Month: July 2023

Not much to update on. We are in the process of moving, so it’s been busy.

I’m still in a lot of pain where they installed the chemo port in my chest. It comes and goes, and when it’s hurting, it makes my entire upper right side immobile. If I so much as move a thumb, I feel it in my chest. And it’s excruciating. And all the doctors say is basically…”yeah, oops we surgically implanted it right on a nerve. Sucks to suck”

My surgery recovery is still ongoing as well. I have to go from sitting to standing at a snails pace or I’ll get a shooting pain through my lower abdomen. The doctor said this is normal and to expect it for 4-6 months. 😒

On to the good stuff!

With every less than ideal situation, there are some silver linings. And I try to look at the positives, so I’m going to share.

1. My bald head dries so fast after my shower

2. I can take my hair off to do my makeup

3. I scored some expensively free hospital socks

4. If I’m sweating, BOOM, I just take my hair off

5. I get to point at things while Robert moves them

6. I can say really stupid things and then just say, “sorry, chemo brain” after and I’m good to go.

7. If I like someone’s hairstyle, I can just go buy it on Amazon.

8. The dogs recognize something is off and I get extra sweet snuggles.

9. The hair loss included leg hair.

10. This blog, and being able to share everything with you guys!

🙌🏻

This infusion round, one of my best friends in the world, Angela, flew to Florida to sit with me during it. She certainly made it way more bearable!

The part where they put the needle in my chest was way harsher this time, which was weird because I actually did the Lidocaine correctly beforehand this time (I swear).

It’s officially five days post-chemo, and this round brought me more sleepiness and more achy and wobbly legs from the peripheral neuropathy. And just all around body aches. But I think I’ve been dealing with it okay.

This round, after talking to my oncologist, I was able to be a little more proactive in trying to prevent the neuropathy. He instructed me to take vitamins B12 and B6, and to wrap my hands and feet in ice packs during the chemo infusion. I did both of those things, which I can’t say they really helped thus far, but if it helps prevent permanent damage, I’ll do whatever.

My hair is about gone. I buzzed it down short and it’s now pretty patchy. My wig doesn’t fit right and has to be sent back, so for three or so weeks I need to figure something else out.

I turn 40 in a couple weeks… and it’s definitely not going to be the 40th I might have pictured. I have my third chemo infusion on 8/4 and my birthday is 8/7. Which means with the symptom delay, my aches, pains and nausea will kick in just in time to ring in 40 😅

Robert turns 40 this weekend. I had booked him an awesome fishing charter on the intracoastal with just us and the captain… but I booked it way before any of this and had to cancel. And now I just feel horrible that I can’t do more for him. I had a nice cake being made for Sunday, but the baker had a family emergency and cancelled it on me today. And it’s a bit short notice for anything else. Things aren’t seeming to go right. So Robert, if you’re reading this, we will do something great for your 40th and mine when all this is over, I promise!!!!!

And I swore I would never show anyone by bald head. But yet here we are.

Chemo is weird.

Since my last update, I’ve gotten red bumpy things all over my face that they call “chemo acne”… but is not acne and can actually be made worse by acne medications.

I’ve officially started losing a ton of hair. Even just going to put my hair behind my ears, it all comes out in my fingers. So now I’m weighing the options of which is more traumatic…. Continuing to watch it fall out in chunks or cutting it all off and actually facing the fact I have cancer. Hmm.

I know if I go to a salon, I’ll just cry in front of a bunch of people. Robert suggested he call around and ask if someone could do it after closing so I don’t have to be around strangers. I don’t think they do that though. So here I sit, continuing to wimp out on that.

I’ll update again when I stop avoiding the inevitable.