Very Quick Update

Well, Round 8 is going good so far. I am up, that's progress. I know I won't stay up long enough to ring in the new year but that's ok. I am under the influence of Ativan so I am a little slow with processing. Just wanted to let you know I'm ok. I will write more later.
HAPPY NEW YEAR.
Love,
Michele;

German Roasted...

We are still living in the tropics over here. Scott said the gas company was here the other day reading the meter. He thinks someone tipped them off to our excessive use of natural gas. I guess they thought they better come out here and verify the meter! Last week someone gave us some German roasted nuts. Scott is of German heritage and he likes to snack on them. Tonight he was eating them and he said it's so hot in here, he has his own set of German roasted nuts! He came home the other day and Emily had put on shorts. This may not sound unusual but we're talking about a child who never picks out clothes or dresses herself. I, on the other hand, was walking around with my new blankie wrapped around me. I have become very attached to my new blankie, all I need is my thumb and I'll look just like Emily!
Megan wanted me to tell everyone she finished book 7 of Harry Potter tonight. Within an hour, she was contemplating starting over with book 1.
I had my last physical therapy appointment today. I have been getting myofaucial therapy. My back feels much better. My therapist, Katrina, joined an elite club today. She is one of the few people I have allowed to come near my port. I was very brave in letting her massage around it. Scared, but brave.
I have had such an enjoyable week, but it's back to work tomorrow! I feel great!
Keep in touch!
Michele;

Christmas chitchat

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas. Emily's Christmas wish came true. I felt good all day and today I feel great too. I have been cleaning out and organizing things but I have to take a break every now and then to rest. Our house is a disaster! There are toys everywhere. Emily's favorite gift is her Clap & Laugh Microphone. She has been performing for us for 2 days. After she tells her jokes, she pushes the foot pedals on the platform and the "audience" laughs or claps. I have been trying to post pics but the blog site is not cooperating. Scott outdid himself this year with my gifts, I got lots of really nice stuff.
Thanks to everyone who sent a Christmas card. We got a record number! Megan just counted the greeting card pics- we have 36!
I looked on my calendar the other day and realized my last chemo treatment will fall on our 13th wedding anniversary, Feb 25th. I am still trying to decide how I want to celebrate the end of chemo. Maybe I'll throw a party! We are taking a big vacation but not till summer. We want to wait until I get my strength back. I have always wanted to go to the Outer Banks so I think that's what we'll try for.
Monday is Round 8. I'll keep you posted.
Thanks for the prayers!
Love,
Michele;

Today is Thursday, Tumor-oh is Friday...

2 posts in 2 days, I've very wordy this week. I had another blunder today that my friend Twylia thought was so funny she had to call me. I sent her an email today to cancel some plans but I typed "I need to cancer our plans". Ha! Maybe I'll just start substituting words with medical terminology, I could create my own version of the Redneck Dictionary, like "hey, you want to chemo-ver to my house", "I tried colon' you but you didn't answer". Anyway, I thought that was really funny.
I can't believe I forgot to tell you about my Velcro mouth!!! I had read on the Colon Club about people waking up with a dry mouth and a stuck tongue, but I thought they were exaggerating. The other night I woke up and my tongue was literally stuck to my palate. I actually heard it crunch when I removed it, it sounded just like velcro. Then another night, I woke up disoriented, I didn't know my tongue was stuck. I sat up in bed and tried to say "I need to pee" but it came out "ah nee ta puh". Then I jerked my tongue and it actually ripped the skin right off my palate. Ouch.
Physical therapy is going well. Thank you Christi and Katrina. I am going to Healthpoint, which is where I worked for 7 years. So I got to see all kinds of friends I haven't seen in awhile. I did find out I have the worst posture ever (they didn't say it exactly like that) so they've got me doing all kinds of exercises and changing of old habits.
OK, I'm done talking. My new blankie is calling my name. I got it from Kasey yesterday. Ahh, it's SO SOFT. Emily and I are going to snuggle on the couch. Tonight is a big night for Megan, the new pool at the University opened up and her swim team (Go, Seals!) will be swimming there from now on. She was so excited to go swim in it.
I won't be posting for several days so I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas!
Love,
Michele;

All I Want For Christmas...

Well, I know why people have been saying with surprise You Look Good! Because now I look sick. I hit a 2 on the tear scale this weekend when I realized just how bad I look. I have bags under my eyes, brown patches on my skin and my hair has taken on a new texture. I am still trying to figure out how chemo has given me a thousand more freckles than I already had. For the first time since this started, I realized what it's like to look sick. It's no fun. I got out the "Look Good...Feel Better" bag of cosmetics (remember those?) this morning in hopes of perking myself up. Then I called my hairdresser and she is going to work on my hair Thursday. I am perplexed over the hair thing. It reminds me of the story in the Bible where the widow had no food and she needed oil and flour and Elijah told her the oil and flour would not run dry. Every day I lose handfuls of hair but I still have plenty to spare.
I wanted to share an Emily story. I have told several people but I thought it was worth blogging about. Last week she hit a 3 on the tear scale and told me all she wants for Christmas is for me to feel better on Christmas. She said she wanted to tell Santa that's all she wants. Then she folded her little hands and said "Dear Jesus, please let Mommy feel better on Christmas". I did the only thing I could think of- I promised her I would feel great on Christmas! Now every night, she prays the same prayer. Then Megan brought home a letter she wrote at school, she had to write a letter to Jesus. So in the letter she said "maybe you'll make Mom better". Oh, it's such a heartbreaker!
I am going to physical therapy tomorrow. I have been having back pain. I know it's b/c I have been so inactive lately. I think I am out of alignment or something. I think I've spent too much time laying around! Otherwise, I feel pretty good. The only big problem this week is these darn nosebleeds. I have a chronic post-nasal drip from the chemo but it's all blood now. Tonight, Scott and I were eating and he said I think your nose is bleeding. How gross is that.
Ok, this turned out to be a long post. Thanks for reading my blog, I love all the comments. Kim and Carley, welcome back to the blog, I was worried about you!
Talk soon.
Love,
Michele;

Peters Paradise Island...now serving juice boxes

If you are longing for a tropical vacation this holiday season, you might want to stop by our house. I have it so hot in here, you would think we were living in Aruba instead of Cape. I cannot seem to warm up! Poor Scott and Megan have been wearing their summer clothes around the house. I have the furnace cranked up, the gas fireplace on, candles lit, layers and layers of clothes...I think we should set up some beach umbrellas and make some tropical drinks. Which brings me to my next point. I have been stricken with the most unquenchable thirst this week. No matter how much I drink, it's not enough. I think that's why chemo went so well, b/c I am drinking so much water and juice. I had a lightbulb moment last week. I wanted juice so bad but couldn't figure out how to drink it at room temperature. Then it hit me- juice boxes! So I am now reverted back to toddlerhood, carrying around my juice box. I have drank dozens of them!
So anyway, that's the scoop. If you haven't received a Christmas card from me, it's b/c I continue to suffer short term memory loss and now I can't even remember who I sent them to. But that's another blog, I won't even go into the memory loss right now. Besides, I wouldn't remember if I did tell you.
Have a great weekend!
Love,
Michele;

Quick update

Just a quick update. This round of chemo has gone better than any so far. I am more tired this time but otherwise, I'm ok. Tonight I feel like I have the flu, but I think that's the Neulasta shot I got today. Work just wore me out today, I had some rowdy kids.
I have to decide- do I want chemo on New Years Eve or wait until Wed Jan 2nd. If I wait, that's just less time I have to recuperate for the next round. I haven't talked to Scott about it yet. I am leaning towards having it on Monday, I just won't be awake to ring in the new year. Part of me feels like sleeping thru it anyway, I don't want to have to reflect on the past year and think about what the new year holds. I know that sounds very negative but that's how I feel.
Tuesday, I lost hearing in my left ear. That is a side effect of the chemo. It has come back a little bit but it's not where it should be. I was also getting a high frequency feedback when anyone made noise. That went away too. I posted my concern on the Colon Club and some jerk had the nerve to tell me, and this is a quote "does a speech pathologist really need good hearing anyway?" The nerve!
Gotta go.
Michele;

Lucky # 7

Megan was right. This was lucky #7. She kept telling me 7 is lucky, and she believed I would do better this time. This round went so much better. It didn't start out good. When I got to the chemo room, I asked for the private room and then I hit a 3 on the tear scale. I was scared. I asked for immediate Ativan. So I feel asleep and when they woke me up to go home, I said Wow we weren't here very long today. She said "hon, it's 2:30". I slept almost the entire time. I do regret being so foggy when I met with Dr. Lilly. All I can remember thinking was Oh, he finally got brave enough to violate Southeast dress code, he's wearing jeans. Now that thought is sure to help me with my treatment...I had a whole list of things to talk to him about and all I can think about is the Southeast dress code.
I'm getting tired. I will write more later. Just wanted to let you know I'm ok.
Michele;

Round 7

Taking a trip to Chemoville...Round 7 on Monday. Scott is taking me. I am scheduled to see Dr. Lilly. It will be a long day. I don't know when I will post again.
See you when I get back.
Michele;

Today's Headline- "Hubby Bans Pedicures"

Scott and I have known each other for 17 years and we have a great relationship. He gives me his opinions on my crazy ideas and...I always do what I want. It's a great way to survive a marriage. However, there are times when my ideas are so crazy, he will use the phrase "do what you want, I can't stop you", and that's when I know he means business. Thus was the conversation we had this weekend when I said I wanted another pedicure. He was not happy about this. He is so worried about me catching something, he even felt the need to remind me of when I used to rant about the dangers of nail salons (which I have totally blocked from my memory). His side of the conversation went something like this- "it only takes one bacteria- just one...you could get nail rot...lose a foot...it would all be over...do what you want...I can't stop you". So now I am left to ponder how my feet are going to survive without a pedicure until next spring. It's my one and only way to pamper myself. I can go 6 months without a haircut, a week without makeup, I am totally low-maintenance but I REALLY LOVE my pedicures. OK, I will stop now. Someone please promise me that if this cancer kills me, you'll make sure my toes are pretty for the funeral. Now that I think about it, have them open up the lower portion of the casket and show my toes but leave the top portion closed. Isn't that a great idea?!!!? I'll make sure I put that in my final plans!!!
Gotta go, time to get Emily on the bus.
Keep in touch,
Michele;