You Know Something is Odd, But What?

I got up this morning, thankfully(!), as I usually do, and in the process of brushing my teeth, it dawned on me that something about my face was ... odd.

Not scary odd, or anything, but I couldn't put my finger on what was different.  It finally hit me just now as I was cleaning my glasses.  My eyebrows are gone.  It's bizarre! :D

I'm so used to having a bald head and having lost my eyelashes, but my eyebrows seemed to have remained unscathed.  Alas, no more.  Frankly, I do appreciate not having to shave my legs or underarms, but dang!  I need to get one of those things they use on those home decorating shows.... um... where they use a stippling brush and it goes into the blank bits.  Wow, I hate it when I can't think of a word.  If you knew me well, I used to be akin to a walking Thesaurus.  Chemo screws with your brain; not enough to be scary, so far, but enough to be annoying. ;)

STENCIL!

Gads.

Yeah, I need an eyebrow stencil.  Okay, probably not.  I'm just happy I remembered the word stencil. :P

Jane and Nancy made me a really cool layered salad today.  I know, no uncooked veggies, but ... meh... I needed it... REALLY!  It was mixed greens, then orzo, then tomatoes, more greens, croutons, chopped eggs, crab meat, and parmesan cheese.  They made a garlic Caesar dressing for it, too.  It was SO good.  So, so, SO GOOD!  And there is plenty for tomorrow.  Oh, and today I had my last 4 Xeloda pills for this round, so I am happy as a clam.  A whole week off from scarfing down chemo pills.  Life is good. :)

And that's my story for today; good salad, no eyebrows, and a chemo week off.

Love and kisses and hugs to all!

We Topped Out at 114

And we were thankful.  I have lived here long enough to have experienced the 120 degree mark, and I have to say, I don't care how dry the heat is, 120 is disgusting. In any event, the monsoon is beginning to move in across the valley, and though temperatures will cool, the humidity will rise, and the dust storms and thunderstorms are coming.


I had King Crab Legs for dinner, with artichoke hearts and spinach.  I am SO spoiled.  And excitingly, I slept in until 6:55 AM!!  The curtains Nancy got me yesterday seem to be blocking out that early sun pretty darned well.


Cabin Fever is striking, but this is my low white cell count time.  Yes, we have my chemo cycle all figured out.  By tomorrow, though, the counts should start coming up.  I don't know where I'd go anyway.  It's too hot. :D


Frankly, I'd really LIKE to go to work.  I missed a colleague's retirement celebration, and he was a good person, so that made me rather sad.  Lots of people are leaving of late.  I just read on Facebook that one of my ex minions is going back to Texas.  I'll miss her very much, too.  Hope is so full of life and energy and happiness.


I wonder if my hair will ever grow back.  I seem to still be bald as cue ball, and about the same hue, as well. :D  Alas.


Robin, if you are reading this, and I know you do.  Come get some squash!!!


Ok, have a lovely Sunday, folks.  Be well!

Well, it's Cool

The fallout from my hair was kind of making me a little crazy today.  I had horrific bald patches, and then lots of baby chick patches, and long bits.  I kinda had a Friar Tuck thing going, and while that might be fine for a Friar, it was less than attractive on me. :D


I had my sister, Nancy, take the clippers to me, and this is the result.  And yes, it's nice and cool!


I felt good enough to make some dinner.. and guess what I made?  Slumgullion!  Or at least what one person described as "fusion slumgullion."  Of course, I just took their recipe as a 'guideline' and went from there.


I had some ground turkey, portabella mushrooms, zucchini, several chili peppers, an orange bell pepper and an onion.  I simmered them all in vegetable stock and Jane chopped up some roma tomatoes.  I let it reduce and get all tasty from the cumin and chili powder I'd added, and then we had it over our favorite rice blend.  It was great!  Oh and I need to order some more of that rice.

The squash row in our garden is doing so very well!  I'm excited about the little flat white ones on the farthest end. The first section is the Mexican Grey, then the Zucchini, the Yellow crook neck and whatever the name of the flat whites was.


The row in front of them has one section of squash, and the rest is all yummy chili peppers!


I must report that my sore throat is now a thing of the past, and the nasal congestion is still with me, but much more manageable.  So I think there should be no problem in having the next chemo.  Of course, that depends on the outcome of tomorrow's visit to the phlebotomist. ;)  I'm feeling like it's going to be fine.


Now, I'm going to go play a little World of Warcraft and dream that someday, Diablo III will be out while I'm still alive and well enough to play it.  Hear that, Blizzard?  GET A MOVE ON!!!

Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow

Remember just a few days ago when I said something about at least my hair hadn't fallen out?  It's falling, and quite profusely.  Rats, I should have gone and gotten it cut really short again.


On the other hand, summer's almost here, and won't it be cooler to be bald?  And this way, my vacuum cleaner gets a workout. ;)


The sore throat has almost cleared up, still a little nose congestion, but no fever today, whatsoever, so must thank the Doxycycline for doing a fine job.


OH!  We got our first zucchini today!  And from the looks of it, yes, we'll be sharing plenty of squashes with our neighbors.  


The picture below is of my gnome Death Knight, Pinkpepper.  Her hair was pepper shaped, and pink, and thus her name.  She's riding her skeletal raptor.  I hope she has a really GOOD saddle. :D

Alrighty, my friends, sleep well and have wondrous dreams!

TGIF, baby!

YAY for Fridays!  I love Friday because it means TWO WHOLE DAYS of no doctors, or surgeries or chemo or radiation starting tomorrow!!!  WOOHOOO!

Well, I saw the radiation oncologist (RO) today, and BOY is this going to be an adventure. :D

She tells me that one of the side effects of the radiation is hair loss.  At the site of the radiation.  Which is my chest.  Now, I don't know about the rest of you ladies, but... I don't HAVE any hair on my chest.  So, no worries there.  Next on the list of immdiate side effects?  Could be something like a slight tan to a sunburn.  Hmmm, my oldest brother used to call me Mayonnaise because I was as white as Best Foods REAL Mayonnaise.  I apparently got my skin tone DNA from my Irish-ish mother, and not my Mexican-ish father.  Yes, I am ... pale.  So, maybe I'll finally get some color, and how bad can that be? 

Ok, that's two side effects with which I can deal.  But of course, there has to be the actual serious ones, and those would be inflammation of the esophagus, a radiation related pnuemonitis, and possible heart injury.  Again, if we don't do this, I die... so really, is there a choice?  I'll takes my chances.

But don't think for a moment that I do not appreciate the candor of all the doctors with whom I'm working.  I'm a revoltingly happy person, but despite that, I do fully understand that I may not have another birthday.  So many complications can arise from any and all of the coming treatments, but I also know that WITHOUT them, I have no hope at all.

RO is going to consult with MO (medical oncologist) on Monday, and weigh the risk/benefit ratios and see where we go from here.  One option is to begin the chemo and see how that progresses before radiation begins.  In theory, that would lessen the radiation area of effect and limit the possibility of more damage to my lungs.

Yes, optimally, we would just get on with the chemo and radiation together, but as the RO says, she doesn't want me to end up on O2 24/7 because of the radiation.  Right now, I only use Oxygen in a bleed into my CPAP while I sleep.

So, I'm taking the weekend off.  I'm going to read, eat what I can, play World of Warcraft and sleep as much as possible, and I'll see you all on Monday. 

TGIF!