Chemo # 2

Chemo # 2 is in the morning. My brother and sister will be here around 8-8:30 am to get me, and I can't sleep. The steroids I take in preparation for chemo have me too hyped up. They make me feel jittery. I just can't rest. The only good thing about it, is it made my last good night night of not feeling too bad before the next treatment, very productive. I got a lot of canning and laundry and housework done tonight. My farmville and now my blog are caught up. lol  I'm hoping my blood count is high enough that I can get the chemo. If not, it will push my finish date past Christmas.

So last Thursday, I knew the majority of my hair would be gone in 24 hours. My son-in-law gave me a mohawk, and my daughter made it pink, really pink!!  I had to laugh. He told his buddies he was going to do something they would never do in their whole lives. They realized he was right when he told them he was giving his mother-in-law a mohawk! I wore it to work on Friday. I have to thank my bosses and co-workers. They were hugely supportive! That was big for me. Last time, I had my daughter cut it quietly one evening, slipped a scarf on in the morning, and always wore it to work. I would occasionally go to the store or something bald, but never to work.

I got to go camping over the weekend, and by Saturday morning, it was gone.

I added a link to helpful links list. It's for headcovers.com. My daughter found it for me the last time I went through chemo. My favorite scarf, and main reason for sharing the site, is the Melanie scarf. It's all one piece, already tied, and stretchy. It just slips on and off. I highly recommend it. It comes in a lot of different colors. It's very comfortable. Sometimes with plain scarves, they either don't cover what you want them to, or in order to keep them from slipping, you have tie them pretty tight. That always gave me a headache. 

I have to mention 3 very good friends. Angela, I'm so happy for your great check-up news. Jenny....what is there to say...you my dear, are a walking talking miracle! The same goes for you, Miss Melba! 

I got a beautiful gift in the mail last week, from a total stranger. A friend of his sent him to me when she read my blog. (Thank you!)  He too has fought cancer twice, and won the battle. His daughter put together a beautiful cd about his battle, with journal notes, photos, and emails from friends and family. It's beautiful, and inspiring. 

This next week is going to be a tough one. I'll be gone for my annual conference at work. I only have Friday, Monday, and Tuesday morning to get my work done and prepare for presentations at conference, get things here done before I leave, and pack. All of this, right in the first few days after treatment. My canning is caught up, and the kids are taking over for a while. I don't know if you've ever made tomato juice, but this year, I'm loving it. The kids are making the juice and sending it to me. All I had to do was put it in the jar and can it. They tell me they now have a whole new appreciation for all the work I did to can when they were growing up. (hehehehe)  

About the garden, I may have mentioned this before, but it's worth throwing out there again. The first time around, one of the hardest things about the garden during chemo, was not being able to eat my fresh tomatoes. This year, Northern Tropics Greenhouse had white tomato plants. I planned ahead and planted two of them. Now I have low acid tomatoes I can eat, even with a sore mouth. Maybe not the first week, but the second is not bad. In fact, I had enough of them, the kids made a special batch of white tomato juice. I have some to last now into winter. Thank you!

One more thing about tomorrow. I'm hoping I do not get that bad chemical burn at my injection site and up my vein this time. If I do, they will have consider putting a port back in. I really hate to get a port, for what, after tomorrow, will be 4 more treatments.