Chemo Round 2 - Day 2

Got through last night with a minimal of effort. Avoiding the big lunch after treatment prevented any illness. Eating a couple bites at a time spread over hours at a time is key. Dinner was "buffet" style. I made ginger / garlic beef strips, boiled brussel sprouts and sauteed red peppers/onion/tomato and served it on side plates with fondu forks. Have a bite, curl up in the fetal position, wait for the rocking to subside, rinse and repeat. Drinking lots of water and ginger ale.

At one point I got up to see something Paul wanted to show me. TOO FAST! Everything went black for an instant and I melted to the floor. Didn't pass out or anything but going with gravity was a wise choice. When you're sitting still you don't realize how weak you really are.

By 11:00 pm the worst was past and I was back up-right and feeling much better.
Today I feel like I have a hangover only no fever or headache, just a bit of tightness and trembling deep inside. Had one egg and two 12 grain toast (one with stem ginger marmalade)

I'm just about bald now. My hair was so easy to pull off with my finger tips I figured the easiest way to clean it up would be with wax strips. I wasn't actually "pulling out" the hair so much as removing hair that wasn't really attached -No roots.
That, and my hair was hurting. It felt like litter wires, that when rubbed against the grain (hats, scarves, pillows...), felt like a bunch of sharp little wires were being pushed back into my head. Ow! I also thought that shaving would just leave a lot of below the surface little wires and I didn't want that. Waxing didn't remove every single hair. I don't mind shaving those few off. Without the dark vs light hair/stubble my streak hardly shows up at all. I always thought that would be more obvious.

I'm hoping I'm not coming down with a cold. I sneezed a lot yesterday and twice today already. No fever. Paul keeps making me take my temperature even though I can tell there's no fever. If anything I'm a little cold today.

My throat and nasal passages have been sticky for a week or so. Is that bacterial gunk or a result of the inside of my mouth sloughing off? I don't know.

Don't think I mentioned my sensitivity to spice skyrocketing. One day I'm putting my normal chili flakes on spicy pasta and the next day I can't stand black pepper on my eggs! I think the fast growing cells being wiped out of my digestive system, including my mouth, has diminished my heat tolerance. I've always gravitated to spicy, savory foods. I thought having to switch to a bland diet would be a real bummer but bland isn't so bland with heightened senses.

Chemo Round 2

Well, that was easy. And a lot faster than we were expecting. This time they started pushing meds as soon as I was hooked up. Last time I had to "hydrate" for a half hour on the saline before the attendant started the push. Or maybe she was just busy that time.

And this time I opted to have the IV go in on the top of my arm. The veins are a lot harder for them to find but it's worth it.
As she was hunting around in there I was looking away with my eyes closed, trying to think of any thing but the creepy probe wiggling around under my skin. It really doesn't hurt that much. But it does feel gross. The word I came up with as a mantra to distract myself... "cat".

Cat, cat, cat, cat, cat, cat, cat, why am I thinking cat? Cat, cat, cat, cat, cat, cat, why can't I find any other word? Cat, cat, cat, cat, cat, cat... oh well, we're done.

No discomfort and no swelling this time. I'm hoping for no bruise. I still have some swelling and ache if I push on the previous site.

I Klingon

The hair is coming out fast and furious, front to back. I have sever male pattern balding. I look like a Klingon!

Bummer. I was enjoying the "cool chick with the ultra short hair look. Gotta get my doo cleaned up. I agreed to let Paul try his hand at shaving me - 1st time shaving a girl's head. No reason why he shouldn't have the privilege of experiencing a few new things as we go through this process together.

Scarves are my friend. This is my casual Friday look.

Light Headed with Hair Loss

Medium: pen and ink with digital colour.

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Official Baldness

Last night I was thinking I should get funky shapes clipped into my hair to disguise the thinning... I didn't realize it would come out so fast.

I am REALLY glad I opted to have it shaved before the treatments began. I would have been thoroughly grossed out to see all that hair sloughing off in the shower!

My hair came out big time this morning. That stuff is really hard to get off the rest of you body. Little wiry hairs were everywhere. It's interesting that my streak came out first. My scalp is velvety soft to the touch.

E-GAD! 3 of the hairs I caught on the way out were completely devoid of pigment! Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! White ones!

Well, at least the itching has stopped.

As of last night I decided t start sleeping with a toque too. My head's been cold for the last week. Cold enough to wake me up at night. I really feel for bald people now. At least mine will grow back sometime soon.

Incase you're wondering... yep. All of my hair is coming loose. The arm / leg hair isn't "falling out" but it's really easy to pull out - no roots attached since those died off first.

PS: I still ache from my "run". Not everyone can or should run.

I Ran Therefore I Ache

The hips feel like they want to come out of there sockets and my shins feel all splintery. I'm a goof. Not everyone can or should run. I need to find an activity that I enjoy and that gets my cardio up without shattering the bones. Don't say swim; I don't like swimming. I hate feeling like a sputtering, drowning rat. And I hate the way I feel light headed and sick to my stomach for an hour after only a few laps. Not everyone can or should swim. Fortunately, I've very bouyant - no danger in drowning if I ever fall in. Paul panics and watches me the entire way when I opt to swim out as far as the raft at the cottage. He frets because I look like I'm struggling. And I am. That's why I have to roll over onto my back after every few stokes and lay ther until I catch my breath. Pathetic! But in no danger of going under.

Today I Cut My Hair

Medium: pen and ink with digital colour.

Feel free to use this image on your website. Donations appreciated.
Images may not be altered. Please link back to this blog:
http://eviesprojectpink.blogspot.com
Original Art © RhinoInk Illustrations Ltd