I’ve turned a corner today. Yes, yesterday sucked, I spent most of the day napping, and by the time I went to bed, the leg cramps had come back full force and even a huge dose of ibuprophen, a hot shower and heating pads didn’t provide much relief. I’m happy to report that today is […]

Today is Day 6 of my third round of chemo and I’m supposed to be writing — I have two articles due to a client. But I just can’t concentrate. I don’t think it’s the “low red cell fatigue” we were cautioned to look out for…I’m just damn tired. On the positive side, I am […]

So it’s been three weeks and I’m finally over the allergies… thank god. I think I’ve gone a full 10 hours without sneezing. Joy! Had my third round of chemo yesterday and I’m officially in the ‘Roid Rage stage of the cycle. To reduce the side effects of my chemo cocktail, I take 20 MG […]

This has been a trying week. Between the allergies which are STILL bothering me, despite trying just about every combination of OTC medications you can imagine, to my Thursday blood tests which, once again, indicated a dangerously low white cell count and sent me back to “house arrest”, to insomnia which led to several days […]

Let me start this post with a thank-you to everyone who called, emailed and sent me a text after reading my post from Saturday. I can’t tell you how much your support and love meant to me during a very difficult weekend. And I’m happy to report that this morning I’m feeling so much better […]

Today is a crappy day. Really crappy. A big, steaming double-dip of crap on top of a three-day-old-crap-sandwich crappy day. (Apologies to anyone who is reading this post over breakfast.) But here’s the thing — it’s not the cancer. It’s stupid allergies. Don’t get me wrong, I love that spring has begun in South Carolina […]

Earlier this week, my Facebook feed was filled with love, Valentine’s Day greetings, messages and images of love in all its forms. I saw parents and children, couples (of all genders, races, ages), love expressed to communities and “helpers” and love for friends and country. They were incredibly touching, especially when I think about what […]

I started losing my hair today. For the past couple of days, my scalp has felt “tingly” and when I brushed my hair, or ran my fingers through it, the hair “hurt”. So I wasn’t really shocked during my shower this morning, when I went to scoop the wet hair off my face and a […]

Went back to the Cancer Center today for follow-up blood tests. As you may remember, during my Tuesday visit, the bloodwork indicated a “dangerously low” white cell count, putting me a very high risk of infection. With the flu running rampant here in SC, and the knowledge that idiots everywhere think nothing of coughing or […]

So this happened today… Mom and I went to the GHS Cancer Center for my mid-cycle blood work. In oncology terms, the middle of the cycle is the “nadir” or the point when my blood counts are at their lowest. Remember, the chemo cocktail kills the bad cells, but it also kills the good ones. […]