Rough Road Ahead

Sorry I haven’t posted lately but I lost four days after my first round of Chemo and have been playing catch-up ever since. What I mean by ‘lost four days’ is that a week ago I slept from Wednesday afternoon until Saturday night. Basically, I sedated myself to avoid the nausea that I was experiencing. Sad to say but by Saturday morning I told Greg that I wouldn't be able to do this for five months and just sobbed. This was the first time since my diagnoses that I realized how hard the treatment was going to be. For some reason I thought the Chemo would be the easier part and that the surgeries would be the tough part. Since I did so well with my first surgery I thought I had it made. The good news is that when I went this past Wednesday to get my blood work checked (which was all excellent) Melissa, my nurse, told me that I only have three more rounds of the bad stuff. Then when I start my weekly treatment it will be a different medicine that won’t make me nauseated. Melissa then lectured me on ‘that now is not the time to diet and try to loose weight’. I was down 7 pounds in a week due to the fact that I couldn't eat four out of the seven days. I just laughed at her and said that Chemo is the best diet plan I have ever been on and that if anything good was to come out of this I would be smaller in the end. So this Wednesday I will be going for round two and with that behind me I will be half way through the worst of the Chemo. I can manage that.

More good news, I still have hair!!!! I was told that most people loose their hair by day ten after their first round of Chemo and today marks my tenth day. I know it won’t last but I still feel better today for the hair on my head. A few weeks ago I went out and bought a wig. Originally I thought it would be a huge production where I would be prancing all my girl friends from one wig store to the next surveying my best option. But it turns out that one day I am at a specialty store buying other items needed after my surgery and they happen to also sell wigs. Because of the other items I was buying they had to call my insurance company to find out what items would be covered under our plan. Turns out they covered all the items I needed including a wig. So I asked the lady helping me if I could try a few wigs on just to see how they looked. It only took three tries and I was sold on the third wig. It was very close to the color and cut I was sporting last year. I know my prep time in the morning will be much shorter once my hair is gone because all I will have to do is slip on my wig after my shower and go. And if I tire of the wig I also have many other options thanks to Aunt Judy who has supplied me with a years worth of temporary tattoos I can put on my head. So don’t be surprise to see me this summer wearing a bunch of dolphins swimming around my head.

One last note is a BIG thank you to all my girl friends that jumped in to help me out this next month. I put out an email Monday night with a schedule attached with all the times I need help picking up, dropping off and looking after Annierae and Ja for the month of April. By 10:30 the next day the schedule was filled and I had many notes from all of you sad that you didn't have a chance to fill a slot. There will be plenty of opportunities to help out so don’t worry. I am overwhelmed by all of you and the kindness you have shown me and my family. God bless you all.

Love, Kristine