Round 2!

By the end of last week I was feeling great! Good enough to walk quickly on the treadmill while Josie was 'cycling' while watching her kindle. It felt good to feel somewhat normal.

 Thursday, the day before Chemo round #2 I had my blood work done to check my white blood cells and see if they had improved. I have to laugh because in all the oncology rooms there are bowls of chocolate with Kleenex on top.

 They said my white blood cells had bounced back and I was good to go for Chemo the next day. I really like the dr's and nurses where I go. They are always encouraging and friendly. I came home and Josie was making cake pops with her friend Gabby.

 Friday morning Luke took me to my 2nd round of chemo. They were about to put me in the dreaded curtained room that I was in before. I saw an empty chair with a window and asked if I could snag that room. Lucky me, they said I could have it. It's the little things that make a difference.

 I was optimistic this time that I would handle this one better. They say chemo can be cumulative so each treatment might be harder on you than the previous. I felt good going into it...

 Luke took the kids to the mountain and my friend Crystal came to my house to babysit me for the weekend. After the treatment I came home and felt pretty good for a few hours. Then the fatigue starts to settle in and the nausea. It feels like you have been hit by a truck and just want to crawl out of your skin. My nausea meds help, but make me really sleepy. Crystal and I hung out and watched TV, played games and took small walks down the driveway. As tired as chemo makes me, it actually helps to get up and walk around. It's like a burst of energy to walk down the driveway. I took a shower on Saturday and my hair started falling out in gobs. I knew this was coming but it was still a pretty hard pill to swallow.

Luke and the kids came home Sunday night and Crystal went home. It was so nice having her here so I didn't have to worry about not feeling good and going up to the condo. By Monday I was feeling pretty good. I have been reading a book and so I put my chair in the window in the sun and relaxed. It felt nice.

 By Monday afternoon I could take my hair and just pull it out. I knew it was time to get rid of it. When Luke got home we hugged and cried and then decided to just cut and shave it. We started slow....

 I had promised my friend a crazy hair pic....So we tried to make it fun inbetween the tears and laughing.

 Flock of seagulls look....

 The I Don't know what look...

 Now we match, but my hair will grow back:) Luke has been my rock through this whole process. Even as he was shaving my head he was telling me how sexy I looked and how pretty I was. Can't say I felt sexy or pretty, but it is nice to be told complimentary things while you are shaving all your hair off.

 The aftermath.

 We shaved it on a #2 setting. It will still continue to fall out as they pump me with more of the 'red devil'.

 I feel like the black and white setting made me look tougher, but maybe not. As this process goes on I look back at pictures and remember just how tough I am and all that I have been through. I remember when I had my mammogram and was like....'That hurt'. Yeah...Not so much.

My port has healed and doesn't bother me as much as it used to. It is the bump in my skin. When I get chemo they poke a needle into it and hook right up to my vein. It still feels weird to touch, it's a rubbery little thing under my skin. There are 2 scars above it, but the top one is almost gone it is so small. I am collecting scars like crazy these days.

 Meet Savanna. I am still not sold, I'm going to have her trimmed because she is long and itchy.

 If I wear my hat you can barely tell I have no hair!

without the wig...

This week I have a physical therapy appointment, a Boob fill up and another blood draw to check my cell count. I'm so glad I'm not working and trying to juggle appointments, how I feel, and the stress of being around sick people! I know all this will pass, but some days are harder than others.