Another one bites the dust...

Chemo round four is in the books.  My brain feels a little fuzzy, and I'm fighting photosensitivity.  But, overall, I'm great.  Rounds 4-8 are with a different medication, which supposedly has fewer side effects.  I don't know how I can have fewer than I do right now.  Supposedly, the tiredness will dissipate faster. 

Good news from the doc...everything has shrunken over 50%!  She wasn't even sure what she was feeling under my arm was a lymph node - thought it could be the tendon.  Whooppeee!  She said the desired outcome was to rid the lymph nodes of the cancer.  Whatever is left of the lump in my breast could be calcifications and/or scar tissue.  No one will know until the surgeon removes it.  And on that note, I'm definitely having the left breast removed and reconstructed.  They'll need to do a little lift on Ms. Righty if Ms. Lefty is going to be more perky as a faux boob.  LOL! 

Otherwise, all is well.  Charlotte is doing terrifically and getting taller by the day.  I don't think there's a word she can't say.  She's stubborn.  She'll say, "thank you," but not "please."  She won't say her Aunt Shannon's name, "Shani," when she's with Shannon.  She'll say it 14 times in a row at home.  I guess she wouldn't be our daughter without a stubborn streak.  :-)

Below is a picture of a female warrior drawn by a colleague of mine.  It's hanging in my office where I can gaze upon her and gather strength every day. 

Love to you all!

Bald and wigged

Took down another heart...

A wonderful woman with whom I work, hung six hearts in my office after my second chemo treatment - one for each treatment I had left.  On Friday, I took down number six.  Five more to go! 

Feeling good, but starting to feel the tiredness creeping in.  It's going to be a slow day.  I'll most likely go to work tomorrow, but I'll stay home on Tuesday when the white blood cell boosting shots kick in.  My joints feel like they're 100 years old.  Small price to pay for shrinking tumors compared to what others have to go through.

So, I'm trying to type this blog, and Charlotte is turning into a computer button pushing octopus!  Now she has my phone.  Who knows if I'll be able to undo the settings.  LOL!  I don't know if other moms experience this, but anytime Erik or I are on the computer, Charlotte is right there pushing buttons and wanting to play with it.  She can also spot a cell phone from across a crowded room!  I did a paper in grad school on "digital natives."  There's a theory that kids growing up today are "digital natives" and have to be taught in ways that enhance those skills because that's the way they will learn as adults.  (I'm trying to get another master's in adult learning and training.)  After watching Charlotte, I wholeheartedly agree.  As an adult, she'll need training in a different manner than we receive/d it.

Okay, my alloted blog writing time is coming to an end.  Charlotte is wanting to "walka walka."  Mom duty never ends, which isn't a bad thing at all.  :-)

Top 10

Top Ten Reasons Loosing My Hair Isn’t So Bad After All

(in no particular order, except for #1)

10. No blow dryer, conditioner, curl serum, curl cream, hairbrush, comb, headbands, ponytail ties, clips, etc. = more room in the bathroom.

9.  Instant air conditioning when I work out

8.  No haircuts and highlighting = Significant financial windfall in 2011

7.  No more hair all over the house

6.  Hats, hats, hats!

5.  Get to experience straight hair without putting toxic <bleep> on my hair to straighten my curls

4.  Answers the question: What would l look like bald?

3.  Don’t look too bad

2.  Will finally know my real adult hair color when my hair grows back

1.  Charlotte giggles like crazy when she rubs the top of my head.  J