My Best Hair Cut Ever!

Hats Hugs and Humor

Now for some FUN.....as you know this chemo makes your hair fall out. So here are a few new looks.

Don't we look spiffy......

Emerging from HELL!

Tumer Markers

First Chemo Today

  

 Today I had my first round of Taxel and Carboplatin. Started the morning with a weigh in then numbing my accessing  port.

Two vials of blood drawn to check blood counts. These are then sent to lab to be analyzed as we wait for the results a saline solution is dripped in. Finally after a
little over an hour the test results are in.









The blood test are good so we're a go..... Before they can start the Taxel I'll need some anti-nausea med's (Zofran).  Lots of  drugs to keep you from all the side effects of chemo and more side effects from the drugs they give you for the side effects.......I've had more drugs pumped into me than I've had in my whole life.

Next I get a corticosteroid so I wont have an allergic reaction and Benadryl for motion sickness. Last I was given Famotidine (Pepcid) to help with stomach acid so you don't produce to much.

                          
Triple checks ...... to calculate the amount of chemo drugs to be given they take your weight and height and put it into a magic formula and come out with your body surface area. I'm a  1.8. The system goes to three checks, first Dr kenyan does his calculations, next nurse Catrina second check and finally, last check is done by cocktail man from the pharmacy.  All check complete he's ready to mix.




                                                                  Wow..... I think we're ready!



Meet cocktail man. Young, good looking and very nice for a guy who is about to poison you.  He mixes all my drug cocktails.




 



Catrina, my nurse, suiting up so she can plug me into the Taxel.  What does this say..... Don't I get a protective gown and gloves?



 





Getting plugged in ...... no turning back now!

 Here we go pumping in the poison ......Taxel.
BP check every 10 minutes to make sure I have adverse reactions.
It will take 3 hours to empty that bag ...... slow poisoning.
Then an other 30 minutes for the Carboplatin.  Then 51/2 hours later I'm cut loose ........ Freedom at last!

Happy Dance!

I think I've found one good thing about having cancer......Weight loss!  I was digging through my summer box of Biking and camping clothes and before packing it back up I started trying on stuff. A pair of hiking shorts that were to small when packed away .... now fit.  Alright!  Tried on some biking tank tops, wow also fit. I'm getting excited now. Tried on more stuff, it all fit. OK check the closet.... I tried a couple button shirts, I could button them up with room to spare. Oh happy day!! For someone who has spent three fourths of their lives trying to loss weight and keep it off this is a good thing. I know a lot of people with cancer need to keep their weight up but for me losing the fat will help keep the cancer from coming back.  I  have lost about 25 - 30 pounds seeing my clothes fit better is inspiring me to keep it up........I'm doing the Happy Dance!

Thumbs Up!

Dr Dotters gave me a thumbs up on my last check-up. Now I'm on to phase3 of treatment the dreaded Chemo. Dr kenyan has decided on four rounds every three weeks. It takes three weeks for your white blood cells to return to normal. I will be injected with Taxol and Carboplatinum. Taxol is from the Yew tree and you can have a allergic reaction and the Carbo kills all fast growing cells. Yahoooo.... So I'm in for a new hair cut! Although  they tell me when your hair grows back it can come in curly or straight and a different color. Wow it will be a whole new me!

I have to admit I'm not crazy about doing chemo......It scares the crap out of me!  I have seven days to buck up.....and just getter done!