First funny experience with my wig

I just got home from my 2ND chemo treatment and I am feeling great! It takes about 3 hours for the sickness to hit me, but just maybe I won't be as sick as last time. I'm crossing my fingers.
I have to tell everyone what happened to me yesterday. I was wearing a wig that the hair was very long, it made me feel like I was 20 again. Anyway, I was at the car wash vacuuming my car and the vacuum caught my wig and just sucked it right off my head. Kylie and I just started laughing especially when we looked over to see who was watching and the looks on their faces. I hurried and put it back on but it took a couple of tries to get it right. We had a good laugh all the way home. I guess next time I will where my shorter wig or scarf.

Bald is Beautiful?

Merry Christmas everyone! I hope you have enjoyed your day. I certainly have. All my children were excited about their gifts and everyone got along. It was nice to relax, enjoy the day and just watch my children play with one another.
Have you heard of the saying "Bald is Beautiful" Where did that saying come from? Tonight my husband shaved my head. No more hair! "Bald is not Beautiful" on me, but I have to say it feels alot better. I have been losing chunks of my hair this last week. I was not prepared to have it all gone so I would just watch it get thinner each day. My scalp has hurt,I don't even know how to explain how it feels. My scalp has been very tender if anyone would touch my hair it would hurt. If the wind blew just a little my head hurt. Even with the pain I was not ready to have it gone. The clincher for me was this morning when putting gel in my hair I looked at my hands and all I saw was hair stuck to my hands and I am talking alot of hair. Then I proceeded to get ready and it was falling in my eyes and mouth, I know gross but true. My the evening I was so tired of seeing my hair everywhere I knew it was time. I had and still have mixed emotions while my husband shaved my head. I had my 9yr old daughter taking pictures telling me it didn't look to bad(she is always kind). I then had my 6yr old daughter look at me with a look of pure horror and saying" I can't look at you mom you do not look good" then she would leave for a minute and come back with the same look and say "you need to always wear a hat or wig mom". Now if you know my daughter she tells you how it is so while she was talking we were all laughing but then I couldn't help but shed a few tears just because I thought the same thing and I could see through their faces that this is difficult for them to watch also and as much as I try to explain things to them they just don't understand. I am now wearing a pink beanie and my head no longer hurts. It is amazing to me that my head could hurt for the last week or two and in minutes of shaving my head there is no more pain?
So LOOK OUT the next time you see me I may be wearing a wig, scarf, hat or I just may be bald. j/k I wouldn't do that to you or me.
Anyway All is Well and I will have another update for you after my next treatment.
Thanks for your support.

No Regrets,

CHEMOTHERAPHY=NO FUN

Thank you, thank you for all the phone calls, e-mails, visits, jokes. I am feeling so much better this week and the help from so many of you has benefited greatly. I can truly say I have never experienced anything as bad as the side effects of chemotherapy. The nausea was the worst. The actual experience of receiving the chemo wasn't bad, it was 3 hours later. It started with pain in my ears, then a pain in my head that I have never felt before, followed by throwing up and dry heaving for the next 7 days. The Dr. still can't figure out why all the nausea meds didn't work better then they did. Hopefully the next treatment won't be as bad. My hair has thinned, the doctor said my hair would be gone by now so I am proving him wrong in so many different ways. haha.

Overall, I am feeling a lot better now however, I am still feeling side effects such as sores down my throat, tender gums, and ACHING BONES. My cousin Denise described this to me and now I know what she was saying. While I still hurt, it is doable, and I am happy that I can be feeling a little better for Christmas this week. I always thought I was grateful for my health but this experience has really taught me how grateful I really am. Thanks again for your support and jokes. I will not be judging the jokes right now, they make me smile so keep um comin' Thanks,

NO REGRETS

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Love,

Shaquel

PS- I go in for my second chemo treatment on the 29th. I get the week off for Christmas.

Stay Positive!

Do you know how hard it is to stay positive when you are

feeling nauseous and weak every second of the day? EXTREMELY !

Shaquel is trying her hardest to maintain her level of optimism...from the first day she was told she had cancer, up to

NOW (5 days after first treatment).

After a second visits to the hospital to get fluids pumped

in for dehydration, she was able to get a steroid shot for nausea, and for THAT night, things were

calm.

The drs. have told her that day five will be her light at the end of the tunnel

day, and last time I spoke with her, she was beginning to feel some relief. I pray everyday

that she can have just one that's all I'm asking just one less trip to the toilet. I

don't think that's asking too much. Do you? I promise my prayers

will get better as time goes on...

When I talk to Shaquel about how she is doing, I usually will say, "On a scale

of 1-10 how are you?" (10 feeling great, 1 the opposite) She has

responded in the past with 5, and then on up. After this weeks conversations

with her, I didn't need the scale. There was NO scale. I could

hear it in her voice. She has been pretty miserable to say the least. I know she

could use some positive encouragement from friends and family. Not that you haven't, she just needs more and so.......here is a little contest for you.

She has requested that WE use humor to help lift her spirits. She would like to invite

you to participate in finding the BEST cancer joke out there and post it on her blog.

She, when she's not barfing, will judge your joke and post a winner for the week.

I know what you are thinking because I thought it too. A joke about cancer...

How insensitive!

Not for this girl.

It has been said that "laughter is a potential influence in healing."

"Laughing at cancer takes away some of the sting"

"Cancer hates a sense of humor"

"Laughter can sooth and heal tender hearts"

I believe this is all true! Shaquel has had a sense of humor with this whole thing right

from the start. She told one of her dr. that they were going

to become really good friends because of how often she was going to be seeing him, hence

came the request for a Christmas present. "Don't you give your really good friends a

Christmas present," she said. Can you not hear her saying that. What

a crack up!

So, do you except the challenge? I know it WILL brighten her day

and give her something to look forward to.

Let the GAMES begin!

The Definition of Shaquel

Shaquel:

unwavering, steadfast, faithful, zealous, friendly, determined

enthusiastic, thoughtful, unselfish, encouraging, obedient

courageous, successful, humorous,

inspiring, a good example

DAUGHTER OF GOD, MY HERO!

BIG DAY FOR SHAQ TODAY!

She had her first chemo treatment today...the UNKNOWN

IS FINALLY KNOWN. From start to finish it took 3 hrs. to undergo

treatment. The infamous "needle poking" was

the best part she said. The first nurse couldn't get it in and the 2nd, simply

apologized for the first and was a pro at getting it in.

She has the worst luck with those things going in the first, second

and third tries. Shaq LOVES needles!

On the way home came the first sign of side effects. Only a headache.

She handled that with no problemo, pop a couple of Tylenol, she's good to go...about 3 hours

later more side effects. She has taken every nausea pill given to her and

she has had no relief. She can't keep anything down. Looks

like your wish

of losing weight will come true Shaq.

A big THANKS goes out to everyone for checking in on Shaq and her

family! She wanted me to say that she wishes she could

get to her phone to answer your calls, but she can't. She says to leave her a message and

when the

side effects subside,

she will return your calls. She appreciates your thoughtfulness!!!

I will do my best to keep you all informed

on how she is doing.

We luv ya Shaq. and know that you are in our prayers and thoughts!

Get Ready, Get Set, Go !

Now that I am starting chemo in two days I feel like I am in a race.
1st step-Getting Ready
I have been getting ready by having all my surgeries, blood tests, more blood tests, MRIs, PET scans, port put in, buying wigs, trying to prepare my children.
2ND step-Get Set
I met with three of my Dr's on Friday and after reviewing my tests, giving me my prescriptions to get filled(nine of them) and answering my last minute questions I AM SET!
3rd-GO
I will run to start my chemo treatment Tuesday. OK so I won't run maybe a jog ok a walk, but I am so ready. I would be lying if I said I wasn't nervous, oh now I am just flat out lying. I hate to say this, but I am scared for the unknown. After Tuesday pain or not I will be fine. My plan is NOT to be sick or tired or all the many things I have heard may happen. I call it being positive, some say its denial, but whatever it works for me. HA HA
As far as the race I will complete it in 6 months and I will win!


I just wanted to add a few quotes that I read to day-
"There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle."Albert Einstein
"How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world." Anne Frank
"Feed your faith and your fears will starve to death" Author Unknown

Everyone have a wonderful week!