Hair and more

Hi All,
It's been a pretty darn good two weeks. I'm doing even better than I did in my first session.
I've hit the probiotics hard this time and have avoided mouth sores, sore throat and other uncomfortable reproductive and digestive tract problems.  I bought some Colon Health from Costco that have "billions" of whatever those good little bugs are that need to live in our tracts. They're working well . I've slacked up on rinsing my mouth with salt water ever time I eat, with no consequences. Life is more normal...

Last weekend I had a bug or pushed my body a little too much.  Betsey and I walked on Saturday afternoon on the golf course in the wind for a long time (she said we walked four miles). Sunday morning I woke with a fever and was content to sleep most of the day except when I was watching TV (not like me at all). By Monday afternoon the temp was gone and I was beginning to feel more like my usual self. Tuesday brought back my energy and stamina. It was another good week. I am so very grateful...

My tests have shown an elevation of liver enzymes.  This past Thursday I had an ultrasound of my abdomen and repeated the liver tests.  I'll meet with Dr. Jasti on Monday (tomorrow) to go over the test results. I'm scheduled for my next treatment on Tuesday of this week. I've decided that I'll postpone my next treatment until my liver enzymes return to normal.   I'm not willing to risk liver damage from chemotherapy at this time. I keep reminding myself that this is preventive treatment that I'm undertaking.

The Neulasta shot that I get the day after treatment is working well. My white count was high the first week and stayed within the normal range the following two weeks. That's great news and probably one reason why I'm feeling so well. Also, I've included lots of protein in my meals (fish, chicken and a big steak) and have kept my hemoglobin well within the normal range.

No such thing as a BAD HAIR DAY!
A couple weeks ago I lost about 20/30% of my hair in the area where a man would wear a yarmulke (yamaka) cap on the top/back (crown) of his head. We think it's because the cold caps were too cold on my part-line and cowlick areas where there was no hair to protect my scalp from frostbite. This second session we used gauze to protect my skull and all seems well.

Anyway, I cannot see the area, so I'm okay with it. The front, sides and bottom back of my hair are completely intact; however, there is a lot of gray hair under the streaks of color.  Because my hair follicles are weak, I do not use a blow dryer, curler or straightener.  I gently wash my hair only a couple times a week (it's dry from the chemo) and use no styling gel or hairspray.  So, it's pretty much "wash and wear".  I had my hair cut short so it would be easier to take care of. As a result, I look different. My hair has a natural wave to it and the gray makes it look much lighter in color.

Hey, as I said above, "There's no such thing as a BAD HAIR DAY!"  As long as I HAVE hair,  "It's a GOOD HAIR DAY!"  I'm taken by how easy it is to change my attitude to what's happening in my life.

When I talked with friends who lost their hair, many said, "With no hair, when I looked at myself in the mirror, I looked sick -- ill, meaning that I look like someone who is dying." I could identify with their thoughts.

Another friend said that she thought it would not be difficult to lose her hair and that it would be fun to try out different wigs. That might be true, except I know I wouldn't be wearing a wig to bed at night and when I got up to use the bathroom and saw myself in the mirror, I could easily see myself as ill -- not as the healthy person that I am. Also, wearing a wig or hat all the time could get to be "old stuff" for me very quickly, especially when the warm weather comes (yes, it's going to come to Michigan!).  As it is, I don't like anything tight on my head for any length of time.  I'm so very grateful to have my hair -- no matter how it looks!

With the chemo that I'm taking, the hair loss would take place every treatment--usually near the end of the three week cycle.  The follicles would be damaged, so new hair growth would take place a couple months after all treatments have ended.  With six treatments, that could mean early June before my hair STARTED to grow back -- that's a very long time.  Healthy hair grows about 1/2 inch per month.  At that rate, it would be well into Fall before I'd be starting to have a hair style. In the meantime, I'm a happy camper with hair on my head!!!  A friend, Nance, is going to join Don and Cathy at my next session to learn how to do the cold caps in case one of them is ill and not able to help.

I'm touched by so many incidences that take place in my life.  Just when my hair was coming out in huge amounts, I remembered Christina (my hairdresser) telling me about a store that carried hair pieces/wigs that she stopped at before coming to work that day.

It was Valentine's Day and Don and I had to go to our credit union which is only a couple miles from the store, so we stopped by. The store is called, Hair Secret at Universal Mall (12 Mile and Dequindre inside of the Cinemark theater).  It's an incredible store filled with wigs (cranial prosthesis), extension hair, hair pieces, hair care products and accessories -- more than I could have ever imagined in one store. Their prices were reasonable and their selection incredible. I purchased a human hairpiece that fits on the crown of my head. It's very comfortable to wear and looks really good. The young gal was extremely helpful, caring and knew her products. As I looked in the mirror and saw myself looking even better than before I started treatments, I cried tears of joy! I was touched with how every time something challenging comes up during treatment, a solution follows quickly. I'm humbled and in awe...

My new hairpiece is something that I might continue to use in the future when my hair returns. I only use it when I'm going somewhere special (like last night when the kids and we were together celebrating Jeff and Cathy's birthdays).  Otherwise, I'm very comfortable being out with my own hair.

Dry Ice

When we do the Cold Caps during my therapy, we fill two coolers with dry ice and then put the eight caps that are in plastic boxes in the coolers to take them down to -30C. At the end of the day, we have most of the dry ice (about 60 pounds) left over.  Does anyone know of a school or any place else that could use this dry ice? It seems a waste to let it evaporate each month. Dry ice can be dangerous if not handled properly. It's imperative that if someone wants to use the dry ice that they be knowledgeable about it's use. Contact me if you have a use for the dry ice.

I know for many in Michigan our February snowfall has made commuting difficult especially during rush hours. For Don it's brought more exercise and muscles (shoveling). Since I'm pretty much homebound, it's brought a beauty to the outdoors that I enjoy; although, it was a real treat to get a glimpse of our green grass last weekend.  Stay healthy, stay warm, enjoy, laugh and love.    warm regards,  Joey/Josetta