Hi all -
I know it has been a while since I've posted and I haven't connected with most of you lately. I've been keeping my head down trying to plow through the last few chemo sessions so we can call this phase done! I also caught a cold last week and that combined with the effects of the chemo really knocked me on my ass. I'm feeling better this week, still just a bit of congestion.
Well, do you believe it, we have one more chemo session to go and that is on March 25th -- next Thursday. Can not wait until this is over! The chemo is starting to build up in my system so I find climbing the stairs can wear me down these days. I've also had new side effects set in. It's always an adventure....you're just never really sure what your body's gonna do next!
I do have a few other things to update you all on:
1) I've become a believer in acupuncture!! The hospital were I am being treated has an integrative medicine department that offers acupuncture. My nurse referred me to the department even before I started chemo, but I hesitated as I did not think it would provide me with any relief. They finally convinced me to give acupuncture a try in that it could help relieve some of the side effects of chemo. I've gone for the last 2 chemo treatments and I am now a true believer in that it actually does provide me with relief. It has made my "bad" day not so bad, and seems to make my recovery time from the chemo shorter. I am very lucky that the University hospital has a grant that covers the cost of the acupuncture for chemo patients (up to $500), so there is no cost to me as most insurance companies will not cover it. I feel the need to spread the word about acupuncture now. Please, if you know of someone currently going through chemo, let them know about the success I have had with acupuncture. It's absolutely worth the try, I cant believe I waited so long.
2) Surgery is scheduled for Wed., April 21. As you recall, Phase 2 of my treatment plan is surgery. While we hope that the chemo has killed off all the cancer cells, the surgery will remove any cancer cells that may be lingering. It's a day surgery so I should not have to stay overnight in the hospital. yeah. After surgery, I should officially be cancer free (again). The remainder of my treatment plan is preventative to ensure the cancer does not come back (which includes receiving Herceptin for the remainder of the year through IV and radiation for 6 weeks - 5 days a week). While I am certainly not looking forward to surgery, I am glad we have a date when I can officially feel cancer-free.
3) We had some good news this week as well. As part of preparing for surgery, I had a mamogram and ultrasound on Monday. It shows the actual area where the cancer was identified has shrunk in half. This is good to hear, the chemo has done its job, just what we wanted to see.
Well, that's about all to report. Thank you for all your continued love, support and prayers...it's working!
Love,
Lynn
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
It's not about me
This time this post isn't about me, it's about two dear friends that inspire me. While both of these individuals have told me that I inspire them for being so strong, I want them to know that their actions to help others is what inspires me.
First, is my dear friend Kathleen Price (a.k.a Kat). Some of you have the pleasure of knowing Kat directly, others might "know of" Kat for the following reasons/stories:
1) She is the creator of my new fabulous pink external cranial prosthesis
2) She made me laugh when she explained to me that cancer was not a hobby
3) She has an incredible job as makeup supervisor of 6 (or is it 7 now) Cirque Du Soleil shows in Las Vegas
4) She taught me to draw on eyebrows during my first battle with cancer in the bathroom of a California Pizza Kitchen (good times)
5) She invented the "Malaria Shot," a shot served to all guests at my Survivor party after my battle with Hodgkin's disease. (In case you are wondering it was Goldschlager and Rumplemintz.)
6) She created my Hodgkin's Disease Survivor logo (yes, I had a logo).
7) So many more stories...I could go on and on...
Anyway, the reason why Kat inspires me is because she is voluntarily shaving her head in an effort to raise money for St. Baldrick's Foundation, a non-profit organization that funds childhood cancer research grants. She has joined with 20 other Cirque Du Soleil performers, employees and friends with the goal of raising $50,000 by shaving their heads!
As Kat explained to me last week on the phone, she's tired of feeling helpless (and tired of making soup) when so many of her friends and family have fought "The Cancer". Well, if you know Kat, when she jumps in, she jumps in with both feet. So she's not walking to raise money, she's shaving to raise money! I so look forward to seeing what kind of fabulous external cranial head gear she will be wearing once she is bald like me (Kat, does this mean I need to send you back the pink wig??)
I'd like to ask you all to consider making a donation in support of Kat, Cirque Du Soleil and the St. Baldrick's Foundation. But more importantly, I ask you to consider a gift to help find a cure. For more information or to make a donation, here is Kat's page:
http://www.stbaldricks.org/participants/katzgonnashave
Also, here is the team home page for the Cirque du SoBald:
http://www.stbaldricks.org/teams/mypage/teamid/64839
My other dear friend that has provided me with much inspiration is Bonnie Gillespie. Bonnie has worked all over the world fighting malaria, providing disaster relief and caring for those less fortunate than us. She is now on the ground as a volunteer in Haiti on behalf of the American Red Cross. Doing disaster relief work stretches your boundaries emotionally, physically and spiritually. Me, I learned I needed running water to function (thank you dear Karen for that self realization in Florida after Hurricane Charley). Bonnie, I dont know if she has limits. She sacrifices comforts in order to help others. If you have donated to the Red Cross to help provide relief in Haiti, please visit the following site for information that Bonnie is posting on how your money is being put to use to serve others. And if you haven't, well, these videos might just inspire you!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8t7yCHn4iQ
Love to all.
Lynn
First, is my dear friend Kathleen Price (a.k.a Kat). Some of you have the pleasure of knowing Kat directly, others might "know of" Kat for the following reasons/stories:
1) She is the creator of my new fabulous pink external cranial prosthesis
2) She made me laugh when she explained to me that cancer was not a hobby
3) She has an incredible job as makeup supervisor of 6 (or is it 7 now) Cirque Du Soleil shows in Las Vegas
4) She taught me to draw on eyebrows during my first battle with cancer in the bathroom of a California Pizza Kitchen (good times)
5) She invented the "Malaria Shot," a shot served to all guests at my Survivor party after my battle with Hodgkin's disease. (In case you are wondering it was Goldschlager and Rumplemintz.)
6) She created my Hodgkin's Disease Survivor logo (yes, I had a logo).
7) So many more stories...I could go on and on...
Anyway, the reason why Kat inspires me is because she is voluntarily shaving her head in an effort to raise money for St. Baldrick's Foundation, a non-profit organization that funds childhood cancer research grants. She has joined with 20 other Cirque Du Soleil performers, employees and friends with the goal of raising $50,000 by shaving their heads!
As Kat explained to me last week on the phone, she's tired of feeling helpless (and tired of making soup) when so many of her friends and family have fought "The Cancer". Well, if you know Kat, when she jumps in, she jumps in with both feet. So she's not walking to raise money, she's shaving to raise money! I so look forward to seeing what kind of fabulous external cranial head gear she will be wearing once she is bald like me (Kat, does this mean I need to send you back the pink wig??)
I'd like to ask you all to consider making a donation in support of Kat, Cirque Du Soleil and the St. Baldrick's Foundation. But more importantly, I ask you to consider a gift to help find a cure. For more information or to make a donation, here is Kat's page:
http://www.stbaldricks.org/participants/katzgonnashave
Also, here is the team home page for the Cirque du SoBald:
http://www.stbaldricks.org/teams/mypage/teamid/64839
My other dear friend that has provided me with much inspiration is Bonnie Gillespie. Bonnie has worked all over the world fighting malaria, providing disaster relief and caring for those less fortunate than us. She is now on the ground as a volunteer in Haiti on behalf of the American Red Cross. Doing disaster relief work stretches your boundaries emotionally, physically and spiritually. Me, I learned I needed running water to function (thank you dear Karen for that self realization in Florida after Hurricane Charley). Bonnie, I dont know if she has limits. She sacrifices comforts in order to help others. If you have donated to the Red Cross to help provide relief in Haiti, please visit the following site for information that Bonnie is posting on how your money is being put to use to serve others. And if you haven't, well, these videos might just inspire you!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8t7yCHn4iQ
Love to all.
Lynn
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Beating cancer to death with a toothpick
I admit, I have days where I feel like we are beating this cancer to death with only a toothpick. It's a LONG, SLOW process and time seems to be moving at a snail's pace. Then, I do have days where I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. (At least the light at the end of chemo). Today, was an odd combination of feeling both.
I looked at my calendar this morning and for the next few months, it was empty except for chemo appointments. As you know, I'm a planner and I like to have a lot of activities planned but unfortunately we've had to clear the schedule. I found it quite depressing. So, I decided to look at my glass as half full and plan some activities since we are officially halfway through with the chemo treatments. But then moments later I realized that in my lifetime, so far, I've had 15 chemo treatments. Really, 15 chemo treatments in my lifetime...no wonder I feel like I'm beating cancer to death with a toothpick. Well, if I've had 15 treatments so far, and I only have 3 more, heck I'm WAY more than halfway done, right?
Then, today as I put my mind back to planning some adventures when this is all I over, I constantly came back to the one thought regarding how quickly life changes. Just a few months ago, I was like all of you getting ready for the holidays, shopping and decorating and then bam.....someone says "you've got cancer."
Since the last cancer go-around in 2001, Todd and I try to live life and not put off things that make us happy. You dont know what tomorrow will bring and it pains me to clear my calendar the next few months of things that we have been so looking forward to like a weekend at the Post Ranch Inn, or for me learning to ski, or attending Frozen Dead Guy Days ( check it out, you will want to go). So, I've decided to put this challenge out to you my dear friends....I challenge you to think of something you have been wanting to do but put off for no good reason (no good reason like I dont have the time) and get it done before my last chemo treatment (March 25th). Go out and do it my friends. Life changes to quickly.
Of course, you MUST share your stories with me as you take on this challenge because I need to live vicarously through you for a few months. Think about it my friends. Who's up for the challenge?? Tell me about the fabulous destination you have been putting off traveling to and book that damn trip. Or tell me about how you've always wanted to learn to speak Italian and you've just signed up for a course. What ever it is, "just do it." (Gosh, someone should snap up that "just do it" slogan, it sounds pretty good.)
(By the way, Bonnie Jean, you are excluded from this activity because I know what you have been wanting to do for a long time, and you finally did it. I am so proud of you and you will find your next great adventure soon.)
Lots of love.
I looked at my calendar this morning and for the next few months, it was empty except for chemo appointments. As you know, I'm a planner and I like to have a lot of activities planned but unfortunately we've had to clear the schedule. I found it quite depressing. So, I decided to look at my glass as half full and plan some activities since we are officially halfway through with the chemo treatments. But then moments later I realized that in my lifetime, so far, I've had 15 chemo treatments. Really, 15 chemo treatments in my lifetime...no wonder I feel like I'm beating cancer to death with a toothpick. Well, if I've had 15 treatments so far, and I only have 3 more, heck I'm WAY more than halfway done, right?
Then, today as I put my mind back to planning some adventures when this is all I over, I constantly came back to the one thought regarding how quickly life changes. Just a few months ago, I was like all of you getting ready for the holidays, shopping and decorating and then bam.....someone says "you've got cancer."
Since the last cancer go-around in 2001, Todd and I try to live life and not put off things that make us happy. You dont know what tomorrow will bring and it pains me to clear my calendar the next few months of things that we have been so looking forward to like a weekend at the Post Ranch Inn, or for me learning to ski, or attending Frozen Dead Guy Days ( check it out, you will want to go). So, I've decided to put this challenge out to you my dear friends....I challenge you to think of something you have been wanting to do but put off for no good reason (no good reason like I dont have the time) and get it done before my last chemo treatment (March 25th). Go out and do it my friends. Life changes to quickly.
Of course, you MUST share your stories with me as you take on this challenge because I need to live vicarously through you for a few months. Think about it my friends. Who's up for the challenge?? Tell me about the fabulous destination you have been putting off traveling to and book that damn trip. Or tell me about how you've always wanted to learn to speak Italian and you've just signed up for a course. What ever it is, "just do it." (Gosh, someone should snap up that "just do it" slogan, it sounds pretty good.)
(By the way, Bonnie Jean, you are excluded from this activity because I know what you have been wanting to do for a long time, and you finally did it. I am so proud of you and you will find your next great adventure soon.)
Lots of love.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Round 2 Done!
As most of you know, I spent new years eve in the “infusion room”. I think we were there until about 7 p.m., picked up some food on the way home and I was in bed by 8:30 p.m. Heck of a night.
It was a long weekend after that! (Just ask Todd, I was not a good patient.) Friday I felt kind of crappy, but then was hit bad on Saturday and Sunday. Felt awful. It’s hard to describe what it feels like. There is the nauseousness, and overall feeling of tiredness. The second or third day, the sore muscles set in. But then there is just a general feeling of well, I guess being run over by a truck. I dont know, I think its only one of those things that people who experience it can understand. (Kind of like the pain when your hair starts falling out. It’s an odd feeling, to actually have your hair hurt! I cant tell you how good it felt when the hairdresser asked me if I had a lot of hair pain before she shaved my head. Yes!!! It was sooo good to have someone understand that!!)
Back to why I was a bad patient....I was not drinking my liquids as I should have been (I was eating though). The problem is the absolute horrible taste in my mouth from the chemo. It’s like a metallic taste. It goes away as the days go on, but it lasts at least a week or two following treatment. Though I would not be surprised if it remains constant for the last few treatments. This metallic taste is why I stopped eating beef from the last chemo in 2001/2002. The bad taste was so strong with beef, that I stopped eating it completely during the 6 months of chemo and then just never really regained my taste for it again after that. Right now, food is not the problem, its liquid for some reason. I am struggling to find something that I can drink the first few days after treatment that doesnt make me gag when I take a sip. I did just discover a juicer thanks to my dear friend Chris and I must say that came in handy on Monday. Made a wonderful pineapple, apple and strawberry juice mix. Went down pretty good. The only problem was my dear sweet husband marked all the drink bottles in the house so he could see how much I drank while he was at work on Monday, and well he just couldnt tell how much I drank because I made my own juice. Fooled him, didnt I.
I know some of you are wondering what I look like these days. I’ve posted a pic of me in my new “external cranial prosthesis” (AKA wig). I think it matches pretty close to my hair. Let me know what you think! A shout out (does anyone say that anymore) goes to my girlfriends Jennifer and Chris for helping pick out my external cranial prosthesis and to my wonderful husband for going with me on “installation day”. As expected, my hair started falling out 16 days after treatment. It starts with just a few strands, then each day, it seems to at least double in regards to how much is falling out. It was tolerable for a few days (though I did wear a baseball cap on Christmas Eve to prevent clumps of my hair in my family’s food). By Monday after Christmas, I was ready for it to go because it was just becoming unbearable. The hospital recommended a great wig shop, which is also a salon (the owner is a breast cancer survivor herself) so its a comfortable place. Though the woman in the salon chair next to me, was a bit shocked when the clippers came out and the salon owner shaved my head. (oops, she chose the wrong chair didnt she.)
Now, its been almost a week since treatment and I’m feeling good. Every day has been better, though today feels like a bit of a set back. I’m thinking it means I am at the low point with my white blood cells so, this is when we need to be careful I dont get sick. I’ll be confined to the house this weekend so I am not exposed to germs while my counts are low but I am looking forward to having a whole week and a half of hopefully feeling good before next treatment.
Lots of love.
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