Another Hair Regrowth Update

August hair regrowth update: Exactly 20 months from the last chemo.  This is flat ironed.

Not That There's Anything Wrong With That....

So, yeah.  I'm comin outta the closet! #NotLikeThat! LOL! Comin outta the "cancer closet" on my Facebook.  Yeah, I had posted a Note on there where I directed folks to the CarePage (& now this blog) for all the cancer convo.  Keep Facebook a "happy place".  Well, now that I'm almost 2 years out from the cancer road through Hell, I figured, why NOT share with my Facebook friends? And Twitter friends.  If I'm willing to blog all this out to the world & have total strangers read about it (*waves at faithful readers in the UK*), then why would I not be open about it with people I actually KNOW?  Ya know?  So I went ahead & shared my mohawk pics on there, & made public some photos from my 1st chemo.

I mean, why NOT be one of those "loud & proud" survivors?! Having had cancer is a PART of who I am now.   The new & improved LunaTechChick. =)

So yeah, I'm officially out of the closet.  Not that there's anything wrong with that. ;)

Pullin Through...

Ok, two things....

One: My next mammogram is scheduled for next week. Tryin not to be nervous this time. Blood work looked good last month, so all should be well. Right?

Two: I can now pull the back of my hair through the back of a ball cap. But still too curly to get a 'do cut, so we'll just keep growin.

Will post after the mammo. Thanks for checkin on us.

xx

Oct 20, 2009 12:48am "Pink Out Pep Rally"

Pink Out Pep Rally

Posted Oct 20, 2009 12:48am

Ok, so it's been a bit more than a week since my Halfway There chemo and the fatigue has finally lifted. Still no nausea issues, but the fatigue with this one was the worst so far. Not totally unmanageable, but I did need to spend most of last week just resting around the house. Luckily we had good weather for it. It just rained and rained and rained. Also, they have started giving me the Neupogen shots starting the day after the chemo, rather than waiting a week. Keep that white cell count from dipping too crazy low like it had been doing. Which is good. So we're staying on schedule so far.

So anyway, energy returning so I went back to school Friday. They had a Pink Out for the Cure Pep Rally Friday and honored those of us in the district who have battled or been diagnosed with cancer. Three of meh girls in our class got together and surprised me by making shirts to wear at the pep rally that said We Love (heart) *my name* on the back and they made me a Survivor sash that looks like I'm wearing the breast cancer ribbon. It matches the ribbon they made to go on the front of their shirts! Our students are awesome. Totally made my day.

Oct 7, 2009 7:57pm "Halfway There!"

Halfway There!

Posted Oct 7, 2009 7:57pm

So in the morning, Thursday, I will go for my chemo #3 of 6. First they'll test my blood and then let me know if I can have my chemo. I sooooo hope I can, and I'm sure I will. I very much wanna stay totally on schedule. Staying on schedule will mean finishing the chemo portion of treatment by December 10 and be feeling great in time for the Christmas break! Keepin my eye on the prize!
So how about this? You see those little stubbles left on my head in the mohawk pics? They've grown. I've lost a bit more hair, but most of the stubbles have so far stuck around and have actually grown. Hmmmmmm....Maybe I'm getting a head start on my regrowth? Or maybe as I go through these chemos they'll eventually fall out. Guess we'll wait and see. You can see the grays better. They are actually longer than the dark hairs. So, gray hairs grow faster than non gray hairs?

Well, that's about all I have to report. Gonna get on with this halfway there chemo tomorrow and will keep y'all posted on the progress. I really hope it's same ol same ol, as far as side effects go. I really haven't had any of the terrible ones everyone associates with chemo. So in between chemos I've just been living life. Goin shoppin with friends. Even went to the Brighton Power of Pink Kickoff Breakfast with my new friend L, a fellow bc survivor, and we had some fun. And I went to school and subbed some too. I just can't let this cancer crapola stop me from seeking out the fun in life.

So far I'm super lucky!

Sept 24, 2009 9:37am "I Think I've Figured It Out! =)"

I Think I've Figured It Out! =)

Posted Sept 24, 2009 9:37am

Ok, so I think I've got this chemo thing all figured out...provided that I don't get new or more severe side effects as treatment continutes.... The tiredness and fatigue...I've linked to one of the nausea meds! Which I apparently don't even need! I've not had one bit of nausea! (Knockin on wood here) It also was causing a bit of depression. AND I think I may have linked it to the "chemo brain" too! I didn't take one single chemo med yesterday and felt totally great. Same story this morning so far. So, 1 week to the day after a chemo, feelin pretty much back to myself. A couple things still yet to go back to normal (digestion, no biggie), but just goin through the day, I don't feel like I'm goin through anything! Well, except for the feeling of a wig on my head!
Anyway, thought y'all would like to know that I do believe I've got this thing totally figured out. We'll see how Round 3, the HALFWAY point goes on October 8.

Thanks so much for all of y'alls messages and stuff. Really does help lift my spirits!
=)

Posted Sep 22, 2009 9:17am "Pluggin Right Along"

Pluggin Right Along

Ok, so I had Chemo #2 of 6 last Thursday. So far so good. Side effects wise, kinda same ol same ol, but maybe a bit milder, as far as the taste buds & stuff. But the fatigue is a bit more, but not unmanageable. I just take naps in the afternoon & can't workout this week. Chemo brain seems to be a bit less to, which is great cause I gotta work this week at school. =)
So, they'll check my blood in 3 days on Friday & do the booster shot thing again if the white count is low again. Dr W & I are determinded to stay on schedule & wrap this chemo portion of treatment up on time in mid December. So I've got fingers & everything crossed for that!
See ----> X]

Today is the first day of Autumn. My absolute favorite time of year. And the weather actually feels like it a bit, so I'm lovin that!

Have a great day everyone!
=D

Sept 16, 2009 7:37pm: "I Think I Made Friends With My Wig Today"

I Think I Made Friends With My Wig Today

Posted Sep 16, 2009 7:37pm

So I went back to work today. Came across several people who didn't know we had the cancer thing goin on. They commented that they liked my new hairdo!! One lady I don't even know said she liked my hair and wants to grow hers out into a similar style!! Yep Laurie, you were totally right! That didn't take long! So now that I've gone through what I feared would be the worst side effect of chemo, and I can see now that I can totally live with it and it is so doable, I feel like I can now be my regular, happy, upbeat self again....finally! =D

So tomorrow is chemo round 2 of 6. BOOORRRIIINNNGG!!! Not looking forward to the chemo brain and the other side effects I got. But if I'm lucky, they'll be mild like last time. Hoping the hair loss to be the worst side effect.

And finally, let me just say this: I had breast cancer. HAD being the key word here. They took the cancer out of my body in July. In August I got all clear CT and Bone Scans. So, I don't have cancer anymore. I'm still fighting cancer. And winning! =D

Second Post: "It's MOHAWK TIME!"

It's MOHAWK Time!

Posted Sep 15, 2009 3:47pm

Ok, so over the weekend, my hair has been coming out in handfuls, so it became obvious that it's time for a shave. Fortunately, my mother in law hooked us up with a super nice stylist who came over to the house & did it right in my kitchen! But first we had some fun & did a Mohawk & took some pictures. So now I am bald. Bald, bald, bald. But it's ok. It's part of the battle & I'm totally winning. Hair falling out is just proof that the chemo drugs are workin & doin their thing!

Yep, that used to be my hair

Eff U cancer!

Seriously, I'm not as upset as I thought I would be. And my wigs are awesome!
<3

Pretty awesome wig eh?

Movin on Up / Intro & First Post September 13, 2009

Ok, so I'm "moving" my CarePage over to this blog.  This used to be my OnlineAuction blog, but since I can't seem to blog as much about that as I do about having to deal with the breast cancer bs, figured I'd go ahead & start moving the posts.  Apparently, some people are put off by having to have a membership to view the Care Page.  Even though they really don't ask for any super personal info, some peeps just ain't gonna give any.  Over here, not a problem, so I'm slowly but surely moving toward this blog. This could take some time.  So here goes.  The following is my "Intro" from the CarePage. 

INTRO:

Sept 13, 2009

I'm a super young at heart 40 year old. I just turned the Big 4-0 & on June 30 I was diagnosed with breast cancer. My breast lump did NOT show up on a DIGITAL mammogram. So FEEL YOUR BOOBIES ladies! As of today, I've had 3 surgeries & 1 of 6 rounds of chemo.

I am super fortunate to be able to live with & work together with my husband, who is also my best friend.  We have a great time together.

We have no children. We ARE the kids!

 

First Post: 

1st Update...Better Late Than Never...

Posted Sep 13, 2009 5:48pm

Ok, so, I'm a little late in setting up this page, but the FUN seems to be just now starting, so here we go. I was diagnosed with breast cancer on June 30. July 1 I was in front of the surgeon. July 9 I had the Lumpectomy surgery and 15 Lymph Nodes were removed. July 15 the surgeon says we didn't get the clear margin and we gotta do it again, and 4 of the Nodes were positive for cancer. Oh yay. July 23 was the reincision. Got the clear margin this time. But thanks to the stupid lymph nodes and the fact that my cancer was HER+, I bought the chemo ticket. August 20 I got the MediPort put in.

That's the Reader's Digest version. Lemme hit some hilights for ya. Other than tonsills at 3 years old, I'd never had surgery before. So yeah, I was pretty much high maintenance at the hospital. All 3 times. Once you're told you have breast cancer, nothing is the same and you begin a rollercoaster feelin kinda life. All the pre-surgery testing. Sentinal Node Injection was the hardest thing for me...didn't care for that one bit. I'd rather have a surgery than go through that again. Google it. I'm trying to forget about it! LOL!

So, as I sit here typing this on September 13, my long hair is coming out by the handfuls. I washed it for the last time today. I had my 1st of 6 rounds of chemo on August 27. My side effects have been very mild thus far. The biggest problem I'm having is the hair loss thing. Y'all that know me know that I totally love having long hair. So I did mourn a bit...not just the loss of my hair, but I think I was also mourning our Before Cancer life. But I'm now at peace with it. May as well be cause it is what it is.

Today I'm just so grateful because I'm gonna be fine. All of my CT Scans showed no spread. So in my mind, I've already beat it. Just gonna make sure I don't have to do it again is all.

So my total treatment is: 6 rounds of chemo - 4 hour sessions, - 3 weeks apart, 1 year of Herceptin, 5 1/2 weeks of daily radiation will start right after the 6 chemos are done and then I'll take some medication for 5 years.

So, welcome to my Blog. Here y'all can all keep up with me winning this battle. Like I said, I've already won!