My Hair is Salt and Pepper

My hair is growing in a salt and pepper color. It's white around the edges and dark gray with white in the middle. I'm so excited! I've always wanted salt and pepper hair! I was trying to figure out how to stop coloring it. It was hard to let it grow out because it looked so bad. I also wasn't sure about what color was really under the dye. This is a great way to do it. Shave it all off, and watch it grow in naturally. There are certainly advantages to losing my hair. I'll post a picture soon.

I am officially the Homebound Teacher for Snake River School District. I tutor students who have health problems and need to stay home. So far, I have four students--a kindergartner and 3 high school students. It's fun to get to know them and think of the best way to help them. The hours are flexible, which is important to me. I also feel I'm doing a service. It's a great fit.

So, things are going well. The main thing is that my energy level is back to normal. I get tired and think that it's because of the chemo. Then I think a little harder and remember that I felt tired sometimes before I went through chemo. So I just have to blame it on age. Ugh. No more convenient excuse.

Full Speed Ahead

Just to let you know, I am doing very well. I have lots of energy and am nearly back to my normal fast pace. It really feels good. I have a few minor annoyances like my scar pulling more now than it did earlier. But the annoyances are not anything I'm worrying about. So all's well that ends well.

Almost Three Weeks Now

On Wednesday, it will be three weeks since my last chemo. I am still going a lot slower than I want. Today I went to church, played the organ and stayed for the rest of the meetings. I also subbed for the Relief Society pianist. I didn't have the feeling that I needed to get home right away or I might be ill. And I didn't look longingly at the pew thinking of lying down on it. So, I have made some progress.

I was tired afterward, but dinner was in the crock pot and I needed to get it on the table. After dinner, Jemayla (Byron's wife) helped with the dishes (uh, she did them all) and I went out on the patio and sat in a recliner until I recuperated. I got a second wind and spent the rest of the evening on the computer. So, it was a restful day. I am making progress, but it is slower than after any of my other chemo treatments. I repeat, "Patience is a virtue" everyday. It should help more than it does.

I started a prescription called Femara which is an estrogen inhibitor. That means, any estrogen my body makes (which is precious little these days) the Femara hunts down and annihilates. Watch out, Jerry. My hair is growing a little, but it's all white on the top and gray in the back. I can see little tiny whiskers of brown hair, but they are not growing. I can't tell if my hair is straight or curly because it is usually mashed down by a wig or hat. I'll have to wait on that. Also, I had to shave my legs occasionally the last couple of weeks. I even plucked my right eyebrow. The left one was fine. They thinned out just right and I would love them to stay that way. I guess I can't have it both ways--no leg hair growing back, but the hair on my head growing profusely. Too bad, so sad. I have counted my blessings all summer, though. If you ever have chemo, have it during the summer so you don't have to shave your legs!!

OK, enough of sad sack chemo story. Here are two grandma brag weblinks to check out. One is Chad's family pictures in June, 2009, and the other is of Dusty's girls. There is probably a really cool way to put this on the blog somewhere, but I'll just put them here and see if they work. I want to go to bed.


meganblethenphotography.com/chad-heath-family

meganblethenphotography.com/lainey-libby-heath

Hey, it worked. I promise there will be more coming. You can stop checking in if this is over the top for you, but being a full-fledged grandma, I don't think I can help myself... I'm sure I can't.

Feeling Better Everyday

Today I am feeling better than I have all week. I'm not at my regular energy level yet, but I don't have to talk myself into getting up and doing something. I just do it. That's a big improvement. This week I have put down mulch film and a drip irrigation system at my mom's front flowerbed. I have run errands in town almost every day, and I went visiting teaching yesterday. So I've been busy during the day, except for my nap, of course.

In the evenings, Jerry and I have watched a movie or looked at houses in Las Vegas on the internet. We are getting serious about wintering in Vegas when Jerry retires next year. The thought of driving in the snow and ice doesn't appeal to us after we are retired. We have one more year of it, and then we will kiss it goodbye.

I am having fun being home alone. I have sorted through some pictures, but mostly just done things that were priorities. This afternoon, Pat and Don are coming from California. She is Jerry's aunt's good friend and we will have a memorial service for Diane (his aunt) while they are visiting. I talked them into staying an extra day!

Thanks for checking on me. I appreciate your concern and kindness. I don't know how much longer to keep this as an update blog, but at some point, I will want to change it to a Grandma Brag Book format. Watch out!!

My Last Chemo!!

My last chemo is behind me. Today I'm not feeling so swift. The last few days have been slow. Although, I got the urge to go to garage sales on Friday morning. I haven't been to one all summer! That wore me out. After I had a nap that afternoon, I went to Joanna Baird's and sat in her cool basement and made cards. Things could be a lot worse.

When I went to my last chemo, I told my oncologist that maybe the chemo wasn't working because I didn't have many side effects. He counted seven cutting-edge medications I get with the chemo that offset the side effects. He offered to give me the chemo without the other medications. Even with chemo brain, I got the point. No thanks. I figured it out really quickly. Thank goodness for modern medicine!

It was Jerry's first day of school with his students, and Dusty hadn't started school yet, so Megann came to my infusion session. It was fun to talk to her and have her see what goes on. She took some pictures which turned out so much better than the ones I took.










Here I am with Megann.











These are two of the infusion recliners.













This is the whole view of the nurses' station and the windows looking out on the landscaping.


















This is one of the views of the landscaping outside the windows of the infusion center. It's beautiful and serene. The round stone balls on the planters are actually fountains with water flowing over them!

I danced when I was done with my last infusion!
What a wonderful relief!

This Week is Better

This week has been so much better than last week. I really turned a corner...and ended up in Las Vegas on a vacation with Jerry. I am trying to keep up and he is trying to slow down for me. We have seen several shows, including Alan Jackson. This place is hopping! We ate at a buffet in "The Paris" resort. It was delicious!



We have a nice condo with a very comfortable bed.
I'm catching up on my sleep.
I've finished one book and started another.
Jerry has been hanging
out on the computer a lot.



I'm including some pictures of the infusion center where I get my treatments in Pocatello. I wish the pictures were better, but you might get an idea.

There are about 5 or 6 areas in a semi-circle with recliners. The circular nurses' station is behind me. Here I am with my infusion going. There are two IV bags. One is the chemo, the other is just a saline flush between doses.








Of course, Jerry doesn't get a recliner, just a regular chair. Poor man. The recliners all face large picture windows that look out on the beautiful landscaping. It's very nice. Jerry's back is to the beautiful view, so he reads a book instead. Boo hoo.


Here is a picture of one of the nurses walking by. They are all very kind and cheerful. You would think they would hate their jobs, but they say they meet some really nice people and are happy to be of help. Jerry and I take miniature Heath candy bars and put them at the nurses' station to thank them for all they do for me and the other patients.

The door to the right of the nurse is a private room for chemo. I was in there last time, but I prefer the recliners. I guess I don't feel so ill if I'm not in a bed.

So now you have seen the area I have been hanging out for four hours every three weeks. After the chemo, I am a little dizzy, but I feel good. After this chemo, Jerry and I went out to eat, then saw "Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince." We enjoyed ourselves. It's the day after that might be bad, so we take advantage of the chemo day. It gives us something to look forward to.

Thanks for checking in. I appreciate your support. If you have questions, put them in the comments and I will try to answer them.

Third Chemo Not as Good as Second

I had my third chemotherapy infusion on Wednesday, July 29. My last one will be on August 19. I am not feeling too well, unfortunately, but that is to be expected. I am tired but not nauseous, which is all right with me. I can do a few things, but at my slowest speed. I have been able to walk, garden, nap, read, and do a little housework. Hopefully, things will improve and I will get some energy.

Jerry and I decided a condominium week would be a good vacation. If I don't feel well, we can "veg." If I do feel well, we can go to a movie or a show. We got a week in the Las Vegas suburbs. It's off the gaudy "strip," which will be nice as long as we stay in the air conditioning. I'm looking forward to a week with my very supportive, kind, cheerful, and loving husband.

I enjoyed the time Heidi, my daughter, spent here in July. We went to West Yellowstone and rendezvoused with Dusty and Megann and their girls, and Byron and Jemayla. We saw three musicals at the Playmill Theater, ate good food, walked in the woods, and I got to see all three IMAX shows! What a plus! Any IMAX day is a good day! The next week, Jerry and I went to Salt Lake City and stayed at a condo right downtown. We got a year-long pass to the Clark Planetarium and IMAX theater there. So...I got to see three more IMAX shows and two planetarium shows. I loved it!

Jerry kindly consented to go with me to the "Days of '47" parade celebrating the pioneers coming into the Salt Lake Valley. It was two blocks from our condo, so we could go home anytime we wanted. We got a place in the shade and ended up staying the whole time. It was a great parade. We did genealogy at the huge library there, went to the temple, hiked up to Ensign Peak above the city, and saw friends and family. What a great time we had!

I may add pictures another time, but don't hold your breath. I'm going from day to day right now. I appreciate your support and concern. Thank you for all the kind thoughts and prayers. It means so much to me.

The Belated Update on the Second Chemo

I was looking for the update on my emails and couldn't find the one after my second chemo. Uh...that's because I didn't write one. I was going to put it on this blog, but I got side-tracked with the backgrounds, etc. So, here is the update about 3 weeks late. Tomorrow is my 3rd chemo, so I'm getting this in just under the wire.

My second chemo was on July 8 and I kept waiting for it to kick in like the first one did. I never had the totally wiped out tired, nauseous feeling I had with the first one. I think the anti-nausea medication made me super tired. So I tried eating a little more with each meal, and it has worked well. I have had about 3 days when I didn't feel just right, but I was still able to function. I wanted to sit more and not do too much. Life could be worse. The rest of the time, I did yard work, went to Salt Lake City, and West Yellowstone, ate what I wanted, and had a great time. I am so amazed!


I lost more of my very short hair about a week after my second chemo (July 13.) I woke up with whiskers all over my pillow. I went to Nadine Justesen, my neighbor, and asked her to shave my head with the clippers again. She was so kind to do that. The next day, I took a wet wash cloth and rubbed my head. It was filled with short hairs. I did it over and over--about 4 times. It always came up with hairs on it. I did that several times that day with the same result. I was really glad it was so short.

Since then, my hair is growing a little but it's hard
to see. It's light in color and sparse. Jerry calls it
the Egyptian look. He thinks it's exotic, which makes me feel comfortable going around the house bald. It's a lot cooler in the summer heat. I'm going to get some big hoop earrings to complete the look.

I still have some eyebrows and eyelashes. I haven't shaved my legs or armpits for 3 weeks! There are advantages!! When I'm sweaty, I love putting my head under the cold water faucet and cooling off. The guys have been holding out, ladies.








I am enjoying wearing different wigs and hats.


"Hat hair" means something a little different to me. Jemayla, my daughter-in-law, gave me this hat and I added the hair. I wear this when I go outside. I wore it to the Days of '47 Parade in Salt Lake City. It was cooler than a wig.


Friends have made me some crocheted caps also. I forgot to have Jerry take pictures of those. I wear them at night, and during the day at home. I take one in the car. They are more comfortable than the wigs.


So, there you have it, baldness and all. You have to know, it takes some courage to put a bald picture up for you to see. I know you are curious, and you are a good friend, so I will even trust you with my bald picture. That's true friendship!

Haircutting Party

My haircutting party was a blast!! First, the grandchildren all got a turn with the scissors.

Alexis started for my head with the point of the scissors, and I backed off. Whew!
Jared helped and it was a welcome relief!

Luke could not believe we wanted him to cut my hair!!

He finally got into it and had fun!





Libby, almost 2 years old, needed Dusty's and Jared's help.

She was able to get some good cuts.




Next, the adults had a go with the electric clippers. I got the giggles because it tickled. The boys had their revenge for all the buzz cuts I had given them over the years. Everyone had way too much fun with it!

Des took some hair off right down the middle. Weird!




Marlo was the super barber, cutting hair while holding her cute baby.



After the haircutting was done, I modeled some wigs I had. Here is one of them.


I tried on a sexy blond wig and sat on Jerry's lap. Hubba, hubba, hubby.

These are the highlights, but there will be more to come.

So what is it like after the first chemo treatment? I have found that it fluctuates. Right now, I am feeling just fine. No nausea, not too tired. An hour ago, I thought I might lose my lunch, and I was really tired. I've also developed hot flashes followed by a chill. Those are the symptoms so far. I just got some medication for the nausea and hot flashes, and they seem to be kicking in. Say "Yes to Drugs!"

Yesterday, they gave me 3 infusions of anti-nausea medication before starting the cancer chemo. I appreciated that a lot. It took about 11/2 hours for the first medications, and an hour each for the chemo drugs. It was comfortable and actually easy. They just put the port in my arm, and took it out at the end, so no pick line or anything to worry about. That's nice.

Yesterday, I came up with a plan for my hair loss. First of all, at the first sign of clumps of hair coming out, I will call my kids. They will be invited to the "Haircut Party." My eight grandchildren (under 6 years old) will have the first whack with the scissors. Then my children will take turns with the hair clippers (See what happens when we cut our own hair without Mommy's permission, grandchildren?) We can really have fun with it! No pressure! I'll have to have some funny "hair-related" refreshments. Send me ideas if you think of something. Hopefully, I'll have a wig to try on, and I'll experiment with the scarves Courtney gave me for Mother's Day (that's Jared's wife.) Sounds fun doesn't it? Given the choice, I'd rather laugh than cry about it. It's just more fun!!

I went to the Cancer Survivor's Dinner last night here in Blackfoot, and connected with a lot of friends. It's surprising how many people have gone through this disease, right here. Jerry is going to take my turn on the track tonight at 3 a.m. for the Relay for Life. I was thinking yesterday that I could go. Not even... The nurse yesterday said no also and Jerry automatically told me he was good to go. He is taking a nap right now. We will go to the luminary ceremony before the race and then come home.

So, if you have more questions, I'll be happy to answer them but for now, the bottom line:-is: I'm fine. I have a comfortable couch, which I have used already today. How much better can life be?

Lymph Nodes are Clear!

I had an appointment yesterday with the oncologist, Dr. Francisco in Pocatello. The pathology report from surgery was not ready from the lab yet. The doctor did find out the tumor was 1.8 cm, which is larger than some early detections, but smaller than others. The biopsy of the three closest lymph nodes (Sentinal Node Biopsy) was clear of cancer cells. That is good news because it means there is nothing to radiate. I won't have radiation!! For sure!

I was hoping to find out about chemotherapy, but there is another test they can do on the tumor called OncoType DX. It is a test of the genetic material to find out whether I am a candidate for chemo or not. The results of the test is a number from 0-100. If I have a number that is 10 or less, I will not need chemo, meaning I would have an excellent chance of survival for 10 years without any chemo. If I have a number 26 or greater, I would be a good candidate for chemo. Chemotherapy will increase my chances of survival significantly. If, however, I have a number from 11-25, I would have to choose whether to have chemo or not. The results are mixed as to whether it helps or not.

I qualify for a clinical study to help them pinpoint who can benefit from chemo in that 11-25 range. The odds are slim of it being hurtful, and the odds are great that it could be a big help in increasing the pool of cancer research. I would like to be a part of that. So many women have gone through a lot worse than me in order that I had an easier time of this.

So bottom line-- I don't know if I will need chemo. I am prepared to go through that if I need to, but there is a small possibility that I would not be a good candidate for it. I will find out the middle of June sometime. (They say 14 working days--and I add a few on from there.)

I have time to recuperate from surgery and get a few things done before then. I actually will have some time without doctor's appointments!! That will be so nice!

Thank you for your kindness, thoughts, prayers, and phone calls. Please don't worry. I have everything going for me--good health, early detection, and great doctors. I am in good spirits and have a very optimistic attitude.

Physical vs. Emotional

Hi,

I'm feeling better everyday. I'm stronger and don't get tired any more than I did before surgery, I can do whatever I want, within reason.

The last few days were a little emotional, however, because I had to say goodbye to 1,200 students at 4 schools, and the teachers I've worked with for 22 years. I cleaned out 3 desks, and 2 classrooms. I also went to a retirement reception sponsored by the district, and spoke briefly at the district end-of-the-year meeting. It sounds physically draining, but that wasn't the problem. It was the emotional part that was difficult. Goodbyes are hard. But now that it's done, I can just look forward to retirement. Looking forward is more fun than looking backward.

I will probably find out about chemo by June 15. I'll let you know as soon as I know. Thank you again for your thoughts and prayers. I can feel your support, and appreciate it so much!!

Love,

Betty