Book Excerpts
First Haircut
That single hair on the top of my head was getting in my way and threatening to obscure my view. Seriously, it was growing straight up and had no supporting cast to distract from it. I looked through Shawns product line and found some smoothing paste, but how do...
Hair Watch Week 4
Still waiting! Gene tells me that if I stand in the sunlight and he cocks his head just so, he thinks he can see some peach fuzz. I'm planning to have some fun with the bald head for whatever time I have left with it. My Taxol rash on my hands, arms and face...
Kamikazi Corner
Each time I exit the Interstate to go to chemo or radiation, I have to travel through an intersection that I call Kamikazi Corner. It is the corner where the off ramp meets the street and there is a four-way stop. For some reason, people constantly run the stop signs...
Radiation
I had my first of 33 radiation treatments yesterday, and I'm just glowing! The appointment began with me meeting the technicians that will be helping me each day. They took the time to explain the equipment and show me that while I would be in the room alone at times,...
Hair Watch Week 3
Still waiting on the hair to grow. But at least the Taxol rash on my face and hands is getting better.
Hair Watch Week 2
Nope. No sign of hair. However, I used my 3X magnification make up mirror and found two stragglers that somehow escaped the lint roller. One is on the top of my head and is about 1/4 inch long. The other is above my left ear and is nearly 1/2 inch long. Neither is...
My New Tattoos
I had my radiation simulation done today and it was quite interesting . . . you might even call it life altering. The staff introduced themselves and showed me to a room where I was told to remove everything from the waste up. They provided me with a chic, soft pink...
Ringing the Bell
Mom is with me as I ring the bell at chemo to signify the end of phase II.March 28th was my last weekly chemo in phase II and my Mom was here from Texas to celebrate with me. It was a fun day at chemo as everyone came in to congratulate me. The nurses try to...
Chemo Cocktail
Each week, I receive a complicated mix of pre-meds and chemo meds. I watch as the IV bags arrive and the nurses sort them out. Some IVs last five minutes, some last 30 minutes. The nurses keep them straight, checking and double checking them, and I no longer worry...
Phillip
Phillip launches balloon #4My cousin Phillip came to visit me from California this weekend, and I let him release balloon #4 for the fourth week of chemo. It was so nice to visit with him and talk about our childhood memories. Shared visits to Grandma's house, and...