Went in for my pre-chemo blood tests this morning. The good news is that my white cell count was very good and my red cell count was “low, but acceptable.” Apparently all that spinach and red meat I’ve been eating has done the job. But here’s the bad news: My platelet count was low, which […]

I have a “beautifully shaped head.” I have this on very good authority — my mom (who, I have to acknowledge, is most likely biased, since she had a hand in creating that head), my stylist, and a few of my quilting buddies have all told me that my bald head is a lovely shape. […]

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 […]