Amy's Cancer Story

Tomorrow is my second round of chemo.  I usually get a little antsy but sure it will be fine.  I am going to ask the nurse to give me the benadryl slower even if it takes longer.   I can’t handle that rush.

In addition to local family and friends, I have received many messages from people around the country from various times in my life.  I just got off chatting on Facebook with a girl from high school who had breast cancer in the last couple of years.  She said she was on the same drugs.  She wished me the best for tomorrow also saying that her second round went better.  I think it is great to be able to share with other people who have been through the same thing.  I hope I can help somebody out down the road from this experience.

Having a sore head was becoming quite a problem.  My head coverings were pulling on my hair and it was sore.  Due to my schedule, I did not get over to see Donna to finish off my hair and she was not available until Tuesday morning.  I could not wait that long, it was bad.  I found a JC Penney salon open late Saturday at a local mall and had them shave my head.  The older woman was so sweet.   She had a good friend one time that asked her to shave her head due to cancer and she could not do it.  She was upset herself.  She did mine ok though.  Some were staring but I tried not to notice.  She said she would pray for me.

It felt so much better and now I can wear my wig more comfortably. There is still stubble on my head.  The one great thing is normally I have to shave my legs everyday and now I hardly have to shave at all.  Chemo is heaven for a hairy person – ha ha.  Sorry no photos to share at this point.  I will think about it.  I will be bald for a while so there is plenty of time to get a photo.  I am very self conscious and don’t even like to look in the mirror.   Good night.  Enjoy the snow.

Today my head was driving me crazy. It is so sore. I wore a hat today to my son’s wrestling match. I kept rubbing it and itiching it, hoping not to be to distracting. I think it is time to just go get it shaved. When I wear something on my head it just pulls on the hairs that are left. There is hair everywhere. I touch it and it falls out. I am not the best at styling what is left. It is not so bad to have a sore head compared to all the other things that could be wrong.

On Monday, my niece stopped by with her new baby so what a great time to get some photos. We took a ton and what a perfect time for a mother and daughter photo the day before I lost my hair. It finally worked out. Don’t have too many of them so I was glad to get one.
Below is one from Monday and one from 2001

It was a tough day, yesterday.  I woke up in the morning and decided not to wash my hair knowing that I was attempting to get it cut.  I brushed it very little just to make it look as nice as possible and had to clean the brush out three times.  Hair was falling on the sink.  The harder and more I brushed it or pulled on it, of course, the more came out.   It even got in my mouth during breakfast.  There was really no point in dealing with this length anymore.  I had really passed the point.

Got a hold of Donna at Hairworks this morning.  She graciously took me in before the anticipating snow storm.  Hubby was working from home so he came to take photos for me.  Donna put my hair in a pony tail, braided it and when I was ready clipped it off.  It took several snips since it was thicker than I thought.  I was tearing up as I was getting ready.

Donna trimmed it up short.  It looks good for short hair and she did a great job.  It is not my favorite look for me.  Small hairs are still coming out so I think it was a good time to get it done.  In another 5 days or so it would probably be half gone.  By getting this done now it gave me a nice donation and avoided a big hair mess everywhere.

Donna told me to come back in a week or so or whenever I wanted and she would shave it all the way knowing it would be patchy.  She does not sell wigs there but I found out  that she has gone out with other cancer patients and helped them pick out a wig and they have been so grateful.  She is such a sweet lady and I am really glad I chose her to help me out.

Below are some photos  of my adventurous day and of my wigs.  You can click on a photo to make it bigger.  I did get out last night but wore my hat wig.  I was still not ready for it and my head so sooo cold.  The next thing to do is to style the wigs a bit better as they have been in storage for 3 1/2 plus years.  I was really happy that I could bless someone else with my hair.

Today is the day I noticed more than normal hair coming out after my shower this morning.  Last time, I noticed my hair starting to fall out by two weeks after my first chemo.  The doctor said I should have it for a few weeks but it is not looking good.   It will be two weeks this coming Wednesday from the first day of chemo.  This evening I noticed my scalp getting sore – which is normal with the hair loss in this situation.  I am starting to get worried a little knowing that that fateful day is coming when it will be all gone.

A visit to the hair salon is in my future here this week most likely.    Stay tuned . . . . I may add some photos.

Today I had enough energy and showed a house to a sweet old lady and her daughter.  When I had gotten to the showing, some flurries were coming down.  Then I headed down to Fox Chapel for blood work.  Snow still not sticking.  I am happy to report that my platelets and white cell blood count were high (which is good).  They were higher then before I started chemo.  The neulasta shot that I received the day after chemo is doing its job.  The shot promotes new cell growth to keep your immune system in check.  I do have a really sore throat and was up to 2 am last night because of it.  I hope it does not last too much longer.  Drinking lots of fluids . . .

The snow here in the Pittsburgh area is crazy.  We have not seen so much in a while – the most ever this year.  Much more is coming down than they predicted.  I am headed to bed now . . . It will be fun to wake up in the morning to a winter wonderland.  Get your cameras ready if you have some too.    Good night.

Another side effect of chemo is acne.  Just what I need – but really that is, of course, the least of my worries.  So I will deal with it.  I really hope it does not hang around the whole time.  I am trying to increase washing my face to 2-3 times a day and use acne medication.  My Primary care doctor is really great about giving me Retin-A gel and anti-biotic cream for acne (avoiding having to go to a dermatologist).  From ages 13-18, my acne was so bad that I was seeing a doctor regularly about it.  So we are back to the same routine again with face cleanings and medications.  Although, it does not seems to be working all that great.     I will check with Dr. Ellis when I see him for chemo again on February 17th.

If I have the opportunity to run out and do some errands my energy is the best it has been during this cycle but then I start to peeter a bit.  When I get hungry I feel a little sick to my stomach.  A lot of the feelings for this round is like the same being sick when you are pregnant.  Either way, it is not fun.  But things could be much worse.  I am alive and breathing.  Thank God.  🙂

Sunday and Monday were challenging days due to severe stomach acid (which is normal for my drug program).  I did not realize how bad it would get and did not eat properly.  I had not cut back on acidic foods such as fruits and juices and some spicy foods.  I increased them, trying to a healthier and it backfired.   The doctor had already put me on Prilosec on a daily basis and then Pepcid AC and tums as needed.  I had never had experience acid problems that bad.  I was happy to be able to sleep better consecutive nights after.  Next round, the nurses told me to take the additional meds for the first week during chemo and that should help me deal with the acid.

I did find out this morning after speaking with the doctors office that my treatment time is still not confirmed.  I will be getting 4 or 6 rounds of chemo.  So at worse case, I will be having Chemo as late as May 5.   I had not realized that.  I thought it would be 6  or 8 rounds.  Wow, that is great.  It will be so short compared to the last cancer case which had started before Christmas 2005 and ended the beginning of July 2006 (with a month off for my leg surgery).   I was feeling good enough to head to the office meeting yesterday but slowly wore down.   So today is a better day.

The American Cancer Society offers a lot programs for cancer patients.  One thing that I learned back when I had cancer last time was the chapter in the Pittsburgh area offered a program to help cancer patients with some expenses.  The chapter also offered help with wigs.  A cancer patient could receive a voucher for $75 to an approved supply center/store  or just pick out a wig of their choice at a special center.   Every little bit helps no matter what kind of insurance you have.

Another neat program that is available in this area is “Look Good, Feel Better”.  Each month at my hospital facility and others in the Pittsburgh area cancer patients can sign up for this program.  It is a great time to bond with other cancer patients.  You are taught how to apply make up, wigs, and scarfs so you can look your best during chemo.  This program is free.  Each cancer patient that attends gets a full bag of make up from high end brand names (ie department stores brands, Mary Kay, etc . . .).  I believe the bag of contents total worth is about $250.

I did attend this last time and have considered doing again if my schedule permits.  One thing that really helped me out is I learned how to apply eyebrows.  I had lost most of my eyebrows.  It was really great to learn how to apply them and do it properly.  It was amazing, you could barely tell I drew them on.

The last few days, I have slept a lot.  My temperature went up the last two evenings.  I was bundled up and not too far from the fireplace.  Hubby was taking good care of me by checking my temp.  Last time after a few rounds of chemo a ended up in the ER after having a high temp and other symptoms.  I hope and pray it never gets that bad again.  I am trying to drink enough fluids so hopefully that will help.

I don’t have much energy to write today.  Felt good this morning.  Went to the doctor’s office and had my Neulasta shot to boost my blood count.  Took a four hour nap.  I am really happy to have a full head of hair.  Part of tomorrow’s to do list includes finding out where I can donate my hair as soon as it starts falling out. I think I am going to start crying about that as it gets closer.  At least, I hope it can bless another cancer patient.  The weather was crazy here in the Pittsburgh area today.  Sun and blizzard.  It is so pretty when it snows.

My lovely niece who moved away to the west coast wrote me this: