Time For A Cool Change

Ok, so we're right in the middle of the "medical flurry" of bc tests, checks, scans, squashes & such.  Saw the Oncologist, Dr W on Thursday, & the Endocrinologist Dr F yesterday.  Next up, mammo, surgeon, sono.  And then I'll have a couple months off till the next 3 month Oncologist visit.

And how am I doin with the New Year's Resolutions regarding medical stuff? Well, I guess I'm doin ok...I didn't cry at the chest X-ray.  Didn't cry all over Dr W.  I hope to not be flippin out at the mammo, & DEF don't wanna be all freaky in front of Dr V!  Well, I did have a bit of a scare....Dr F's office called me yesterday & told me I needed to come in to discuss my labs & could I come on in, like NOW.  I was all like, WHAAAAAAAT??  He usually just drops me a letter in the mail tellin me to call to get a new dose on the meds...so I was flippin totally out.  But it really was just to discuss changes to my thyroid meds.  Nothin more.

AND, my visit with Dr W was a good one.  He had some news.  He's leaving that cancer center where he is currently & goin to a MUCH better place (in my opinion).  I have been becoming rather disenchanted with this cancer center myself, & was gonna talk with him about changin to one of the other locations.  But he beat me to it.  He's gonna head up some Oncology division at a nice, newish hospital right near a mall I like & just around the corner from a Five Guys Burgers & Fries!  Yeah, THAT could make me have a different view of pending Oncologist appointments.  And what a great change that will be!  AND, it really did make me feel good when he told me he was SO glad to see me on his books this week so he could tell me of his cool change in person & also afford me the opportunity to get on his books at the new place, seamlessly in time for my next 3 month appointment in May.

And now for our non cancer-related stuff: Shooting for the "awareness & prevention" movie we're doin kicked off last week. This will be our 7th movie. And I'm back "on the job" doin my boom mic thing.  And I have gotten very rusty.

But it's nice to be back to doin more & more things we did PRE-bc.  KnowwhatImean? 

It really does seem like things are goin more & more back to normal.  And that's VERY cool...for a change.

=)

I Can See Clearly Now...

Sooooooo, this business about the Susan G Komen Foundation cutting of funding for Planned Parenthood & then reversing that decision has been quite the hot topic this week.  I have been a SGK supporter, even before I got breast cancer.  Even though some of the things they have done here & there have aggravated me a bit....like when they threatened to sue small, local charities for using the words "For The Cure" in their fundraising efforts.  Yeah...they've trademarked that phrase.  But to actually have their lawyers go after a tiny, local charity like that?  Really?  But I got over it & continued supporting SGK, since they were the largest breast cancer charity.  

But this most recent move, cutting off Planned Parenthood & then reversing the decision upon experiencing a huge backlash....wow....I can see clearly now the true colors of SGK.  What started out as probably a genuine charity organization with a goal of ending breast cancer is no longer that, in my opinion.  What it has become is a business.  And no doubt the top execs earn lofty salaries.  And it just kinda made me fuckin sick that this charity allowed politics to play a role in anything!  Politics or religious beliefs should have no place in breast cancer research/screening/treatment.  Breast cancer does not discriminate.  Breast cancer doesn't give a shit if you're Republican, Democrat, Christian, Mormon, gay or straight.  And we've GOT to find a cure.  I'm just not so sure that is the Susan G Komen Foundation's top priority any longer.

I'm havin a hard time putting in to words all I feel & think about this....I'm not the most intellectual person.  But it doesn't take intellect to know that what SGK did was shitty & it totally showed their true colors.  Even though they reversed their decision, I'm afraid the damage has been done.

And I have edited, posted, taken down, re-edited, re-posted & taken this post down numerous times.  I'm sure some people find this blog through my epic hair regrowth post I shared over at the SGK Discussion Forums.  And then they read this.  Yet my posts are still over at SGK.  Here's how I feel about that.  Whether or not you support SGK For The Cure, I think the Discussion Forum over on the SGK site needs to NOT be a part of all this stuff.  Leave the SGK Discussion Forums out of this.  So many newly diagnosed women go to that Forum in search of support, advice, & just to learn from all the others there who've been through it.  I know I did. And there are always some very knowledgeable & compassionate, experienced ladies there, ready to lend an ear, hold your hand, let you cry...whatever it is you need that brought you to the Forum.  And I made some "friends" there that I will probably never meet, but I very much value their friendship & appreciate so much the help, support & understanding when I first landed on the Forum, all freakin out & stuff.  So. What I'm trying to say is this.  Yes, I'm mad at the SGK Foundation.  But I do still wanna help other ladies goin through breast cancer, chemo, havin bald issues & stuff.  So I will remain a member of that Forum, & hope that this blog post doesn't get me kicked off or my posts removed.

Life In The Fast Lane...

Surely make you lose your mind.  Yeah.  Somebody had DEFINITELY lost their damn mind.  The other night, O & I were on the way home from the store...I was driving.  And as I turned off this one road onto the long & winding road that leads to our house (I know...sorry! lol), I checked my rear view mirror & noticed this dude, in a white pickup, like totally on my ass!  I'm not talkin bout just tailgating, or followin too closely....I mean, this truck was so close that you couldn't even see the end of his hood! I was all like, DOOD! Seriously???? 

Now, this is a very curvy, 2 lane road with a 50 MPH speed limit.  And I was probably doin 55....& the guy just stays right up on us.  Dangerously close.  We approached our neighborhood, but the guy was so close, I couldn't even slow down to make the turn.  And kinda didn't want to anyway, cause this guy obviously had a problem.  O was like "This is bullshit! I'm callin 9-1-1!"  And he did & was tellin the dispatcher what was happening & where we were located & the direction we were goin & stuff.  And she told us an officer would be along to intercept the situation & did we want to speak to the officer after he made the stop.  Well YEAH, we totally wanna talk to the officer!  

So we're still flyin down the road, guy on my ass, O on the phone & I'm really startin to feel chased down at this point. And then as we drove past this side street, the cop whipped out & jumped behind the jerk in the truck & got him pulled over at a park.  So I flipped the car around to go back to the park to ID the guy & speak to the officer.  When we pulled into the park, there were 2 squad cars there & they were dealin with the asshole driver.  Officer came over & spoke to O, & apparently, the guy had no driver's license.  And I think he said somethin bout the guy was goin to jail, so there musta been other stuff with this guy, cause I don't think they arrest you for drivin without a license. 

So anyway....that was our bit of excitement to kick off the New Year.  After we got home, I was trippin out at what had just happened.  I'm so glad I wasn't by myself in the car.  It really was a very dangerous situation that could have ended in a terrible wreck.  I'm just glad the cops showed up when they did.

And ever since then, as I was mullin over ideas for this blog post, I've had the stupid song "Eastbound & Down" (although we were westbound lol) stuck in my head, cause it kinda felt like we were in a Smokey & The Bandit movie.  Thank you for your assistance Buford T Justice! LOL!

Tech Support

Ok, so got more 'splainin to do .  

I need to answer a question I'm getting lately from folks attempting to subscribe to this blog....they put their email address in the subscription box & then nuttin....& they're all like "What the...??" So here's what I think is happening....when you subscribe, you should receive a Confirmation Email.  In that email is a link that you MUST click on to complete the subscription. Now, I get everybody's paranoia about clickin links in emails, but this one is LEGIT! Promise! And I also promise that you will not suddenly be on the receiving end of all kinds of spam, crap emails & Viagra ads. Seriously. So, go on ahead & click that link! ;)

Now, for those who say, "I never even GOT the Confirmation Email! What the...??!" First thought that comes to mind is: Have you checked in your Spam folder? I know....just said no spam, but until you say it's OK, some peoples security filters will send it straight to a spam or junk email folder. I find this especially common for those who use AOL.

I'm also hearing that some folks can't figure out how to leave a comment here on the blog...Just scroll all the way to the bottom of the post you wanna comment on & & click Comments.  And no, you don't have to have a Google or Blog account to comment.  You can choose the Name/URL option.  

And then somebody recently asked me why they can't see the photos on the blog that comes to their phone.  I don't know.  But I know that if you go to it through your phone's browser, you can see everything.  Different mobile carriers do things differently from each other.

Ok, I know most people reading this knew all of this already, but these questions have been comin at me quite a bit recently & just wanted to offer that Tech Support for ya. (Ok, I also just wanted an excuse to do a blog that includes the video clip at the bottom! LOL!)

Thanks so much for visiting/commenting/subscribing/following. 

Some Musings On This New Year's Eve

Well, another New Year's Eve....This year has gone by so fast.  And compared to the last 2 years, it's actually been pretty ok.  It did have it's moments...like with O's job issues & stuff....but for the most part, I'd say it was a pretty good year.  I'm like, any year that I'm still clear of cancer is a good year.  Any year I have hair on my head is a good year.

And I have made SEVERAL New Year's Resolutions.  One of which is to stop showing up at my Oncologist's office completely bat shit crazy freakin out.  So that's one of, like, 10 things I'll be doin differently in 2012. 

I look back on the year & I can see that I've made several new "online friends" this year.  And, even though I've never (& possibly will never) met them, I regard them as close as friends I have in the real world.  I think it's interesting when we "meet" people online & friendships form.  I think people are brought together for a reason.  And I'm so thankful for all my friends, both in the real world & in the cyber world too.  Y'all have all been a big part of helpin us through the bc ordeal. So thank you. SO much.

And to my family as well.  They are far away from where I live, so most of our interaction is online too.  (Thank you Mark Zuckerberg for your awesome creation) So, another Resolution: I am going to try my best to get over my unnatural fear of flying & get on an airplane home a LOT more often...I hope....depending on airline ticket prices of course.  Even though they are not close to me, their love & support is what I know got me to where I'm at today.  And it's what will keep me movin forward with a more positive outlook than I've had the last couple of years.  So thank y'all & I love y'all & hope to be seein y'all SOON.

And my hubs....not gonna do a bunch of mush & gush on here, but he knows totally how much I love & appreciate him.  And my family does too.  He had his fair share of crap to deal with this year, & I only hope I've helped him with things.

So anyway....goodbye 2011.  Was a pretty ok year I suppose.  2012 should be interesting. Bring it! 

All This Horror Business

So, apparently most people who read my blog are not Misfits fans.  Sooooo, they totally didn't "get" my last post . So, here ya go.

So, yeah, maybe now I can get this song outta my head for five minutes.  

All This HAIRY Business....OR...How Long Will It Take For My Hair To Grow Back After Chemo?

 Yeah...have had songs from the Misfits stuck in my head while trying to come up with a title for this EPIC "How Long Will It Take My Hair To Grow Back After Chemo?" regrowth post. This is going to be long & I'm putting in lots of pictures that chronicle the loss & regrowth of my follicles, some never before shared with anyone....Today I am at the 2 years from last chemo mark.  And while I still have a ways to go before my hair is "back to normal"...it's pretty much back.  Still have some shorter top parts to grow out to catch up to the length.  But for those who (like I did) are searching the interwebs lookin for info & photos showing the rate of hair regrowth after chemo, then this is the post you're lookin for.  Now, everyone's hair grows at it's own rate, but I've been told my hair grows at pretty much the average rate....

1/4 - 1/2 inch per month.  And of course I'm doin a post like this...even before I had the breast cancer, I was all about my hair...And I miss it...soooo Ok, so here we go.....

So here I am...June 2009, (above) celebrating my 40th birthday...& I have breast cancer, I just don't know it for sure yet.  I knew about the lump at this time, but hadn't been to the doctor yet.  In about 2 weeks from this day, I was diagnosed. So, this is what someone with very aggressive breast cancer looks like.  Yep.  Next:

Ahhhh, the shave day (above)....September 14, 2009...pretty much right at 2 weeks after my 1st chemo...the hair was comin out all over the place.  I'm convinced that's what killed our vacuum cleaner! Anyway, yeah...I was more than a little upset about the havin to lose my hair part of this whole ordeal.  And I'm not gonna lie...I had to get pretty well lit to go through with it.  So after drinkin several Berry Skyy Vodkas with Diet 7Up back (was out of the good stuff lol)...we began the buzzin...Talk about Horror Business....

So I figure if I MUST lose my hair, might as well do a mohawk....And yeah, that's my personal message to breast cancer...eff you!

 So we took a few pics...& then buzzed off the 'hawk & it was gone & I was bald (above). 

And I plopped my wig on my bald head (above) & felt SOOO much better.  And we went out to dinner.  Took the new wig 'do out for a test drive lol...

 Ok..so fast forward through 6 rounds of chemo to right about a month after the last chemo...January 2010 (above).  We called this baby bird head.  The longer hairs are what never fell out...Looks like a receding hairline.

 February 2010 (above)...these are about a week apart.  When I look at these it reminds me of a turtle lol!  I didn't have any eyelashes or brows...Just using makeup as best I could to disguise that fact.  I was finishing up with radiation around this time I think...I remember the excitement with every new bit of hair growth during this time.

 March 2010 (above).  It's startin to fill in.  These are about 2 weeks apart.  I was still wearin my wigs & bandanas when out & about, but SOOOO happy to see more hair growin in. Seems like you could almost see it growin...it was different every day.

 Later in March 2010 (above)...The picture on the right is when I went out for the first time without anything on my head. Said I went topless! LOL! But was still doing wigs to work & stuff.  Very butchy lookin...

 And here is the pixie in June 2010 (above). Six months after last chemo. I finally stopped wearin wigs.  It isn't a hairdo I would have ever chosen to do, but it sure was nice to not have to have something on my head.

 

 July 2010, 7 months post chemo (above)...I've entered the "Headband Phase" of things.  The second picture shows when the chemo curl started.  These are about 2 weeks apart.

August 2010, 8 months after chemo (above).  I called this my "senior citizen 'do" lol.  I'm celebrating the end of Herceptin treatments. YAY!

 October 2010, 10 months post chemo (above).  I had gotten a tiny flat iron & straightened my hair in the pic on the left.  Every time I see it I think "Activiaaaaaaaa..."  On the right is not straightened, still in the headband phase.

October 2010, 10 months after chemo ended (above).  I'm about to attend my very first "Pink Out" Pep Rally.  And I need to learn to stop takin pics in here...SUCH bad lighting...Too much Horror Business...(Misfits fans get it...right?) Still in headbands.....I started callin the 'do the "chemo-fro" at this point. LOL!

 YAY! A nubby ponytail! (above) And from the front, startin to look more like "ME" again.  January 2011, 13 months after chemo ended. I had been able to do this for right at a month...remember when I got my mediport removed?

And when I just didn't feel like doin the nubby pony tail, it was chemo-fro in headband. Had to do the headband thing, cause it was quite the mullet! April 2011, 16 months of growin hair (above).

 May 2011, 17 months (above)

 June 2011, 18 months (above).  This was my first "real hairdo" cut.  But it wasn't really a 'do...just some blending.  I never wore it like this again.  Just kept doin ponytails, & the chemo-fro in headband thing. This was flat ironed.

This is August 2011, 20 months(above).  The shag 'do is gettin mullety again. Not flat ironed, just round brushed while drying.

 Early October 2011, 22 months post chemo (above). Round brushed left, chemo-fro right.

Late October 2011 (above).  Now I can clip up the sides while they grow out & not be in the pony tail all the time.  I've pretty much stopped wearin it curly at this point.  When I round brush it while blowdrying, it's straight, just like it used to be. YAY!

 And this is exactly 24 months from the end of chemo (above).  Two years of growin. I wish these photos were better quality, but we were in a bit of a rush & I wanted pics taken on the anniversary of the end of chemo.  Anyway, I still have some growin to do...gotta let that shortest top layer catch up to the rest....So, I'm still growin, but wanted to share this in the hopes that newly diagnosed people might see that yes, it sucks to have to lose your hair, but it does come back.  I saw a similar post one day while I was bald in the middle of chemo, & it encouraged me & helped me so much...& that's all I'm wantin to do here...help others goin through the same thing.  I realize that, as cancer survivors, we have much more serious issues & things to deal with, but if you're like me, the hardest part was the hair thing.  So I hope that if you're checkin out this post because you are waitin & watchin for your hair to grow back, just know...it will be back.  You WILL have your hair again.   

[I may add pics to this post a couple of times until I achieve the 'do that I will call Mission Accomplished.]