3 Chemos Down, 1 To Go!!

Today was number 3 chemo....all went well, in and out in the usually 3.5 hours. We are skipping the Neulasta, so no bone pain this time (yeah) and hopefully no head/scalp issues! I just hope my labs will be as good as they have been without it! I did speak with my Oncologist, Corrie, and we decided that if the head thing happens again, I will be done with chemo and we will move onto the 7 weeks of radiation. I can not do that pain and illness again, it was so horrible! I compare the pain on my head to nerve pain like Shingles, I can't live another week like that! But anyway, Dave came in with me, we dropped Emma at my office, and my girlfriend Nicole, who is 22, took Emma for the chemo time and they had a ball!!! They hit Quincy Market, Build A Bear, somehow acquired a Black Cat Webkinz, then they went to the Aquarium and had a ball, where yet another stuffed seal appeared!! Emma is good! Dave and I managed a nice lunch at the chemo side table....Bertuccis (hot rolls, butter, garden salad with chicken and chicken & ziti dish!! Yummy! So lets see how this week goes with out the Neulasta, I will keep you all posted!!
Kristin

Our Weekend in North Conway, NH!

We took a nice long weekend to New Hampshire for Dave to do his much trained for race UP Mt Washington. The sad news is the race was cancelled both days d/t horrible weather at the top (70-80 MPH sustained winds, zero visibility, freezing rain/snow, wind chills below zero!) Yes, this is August! Emma and I made it to the top though, being the dedicated wife and daughter! They did not cancel till we just arrived up there. So, we turned around and went back down, us and about 100 other dedicated family members, clutching the wheel and trying not to ride the brakes as to burn them out! Poor Dave, he was so sad, 6 months of training! But to cheer him up, we took him to StoryLand for the day, and had a great time! That place is so cute, and Emma loves it! The next day we decided to surpise Emma, and we took her on a mystery ride, and ended up at Santa's Village about 1 hour from North Conway. This is a small park, all geared around Christmas. Fun rides, no lines, we all had a great time. That day was actually my 42nd birthday, ugh! It was fun to be there and recall the memories of my mom and dad taking Lisa and I there as kids!! We also saw a big Moose on the way to Santa's Village, chomping grass at the side of the road, then we saw a Black Bear on the side of the road on the way back!! He was poking his head up and down, waiting for traffic to clear, like a good little bear, before crossing! The whole w/e was very cool, we were in jeans and polar feece all weekend, very Fall like! It was good to get away, my head is feeling and looking better (thank God!) I just have a bad head cold to deal with now, even after going thru a million anti-bac wipes in NH! Next chemo is Monday 8/27....skipping the Neulasta this time, we think that is what gave me the bad head reaction. So we shall see! Enjoy the photos from our weekend, and a few from my birthday cake with my mom, sister Lisa, neice Charlotte (4) and Emma (6 1/2)!

Where Have I Been, You Ask?

I am usually really good about updating the blog, but this last chemo sent me into a tizzy! I had my second chemo on the 6th, and was tired the rest of the week, the usual. Also took my Neulasta on Tuesday to boost the white blood cells. But on Friday 8/10 I woke up with horrible red dots all over my head, ok zits and white pustules, for you visual folk!! I was working that day, so I wore the wig, and by the afternoon my head was on fire, more inflamed, more zits. I was aching all over, and had to leave work early (ok, so my friends at work escorted me from the building!) I called Oncology, and she called me in some antibiotics....but from there I just got feeling sicker. I slept all weekend, cried alot b/c of the pain in the scalp, nothing tasted good, my temp was up and down, resorted to taking narcotics for the pain (ok, I do like them, but had to make it sound better!) Was online with Oncologist all w/e, sent photos of my pretty head, she wants to share them with her colleagues since she has not seen a case of folliculitis this bad in a long time. She thinks is could be the Neulasta, we are skippping it on the next chemo!! So today I went into The BI with Mom, and Corie looked over my head and we added a few more drugs to my ever-growing Rubbermaid carry case of pills (of course I have the Sun-Sat individual pill box, this is just the box to CARRY the bottles!) I am staying on the Kefzol antibiotic for a few more days, I have new and improved Narcotics, a topical antibiotic, a topical steroid, and not to mention a cooling and soothing masque! It has to get better from here! I will see my Onc again on Thursday a.m.!

After my MD appt, mom and I went shopping at the cancer store on the cancer floor (who knew thay had one!! I wonder what store they have on the behavioral dysfunctional/mental unit!? ).....mom got me 2 cool hats, 2 cool scarves (they make them bigger at the cancer store so you can wrap better!!) and a cool bag. Thanks Mom! I will bring them to NH this weekened~~~ Dave is racing UP Mt.Washington, and then Story Land and Santa's Village, hopefully a mellow and head pustule-free weekend! Chat soon!!!!

Now it will come up all the time I am sure!

If you just see the last blog ("hair today"...), click on August on the left and the newer blog will show up. Not sure why it does it for some people and not for others, just a learning experience I guess! I have finagled it a few times, maybe it is just me and my chemo brain! Doing well today, feel fine, little tired, no nausea (took the drugs to ward off the evil spirits!) Going to rest while, flip on TV and smut shows, Em is in Camp till 1 pm! Chat soon~~~~KM

Chemo # 2 Over, and I LOVE My Bald Head!

Me, Mom Peg and Diane!

Today was Chemo Day #2! Two down, two to go! It went well, I feel great. My best buddie Diane P came with me, we chatted and laughed all the time. It went by fast! The IV went in smoothly (thanks chemo RN Dianne!) & all drugs up and running. They did run one of my chemos a bit faster this time, the Taxotere, and I got wicked hot/flushed and some shortness of breath, but it was over with fast, and they turned me down a bit and I was fine! Diane said my face/neck looked like they was on fire! We need some excitment while getting chemo! We decided next time we may bring our nail stuff and UV dryer and do our nails and the other patients too!! We have the time and we are great nail painters!! I must also say that I love my blad head! I am very comfortable with it, and thank god, I have a round head and cute ears!! I did bring my wig on Friday at work, all the girls helped me because I was in a panic b/c Dr B asked me to wear it and I had not done that yet! It went well, they kept an eye on me all day and primped me as needed! It feels like a hairy hot helmet! But it does look good! Photos of wig soon, I promise! Because Dr. B is such a nice guy, I told him I would wear it, but I was only doing it for him! Just another good deed done for him to mentally file for Holiday Bonus Time! Ha-Ha ;) Check back soon....so far all my hair is gone X the greys! I have alot of grey! I asked if grey is resistant to chemo as it is to color, and she had no answers. If it does not fall out after this treatment, I should keep all my grey fuzzy hair!! Chat soon, Love Chemo-Chick!!

Chemo Chick!

Cheering Fans!