Chemo Day

Well, I must admit that.... so far, it's not as bad as I was fearing. The actual receiving of the chemo was not bad. Since I had the mediport inserted during surgery, there wasn't the painful IV needle stick. The chairs are super comfy and there are t.v.'s. I had people give ideas of what to bring and I think that between my mom and I, we were packed for a few days! I was gifted a great carry bag that says "Fighting Cancer and Still Fabulous!" I packed it with my pink pillow and blanket that my brother and Patti gave me. I had my DS, MP3 player, CD player and even my tape player with my relaxation tape. Of course then there were snacks and drinks. One big thing is keeping hydrated....that is to flush the toxins (ie. bad cancer cells!) from my body. Snacks also help with the nausea. I was given a great tip....to bring peppermint oil to dab under my nose to not smell the antiseptic smell from the chemo area. Great idea!

So....basically after day one I am feeling pretty good. I watched the Magic game last night and went to bed. I am up early today looking forward to going to work. One of the biggest side effects of chemo is fatigue. I believe that a body in motion stays in motion...so I will try to continue to do what I normally do. Obviously if I need to rest, I will. I don't want to give in too much to the fatigue since it will only get worse if I do. I will make sure to get a good eight hours though since that is when my body will work the hardest at making new good healthy cells!

Anyway, if anyone has any tips/suggestions etc. that can help me during this time...I would appreciate hearing them all. I will be losing my hair within the next two weeks and any help with ideas on hats, scarves, etc. would be helpful as well. I will be ordering a wig this weekend...I will post pictures when I can!

I am off to work...I look forward to hearing from everyone!

Cafe Press

http://shop.cafepress.com/design/16365703 ( This is a cool site for funny cancer shirts! I thought this shirt was hysterical! )

I have an awesome customer service story to share. I recieved a great shirt from some very nice people (you know who you are!). It's good to know that they thought that I might be able to fit into a Jr. XL t-shirt! I called Cafe Press to see if I could exchange it for a bigger size. If you can believe it they are sending out a replacement and said this: "There is no need to send in the shirt you recieved, you recieved it as a gift and don't have to incur any extra costs. You are free to do as you please with the shirt, toss it, give it to someone or donate it." I WAS FLOORED!!!
I am now going to encourage everyone to check out this website and do business with them!!!
These days we all hear about negative customer service experiences and this company obviously knows how to do business. I salute them!!
www.cafepress.com

Chemo

Chemo starts on Thursday at 1 pm. I have been going to a therapist to learn how to relax and calm my mind. I have been very anxious about starting chemo. Since everyone reacts to chemo differently I have been scared to get started, I guess the fear of the unknown is what is getting to me.
I am doing a lot of reading that will help me figure out how to live after chemo. I have a long life to live and I want to be as healthy as possible. If there is anything that you come across that might be helpful or just make me laugh, please send an email. My mom reads the paper everyday and always pulls articles out that she thinks will help me. Stepheney did some research for me on the chemo drugs and the side effects. That helps me to prepare myself for what I am going to expect. Of course if it's not as bad as I read....then that's a great thing!
I am doing a lot of reading on healthy living and relaxation CD's are now on my MP3 player.
I could use some info on scarves and how to wear them. It's not summer yet and it's HOT here already!!!