Whoo Hoo- No Shot Today!!!

My WBC count was triple the "normal" count, so I don't have to get the Neulasta shot today! The Neulasta so far has produced the worst side effects. Much worse than the chemo. It made my skull and jaw feel as though I had been beat over the head by a baseball bat, and my chest and ribs hurt so bad, I could barely move. When the nurse told me I wouldn't be getting it, I did a cartwheel and a double back flip, so now I am sore from that. (Just joking - but I thought about it)

I still haven't lost my eyebrows completely. I have never been much of a "plucker", so I guess that has come in handy. I can just do a "comb-over" with what I have. I call them my "Trump" eyebrows!

I am hoping that since I don't have to have the Neulasta, I will get a few extra days of feeling good. I seem to be having a permanent "Hot Flash" and flushed face from the Taxol, but I just go around with a cold rice bag on my head and that seems to help.

I was going to go walking with the Havasu Hustler group this morning, but Hailey wanted to get up early to finish some homework. If it isn't too hot out when I take her to school , I may go blading around the island.

I am anxious to see how the next couple of weeks go. I am hoping I can keep that WBC count up. I am not sure what did it, I really didn't change much, except that I was able to exercise and eat.

Mrs. Crabby Pants

I am wondering , although I am "temporary menopause"... or whatever they call it... do I still get PMS? Because I am sure feeling cranky! I think I am on the down-cycle of my "high" from last week. I am sure if you ask Mike or the kids, they would consider it my normal behavior, but I feel as though I have grown spikes and claws. I think they have a nice little padded room waiting for me somewhere. I am just waiting for somebody to show up with a pretty white jacket, and tell me "now stay calm, this won't hurt a bit".

Maybe I just didn't notice it as much before because I was feeling so too tired to care.

Repeat to yourself, "Stay Positive, Stay Positive, Stay Positive......." Awe, heck with that, I am going to be cranky today! (Edited)

Okay, seriously, I am going in for Chemo #6 today, then only 2 more to go. I felt as though I was starting to get a cold yesterday, but I took Decadron for the chemo today, and that seemed to alleviate the symptoms I was having.

I am off to my "Happy Place"... if I can find it.

BTW- Thank you to those of you that ordered posters. I will put up a PayPal button on that post to make ordering easier for those of you that can't receive one through the fence.

In a Blur...

Last week went by so fast. I got a lot accomplished, but I still have so much more I want to get done. I will have to pray that next week will be the same.

My first real day of feeling good last week, Mike wanted to do a home improvement project that we had been discussing for a few months. (He watches a lot of HGTV in the evenings) We got rid of a bulky headboard and nightstands, and I spray painted our dresser and the base for the bed. It really doesn't sound like a huge job, but the furniture is heavy. We hauled the base, which weighs about 300 pounds and is in two pieces out to the garage. After I gave him my "look", Mike offered to get a moving dolly for the dresser. Good thing, since I was going to get the neighbor to help.

We had backed the cars out of the garage, and as I am painting, Mike says "Maybe we should close the garage doors so you don't get over-spray on the cars." I said, "What if I inhale paint fumes and get cancer?" His reply was, "Well, that is better than over-spray on the cars." (He loves me so much!) Well, we finished our project and the bedroom looks great. The hard work was definitely worth it, but next time Mike has a project, I think I am going to "play sick" until he goes to work.

The rest of the week was used to catch up on some small projects and get some exercise. I decided to go walking/running with the Havasu Hustlers morning group run. They start at Safeway at 4:30 a.m. and go up McCulloch 1.5 miles to Acoma, then back down again. It is perfect for me. We walked up and ran back. I only made it 3 miles, the rest of the group does another loop... maybe next week I will try for 6 miles.

I saw Dr. B (my plastic surgeon) on Friday, and he said I could swim in my pool at home. I still can't swim at the Aquatic Center, but I will take what I can get. Mike said I wore him down until he had to let me swim. He said I sound like a little kid... "Can I swim ? Huh? PLEEEEEASE? Well, Can I? But I have to! Michael Phelps is doing it!" It really did feel good to get back in the water even if it is just a 35 foot pool and I tend to get a little dizzy doing flip turns every three strokes....

Chemo is tomorrow. It is so much harder to think about going when I am feeling so good. I came close to vomiting just thinking about it this morning, but I am almost done!

London Bridge Poster

Buy Poster Here
This link includes shipping charge

This is the poster I printed out. I would like to sell them and give a portion of the profit to local breast cancer patients that need financial assistance. The size is 22x17 printed on Photo Quality Glossy Paper. If you live in Havasu and would like to buy one, send me an email.
Price: $25.00 ($5.00 for P&H) If you are my neighbor, you don't have to pay P&H.
It is probably worth much more than that since it is signed by the artist!

$10 per poster will go to my friend Jaime's Breast Cancer Walk until she has reached her goal.
$5 will go to the local Havasu Community Health Foundation for breast cancer patients. (After Jaime has reached her goal, then $15 will go to HcH Foundation)

BTW- My well intentioned plans for yesterday went a little awry... I will tell you about that later.

Okay..... Now What Do I Do?

I went from sleeping 20 hours per day to "wide awake and ready to conquer...." but I didn't know what to conquer. I felt SO good yesterday, I think I was in a state of shock. It isn't that I don't have a lot that I want to get done, it was just that I was so surprised that I felt good, I think I was questioning how good I really felt. (That sentence will probably only make sense to somebody that has been through this... right Missy?) I didn't want to sit down and read, so I pretty much walked in circles for a few hours deciding where to start. I really wanted to go jump in the pool and do some laps, but I still can't.... so I kept up my circles in the house. I felt too good to waste it on the treadmill. It was kind of like getting a super yummy treat and waiting for the perfect moment to eat it.

I ended up making a poster for the swim team to attract new swimmers. I also printed out a poster of the London Bridge from one of my photos. I have been wanting to do that for months. I also started to clean up the desk in my shop. I think I really drive Mike crazy when I do that. I don't just take everything and file it. I have to go through every piece of paper and organize it into piles, then file it, so I have piles everywhere.... but they are very organized piles. Then I file. :)

My afternoon was the usual "Mom" stuff. I picked up Hailey from school, took her to the library, then to the bank, stopped by the Aquatic center to hang the posters, then back home to take a late afternoon nap, but that was more because I got up at 2 a.m., not because of residual side effects of the chemo.

I feel like I want to be selfish with my energy. I need to get a lot of things done, but it feels so good just to be able to stand upright, I want to use it all for myself. I don't want to waste it going grocery shopping or cleaning toilets! I made a list of things that I wanted to get done, so that I could prioritise my few days of "feelgoodness". (That word is listed in Weber's Dictionary as; The days following chemo that you almost feel normal.)

I hope you all have a great day! I know I am going to enjoy mine.

A Few Pints Low....

.... and a "Couple French Fries Short of a Happy Meal", at least that is what Dr. O (my oncologist) said. He didn't actually say the french fry thing, I did, but he did say I was still anemic. I guess that would explain my marathon sleeping session for the last 4 days.

I am getting my next blood test on Friday, and according to the doctor, since I am on a different chemo drug, he anticipates that my RBC count will go up. If I go any lower than what I am currently at, he said I would need a transfusion. I am still getting the "blood booster" injection during chemo, so hopefully it will do its job.

The last chemo actually went well. I only had mild nausea the first night. I am not sure if that was because of the Emend (anti-nausea drug) was working, or the different chemo doesn't cause as much nausea. I had a slight reaction to the Emend, so I am going to try and go without it next time. The worst effect is the fatigue. I didn't even have the energy to turn on my computer for a couple of days. For me, that is the equivalent of the Pope not going to Church. It was actually kind of nice....

I seem to be craving a Happy Meal from McDonald's..... hmmm

Ol' Baldies

My brother came to visit last week, and Hailey took this picture of us. We could be twins, except I am WAY cuter and he is WAY older (by two years)!

I am starting my second 4 treatments today with Taxol. I took my pre-treatment Decadron last night and I will be taking the Emend today for nausea. I am hoping it works better than the other anti-nausea medication. At $450 for four pills, you would think it SHOULD work. One of these days I am going to add up all the bills and share those costs. I don't think you would believe it.

I had a good two days of feeling well. I wish it could last a little longer. I got a lot done, but not as much as I wanted to.... I guess I better go out and brush the pool before it gets too hot, and I empty my "energy tank".