Inquiring minds want to SEE!!!!

So, you think you want to see me bald? (if you answered "no" to this question, I don't know what to tell you, just close your eyes and scroll on down to the rest of the post I guess.)This isn't easy for me, by no means, but I have been asked by a few close friends and it might help another young woman that is facing the same thing soon, so here ya go...

There are probably several family and friends, and maybe even people I don't know, saying it doesn't look that bad, and thanks for the comment, but I still avoid looking at my reflection as much as possible. I'm told that my wigs look great, very real, but I still don't wear them much, it's just too dang hot and humid here for that. I have been wearing one to church, but that's about it. And when I DO wear one, I usually pull it off as soon as I get back in my car headed home, thank goodness for tinted windows! But, today was my last "bad" treatment, and once it's out of my system then my hair should start to grow back!!!! My Dr told me today that I should still be using shampoo & conditioner, just like before, so my hair follicles would still be stimulated, and that in a few weeks I can start taking vitamins to help it grow back, prenatal vitamins will give it an extra boost to help it grow faster! Speaking of today's treatment, I wanted to give a step-by-step description of what goes on, don't think I have done this previously. Again, just in case you're interested or if it's someone just starting out. Of course, I'm sure that it's different at each office, but this is how it is where I'm treated. 9am...arrive and sign in, get blood drawn and return to waiting area, sometimes I'm lucky and get to go right back to a room. Wait a little bit then go to a room, get temp, blood pressure, and pulse ox read, get asked a series of questions about stuff like any rashes, bowel problems, urinary problems, night sweats, chills, etc. Wait for the dr, ask any questions I might have, and I usually have the same questions over and over cause I can't remember what I have asked, damn chemo-brain! (and just so you know, chemo-brain is very real! I get so frustrated cause I can't talk right sometimes, can't remember stupid lil things, get confuse easily, forget how to spell things I have been able to do for years, UGH, very crazy!) Oh, loose my train-of-thought TOO easy! LOL! Oh yeah, I'll get a physical exam if it's the FNP, but with clothes on, just mouth/throat, neck, breathing, heart, etc. apx.10am...Head back to the chemo room and pick out a chair and wait a few minutes til they have a chance to get me hooked up. I have to wait a tad bit longer if I forgot to ask the nurse to give me numbing cream when she took me back to the exam room, which I have done the past 2 times, and one of the onc nurses will put it on. Then they prep the area with betadine and alcohol, insert the port needle and do a heparin flush, then a little bit of a flush with saline, then a small bag of zantac, followed by a small bag of decadron and zofran for nausea. (please keep in mind that I can't spell right now and these dern medicines are not coming up on spell check, so I don't know if they are right or not!) Then comes the big bag of the "red devil" aka adrimiacin and when that one is all gone I get a big bag of cytoxin, and I HATE this stuff! It makes my sinuses hurt bad, right on the bridge of my nose will burn and it gives me an instant headache! We tried slowing the drip down today to see if it would help, but it didn't much. During this whole process I have to go to the little girl's room at least twice, most of the time more, pulling my iv pole around with me! And so around 1:30pm I was finished today. WooHoo! Everybody is different, but I usually don't start to have nausea til a few days later, maybe a mild headache the evening of a treatment, but nothing a couple ibuprofen can't handle. So, that's a dr's visit for me! We made several stops on the way home and stopped for a bite to eat, but when we finally did make it home, I found a beautiful surprise, wanna see?

Aren't they gorgeous?!?! My cousin, Tamitha, had been by to see me and we were gone
=(, I hated I missed them, but the flowers sure did brighten my day! So, Tamitha, Morgan, and Andrew, thanks so much I absolutely love the flowers, my favorite colors! Now it's time for a little r&r, Doug got called in to work, the house is empty, and I'm enjoying the peace and quiet for a little while. Thanks for coming over to read how I'm doing! Til next time...