Sandy please, Chemo infusion #2 done!

Hurricane Sandy may have added some anxiety to the chemo infusion. My mother picked me up last night so I stayed at their place last night and had a simple ride into the hospital today. Had to drop some things off my desk, had a minor tantrum about work related items and then had to be reminded I am off today. Went down to the Oncology center had my blood drawn, vitals taken (blood pressure, Oxygen levels good, weight down only 1lb [not to worry I will eat that back]).

Rockin' it bald
No scarves, no wigs and hat only when I go outside. Inside buildings I find it much easier/more comfortable to go straight out bald. While waiting for the blood draw one of the women in the waiting room, looks at me and says "Your bald like me, but your not even wearing a hat? I am so cold, how come you are not cold? And there is no way you'll get me in a wig". I just told her that I felt cold outside and periodically will put a hat on inside, but so far my 5 O'Clock shadow I have remaining on my head seems to be keeping it ok. Agreed to with her about the wig. Our conversation was shortened when another woman, clearly wearing a wig came into the waiting room and sat with us. General reaction to my bald head has been great.

Very Stubborn
My oncologist has me pegged quite well. We went over options to avoid the headaches after the neulasta shots (including not having them) and rearranging infusions schedules and such. We reviewed the medication I should/can take for them. And being the human being who doesn't like change that I am, I decided to keep the schedule as is and to continue to get the shots. I just feel like the risks of not having it a much greater than 3 days of headaches. My oncologist also reminded me that her office is 3 doors down for mine and that she runs into me daily and that if I need to take it easy I should. She may have repeated this last part 3 or 4 times. Yup, I am that kid.

Labs look good. Blood sugar is elevated from the steroids (157 mg/dl), but WBCs look good. Everything else is within normal limits just my hematocrit was barely low 36.8% vs normal of 37%. Nothing that needs intervention, just maybe some more meat.

Chemo Infusion #2
A little musical commentary (thanks to my good friend) about chemotherapy. Nothing like intentionally poisoning your body for longterm better outcomes:

I love the continuity of care I am receiving. Today I had the same Nurse as last time, who I love. She got me hooked up early and ready to go. Her mom had breast cancer and she commented on how good my bald head looked. No burning lines this time. IV was placed in my hand and had some achiness but so excited no allergic reactions! They say the 2nd one is really if you are going to have a reaction that this will occur.  Half way done.

The drive home
I fully expected the drive back to my parents to be Hurricane Craziness, but it was ok. Just one really strong gust of wind, one downed tree. The rain wasn't too bad. We made it back safe and sound with car parked in the garage before stronger rain came. Feel good about that and feel pretty good right now.  No Zofran headache this time. No nausea. Drinking my water, doing my baking soda mouth rinses. Pretty happy to have 2 infusions done.

Hair Watch 2012 Update

Bald.

My hair was making me crazy. The falling out had greatly increased, especially today. At one point today I was teaching my intern about nutritional management of patients who have had a Whipple procedure and was scratching my head when came out with a clump of hair. Oops. I cleaned my white lab coat off 3 times today. After work my mother and I went to the family friend/hairdresser who gave me the sweet pixie and she shaved my head for me today. I look very GI Jane right now. I also asked my mother if she wanted me to shave her name into my head. She said no. So just straight bald it is.

Three things.
1) Not to brag, but I have a fantastic head shape. No weird dents or misshapen. It's pretty sweet.
2) I look like a small version of my brother. 
3) My head is cold.

To quote one of my favorite bald men "Hair is overrated".

Hair Watch 2012

Today is the official 2 week mark from the 1st infusion and the official day when I could start having some hair loss. I woke up this morning with a piece of hair in my mouth and thought "Well, there it goes". However, turns out my hair is not falling out in clumps yet. There has been an uptick in individual pieces of hair falling out, but nothing drastic. This is just another weird event with cancer treatment, the waiting for your hair to fall out. Many others who have lost their hair tell me it comes out in clumps usually when they were in the shower. This makes the shower an interesting experience. I checked my hands multiple times while shampooing. When there was nothing in my hands I decided to sing this to my hair:

No baldness yet, but the hair clock is ticking.What is also weird is I can feel my hair sitting on top of my head. A sensation that I previously was unaware of. Overthinking this much? You betcha.

Also, went for another run last night. Running makes me happy : )

I was RUNNING!

Today is a good day. Despite a slight headache, I was able to sleep for 11.5 hours last night. 11.5. That's some good sleeping. On top of it when I got up this morning my good friend met me at my house for a run! Yay! I laced up my shoes with some NFL Crucial Catch pink shoelaces (totally embracing the pink) so I could stomp on breast cancer with every step. We did a simple out and back run for a little over 2 miles. Felt pretty darn good to get out there and run. We ran comfortably and chatted the entire time. No pain in any incision sites; in fact no pain at all. Win. Win. Win.

Random Photographs

Sleeping (mostly) through the night makes you feel so much better. It's ok when you wake up at 3:30 am because you have been asleep since 7:30 pm. Headache is virtually gone and this makes me very happy.

PHOTO #1 Keepin' it Classy

It's a little dark, but above is an action shot of me doing my Maid of Honor duty and my good friends wedding. This photo makes me happy for many reasons. 1) It was an amazing wedding and I was honored to be part of it. 2)The timing of it. I got a weekend of total fun and focus on someone else before starting chemo.

PHOTO #2 The long awaited hair photo

Here's the french pixie. And you can't read it, but my water bottle says "Caution: Extreme Awesomeness". Pretty much sums that up.

PHOTO #3 Greatest. Big. Brother. Ever

My brother ran the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure in my honor on my birthday in Arizona. This is the sweat soaked after photo (note he cut his head off in the photo, not me). Some of the further genetic testing that I am having done is research paid for by the Komen foundation so I am thankful that he and his fiance got out there and did it. And that they rocked these pretty sweet custom t-shirts. 

Serious Case of the Mondays

One week from 1st chemo infusion and I am feeling pretty good. Except for this one nagging thing that won't go away. HEADACHE. I have had a headache since Saturday at 12:37 am when it woke me up from sleep. This was a cue on how sleeping was going to go for the whole weekend. Despite being Sleepless Sara I had a great weekend. I celebrated my 31st birthday with friends and family. Had lots of laughs and good food. Day time was good. But night time, when it comes to laying down right now my head wants to explode. The headache also turned me into the crazy patient. Two phone calls to the oncologists, on the night time on call oncologist and one to my regular oncologists to make sure it was fine that I had a headache. Which it is ok that I have a headache, unfortunate, but ok.

Sunday Night
This was not pretty. While trying to get comfortable I threw my back out. I was staying at my parents house Sunday night, so my mother found me in their living room swearing at the heating pad that refused to turn on at 1 am. She got me settled back into my bed as comfortable as possible (and ran around the house looking for pillows of various thickness to help out) and went to hunt down migraine medication for herself [sidenote; I am a wimp with a headache. This woman spent more than 9 months straight with a migraine and 3 days sent me over the edge].

Monday Morning
I sleep for about 3-4 hours total and not consecutively. I have nightmares about missing college students, awesome work brain. My back and head both hurt, but I decide to go to work. And I would say this is the general way I felt yesterday morning:

I keep storming my way through the day, make it through lunch (a lunch in which my boss made a delicious cake for my birthday), but then started to crack. For the first time in my life I went home form work sick. My mom picked me up (sounds like I am 12) and brought me back to my apartment. Being home, my exhaustion took over and I cried because I was tired and my head hurt. And then based on the recommendations from my oncologist I took some medication and slept for 10 hours.

Terrific Tuesday
I woke up feeling like a human being. Went to work and did not let the darkside back in. Worked a full day. Headache still in tact, but hopefully can still get some more sleep in. Thankfully, sense of humor is back with vengeance today [please see sarcastic voicemails left on multiple phones]. 

But this is why I got the flu shot

Wednesday morning woke up and bonus, no nausea! Energy level was good and headed to work. Worked a full day and then had the seemingly benign Nuelesta (White Blood Cell Booster Shot). It burned like heck going in, but dissipated quite quickly after was complete. Sat for 30 minutes and had no reaction, so far so good.

Thursday woke up felt ok. Still no nausea, but not with the greatest energy level. Went to work and during the day bam, felt like I had the flu. Muscles and bones aching and I was tired. Tired. Muscled through the rest of the day and started to feel better after dinner (food is key here).

Other item on the list for Thursday was the step down haircut. Now, lets be honest, I have never been very hair fashion forward, but I think having all of your hair cut off can be a little daunting. Fortunately, a good family friend (who cuts my mother's hair) was kind enough to take on this assignment (and I think was happy to be able to break out her razor). Let me tell you, she gave me a pretty great French Pixie [of course this is what I am told because I wouldn't have any idea beyond really short]. I am loving and rocking my new short do for the next 10 or so days that I will have it.

I was pretty tired after my haircut and WBC booster shot Thursday, came home and went to bed. Woke up this morning feeling pretty darn normal. Sometimes 10 hours of sleep is all you need. No major side effects. Slight taste changes, water is getting a little metallic-y but still eating well. Happy it's the weekend and I made it.