So ten days after chemo I am finely feeling like my old self. I find myself "nesting" and wanting to get A LOT done, because I only have ten more days to feel so good! Not that I am complaining too much, but I sure am amazed by the numbers of people that I know going through this process . . . I am lucky that I have started from a healthy starting point -
I cooked all day today - started cleaning out closets, ran errands, and finally took the WIG off, and walked in and told DJ he would just have to deal with the real me. It went OK - and he agreed that Maggie and I look a lot alike!
The WIG does get hot!
I think I should write that letter to each one of my children that I told myself I would do the last couple of years now. So they would know how much I truly love each one of them, to tell them I am sorry if I ever hurt them - expectations of perfection ran deep in my childhood - but most of all to try to give them some bits of wisdom that has taken me 6o years to learn (and now wrangle with the idea that I may succumb to this cancer at some point in my life - even if it is 20 years from now), wisdom that may help them make it through life a little easier. I will love them all forever - throughout eternity.
My mother left me a note that I discovered after she died on the back of my baby picture, "Linda, I will love you throughout eternity - Mother." I didn't really know or appreciate how much she loved me, no matter how difficult the years were with her, until I actually had my first child.
Lessons learned in Life are not always timely.
Saturday, March 31, 2012
WIG - Day ONE
So I ventured forth on my first full day back to work - wondering why I really was going back to work as sleeping in a little has been starting to feel good!
First test for the WIG - the coffee shop I go to almost everyday before I go to work in downtown Traverse City proir to my surgery - I walked in and the owner Alice said to me "wow - what did you do? Did you get a divorece? You look hot!" And the young man barrista next to her smiled. I leaned in closer and said "No - pointing to my boob - bad booby - it's a wig". They marveled over how good it looked - and the young male barrista said to me "I couldn't even tell it was a wig". So why am I telling people???
I went to work and everyone liked the WIG - loved the style - the problem is it is a style which I have tried to do for over fifty years - but my hair does not go straight!! I am thinking I may get another one, because to tell you the truth - it is really easy and saves time in the morning.
The next test for the WIG, I went into our local gourment deli in town - Burrit's - and the owner Ken B, whom we sell to, came up to me, said "Hi", and actually said "Boy I really like your hair. You must have just gotten it done - it looks great!" I smiled and said "Yes I did" and thanked him with a little blush.
Lesson Learned.
It SNOWED on the WIG today too - I was worried about that too! It survived.
Oh well - about 50% of the town knows, the other 50% who don't know me will like my new hair.
I went home and wore the WIG as I prepared dinner and thought to myself - this WIG is going to end up getting food and grease on it as I cook! But still I wasn't ready to let DJ see me without my WIG and see my really really short silver hair. Protecting the first of the brood still - - -he is still my biggest baby. (Good thing he is not interested in this blog!)
First test for the WIG - the coffee shop I go to almost everyday before I go to work in downtown Traverse City proir to my surgery - I walked in and the owner Alice said to me "wow - what did you do? Did you get a divorece? You look hot!" And the young man barrista next to her smiled. I leaned in closer and said "No - pointing to my boob - bad booby - it's a wig". They marveled over how good it looked - and the young male barrista said to me "I couldn't even tell it was a wig". So why am I telling people???
I went to work and everyone liked the WIG - loved the style - the problem is it is a style which I have tried to do for over fifty years - but my hair does not go straight!! I am thinking I may get another one, because to tell you the truth - it is really easy and saves time in the morning.
The next test for the WIG, I went into our local gourment deli in town - Burrit's - and the owner Ken B, whom we sell to, came up to me, said "Hi", and actually said "Boy I really like your hair. You must have just gotten it done - it looks great!" I smiled and said "Yes I did" and thanked him with a little blush.
Lesson Learned.
It SNOWED on the WIG today too - I was worried about that too! It survived.
Oh well - about 50% of the town knows, the other 50% who don't know me will like my new hair.
I went home and wore the WIG as I prepared dinner and thought to myself - this WIG is going to end up getting food and grease on it as I cook! But still I wasn't ready to let DJ see me without my WIG and see my really really short silver hair. Protecting the first of the brood still - - -he is still my biggest baby. (Good thing he is not interested in this blog!)
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Maggie Brick
She is my special love....today she was shaved down as close as my haircut last night...she is hanging in there for me! We look alike...both Silver!
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
It is done
Jana, Linda, Meganne, and Paula all went with me to my "champagne shave".....which my hair stylist Melissa decided I should just be shorn about 1/2" instead. Good idea! Wow, the real me is almost all silver white..except for two brown spots on either side of my forehead. (from the twins) It was a fun time, we drank champagne, ate chocolate dipped strawberries by Paula, chocolates and cookies from Herrod's in England. Took lots of pictures and videos...and laughed! I am not sorry for doing this today, I feel in charge for the time being. Until the Super Vitamins take over again. I will still shave it all when the hair actually falls out. My friend Mary will be in chemo every three weeks for forever....if anyone deserves a daily prayer it is her. She told me that all white things taste good. I told her how funny that just the night before I had white bread at a restaurant and it was the first thing that tasted good all week! I remember how in awe I was of everything I saw daily in Michigan when we first moved here. I need to do that more now. At least tonite when the chemo hot flashes hit....my hair won't be sweaty. I can sleep in for fifteen minutes longer before I get up to go to work too! Tomorrow we will see who guesses I have a wig on. Will post pictures tomorrow
Today's List
Finally feeling like me - got a great night sleep thanks to the Tylenol PM
HOT FLASHES ARE BACK THOUGH - man I really thought I was done with them - sweating out all of those great SUPER VITMAINS I suppose - my bed is really bionic now!
TAXES - Finally done! Taking them to the Accountant now - realized that I never balanced my personal checkbook all last year with the stress from working at Brick Packaging and trying to stay releveant with the new computer programs. Like our OLD accountant said . . Linda the accounting principles don't change - but what a pain when it takes someone to study the darn program 16 hours a day to learn it - ok, I am not being fair - some in the office get the program. I am just PISSED about it though. I would like to call Bill Gates up myself and see if he even knows how to work his own Microsoft programs. Has anyone else thought about how it has been 30+ years now and the programs keep getting bigger and bigger and bigger - more they can do and more to learn. I keep telling my kids that I hope they keep learning all of these programs and don't just rely on what they orignally learned.
DO CHILDREN REALLY LISTEN TO THEIR MOMS!
Ok - so now that I have that off of my chest -
The PLAN FOR TODAY - "CHAMPAGNE SHAVING"!
Yes - I have invited a few close girlfriends to go with me today to my hairdresser to shave my head. Really you say? Well, I decided since I am starting to look like a skunk with my one inch WHITE hair coming out, I am not going to pay for it to be dyed since I should be losing it within the week or so FOR SURE - so instead of watching it fall out in clumps and in our food - I AM GOING TO BE IN CHARGE OF IT. I may post a video just so any of you that are following my blog can see. . .
I hope I can drink some of the champagne - alcohol doesn't taste so good right now!
HOT FLASHES ARE BACK THOUGH - man I really thought I was done with them - sweating out all of those great SUPER VITMAINS I suppose - my bed is really bionic now!
TAXES - Finally done! Taking them to the Accountant now - realized that I never balanced my personal checkbook all last year with the stress from working at Brick Packaging and trying to stay releveant with the new computer programs. Like our OLD accountant said . . Linda the accounting principles don't change - but what a pain when it takes someone to study the darn program 16 hours a day to learn it - ok, I am not being fair - some in the office get the program. I am just PISSED about it though. I would like to call Bill Gates up myself and see if he even knows how to work his own Microsoft programs. Has anyone else thought about how it has been 30+ years now and the programs keep getting bigger and bigger and bigger - more they can do and more to learn. I keep telling my kids that I hope they keep learning all of these programs and don't just rely on what they orignally learned.
DO CHILDREN REALLY LISTEN TO THEIR MOMS!
Ok - so now that I have that off of my chest -
The PLAN FOR TODAY - "CHAMPAGNE SHAVING"!
Yes - I have invited a few close girlfriends to go with me today to my hairdresser to shave my head. Really you say? Well, I decided since I am starting to look like a skunk with my one inch WHITE hair coming out, I am not going to pay for it to be dyed since I should be losing it within the week or so FOR SURE - so instead of watching it fall out in clumps and in our food - I AM GOING TO BE IN CHARGE OF IT. I may post a video just so any of you that are following my blog can see. . .
I hope I can drink some of the champagne - alcohol doesn't taste so good right now!
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Katie Walters
Katie came by to see me on Saturday - to remind me that I have to take her to the airport on Tuesday April 3rd, she kept telling me Wednesday April 3rd, and I said "No, Katie - Tuesday is April 3rd".
She finally agreed . she is Nana's sister and always has an honest word to say - she doesn't have a filter, but then Nana would say that those that are "special" speak with a clear heart.
She asked how I was feeling and I said pretty good. She went on to say "Yep you know when you get the cancer, it always comes back. There isn't a way of stopping it, it always comes back. That's the bad thing about the cancer, it always comes back."
All I could do was agree with her. Hopefully it won't come back for about 20 years - my grandmother lived until 98!!!
She finally agreed . she is Nana's sister and always has an honest word to say - she doesn't have a filter, but then Nana would say that those that are "special" speak with a clear heart.
She asked how I was feeling and I said pretty good. She went on to say "Yep you know when you get the cancer, it always comes back. There isn't a way of stopping it, it always comes back. That's the bad thing about the cancer, it always comes back."
All I could do was agree with her. Hopefully it won't come back for about 20 years - my grandmother lived until 98!!!
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