Mixed Signals

So I started my third cycle of chemo this past Monday. I asked a bunch of questions this week. The first time I had chemo I was told not to eat any raw fruit or veggies, almost immediately I started craving grapes! Go figure. So I asked my new oncologist why he didn't tell me not to eat uncooked foods and he said he doesn't believe that it poses a risk to me. At that moment, my undeniable urge to eat grapes left me! He says I can wear jewelry (it was recommended that I not at my last doctors office), I can eat whatever my heart desires (within reason) I can workout and I can dye my hair! I keep losing weight, I think their scale is off because I don't see it but I see what it says every week, they aren't happy with me about that, I really don't have an appetite especially since the desire for grapes has left me!

My WBC (white blood count) is low, I almost didn't have treatment this week because of it, I think I have to rest a little more and have a good, stern talkin' to with my bone marrow! I don't feel any different but the count is low. Hopefully, next week it will rebound and I will sail through and complete round three of my new treatment. I was pleasantly surprised to hear that during my off week of this cycle I am going to have my repeat CT, if is shows that the chemo is working then I can start radiation. If that happens, I will actually be able to see light at the end of the tunnel! I was very excited by this news, sadly I was the only one. I think my friends and family are becoming skeptics, just what I need now a bunch of doubting Thomas'. Well, my doctor and I are very encouraged and that is all that really matters.

How weird is it that I am actually looking forward to having someone shoot radiation through my body, me the one who doesn't even like to stand too close to the microwave! Again, go figure!!!!

STAND BACK AND WATCH ME SHINE (or should I say glow??!!!)

Race for the Cure

Today I went to Center City Philadelphia and walked in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. Me and about 100,000 other people. I am not normally one to do the whole "support group" type thing but this is a little different. It raises money to research the disease I have and many others have so I figure it is a good cause. My girlfriends and I walked and chatted and made distasteful jokes about playing the "cancer card" to pick up men!!! Yes, we are a sick group of individuals but we laugh and that is all that really matters!

What amazed me about the day was how small a world it actually is. As we walked along my, friend Deirdre ran into her sister in law among the thousands of people walking around us. She did not know she would be there. At the end of the race you pass through these corral type lanes to hand in your ticket and the person at the end of my lane was my boss's son! There had to be a 100 different lanes and I passed through that one. After the race we were standing chatting and a group of ladies passed wit a sign that said "Souderton Lacrosse" It was so odd, my son plays on that team and I didn't know the mothers of his teammates were walking. As I looked at there faces they all looked familiar but not as mothers from the team. I approached them and they looked at me as if I had two heads, they said "We aren't from Souderton Lacrosse". Here they recycle the signs and there team name was on the other side! The faces were familiar because they were all woman that my friends and I went to school with that we haven't seen in years! How weird is that!

All in all it was a good day, how nice to see so many people turn out to support a foundation that fights a horrible disease and to celebrate the lives of those who lost their battle to the disease or to give hope and promise to those of us who are still in the fight!! Lots of people shined today!

STAND BACK AND WATCH ME SHINE!

PS Happy Mother's Day to all!