4th chemo treatment completed

I just got back from my chemo treatment and it was ok. Good thing there bathrooms are clean. As I was driving I was thinking about the things that I am grateful for.

Here are a few things that I am grateful for today.

1. Prayer

2. My kids leaving for school without much drama. The socks didn't feel funny, they all liked their hair, smooth sailing.

3. The rain that we are recieving.

4. Junior Mints

5. My Doctors

We All Have Hope!

I guess its time to write again. I find myself not wanting to write if I its not funny or positive. I have been struggling with this 3rd chemo treatment. I have been sick with nausea that will not go away even with medications and home remedies. My body aches like no other and I am slow to get up and go. I did stay at my moms along with my children after treatment, it was fun for the kids to be somewhere different and I liked it because they didn't have to watch me being so sick(off playing with Grandpa,Grandma or cousins).

My thinking is after each round of chemo my body would be used to it, so it would be easier. After talking to other patients some say they think it gets worse because of the build up of the poisons in your body. The thought of that makes me sick because I have many more rounds to go. So I will use one of my favorite words HOPE and as my next chemo treatment comes up I will HOPE that it won't be as bad as the ones before. I have several more treatments to keep on hoping............

Don't be Jealous

I hate to brag, but I just wanted to say I now can be showered, dressed and out the door in 10 minutes. I now shower and don't have to wash and condition my hair. I also don't have to shave my legs, the hair has stopped growing so that has limited my shower time. I get out and yes you asked it I don't have to blow dry my hair or curl it. No hairspray or gel! My eyelashes have started coming out, soon no more mascara. As I was thinking about all the positive things in my life, I told my husband you should be relieved look at the substantial amount of money I am saving on the water and power bill. While smiling at me he said"Do you think we are saving enough to cover your medical bills"? Mmmmmmmmm I didn't want to answer that one.
Have a fun filled weekend!

2nd treatment done!

I now have my 2ND chemo treatment under my belt. I wish it was my last. I was as sick the first few days of this treatment as I was the first. It now has been a week and I am now feeling alittle better, I still get nauseous. My Dr. added a few more steroids that were supposed to help the nausea but if you ask me they haven't helped. It has helped me pack on the pounds (Oh well).
I am looking forward to a week of feeling healthy and planning on enjoying each minute of it.
My next treatment is next Tuesday.
I hope you all have a Happy New Year!

No Regrets,

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.