Happy Heart Day People!

Happy Valentine Day ya’all!

So long and over due for sure. I figured I would take some time to update the blog. Sooooo much has happened since I last wrote!!

The Good News:

First and foremost, the good news! I am officially FREE OF CANCER! On January 25^th, I went in for my follow up PET scan and within hours I received results back from my doctor that read that there is no signs of the original disease. I was flabbergasted to say the least. For one, I did not realize I was going to get results back so quickly, and secondly I was just amazing that I had cancer and now…I don’t. I am officially in REMISSION. Whoo hoo…

 

Wigs:

So, I said I would write a little but about my wigs. So I found this great place in LA. Specically in LA fashion/garment district. I was able to get human hair wigs for under $100 and human hair blend wigs for roughly $30 a piece!! Those ones wear faster however worth buying a few and just switching them out.

I find that the shorter (in the back), like an A-line cut, worked best for me. The hair pieces I have had tend to get tangled in the back so it was harder to manage. With the short hair in the back I do not have to worry about that and that made it so much more comfortable!

I did buy a few different colors, but I do tend to wear the same lighter one. The darker and red ones just don’t always fit for me… so they have been on the wig heads for the most part! Haha

 

Symptoms and Status:

So even though I am cancer free (yay!) I still have to go through the rest of my treatment protocol. I had my PET scan after the 4^th treatment, however the protocol calls for 6 treatments + radiation for a month. I had my 5^th treatment on Feb 4^th and my last will be on the 25^th of February. I am grateful it is almost over. I will have to wait about 3-4 weeks and then I will begin radiation treatment. Once a day, 5 days a week for a month. During the mouth of March, my hair should start growing back.....I CAN NOT WAIT.....I miss my hair so much! ugh!!! One of the hardest part because it is a physical attribute and is something everyone can see. Anyways, I will be ecstatic to see my hair growth very soon now!!!

Its kinda funny how it works out. I am now cancer free, however this has been the most trying part of this whole experience physically and mentally. First off, after the 4^th treatment I had gotten little sick with a cold, which last the whole 3 weeks, and made it very difficult for me to do so many things. I felt ill, nauseous, dizzy, cold, chills, and mostly fatigue. I like to call it EXTREME FATIGUE. Cause I have never, ever….ever felt this tired in my life. Then, going in for my 5^th treatment I was full of anxiety. I was yuck-tified (a barbaraism) that I had to go in with no cancer in my body and get toxins pumped through me for 6 hours. I know…I know…this is a necessary evil, however it just plays with your mind. I felt sick to my stomach the entire day pretty much plus the week after. The first week after treatment 5, I was in bed pretty much the entire days. Sleep, get up, eat, lay down, sleep, get up, eat, lay down repeat. It is the PITS, I tell you! I feel so blah and lazy. It is just not me.

When I have a “good day”, I cannot tell you how wonderful it feels to be alive! That is the good out of this. I see and feel the difference, I appreciate life and wellness so much more on these days. I just want to skip and frolic!

The one thing I have to remember is to still take it easy and not waste myself. I am feeling good this week, for instance, so I decided to take a walk. The walk was refreshing and needed, however a bit too long. I was extremely tire just from the walk and was ready to be home. I still need to learn the balance.  I do, get so excited that I feel well I think I can do it all, but just walking is tiresome and takes an ample about of energy.

Symptoms are blah…they are getting worse. All the above I have written about:

EXTREME Fatigue : like no other, so I sleep a lot. Cannot even put into words how tired, tired can be.

Nausea: still have been able to keep everything down thank goodness. I find that eating a bagel for breakfast has really helped.

Neuropathy: in fingers and now in my palms. Still not in my feet. This may or may not go away the doc says

Mouth sores: ugh, got my first mouth sore and OMG!!!!! It hurt so badly. I have a mouth wash to help with it and it went away after about 3 days but it was so painful and hurt to eat. I hate them. I think I may be getting some more here again, so I am washing out my mouth constantly with salt water and gargling.

Chills/Flu like symptoms: this still happens the first week

Muscle sore/Body Aches: this is attributed to the Neupogen shots I take. They make you have muscles sores, all the bones in your body ache tremendously. You just feel sick all over and sensitive to the touch. I feel bruised all over. This wears off for me after about 3-4 days the first week.

 

Ok, that’s enough for now. I posted this on my Facebook and I will post it here. This is my thank you to all of you….so many wonderful people in my life. J

Today I am grateful for the over abundance of love in my life! Thank you.

You all know who you are. I have had to endure some troubled waters but have gotten past the hardest part...I could not have done this without each and everyone one of you. Your thoughtful words, notes, emails, prayers, hand holds, kind thoughts, kisses, hugs, tears and laughter have carried me through. From of the bottom of my heart, thank you! Happy Heart Day. Xoxo