It's almost gone- some strands are still hanging on, but by week's end I will be completely bald. I've been typing, deleting, retyping this Blog Post over and over again because I really didn't want to talk about it- just ask poor Luke- but as mentioned before I am going to try and always be honest.
I've been really caught up on the physical annoyances- my entire scalp is very itchy and when you scratch it more hair falls out. The Scalp Products smell horrendous- oh how I miss my Shampoo. It sheds so badly that I actually thought my Dog had slept on my pillow, I even asked Luke how Broddie got in our room- Luke had to point out that those weren't dog hairs. Once again, poor Luke. I've also convinced myself that the Wig is giving me these nasty headaches- Luke points out- of course it's the Wig and not the extremely powerful Chemo drugs in your system. All together now- Poor Luke...
Seems like a silly thing to be caught up on, but I'm learning to just let myself feel any way I need to- tomorrow I will feel a little better, and the next day better still. I forgot to mention that my Wig does have a name; we call her "Lady". Lincoln saw the foam head and Wig on my dresser and asked if he could play with "That Lady".
My Labs are also in and all is well or "great" as the Nurse said. The Neulasta Shot or White Blood Cell Booster has really helped speed up the time it is taking my body to recover from the Chemo. While Chemo is our main focus right now, we are beginning to schedule and meet with our Team of Surgeons for Step 2- which will be the Mastectomy and Reconstruction. We haven't determined whether or not it will be uni-lateral or bi-lateral, but I'm off the "get rid of them" camp myself.
One of the determining factors is the BRCA-1 and BRCA-2 Genetic Tests that I took last week. If you have ANY Breast Cancer in your family- you may want to consider having this test done to determine your risk. The meeting consists of mapping your family tree and taking a "mouth swab" by having you spit and swoosh Scope Mouthwash 3 times. Very noninvasive and covered by most insurances, out of pocket it will cost around 3K- but knowledge is a very powerful thing.
We've decided that more than likely I will have Breast Reconstruction using the Scarless Latissimus- which basically means that they will take the muscles from my back and stretch them over a tissue expander, expand until desired size and shape is achieved, and then exchange for an implant. The tissue expander will be placed at the time of the mastectomy and the implants will go in 2-3 weeks later. He has also offered to fix my C-Section shelf while he's at it. Silver Lining = bigger boobs and a potential tummy tuck. And yes I did say bigger, "when in Rome"...
Thank You Shout Outs!!!
My AMAZING Husband, Luke, you always know how to make me feel beautiful.
My Mom for EVERYTHING- we truly appreciate all that you do.
My In-Laws- Again for helping with the Laundry and for stocking my Pantry (Yum, Cereal!)
Cathy Greenwood and Erin Coleman- What an amazing Gift Box full of warmth!
The Bausanos for the Edible Arrangement- The whole family will enjoy this one.
Kayla for the Health Food Mix!- You can lead a horse to water...hahah...I've enjoyed it!
My Neighbor Kate for an amazing healthy meal.
The Bartlozzis for our Take Out- The family thanks you too!
And everyone for the uplifting Cards, Texts, and as always PRAYERS.
