We had our front yard cleared of weeds, ivy and jasmine today! Yard is down to dirt except for the front lawn, which is getting torn up for new sod. The back got attacked by the weed eater and looks much better. This evening I was able to see a fawn bouncing around in the field behind our house since there were no more weeds blocking my view. Cute as a button!
My sister, Suzanne, took me shopping in San Jose today at Valley Fair. It was nice to get away for the day, find a couple of things and have lunch. I wish it could have been a longer day but I still get tired in the afternoons and I just wasn't super interested in anything. For those of you that know about DSW (the shoe store), I couldn't find anything I wanted, which is saying a lot since there are sooooo many shoes to choose from in there. It was obviously not my shopping day.
Tomorrow is new hair cut day! I am very excited and wished I had done it a few weeks ago when I had my hair colored. Cat is out of the bag, I color my hair! I started getting grays around thirtysomething, so I've been coloring since then. Now my eyebrows, lashes, etc are getting gray. In fact, I found a couple of gray arm hairs the other day!
We are also wig shopping tomorrow. Not sure how I feel about the wig thing, mixed emotions. I feel too young for a wig and like everyone will know I have it on. We'll see how the morning goes and if I actually get one. By the way, Eddy is going for the wig shopping trip. Could you ask for a better best friend in life?
I talked to three cancer survivors today. Judy B who I met on the Susan G Komen message boards, Beverly who I met at the hairdresser getting her wig trimmed a few weeks ago (doing chemo right now) and the clerk I met at Nordstrom today who is a stage IV survivor (five years). It means so much for me to talk with women who are going through the same or have gone through the same experiences I am. It is hard to understand if you have not been diagnosed with cancer, you might have an idea but you really don't feel the full impact of what it means to have cancer and all that goes with it. I will never be the same person that I was before diagnosis and I know I will continue to change through this life altering journey I am on. It will be interesting to see who I am on the other side.
Please keep up the positive thoughts for me....I need them for the upcoming days.
Cheryl
Monday, June 2, 2008
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Details about Chemotherapy
I thought it might be a good idea to give you all a little more detail on the upcoming treatments. My treatment plan is T A C, which is Taxotere, Adriamycin and Cytoxan, once every three weeks with a Neulasta shot the day after. I am doing six rounds of TAC over the next 4 1/2-5 months if my white blood counts do not drop too low. I love the verbiage on the drug sheet handouts, "may make you feel generally unwell". This is the nice way to say you are going to feel like crap.
T=Taxotere. Nasty side effects, too many to list, but complete hair loss on your entire body is mentioned and the other is changes in nail color (I am hoping for a pink sparkle but I bet that is not what they mean). This one may cause an allergic reaction so I am also on Decadron, which is a steroid to help decrease this issue.
A=Adriamycin. More of the same nasty side effects, along with a few others. My finger nails may never be the same again. This one causes your urine to turn very red, nickname is "Red Devil"....nice. I had a heart ultrasound done before treatment because this one can cause heart damage. Care giver should not come in contact with patient's body fluids for five days after treatment....what in the world?! Is kissing okay?
C=Cytoxan. I love this one. On the "Drugs that may interact with Cytoxan" cocaine is listed along with products that contain St John's wort (there are also others but I found those two funny). Isn't cocaine cheaper than gasoline now?
Neulasta. The header on the drug sheet says "for patients on strong chemotherapy". Neulasta is a white blood cell booster and will help protect me against chemotherapy-related infection. The most common side effect is mild to moderate bone pain. No where on the drug sheet does it say "may make you feel generally unwell" but I bet that is what they mean.
All three drugs decrease the body's ability to fight infection with Neulasta trying to help fight infection. It is going to be the cold and flu season for me starting in June. I need to avoid crowds for the next few months. Rules of engagement for visits, if you feel like you are coming down with something or one of your family members is ill, please don't come over. Your little cold or flu can make me very ill.
Another issue beyond infections are food borne illnesses. All fruits and vegetables need to be well washed. If you can't scrub the surface, don't eat it (no berries). Melons, pears, apples, etc need to scrubbed prior to eating. Lots of hand washing and washing of food prep surfaces. Meats thawed in the refrigerator and cooked thoroughly. No raw shellfish or sushi.
Another side effect from the chemotherapy treatment is menopause. After I am through with treatment, we will have to see if I am still pre-menopausal or if the chemo put me into permanent menopause. I will feel "generally unwell" from the chemo with hot flashes and the rest of the menopause side effects too.
The oncologist says I will start to feel the chemo on the day after or possibly the second day and will most likely be in bed for a few days. Treatments are cumulative so the more I have the longer it is going to take to recover.
I hope that wasn't too much information for everyone.
Cheryl
T=Taxotere. Nasty side effects, too many to list, but complete hair loss on your entire body is mentioned and the other is changes in nail color (I am hoping for a pink sparkle but I bet that is not what they mean). This one may cause an allergic reaction so I am also on Decadron, which is a steroid to help decrease this issue.
A=Adriamycin. More of the same nasty side effects, along with a few others. My finger nails may never be the same again. This one causes your urine to turn very red, nickname is "Red Devil"....nice. I had a heart ultrasound done before treatment because this one can cause heart damage. Care giver should not come in contact with patient's body fluids for five days after treatment....what in the world?! Is kissing okay?
C=Cytoxan. I love this one. On the "Drugs that may interact with Cytoxan" cocaine is listed along with products that contain St John's wort (there are also others but I found those two funny). Isn't cocaine cheaper than gasoline now?
Neulasta. The header on the drug sheet says "for patients on strong chemotherapy". Neulasta is a white blood cell booster and will help protect me against chemotherapy-related infection. The most common side effect is mild to moderate bone pain. No where on the drug sheet does it say "may make you feel generally unwell" but I bet that is what they mean.
All three drugs decrease the body's ability to fight infection with Neulasta trying to help fight infection. It is going to be the cold and flu season for me starting in June. I need to avoid crowds for the next few months. Rules of engagement for visits, if you feel like you are coming down with something or one of your family members is ill, please don't come over. Your little cold or flu can make me very ill.
Another issue beyond infections are food borne illnesses. All fruits and vegetables need to be well washed. If you can't scrub the surface, don't eat it (no berries). Melons, pears, apples, etc need to scrubbed prior to eating. Lots of hand washing and washing of food prep surfaces. Meats thawed in the refrigerator and cooked thoroughly. No raw shellfish or sushi.
Another side effect from the chemotherapy treatment is menopause. After I am through with treatment, we will have to see if I am still pre-menopausal or if the chemo put me into permanent menopause. I will feel "generally unwell" from the chemo with hot flashes and the rest of the menopause side effects too.
The oncologist says I will start to feel the chemo on the day after or possibly the second day and will most likely be in bed for a few days. Treatments are cumulative so the more I have the longer it is going to take to recover.
I hope that wasn't too much information for everyone.
Cheryl
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Komen 3 Day Walk San Francisco & other stuff
Hi everyone,
Donna from Valley Oak Vet in Scotts Valley is doing the Susan G Komen 3 day walk for breast cancer in San Francisco at the beginning of September (60 miles!!!). You can connect to her blog http://www.sanfrancisco3daywalker.blogspot.com/ for more details and how to donate, if you are interested. There is a link on Donna's blog to the Susan G Komen website, which has a great deal of information about the walks, what Susan G Komen is all about, etc. I visit the Susan G Komen message boards daily to get information from other breast cancer survivors, great stuff from people who are going through what you are going through (all across the United States).
Tuesday I am going wig shopping with Eddy and my hairdresser/friend, Lauren (Main St Annex in Los Gatos....great salon, just remodeled) and getting my "chemo" cut. Going for the short do Sharon Stone sports, I think www.short-hairstyles.com/short/s191.htm. I want to have a no fuss hair style for the next couple of weeks until my hair comes out all the way, less to mess with, less to lose....I am taking control! Not sure how I am going to feel about being bald, but I can tell you right now I am very excited to get my hair cut short!
That is all for today.
Cheryl
Donna from Valley Oak Vet in Scotts Valley is doing the Susan G Komen 3 day walk for breast cancer in San Francisco at the beginning of September (60 miles!!!). You can connect to her blog http://www.sanfrancisco3daywalker.blogspot.com/ for more details and how to donate, if you are interested. There is a link on Donna's blog to the Susan G Komen website, which has a great deal of information about the walks, what Susan G Komen is all about, etc. I visit the Susan G Komen message boards daily to get information from other breast cancer survivors, great stuff from people who are going through what you are going through (all across the United States).
Tuesday I am going wig shopping with Eddy and my hairdresser/friend, Lauren (Main St Annex in Los Gatos....great salon, just remodeled) and getting my "chemo" cut. Going for the short do Sharon Stone sports, I think www.short-hairstyles.com/short/s191.htm. I want to have a no fuss hair style for the next couple of weeks until my hair comes out all the way, less to mess with, less to lose....I am taking control! Not sure how I am going to feel about being bald, but I can tell you right now I am very excited to get my hair cut short!
That is all for today.
Cheryl
Monday, May 26, 2008
Photos
Good evening!
If you click this link.... http://www.bayarearidersforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=246109 it takes you to BARF (Bay Area Riders Forum). You can view photos of the race bikes with the sticker.
Cheryl
If you click this link.... http://www.bayarearidersforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=246109 it takes you to BARF (Bay Area Riders Forum). You can view photos of the race bikes with the sticker.
Cheryl
Race Weekend A Success!
Good morning,
The race weekend went well except for the rain that interrupted practice on Saturday. Eddy finished 6th in Open Twins on Sunday, which is his favorite race. I can't remember the outcome of the other two races since Open Twins was so exciting. GO EDDY!!!
We celebrated two birthdays at the track, Zip's and Dave's. There was cake, cake and more cake! Yummy. We did have hamburgers and hot dogs, but I was much more interested in having cake, with my favorite being the rum cake. HAPPY BIRTHDAY ZIP AND DAVE!
For the motorcycle racers reading my blog, THANK YOU FOR RUNNING THE PINK RIBBON CHERYL STICKERS ON YOUR BIKES! I can't thank everyone enough for the support, it means so much to me knowing I have a "team" of people behind me. Even though all of you have your own individual race teams, I am looking at it as "Team Pink" and it is inspiring.
I hope everyone has a wonderful Memorial Day.
Cheryl
The race weekend went well except for the rain that interrupted practice on Saturday. Eddy finished 6th in Open Twins on Sunday, which is his favorite race. I can't remember the outcome of the other two races since Open Twins was so exciting. GO EDDY!!!
We celebrated two birthdays at the track, Zip's and Dave's. There was cake, cake and more cake! Yummy. We did have hamburgers and hot dogs, but I was much more interested in having cake, with my favorite being the rum cake. HAPPY BIRTHDAY ZIP AND DAVE!
For the motorcycle racers reading my blog, THANK YOU FOR RUNNING THE PINK RIBBON CHERYL STICKERS ON YOUR BIKES! I can't thank everyone enough for the support, it means so much to me knowing I have a "team" of people behind me. Even though all of you have your own individual race teams, I am looking at it as "Team Pink" and it is inspiring.
I hope everyone has a wonderful Memorial Day.
Cheryl
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
*&^%#%)*^ poop
This is going to be short....starting chemotherapy on June 5th. I'll be on a chemo cocktail of three lovely drugs with some crazy side effects, hair loss being one of them. The chemotherapy schedule is once every three weeks for about the next 4 and 1/2 months, then radiation starts a couple of weeks after. My goal is to have my last treatment by the end of the year, which is pushing it.
I usually make my posts filtering my emotions because I don't want to scare my family and friends.....you may not see this in upcoming posts. I am very, very upset and having a hard time dealing with what is happening to me and to us. Yes, a positive attitude is great, but right now I am not there or anywhere close.
I usually make my posts filtering my emotions because I don't want to scare my family and friends.....you may not see this in upcoming posts. I am very, very upset and having a hard time dealing with what is happening to me and to us. Yes, a positive attitude is great, but right now I am not there or anywhere close.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Update & a bunch of other "stuff"
The pathology test from the surgery changed the stage of the cancer from Stage I to Stage II. The stage is based on the size of the tumors and lymph node involvement. I was okay with the information at the doctor's office but as the evening went on I spiraled downward until I had a sob fest yesterday afternoon. Doing okay today.
Green light for exercising since it has been a full two weeks since surgery. The doctor also gave me some exercises to do with my arm for mobility and if those don't work, I can get a referral to a physical therapist.
I'd like to thank those of you that did go out and donate blood. THANK YOU. It is so important we have a good supply of blood, you never know when you might be in need of a transfusion. Donating blood is so easy, it is free, you get cookies and jucie when finished and you can do it every 56 days (you do have to weigh at least 115 pounds to donate)!
I LOVE EDDY GONZALES! I realized how much Eddy loves me when I was recovering. Eddy made me a poncho (more like a bolero jacket) out of plastic garbage bag and masking tape so I could shower while I still had the drain in. He washed my hair, soaped me up, dried me off and dressed me. Eddy emptied my drain every few hours, measured the contents and recorded the amounts (made me woozy when we did this). Multiple trips up and down the stairs to make sure I had what I needed and he never complained. I am so thankful to have Eddy in my life, now and forever.
Have a great day!
Green light for exercising since it has been a full two weeks since surgery. The doctor also gave me some exercises to do with my arm for mobility and if those don't work, I can get a referral to a physical therapist.
I'd like to thank those of you that did go out and donate blood. THANK YOU. It is so important we have a good supply of blood, you never know when you might be in need of a transfusion. Donating blood is so easy, it is free, you get cookies and jucie when finished and you can do it every 56 days (you do have to weigh at least 115 pounds to donate)!
I LOVE EDDY GONZALES! I realized how much Eddy loves me when I was recovering. Eddy made me a poncho (more like a bolero jacket) out of plastic garbage bag and masking tape so I could shower while I still had the drain in. He washed my hair, soaped me up, dried me off and dressed me. Eddy emptied my drain every few hours, measured the contents and recorded the amounts (made me woozy when we did this). Multiple trips up and down the stairs to make sure I had what I needed and he never complained. I am so thankful to have Eddy in my life, now and forever.
Have a great day!
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