Last Wednesday marked my 3rd round of chemo! I am celebrating this because that officially means I am halfway through my 6 treatments! There are lots of things to update you on, so I’ll try to keep this update brief and to the point!
Strangers become friends
During my 2nd round of treatment, my mother and I ran into a fellow cancer patient. She was wearing this beautiful pink tiara above her hat. I commented on it and it sparked a conversation. She had recently cut off all her hair, and gave me some pro-tips. Her mother got her this tiara to help encourage her during the transition. Coincidentally, she just finished her 2nd round of treatment too! She is fighting breast cancer.
As we were about to part ways, I noticed her speak to her mom quietly who swiftly nodded in approval. She then took off her tiara and gave it to me! She hopes it will be encouraging for me as I embark on my own journey of hair loss. We exchanged numbers to keep in touch. I wore the tiara for my 3rd infusion and I got so many compliments on it! It made me feel special. My plan is to keep it going and give it to someone else who might need a little happiness in their day.
Time for a Haircut!
It was time. I was losing hair constantly, it was getting in everything, clogging up my vacuum and becoming a nuisance. I reached out to a Hair Stylist friend who has been doing my hair for a few years. She wanted to help and offered to cut my hair for free. So, I bit the bullet and chopped off my hair a week ago Tuesday.
It was hard and I was emotional for a couple days. But it ended up being better than I expected. My friend was so great at helping me every step of the process, and made sure I was comfortable. Not only did she cut my hair, but she made sure it still looked cute! I ended up getting a pixie cut.
I decided to stay away from the mirror as she did it, and that helped. As she started cutting my hair, I felt the cold breeze start to make its way on my neck. The tears started to flow, but I still felt confident. Confident because I felt in control of it for the first time, it was my decision, and in my timing. By the time she was finished, I took a deep breath and she showed it to me. My first reaction was, “Hey! It’s not as bad as I thought it would be!” I left feeling confident! I am so thankful for my friend, she is great. If you need a stylist in Minneapolis, just message me and I’ll hook you up!
Pet Scan Results
Last Friday, I had a routine PET Scan done to check my progress. Long story short, the cancer is pretty much gone! The image on the right in the orange was done in September, the image on the left in the blue is my most recent scan. The glowing orbs in orange is where all the cancer was. The only thing glowing now is my bladder that was just processing the contrast dye.
When my doctor came in to tell me, she said these are amazing results and what we want to see at this stage in the treatment! PRAISE GOD. God is so good! We will continue with the 6 treatments as planned to make sure everything is dead, and then we have to talk about the steps needed to make sure the cancer doesn’t come back. Because mine is more aggressive and has a higher risk of returning, they are wanting me to do a Stem Cell Transplant. This is an intensive form of treatment where they take out some of your stem cells, hit you with a high dose of chemo, and then put your cells back in to help you recover. It’s been known to help prevent it from returning. Something to pray about for sure!
Wall of Encouragement
Now that you are updated on my progress, I wanted share with you all the cards and trinkets I have been receiving! I finally found a way to display them in my home! I ordered a wall hanging card organizer from Amazon. Every morning I come out and see it on my wall and smile as I think about all the friends near and far who have sent me words of encouragement during this time. It is a blessing and a great reminder during the tough times. The top part is a chalk board, I am still working on what to put there but it will come to me!
Merry Christmas!
Before my diagnosis, my family and I were supposed to head to Florida for vacation over Christmas. It was kind of our last hurrah before my nieces and nephew start graduating and leaving their homes. It was a disappointment to have to cancel it, but it would have been too risky to go for me. Without hesitation, everyone cancelled their plans and decided to come to frosty Minnesnowta! To say I am excited would be an understatement! I am elated!! I can’t wait to see them all. They’ll start arriving soon and I am already envisioning the laughter, giggles, good talks, that go along with it. I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas and get to enjoy the true reason of the season, the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! Without Him, I am nothing! I pray blessings for you all!
Even Still I Will Worship 
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