Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow!!

As my last blog stated, the hair was holding fast the a.m. of Day 14, but p.m. Day 14 and Day 15 it was coming out in chunks!! It was entertaining to pull clumps and throw it to nature (Emma said the birds can make nests!) But by Monday pm, I had to call Patricia, my wig lady, and have it cut off this am! It was everywhere, you don't even want to know about the shower drain! So now I look just like Demi Moore in GI Jane, just minus her fantastic totally toned body!! It feels so much better off, it was hurting so much.....I wore my wig home, then just put on a headband and then a hat. No biggie! I should be totally bald by the w/e I would think! Here are some photos.....Emma and I in matching headbands the night before the buzz, then me and Dave with matching cuts, and my hat look! Its gonna be a cool summer, I can tell you that!! I'll just jazz up my eyes and lips more, and nobody will notice I am sure!!! Will get wig photos soon, the humidity must lift if I am to wear that thing!!

It's Holding On For Dear Life!

Today is Day 14 from my 1st chemo, and they say the hair comes out at 14-17 days, yikes! But mine is holding strong I think! The waiting sucks, just fall out already! My hair and head are hurting, very sensitive, ouch! I need a haircut badly, but if it going to fall out, why waste the cash? And if it is not coming out yet, why buzz it off to early? I keep running my fingers thru it, just to see, sometimes I get a few hairs and think "its starting", but then I run my fingers thru it later and no hairs at all! I will probably go bald just from running my fingers thru my hair myself! Oh, the dilemmas of breast cancer and chemo! Today may just be a hat day by the pool! Will write more later~~~next chemo is Aug 6th.

Feeling Tired, Bone Pain With A Side Of Lemon Juice!!

Have been feeling tired!! Tons of achy bone pain from the Neulasta, which making lots of red and white blood cells and blue platelets (kidding about the blue, it just went with the red and white!) Very emotional from everything, including the 4 days days of steroids, and the bone pain and PMS. Then went out to Bertuccis for pizza Sun evening and Dave squeezed a lemon into his ice tea, and it hit me square in the left eye, and I lost it in the middle of the restaraunt :( Doing better today......Mom took Em for the day while I went and met with the Radiation Oncologist at Jordan Hospital. I really liked him, went over all the radiation good and bad things. Good, I may get a lift on the left boob from the heat, bad, Dr. B may need to lift my right to match it up later! I go back Oct 11th for the simulation and probably will start by the end of October with that part of this story. Hair is still intact, day 8 post chemo, they say 14-17 days! Yikes! I keep running my hand thru it to see if a chunk comes out, not yet!! Picked up the new wig the other day, it looks nice! Will have to get photos on-line as soon as I need to wear it! I will probably be in hats mostly!! You know me, I am a tom-boy! Will write more soon!! Kristin

Some Weekend Photos! No "C" Talk Allowed!

Butterfly Girl!


Went into Boston to see a Red Sox Game, with a pre-game fundraiser/appreciation for the PMC Ride Dave has done in the past! FREE Fenway Franks, and lots of other stuff to eat! A good time was had by all! Emma learned "the wave" and "take me out to the ballgame"....had to leave before "Sweet Caroline" was sang though! Bummer!


Welcome PMC!

She loves her Daddy!

Days 2 and 3 Post Chemo~~~not so bad!

Not to get to excited, because they say with each Chemo treatment, it can get a bit worse, but so far so good here in post chemoland! I am mostly tired, achey and I had a bad headach the first a.m. after teatment, reminded me of hangovers from years past, but with those I (and my friend that shall remain nameless, OK, Robin) had much more fun the night before!!! :) But I gobbled down all my anti nausea drugs, my favorite Ativan (the one that makes you not care if you don't feel well) some Tylenol, had some ice cream..... all was better in chemoland once again! Not very hungry (weird for me!!) Craving fruit today (also, weird for me!) and drinking tons of water. Got some Vit water and antioxident water (hey it was on sale 10 for $10 at Star, can't hurt!) Will write more later if anything exciting happens....like throwing up or hair starting to come out!! Hey, you gotta laugh!! Love, Kristin

Chemo Day #1 Over....3 To Go!!

Well, the day went pretty well! They started my IV fast, Nurse Diane, Very nice!!! Got some Prendisone and Zofran in me. Then started Chemo Drug #1, Taxotere, went in well, no problems! Then went in #2 Chemo Drug Cytoxan, also no problems. Also got another Ativan there, what the hell, makes me feel good and happy (it is also for nausea too). Dave was there to keep me company, he brought me a big Diet Coke a big bag of M&M's, yum! They have wireless there, so he got a little work done! Then my friend Heather (Frick), she is in the pink shirt, arrived (2 years out from Breast cancer herself), and she brought me (Frack) a goodie bag with a Kit Kat, Mounds Bar, Lucky Chemo Socks and Lucky Chemo Earrings! Who knew! Needless to say all chocolate is gone and I am feeling fine! We actually had a good time, laughed alot, had a nice view, ate Subway Sandwiches and cookies! All and all it was a nice day for chemo! I must load up on my P.M. nausea drugs now and get to bed. They say if it is going to be yucky, the next 2 days will be it (for nausea) then in 7-10 days my counts drop and I get tired. So we shall see! Have to give myself a shot of Neulasta tomorrow to boost my cells. Will keep you posted!!

Wig Try On #2....What An Experience!

Well, today I had to go for wig try-on #2. First, you must bring someone who can laugh with and at you, and is your BFF, that person is Diane Puleio. I have know Di for years from working in the trenches in the O.R. at Children's Hospital. She is now my personal wig consultant! We have it narrowed to 1 wig type and 2 colors. Will go back next week and decide on one of the 2 colors. I have included some photos of us....2 are "wigs not to buy" and one is a kind of a nice one of us!! See if you can tell which one I am getting!

The Drugs Have Invaded my Countertop!

Went to the pharmacy today to get my anti nausea drugs, supposedly this regime of chemo I am doing is not bad in the nausea sense! But I got 3 different bottles of stuff to help me stop nauseaing (is that a word?) I'd hate to see how many drugs one gets with a more nauseating regime! One is a fun one, Ativan, it relaxes you while taking the nausea away, like a little Valium. So you don't really give a shit that you feel like throwing up I guess! ;) One scares me more than chemo, Prendisone (steroid)...I take that the 3 days prior to chemo. If I get a moon face or hump back, that one is out the window!! I rather puke! And then Compazine, good regular anti nausea drug.. If it gets bad, then they will add in Zofran, which I really wanted instead of Compazine, but I think she rolled her eyes, and thought, "another nurse telling me what to prescribe" So we shall see! Then I am awaiting insurance approval for a drug called Nuelasta, which boosts my white blood cells after chemo, so I do not get sick. I have to inject it myself...saves me a trip into Boston! So that is it for now! Check back soon for more updates!

Starting Chemo on July 16th 2007

Hello to all my friends and family who have been cheering me on since my breast cancer diagnosis in May. I decided to start this blog so you can just check in and see what is going on in the treatment process. I was emailing everyone updates, but for some reasons, some peoples emails came across in code and were hard to read. Hence, the blog was born! And you all know how neurotic I am, this site will be very well maintained and updated, probably to much! Chat soon~~~~ Love, Kristin