Finished with Treatment 7!!!

Well, let's face it--I just do not get to write an entry for this blog as often as I intended!  I thought I'd post at least one entry per treatment, but don't seem to make that.  I have now completed treatment #7 of the 12 treatments of Taxol, and am still counting them down.  As suspected, these are cumulative and are getting to me more now than at first!  I have been down (weak, tired) the last two days and spent most of yesterday laying around watching TV shows because that's all I felt like doing!  But that's OK!  I remember my friend Pam Deacon who has gone through chemo telling me, "all you have to do is lay on the couch and get well."  Good advice and I take her advice some days.  I feel like I should be accomplishing something but just don't feel like it.  I suppose I am lucky that I can eat (even though NOTHING tastes like it once did!!  Let's hope this changes when the chemo is over.) 

It's hard to believe we are now over half way finished with these treatments, too.  Monday was when bad weather was predicted for us in the afternoon and we had a 1:30 appointment, so we called and they moved us to 11:30.  Good thing!  Just at we arrived home around 3:15, the sleet started in full force and we were so glad we had the treatment earlier!!  It could have been hard to get in to our house at 5:15!!  We still have ice everywhere.  We can't walk on the driveway, but my red Yukon goes up the drive in 4-wheel drive!  Fed Ex delivered one package and he parked at the bottom of the hill and walked the package up.  I didn't watch but Frank said it was precarious walking.

I have been wanting to share some pictures of some things I have gotten from friends.

Recently I was given this beautiful chemo shawl crocheted for me by friend Cathy Wilkinson.  I love it and used it for chemo last week.  It was so warm and comforting and is a beautiful purple and grey! Thank you, Cathy!!  This is my nurse of the day, Tamara, starting up my treatment.

My sister-in-law Mary Ann sent me this Chemo Dammit Doll this week and I think it's a hoot (the doll itself)!!

It has the following quote on it:

I just got my diagnosis

And don't know what to do

They told me I have cancer.

How can it be true?

Laying in this hospital

Isn't what I was born for.

I want to be better, so I can live more.

I want to fight, yell and scream

Why is cancer so mean?

I will fight cancer, 

Battle and beat it!

Dammit, Dammit, Dammit!

Mary Ann comes up with the coolest things!

Frank's aunt sent me a chemo shawl back in November.  She knitted it and her entire church prayed over it and touched it.  I just love it, too, and it is also very warm during treatments.

My friend Jill Monte made me this chemo chain.  It's a paper chain made from cardstock and colored paper, and Jill stamped various inspirations, brads, etc. on it.  I take off one link each time I finish a chemo treatment.  Here is it when I first got it with all 16 links for all my treatments.

Here it is now with only 5 treatments to go.

I love how it has gotten so short!!  Once we move to weekly treatments, I KNEW it would shorten more quickly!!  Yeah!!  Thanks so much to Jill for this neat "count down" chain!

These are just some of the things I've gotten that I haven't shared with you.  We have been given much more in the way of food, flowers, many Cancer Awareness things Becky brought me including a darling white bear I take to treatments, my pink cancer bracelet, a Cancer Awareness coffee mug, and scarf from friend Pam Winstead, several books from friends and family, etc.  Aren't people just the sweetest.  Just had to share these.

Thanks for continuing to pray for me and Frank.  We  can now see the end of the tunnel in sight and are amazed that I have done so well and gotten so far along.  Believe me, chemo, blood tests, follow-up visits, etc. have occupied a lot of our time in the last few months.  It will be nice one day to get back to "normal" life.  But for now, we are moving along and doing what the doctor wants us to do.

Keep checking in with us!!  We so appreciate all of you!
Smiles, Laura