Beautiful Tulips from the Harris Family in Holladay UT

Mystery flowers appeared on my door step a couple of weeks ago from Pro Flowers. No card was on the box. They arrived on Wednesday October 15th. The flowers hadn't bloomed yet. So we waited. In the mean time...I looked up the flower shop on the internet and called the 800 number. They were so kind to read the message on the card that should have been sent with the flowers.

So thank you to Jan and Don Harris.

Chemotherapy Day #2

Well...here I am ...you can see the gadget in my porta cat...The nurse had to stick me twice because she started out wtih the short needle...I am now to remind her to use the longer neede. Stupid me...I knew that...I just thought she knew that...but she must have a hundred different patients each week and this was only my second treatment...so now I have been instructed to remind her.

You can see my mom next to me with John's headsets. She is watching "Memoirs of a Geisha". I don't know how much of it she watched. She was so interested in all the people in this room. I was just grateful she didn't wander off somewhere. She only had to use the restroom twice.

I feel a little light headed and I sneeze a lot. This happened last treatment as well.

On a good note...Steven cooked dinner tonight. He made the rice, baked Salmon, and cooked fresh spinach. I couldn't lift anything. My hands are very weak. And the touch of water makes my hands freeze. So this is a good thing...Steven can learn to cook dinner. Stephanie was at a birthday part this afternoon. That was his first choice, having Steph cook instead of him. But he was game...and willing...didn't give me a hard time.

Time to purchasse a hat ... just in case I lose my hair!

I got a straw hat and a black hat for church. I have been told however, I probably won't lose all my hair, that it will only thin out a little. I am praying that will be the case.

Nails were a must for K and Steph

Kristina and Stephanie got French tip nails besides their toes done. My mom and I didn't get our nails done, just our toes.

Preparing for Chemo...let's get our nails done.

On Saturday, October 11th, Kristina, Stephanie, my mom and I went to get our toes done. Guess whose toes are whose? Ok...look at them and now I'll tell you....Mine are the ones with the splotchy tan in the upper right hand corner. Stephanie's toes are on the left with the jeans, and K's is on the bottom. My mom only got a pedicure no nail polish or flowers.

Chemotherapy Day #1...not too bad

Here I am in my own little chair watching my own DVD player and knitting booties for the Humanitarian effort for church. The first two hours were not too bad. I could watch and knit at the same time. However, the third hour, I had so much liquid in me from the chemo and saline and nausea bags that I had to pee every ten minutes. I must have gone at least 5 times that last hour. The initial poke of the needle trying to find the port-a-cat was like a bee sting. It hurt and it was a little annoying. I went home with the pump for 46 hours of time released chemotherapy. Every hour it released 2.0 (?) I could feel a headache or dizzyness every time it was released. I have been really tired. Today, October 16th , I wasn't looking forward to them taking it out because I thought it would hurt. The needle was so long and I thought it would be just as bad coming out as it was going in. But I didn't feel it at all. Donna, the nurse told me to say "Ouch!". So I did, but I didn't feel a thing. However, the hole where the needle was located bled quite a bit. It is still bleeding a little. I fell nauseated only when I get hungry. But that's like typical even if I didn't have chemo. So I don't think that counts for anything. Anyway...1 down 11 more to go. Every time I go in I have to pay a co-pay of $329.25. What a racket the drug industry is. That is 10%. Well as my girls have said to me, "Be glad you don't have to pay for the whole thing." Okay...looking at it that way...I am very grateful.

Back View of my hairdo....

Not too bad eh...even though I cut off at least 12 inches of hair...at least now my hair when it falls out won't be long long strands on my pillow, but shorter strands on my pillow.

I can't wait to go shopping with Kristina to find 2 cute hats. One for church and one for outdoors for the public eye. I think in the house I'm just going to wear a bandana...so I might need to look for that too.

So...not too drastic looking eh!