Only as strong as the support around me!

WOW!!!  What a great response.  It is so nice to know there are people out there reading what I just send out into the "cloud".  I have heard from people that I have not talked to in over 20 years, I love social media!!!  This is a lot like journaling which I have done on a regular basis since about 5th grade, so this is just a more hi tech way.

I am trying to plan our trip to Utah, as most of you know Peter and
I both went to the U and we try to get to at least 2-4 games a year.  We have made it to Notre Dame and are already planning the trip to Michigan next year.  We are suppose to go up for the Stanford game in a few weeks and my oncologist said that she would sign off on it as long as I handle the Chemo okay.  Speaking of Chemo I have a total of 16 treatments, the first 4 are every other week so this week is an "off" week however I still need to go in every week to change my dressing on my PIC and for blood work.  I have to keep a close eye on my white blood cell count.  After the first 4, I get to start going every week (lucky me) and it is a different "cocktail".

Anyway, back to fun stuff... Utah!  I can't wait to go to the game and am really looking forward to the trip.  Just to spend time with the family and really relax with the kids.  We love going back to Utah!  We are there at least 2 times a year.  It was so great to see my Utes stick it to that school down south last week.

My shots seem to be going okay, I still have pain on my scalp and really feel like my days are numbered with my hair, although it's not falling out yet.  I lay in bed every morning just imagining what my pillow will look like covered in hair but so far so good.  I don't know how I feel about that.  It is weird because I have started getting a runny nose too, also an effect of no hair... no nose hair so weird!  If the weather does not cool down soon I may be in the house a lot!  Wearing a bean when its 95 outside does not make much sense or maybe I will spend a lot of time at the beach???  I woke up this morning and my throat was sore, I know they said that mouth sores were possible so maybe this is the beginning of that.  I feel like my tongue is really swollen too.  The one thing my oncologist did tell me was that given the type of Chemo I would be getting and how intense it would be (called dense dose) I would be guaranteed to get all of the side effects of Chemo.  Some other "fun" nuggets about my Chemo is that I can't eat sushi at all during treatment and I can't go to the movies (no closed spaces).  I did sign up for Netflix though so I hope to get caught up on all the movies and shows that I have missed.  Although if anyone out there is a member of the Academy I would love to screen the films for this years Oscars... wink, wink.   Since I can't get to the theater.

The nights are tough, I get very sore and stiff so sleeping can be a little difficult.  I have reverted back to my childhood a bit and my inner artist, I am working on a smash board just to keep me busy and capture this time in my life.  If you don't know what a smash board is it is fun way to collect and collage a mish mosh of pictures, sayings and colors on a cancans.  It is a process but a fun one and it is something I can do with the kids.  It is a great way for them to express themselves as well during this whole process.  I have to remember that we as a family are all going through this not just me.

Yesterday was our 18th wedding anniversary but as we like to call it our "Family Birthday".  We had a really nice dinner at Salt Creek and yummy Cold Stone after.  We had to fit it in early because of soccer and drum lessons... and so it goes.  The kids love the family birthday because they get a fancy dinner.

I will let you know how the dressing change goes, it is tomorrow and it is my first one so we will see.

Thanks for listening!