NaNaNaNaNa... She's Got the Look~

She's got the look (She's got the look) 

She's got the look (She's got the look)
And I go la la la la la she's got the look

 I thought I should "document" my hair-less look for the future. 

 MODEL is wearing:

The HAT look with Blonde hair piece. 

 I seem to have a fetish for hats right now.

I have 14.  I've worn all of them but 2... 

waiting for the snow to fly

 The "BANDANA" look...

Not to be confused with a motorcycle rider's "do-rag". 

These are tied differently.  

The "EMPTY" hat look.

 No hair needed as it completely covers where the hair would be....

also.. it can turn quickly into.....

 

 The BALD look!

 
The "MYSTERIOUS WOMAN" look.
Scott doesn't seem to be too sure about this....

 
 He adjusted!

The blonde -

 "I Thought It Would Look Like My Hair But Looks Different"

Look....

 

The REALLY short RED hair look.

Attaches to a hat - a "flip" hair-do

 

 The "Haven't Got It Down" look... 
short BLONDE with Dark in the back. 

The "PONYTAIL" look

This piece is REALLY curly and funny so

I put it into a ponytail.  

 (my least favorite)

 

The WINNING GAME look!

(I wore a fitted "do-rag" under the hat to hide bald spots)

I kindof like this look the best (and my dark hair).

  It's comfortable - not itchy!

I'm fairly at ease being bald (at least around the house). 

 However, I'm not ready to try that look at work or church.....

Not YET, anyway~

It's All About the Rope You Choose

On Tuesday I decided I felt good enough to go into work (well, until about 12:30). This was going to be my FIRST day in the office since the great Hair Buzz.  I was a tad nervous about my debut.

Enter... friend Jill.  Jill and I sit next to each other at work.  While I was out for surgery, Jill came to visit me and brought me a gift.  It was a black T-shirt with the words "Hair is overrated.... anything for a friend" written on the front.  She told me that if the time came that I needed to wear that shirt ....she would wear her's to work with me.  Tuesday was that time.  Jill showed up to work wearing her shirt and hat. Funny that such a small thing could mean so much and help me emotionally.

My lovely friend Jill and I

(I have a red hair piece on with the hat)

That same day both my supervisor and the deputy director, of the agency where I work, stopped at my desk to offer their support. Wednesday I was able to meet a good friend for lunch. He wanted to make sure I was doing alright.  Other friends throughout the week  would check on me by stopping me in the office or sending emails or instant messages.  My neighborhood friends would stop me on the street as I was doing my nightly walks to check on me.  What wonderful people I have in my life! 

Earlier in the month another friend, Marilee, invited me to go with her to the Susan G Komen luncheon.  I agreed to go thinking that since it was a week following my second chemo treatment - all would be good.  Up until Saturday morning I wasn't sure if I would make it.  GOOD GRIEF!  If chemo #2 side effects have been this "un-fun" what will happen with 3, 4, 5 and 6??? (As a side note - the doctor is changing my nausea meds for next time.  We are hoping that will make some difference with the terrible headache!!)

My amazing friend Marilee and I

Anyway, I DID go with Marilee to the luncheon on Saturday.  I am so grateful she invited me!  I had such a good time.  Marilee has been a survivor for 6 years - I'm so happy for her!  She felt it would be nice for me to meet other people who have dealt with breast cancer so I would not feel so alone. So many amazing people there. This was not a club I wanted to join - no one does - but it felt good not to be alone. I feel alone too much as it is.                       (I have no idea why this pic is so small)
 

 The Keynote speaker was Mary Nickles from Channel 2.  She finished chemo in May (lucky gal).  She was very enjoyable.  I ventured up to her table as I was leaving (no one was chatting with her) and spoke with her for a few minutes.  She said my name sounded familiar..... cool!  We chatted about my treatment and hers.  She wished me well then gave me a hug.  Marilee was there to snap a picture of us. 

Mary Nickles and I

(thought I'd go with the blonde hair piece)

It's amazing when things seem the toughest someone throws me a rope.  Thankfully I'm smart enough to grab it!  My rope this past week has been the many wonderful friends, new and old, that I have in my life.  When I was feeling sick, discouraged, nervous or alone someone said or did something that lifted me up a little more so I could continue to fight like a girl - and kick some cancer butt!  

Me in my 'Fight like a girl' hat and exercise duds

(don't be fooled... I wasn't exercising)

Chemo #2 - Another Day of Poison

This round of chemo started out pretty much like the first... which is good news.  I didn't sleep at all the night before - anxious and hopeful that this time would go as smoothly.  My doctor told me that each treatment is unpredictable as to how "the patient's body" will react.  I feel like I'm playing a game of darts.  If I hit the bulls-eye I'll have mild effects but anywhere out of that.... it's anyone's guess what will happen.

But I'm getting ahead of myself... several weeks ago I wrote about taking off my acrylic nails.  Well, they are finally gone.  After letting them grow out for almost 2 months - I had the last little bit removed.  Keep in mind - I have had either polish or acrylic on my nails since 1970.  YEP... Junior High and I never went longer than 2 weeks without doing my nails. So this is a SHOCK to my system....

I can't pick up anything... or even TYPE very well without my nails..... UGH

Anyway, back to THE DREADED CHEMO saga....

Here I am as we are leaving for treatment with my little bald head but cute hat holding up the #2 for my second treatment.  (note the lovely flowers from my friends up North)

I met with Dr. Bott at 10:20.  He asked me about all my symptons - told me my blood work was excellent and.... chuckling a little.. mentioned that my platelet count is 495,000!! HOLY COW.... this is a FAR cry from the 7,000 - life threatening count that I receive (and had to cancel my Cabo trip) in January of 2011.  Apparently, Rituxten (chemo) did the trick (knock on wood) for my platelets!  Now I can only hope and pray that my combo treatment does the trick for my cancer!!

After the doc visit, we found us a couple of chairs close to the corner we prefer.  About 30 minutes later my concoction is mixed and ready to be delivered.  I first receive the nausea drip as I did last week... HURRAY for that stuff!!  Then I get a bag full of benedryl.  

It didn't really matter that I didn't sleep the night before as I slept for about an hour...... ahhh so restful! (for the record, I do not take attractive sleeping pictures!)

After the benedryl bag was empty 

I was started, one by one, on my three chemo drugs.  

We were done and left around 3:15.

  We finished an hour earlier this time as the last drug was a shorter version.

So far, I am having basically the same symptoms.  Some nausea but not much - just pop one of those pills, eat a cracker and I'm good to go.  I'm drinking LOTS of water to try and keep away mouth sores and flush the chemo out of my body.  I've got a little more fatigue this time and my headache seems worse.  Last time the headache lasted 3 days after the chemo.  I'm enjoying a nice flushed looked that just started and will probably last 2 more days.  All in all - if this is the total of my side effects this time - I will be so grateful and feel so blessed.  So many people known to me and not known have been praying for me and sending positive thoughts.  I am such a lucky person!

Kindof a scary self portrait .... eek...which I took today... but this is the thing - I have never been a big fan of pink. NOW I am a BIG fan of PINK!!  Beast cancer is still the #1 cause of death for women followed  by heart disease.  I'm going to kick this cancer's butt and then I am going to do all I can to support and educate people to find a cure for this killer disease. I don't want another woman to go through the fear, pain and all the emotions associated with breast cancer.  I'm fighting like a girl and I'm going to win!

Hair Today Gone... Today!

Yeppers..... it's gone. Well,for the most part it's all gone.  I have the peach fuzzy prickly hair - my head was too tender to do the razor.  Maybe in a week or two or three or ....

This is Scott and I last Friday.  My hair had started to come out in my comb.  I wanted one last good picture of us looking normal.

Tonight (Monday - September 10) I invited Randy, Annie and their kids and Jenni, Lynn and their kids to come over to a hair shaving party.  I called Rusty and Rick on Facetime - so we were all together.

Me - Right before the BIG event~

 
This is me getting ready to TAKE IT OFF!

My crew of supporters - Jenni is taking the picture and Lynn hadn't arrived yet. Rusty, Collette and Owen are viewing from the purple iPad and Rick is on Facetime on the green phone.  Technology!

 The FIRST buzz

Hank and I with our Mohawks!

Hank was the only one I could get to help Scott with the buzzing.  He did great!! (I look pained but I was faking it!) 

 My boys said I looked like them now!

The  finished look for now...  Thank you Scott!  I know it was difficult but we continue to get through these changes together~

 Lennon and Lynn are rubbing my head for good luck.  Everyone joined in as well.

 Saying goodbye to Rick

Now the day is over...  my hair is gone. I've decided to look at my hair loss this way - the CHEMO is working! My chemo "cocktail" is suppose to kill the "fast producing cells" in my body.  Hair is a fast producing cell.

So a CHEER for no Hair!  WAHOO......  I am going to win this fight against cancer!

Thoughts of the CHEMO impaired...

CHEMO brain... apparently that is a TRUE side effect from chemo.  Your mind starts SLIPPING and FORGETTING and jumping all over the place. (And I just thought that was age!) It's a recipe for disaster.

Disaster Recipe

1 snippet - brain of woman 50+

Cream together with:

 1 ounce (not pound)  post-menopausal woman

Throw in a DASH of Chemo

Stir briskly and with feeling

Results:  ONE chemo brain 

I start a sentence then forget what I was thinking. Ok - this happens to everyone but this is starting to happen MORE than normal. I will be reading some policy at work and can't ........ SHOOT what was I thinking just now??  anyway...EMAILS - I've been forgetting attachments and appointments that are listed on calendar.  I feel a little discombobulated and rumor has it that this will only get worse.  Now where was I going with this.......

Not all of my thoughts are 'out there' somewhere or forgotten.  Today, at work,  I chatted with my friend Jack.  Jack is a great guy.  He retired several years ago but comes in from time to time to help in areas of his expertise.  Jack is working through his second bout of cancer.  So we talk.  He asks how my chemo is going and I ask if his big mega shot of poison is helping.  We talk about rocks, grandkids and Scott (he and Scott are long time friends). 

Today as we were chatting, I had an interesting thought.  I said to Jack that those of us with cancer are kind of lucky.  We have a different outlook on life.. and death.  All of us will die, of course.  But most of us go through life thinking that death is somewhere 'out there' in the far off future.  Those of us with life threatening diseases deal with the possibility of our life ending any day.  We start to look at things and life and situations in general in a whole new light.  This is a blessing.  Appreciation of one's life and the people surrounding you is a gift. 

I'm starting to lose my sense of taste.  I know... people think that's a great way to lose weight. Well, THAT'S not happening!  It's a great way to GAIN weight as you try everything to find something you can taste.  My friend and neighbor Alisa brought me rolls tonight that she made along with homemade raspberry jam.  HEAVEN!!  I love the smell of baking rolls... but tonight I truly savored that smell as they were baking.  I'm hoping this is one thing I can taste.   

I can't remember my point in starting this blog.  Today I felt a strong appreciation for life in general and for my missing brain cells in particular.  Maybe that was my point.  Appreciate what I can in the here and now and have hope for things to come.  

p.s.  The rolls and jam were terrific!