"A few of my favorite things..."

Leigh age 4 1/2

Liam age 3

Quinn age 3

Colin age 6 mos

The grandchildren. They are definitely "my favorite things"!!!!

I had my 4th and last A/C treatment on Thursday June 24th. The "slump" is still a couple of days away but we hope to preempt it this time by starting antibiotics before I run a fever.

I will start Taxol, weekly, on July 8th. I learned that the side effects from Taxol will be less bothersome, at least in the beginning, and my hair will start regrowing. That should be fun to watch. Curls? Gray?

July promises to be a busy, fun month. Liam turns 3 on July 12th. We will celebrate on the 10th or 11th. Karen has an ultrasound on July 12th and we hope to find out if Liam will have a baby brother or sister. Of course "Grandmom" plans to be there. My sister Judi is coming for a 3 week visit on July 14th. It has been over 20 years since she has been to NC so we have a lot to see and do. I can't wait!

The "living calendar" continues to thrive. My raspberries and blueberries are about finished for the year. I had a pretty good, tasty crop. Of course my most successful crops this year are the weeds. They have taken over every flowerbed and so they may.

"De-Slumping"

A quick update:

The "slump" is resolving. Not quite batting .500 but .250 is good enough. Thanks again everyone! Chris and "Moby" got home safe and sound on Sunday. A good time was had.

It has been a bit too hot with poor air quality so I haven't started back walking. Even working in the yard has been impossible. My next chemo is this Thursday 6/24. This is the last A/C (Adriamycin/Cytoxin) treatment. A milestone. I will start 12 weekly Taxol treatments in a few weeks. It will be interesting to see if the side effects are the same. Stay cool everyone!

From Spunky to Punky

What a difference a day makes...

After a great day on Wednesday, I awoke Thursday feeling like I was in someone else's body. I was extremely fatigued, had a headache and my cough seemed to have gotten worse. While lounging around, I heard a noise on the front porch. It was a neighbor, Lorraine, who had brought me many wonderful prepared organic foods. What a lifesaver! Fixing a meal was one of the last things I felt like doing. Everything was delicious. I figured I would delay my walk a bit until I felt a more energetic. Didn't happen. By 4 pm I had a fever and decided to call the Hope Center for advice. Another round of antibiotics was called to the pharmacy and I was scheduled to be at the Hope Center by 8 am on Friday for lab work and an exam. I managed to drive myself to pick up my antibiotics but knew that I quite likely wouldn't be able to drive myself to Asheville in the morning. Irene, another neighbor, gladly volunteered. She was there bright and early Friday morning and drove me to my appointment. She even went with me for my labs etc. I had awakened with nausea that morning and was full of plenty of anti nausea medicine. In other words, I was a bit "loopy". She was actually there to help me remember lab results and recommendations. Thanks Irene. You'll have to tell me, again though, what was said. I still can't remember anything except that I need to be careful and stay away from germs.

I got through Friday without a fever and felt some energy returning by that evening. I still had plenty of nourishing food from Lorraine to sustain me. Thank you so much!

Today, Saturday, is a new day. I have some energy but, maybe not enough to walk. I'm sure I'm on an upswing and will be feeling more like old self soon. Happy Father's Day Weekend everyone!

A Very Good Week

I don't want to jinx myself, but I have had a good post chemo week! I managed to walk at least 30 minutes most days and some days as much as an hour. I think that the fatigue is less when I exercise.

I actually went out in public yesterday and had lunch with friends at a nice restaurant in town. I had been avoiding crowded places in my attempt to stay well.

I am flying solo for a few days. Chris has "gone camping" and I know he is looking forward to a few days in the woods. He is meeting his brother and they always have a good time.

My raspberries are ripening and today I made 5 jars of jam. Unfortunately, we are having a lot of rain and the berries are at risk of rotting before they can be picked.

I've been reading a blog by Jennifer Griffen, a 40 year old correspondent/journalist who has been interviewed on The Today Show and FOX news describing her diagnosis of triple negative breast cancer and the progress of her treatment. The blog covers the past 8 months and in it she cites many research articles about the role of nutrition and exercise in preventing and curing cancer.

I'm trying to heed that advice. No sugar, no dairy, organic, only wild salmon and a very low fat diet. Here is the blog if interested: www.jengriffinblog.blogspot.com

I want to take a minute and thank my family and friends who have been sending prayers and good vibes my way. The cards and offers of help are greatly appreciated. I will call if I need help.

There are still a couple of days left in "the slump" week and then the upswing begins and several days of feeling great. The next chemo is scheduled for June 24th and that will be the last Adriamycin/Cytoxin treatment. I will then start 12 weekly treatment of Taxol. I'm almost 1/4 of the way through this!!!

Round 3 Day 28

Right now I am sitting in my "Chemo Chair" at the Hope Women's Cancer Center receiving Round 3 of my treatments. There are some amazing women here of all ages. There is laughing and banter and many seemed to have formed friendships. Very inspiring!

I've had quite a bit of energy the last several days and managed walks, some garden work and even a bit of housework.

On Tuesday, I had a good visit with my grandson Liam and he told me all about his trip to Disney World last week. He showed me pictures and told me "all about them".

The "Living Calendar" is doing well. The plants have found a home on the deck and are thriving in the sun. Day 28!

My raspberries are also thriving and seem to be ripening a bit early this year. I may have to enlist volunteers to help me pick them and, if there are enough, make jam.

That's all for now folks!!

About Hair

I couldn't get the "Hair" photos to upload in the proper order but to clear up some confusion, all of the photos are of me and my natural hair. I had my hair cut in stages. Maybe to make it easier for the "fall out" or maybe to prepare me psychologically for being bald.

Chemo update: I awoke Thursday about 3 am with a fever, head ache and a sore throat. I was started on antibiotics that afternoon and was seen by a Nurse Practitioner at the Hope Center this morning. The best guess is that I had strep throat or a virus. The antibiotics are working and I hope to feel better for the few days remaining before my next Chemo on 6/10.

My living calendar tomato and basal plants are doing well. I hope to harvest the ingredients for Caprese salad before the summer ends. Yum!!

It's About Hair

Since Chemo stared the big question has been...When will I lose my hair? There were many predictions. Day 14, Day 10, Day 18. Before it happened, I decided to take matters into my own hands and had my hair cut short and then even shorter. "Fallout" started this week on day 20. I must have a thick skull! I'm mostly bald now. This is day 9 of my 2nd treatment. Fatigue is present and I may have gotten a cold. I'm going to start antibiotics today and have an office visit at Hope in the morning just to make sure that I don't have anything serious starting. My White Blood Count should be rising soon and I expect to feel better any day now.