the lake party on the 3rd, it rained a bit, but we weathered through it and it ended up being a nice evening. I stayed up past my bedtime for the fireworks, but it was a special occasion and I think Andy would have let me if he was home.

Went to the parents on the 4th for swimming and a picnic. Here I am in the pool with my patriotic
do-rag on my head that my Dad got me.

We played monkey in the middle, pool style, with my niece and nephew for hours and I guess it wore me out cause I was tired when I was done with that.

WINNER OF KICKING BUTT CAMPAIGN ANNOUNCED
 So, it is time to reveal the winners of the kicking butt campaign and their prize. wait for it........ hold your pants............. the suspense is building, right?........
You all win! I can't pick just one picture, they are all great and the fact that you all took time out of your lives to think about me and take those pictures to cheer me up is too touching to choose just one, so congrats to all the winners, even the ones who are still thinking about their pictures, it is the thought that counts! So, for your prize, I am making a donation this Monday @ the Friends of Dave Pirro Golf Tournament.

I have volunteered the past 7 years at this tournament and I work the first hole. Each year at the first hole we collect money from the participants for a different charity and this year the charity is the Carol M. Baldwin Foundation. We will be "fighting like a girl" real hard to makes lots of money for this foundation. I have already had friends donate $1250 and I am adding $500 to that for you kick butters, so thanks for inspiring me and congratulations on supporting this foundation! pat yourself on your back for that.


SPECIAL SERVICES FOR CANCER PATIENTS
a friend sent me an email about this organization, I am putting it in here in hopes my breast friends still going through treatment will see it and might want to take advantage of these services.

ME - the real UPDATE

It is day 4 since treatment #6. I felt ok the first few days, no nausea and I didn't even take the meds! What I have now is fatigue and muscle aches and pains. The fatigue has been hanging around the last day or so, still able to do things, just slower, and taking more breaks. I actually got the Wii set up on the living room TV and Ruby and I played that for almost 3 hrs, I am a bad Mario Cart driver, but it was fun sitting there trying to get out of 12th place! My legs felt tired, like I had ran a big race or something, but last night in bed they were just aching from my hip down, so needless to say it was a restless night. They don't seem as bad when I am moving around this morning, but I am keeping an eye on it. Shelly gave me some cream for this sort of thing, so I may be breaking it out today.

Looking forward to the boys returning tomorrow. Laying low today, suppose to be a hot one. Stay hydrated,don't forget the sunscreen, and remember to

Chemotherapy Round #6, Taxol # 2

Chemotherapy Round #6, Taxol # 2

My Momma escorted me into chemo today as Andy is away at boyscout camp. Got there at 10am, left at 5pm, these taxol days are longer. Each time I go for chemo I have to have blood drawn to makes sure counts are good. then I have a nurse visit, then I have a doctor visit, then I finally get back to the infusion area where we wait abit more as the chemo drugs are not prepared until all those other visits are done and I am deemed "good to go." So Dr. Lemke told me I wasn't winning any awards with my hematocrit and red blood cells, but she'd take em.She said I looked great. No Side effects to report from first Taxol other than funny taste when drinking liquids the first week, mild joint pain, fatigue.

 Taxol - Smackxol- It's Resilience! 

So I feel pretty great and feel like my body is being pretty darn good to me and fighting this medicine like a super girl. I don't like how I have had a good appetite and have gained ten lbs and I don't like naps and going to bed early, but I think that and taking the PRN meds as prescribed have really helped minimize the side effects.The Propax nutrition supplements, the green smoothies, the Cambucha, and just going at it head on haven't hurt either. They were talking about resilience on the Today show today during chemo and they said resilience is a persons ability to overcome and tackle obstacles as they arise in their lives with a positive, just another thing to do attitude, so I guess I got alot of resilience. They also said resilience can be learned, so thanks mom & dad, teachers, friends, colleagues, and patients who have taught me, and the rest of you who feel you need more, stick around, I am sending it through the blogoshere to you!

I am not one for sitting still for long periods of time. I started upright in the chair, then I got the legs up, then I started slinking down in the chair, my mom thought I was going to slide right out. I was kept busy by sewing, paperwork, tabloids, and words with friends, still losing I think. Anyways, the sitting there that long is the worst part about chemo for me and this was the end of the day, see not always smiling and happy! 
And then I go and find research that says prolonged sitting kills you. It is like Rosanna Anna Danna use to say, If it's not one thing, it's another"

So, all went well, all is well, feeling good. Sorry I didn't blog much last week, but no news is good news. Working on boyscout stuff, a few fundraisers coming up I am helping with, and just doing normal stuff, at a slower pace, but doing it just the same. Also found time to hang at the lake and the pool with friends and family and just relaxed in the beautiful weather in our beautiful town.

No words of wisdom tonight, but this picture sums it up. Thanks to my cousin Barb for sending it early on, it continues to motivate me and remind me to use the shake weight every now and then!