My Hair Has Started to Fall Out

I was wondering when this would happen.

It's not that bad really, just annoying. I thought it might come out in big chunky patches. But today it's more like you know when you brush your hair for the first time in the morning? Or when you you take your hair down from a ponytail and you just get an extra bunch of hair in your hand?

It's annoying because I was trying to rinse and get out all the loose hair, but it just kept coming.

I was shaving my legs and thought about what other hair I was going to be losing - my eyebrows and eyelashes, legs and underarms, and yes even down there. Losing my eyebrows and eyelashes will be odd, but I sure won't mind not having to shave this summer!

Abby was taking a shower with me. She already knows that I am taking really strong medicne to get rid of the big ball of skin in my tummy. And I have told her that the medicine will make my hair fall out. Really, through this whole orderal, as long as we let her know some of what is going on and don't get too weird and freak out, she just figures it's another event in life.

Abby said it was OK about my hair. It'll grow back and in the meantime, I can borrow her Hannah Montana wig.

Such a Good Day

The weather is fabulous and that certainly helps. I am feeling better than I felt before I started my chemo. I still have to take my painkillers, but the swelling from the excess fluid in my abdomen has gone down, feels like my cyst and enlarged uterus & ovaries are down, I don't have the shortness of breath from having fluid in my lungs, and I'm hungry and eating and have so much more energy.

It has been such a good day that I didn't even mind getting pulled over by the Policeman this morning. It was a goober thing to get pulled over for. He was on a motorcycle and when I turned past him, I could tell he was taking a good long look. I thought maybe it was because I was drinking and driving. I had a Shake and was turning the steering wheel with just one hand. NOOOO, it was my inspection sticker! Hmm so that's 09/08, not 08/09? And of course I had cleaned out my purse so that I could carry Easter eggs this weekend, which means that I had taken out my BIG wallet, the one that has the proof of insurance... At least I wasn't speeding!

Not a problem, it still is a fabulous day!

Continuing on to the Julie & Ben Rogers Cancer Institute to get some blood drawn. This is what I now know to be called my "labs". I will be getting them every week while I am having my chemotherapy. It doesn't take long. Parking is easy (it's Beaumont) I check in, they draw 2 vials... "Hello Mrs Burns" "Hi Mrs Burns" "How're you doing today Mrs Burns?" "Right this way Mrs Burns" "Your haircut is really cute Mrs Burns".

I don't want to be part of this club, but they sure are friendly.

"Don't worry this won't a bit" "Make a fist and squeeze".

Quick and easy. Now I need to go get my car inspected. I also need an oil change and a car wash so I can just get it all done in one place. Cross a few more things off my List, pick Abby up from school, have a snack, throw in some laundry, Brian's home.

"How was your day?" "What did you do in school?"

Today was Abby's day for Show & Tell, and the letter of the week is "W". We had gathered up a bunch of things that start with "W" and put them in the big Show & Tell container for her to take this morning. Sometimes you have to be creative - wig, a tiny wagon, a piece of watermelon in a zip loc, wood, wool scarf, t-shirt with a picture of a witch, whale, a picture of a web, wallet, Ariel in a wedding dress, watch, gummy worms, etc.

And, Abby is the leader this week. Which mean that she gets to be in the front of the line and lead the class whenever they go to a new activity.

Time for bed. Flossing, brushing, flouride rinsing, potty, 2 stories, prayers.

This was such a good day!

Easter Sunday

Such a great day! We went to early Mass with our Easter bonnets and white shoes, then headed out to Crystal Beach!


Sure it was chilly, but remember when you were 4? It doesn't matter, it's the Beach!!

My Neighbors

Have been wonderful. They have kept my garden lovely. Actually, it looks better than ever. They bring me homemade soups and casseroles and watch Abby when I have to run a quick errand. One woman even cut my hair so that it will not be so weird when it starts to fall out.

Today, a couple of them showed up with a fabulous card that had been signed by just about everyone in our complex. In the envelope with the card was an incredible amount of cash.

Where will I ever find the words to say "Thank You" or express how that makes me feel. Brian & I are just blown away by the genuine good spirit and generosity of the people around us.

Almost normal, and HUNGRY again

The next round of chemo will be easier because now I know that it does get better. That was seriously 4 days of the worst flu type symptoms ever. Now, I am just kinda feeling funky because I haven't eaten much for 4 days. I have kept up with my CorePlex with Iron and OmegaPlex. The Meal Replacement Shakes and Muscle Gain for protein and nutrition have been very easy to keep down as well as the Rehydrate for keeping my electrolytes balanced. I'm drinking Spark again. And even taking Catalyst, because I am losing weight, mostly muscle, pretty quickly. I will have some blood work next week and I will learn more how I am doing then.

I am getting lots of advice about nutrition. Much of it similar - stay away from red meat, dairy & sugar. Raw is best. Stay hydrated. Most appealing to me now is comfort food - homemade soups, pasta, casseroles. Vegetables are good, as well as apples, grapes & watermelon. But sweet is just TOO sweet. I think the Hydrocodone is affecting my sweet taste buds.

Dr Judith Smith at MD Anderson Cancer Center has written an article about Cancer and Nutrition. And this article about integrating nutrional supplements into cancer treatment plans. This is what Dr Smith has to say about the after effects of chemotherapy.

The Updates

Keeping this blog updated is not easy for me. I love to write, but it comes in spurts. My wonderful husband on the other hand is a fabulous writer - everyday. I have gotten replies to some of the email updates that he has sent out. Interesting to see what he has sent. It's his perspective on this whole thing. He's a journalist, so the facts are of course accurate, but at the same time personal.

This is the email he sent out after my chemo:
Teresa went to the Ben & Julie Rogers Cancer Center in Beaumont on Thursday. Our doctor told us some disturbing news. Teresa has Stage 4 advanced ovarian cancer. He told us the cancer has spread beyond the uterus and is serious. However, it is treatable and the prognosis is still positive. To underscore the diagnosis, they started her on chemo immediately after the consultation so we spent the day with Teresa undergoing an IV drip. We return tomorrow for a bone marrow injection to stimulate good cell production. She will undergo two more 6 - 8 hour IV drips, one every 21 days and then the doctors here and at MD Anderson in Houston will consider doing her hysterectomy. They may decide to further delay it depending on her response to the chemo treatment. Please feel free to call Teresa. Your prayers and stories have done her attitude wonders and we both appreciate you all more than we can say. Abby is fine and just knows mommie is sick but the doctor will make her better. I was doing fine until trying to tell this to family members on the phone but other than that, I'm ok.
I hope to talk to you all soon. Brian

Here's the lastest:
Thanks for all your phone calls and emails... and don't stop... I think messages from all of you have meant the world to her. After her chemo treatment on Thursday, she went through everything we were warned of... Vomiting every waking moment, and horrible weakness and exhaustion. Teresa did have a friend cut her hair on Sunday. She didn't want to go through watching it fall out. And we didn't want Abby to watch that either. Many of you have asked... and yes Abby knows Teresa is sick and that she's going to the doctor to get better. A couple of our good friends here in Beaumont have included Abby in their family for a day or two at a time and it's been very much appreciated. But we're keeping her close most of the time and she's a trooper... just like her mom. I'm fine... just tired... She has answered the phone a couple of times... Our home number is at the bottom of this email. And she does check her email several times a day... I have forwarded all you have sent. It's teresa@getadvocareonline.com That's Get Advocare Online . com For those of you who don't know, she's a distribtor for that line of vitamins and supplements. Her next chemo is scheduled for Thursday, April 23. And then again 3 weeks later. That is when her doctors will decide if it's time for her hysterectomy.
Thanks for your good thoughts and prayers, Brian

See what I mean.

Meeting my Chemo Doctors

Thursday morning I meet Dr Kong and Dr Lavalais at the Julie & Ben Rogers Cancer Institute.

Briefly, here is what I understand about what is going on :
I have a cyst about the size of a large orange near my right ovary, both of my ovaries are enlarged, my uterus is enlarged due to fibroids, and my colon and small bowel also may be involved. This is making things kinda crowded and uncomfortable in my belly. It's also crowding my lungs so i can't get a deep breath, so my lungs have fluid in them. At MD Anderson, they drained off just over 2 liters of fluid from my right lung. The pathology on the fluid showed malignant cancer cells, so I do have cancer. The cells are gyncological in origin and my CT scan did not show any nodules in my lungs, so most likely I do not have lung cancer.
I was told that cancer cells produce a fluid. The fluid along with the cyst and enlarged ovaries and uterus is adding to the distention and is why I look like I am about 3 months pregnant. It's also why I ache and can't stand up straight and have to take painkillers all day long.

I am told that the chemo will shrink my cyst and dry up the fluid so I should begin to feel better within a couple of days of my first treatment.