Eternal Hippies A Year Homemade and Beyond

Last Monday I went for another ct scan and Wednesday I had a follow up doctor's appointment. She said that I am now considered in remission. My next ct scan and appointment isn't until September. Hey! Everyone at work has been so happy for me. Sally gave me a white rose and my boss gave me chocolate covered strawberries. So nice of them. I'm glad that I am in remission, but I don't feel well yet. I only worked 2 days this week. The ct scan and doctor's appointment wore me out. I know it will take time for me to feel back to normal. Tuesday I stayed home from work and slept all day. Seriously, I didn't wake up until 5:30pm. Then Joe and I ate dinner and I went right back to sleep. The doctor's appointment did show that I have lost 9 pounds in the last month. I have been trying to do my goal of not eating after dinner. Mostly I fall asleep before I think about dessert. Except when Joe makes ice cream. That I do let myself have every once and awhile. It...

Last Wednesday started very early, 4:30am. I had a ct scan at 7am in Wilmington, then on to my blood work, doctor's appointment and finally chemo treatment. We left Wilmington around 5pm, but didn't get home until 7pm. Traffic was a bear. It took 8 tries to get blood work done and start my I.V. My arms are very bruised up from all of the attempts. The ct scan didn't show any changes, just the same swollen lymph node. The doctor lowered the dosage of chemo. But I still am experiencing the same side effects. I missed last Wednesday, Friday and Tuesday from work. I just couldn't get myself together. I am here at work today, but I am not feeling well. I've been sleeping a good bit of the time. I just feel worn out. Some of the side effects of chemo are worse than last time and I think it has to do with the build up from everything, including the radiation treatments. I just don't feel like doing anything, just sleeping. I did make it to work today, with great ef...

I am now 12 radiation treatments into it and the fatigue is kicking my butt! I have had to resort to drinking coffee on work days just to stay awake. On days off, I sleep a lot. 12 to 16 hours a day on weekends. Last Saturday I took Mom and Sean to lunch, but it was a real struggle. My body just didn't want to be moving around. Today, even with coffee, I am struggling. I don't normally drink coffee, just herbal teas. I've had nausea as well. Biggest bummer is that I have gained 10 pounds since this radiation has started. My hair continues to grow and is still very soft and fluffy. I am hoping in a couple of weeks I can shed the chemo hats at work. But I won't stop wearing them until my scalp doesn't show. For comfort, I have been watching youtube videos on homesteading and nomadic travelers. My favorite right now are Weed em & Reap , Off Grid w/ Doug & Stacy , Nomadic Fanatic , and just to drool, Hercules Candies .oh, and I shouldn't forget Luke M...

Yesterday I had a ct scan. It went okay, but I wasn't able to drive myself. I couldn't get a handle on some mean vertigo. It lasted all morning. Tomorrow, I have a radiation appointment that is supposed to last much of the day. Then on Friday afternoon I have a doctor's appointment to find out the results of the ct scan. Hoping for good news. At some point we are going to visit Joe's mom and I think we will have a bed at her house. Last two times we had to bring our tent, but the person who occupied that space has left permanently. Sigh, drama. I am just happy to get away for a few moments. But we haven't worked out the details for a trip. We had a wonderful early Christmas gift from my co-workers. New tires for the van! What a wonderful surprise! We were also given some cash, which immediately went towards my medical bills. Still owe thousands of dollars, but it was a start. We are trying to knock the medical bills down to a manageable level, but we are far f...

It's been a week that I had my latest chemo treatment. I am starting to feel human again, instead of a poisoned marmoset. I have decided to forgo the wig and instead sport pretty chemo caps that go with my work clothes. After work, I opt for beanies, toboggans, or whatever you care to call them. Both the chemo caps and cap liners I got off of Ebay stores. Here are some examples of me at work: In a previous post, you can see my big bald head as I stand with my eldest son, Sean. It was so good to spend time with him. I hope to get to do with the rest of my children. Rachael it's easier since she lives just down the road. So, no wigs. Now, last week was my last chemo treatment until after radiation, which won't start until January. We hope to visit Joe's side of the family soon for the holidays. He hasn't seen them in awhile. We hope to finish decorating for the holidays and I will post our setup. Spoiler alert: there will lots of bears and Santa! Peac...

Yesterday was my doctor's appointment and chemo treatment. It took 3 tries to get blood. Ouch! Then the doctor's appointment went okay, but I am still on limited physical duties. I'm healing slower than expected. The CT scan showed a lymph node swollen, but the doctor said it could just be stress from the two surgeries nearby. I'll have to have another scan in a month to check on it. Everything else looked okay. YEAH! After I headed back upstairs for the chemo treatment. But there was miscommunication and I sat in the waiting area for 1 1/2 hours until the nurse finally called me in. No one told her I was waiting. I had an allergic reaction to one of the anti-nausea medications, I think because I wasn't given steroids prior to the appointment. Last time I was given steroids for the night before and the morning of treatment. Once  the nurse stopped the anti nausea medication and gave me steroids, the hive and pain went away. The rest of the chemo treatment went...

It has been a challenging week, hair-wise. All last week I chronicled my personal horror of it all. Saturday I got so tired of looking like a...well, I don't know but I hated it. So I took the clippers to what was left of my hair. It felt better, but I still couldn't stand the stubble. So yesterday I went to the hair salon, hoping they would shave my head. But they wouldn't, just trimmed up the buzz cut I gave myself. So I went home and shaved my own head. I had my daughter help me with the tricky parts around the ears and the back of my head. Today I am sporting one of the chemo caps I bought on Ebay. It's comfortable and stylish. I will probably get some more. Everyone here at work seem to be supportive and all have said how good I look. It will take time to get used to no hair. But at least the shedding is over and I can get ready for the next round of chemo. Peace to you!

It's day 3 of the horror/freak show that is my life. The hair is still falling out everywhere! It's in the shower, the pillow, my clothes, the desk, and it itches! My scalp stings, aches and yes, itches. I changed up my homemade shampoo to make it more gentle. Now my recipe is: 1 cup chamomile tea, using 2 tea bags 1 teaspoon honey 1 teaspoon olive oil 3/4 cup liquid Dr. Bronner's baby soap Steep tea for 30 minutes with honey. Remove tea bag. Add olive oil and then Dr. Bronner's baby soap. When thinking about how to change my shampoo, I researched what ingredients were in commercial baby shampoos. And three things were common, chamomile, honey and olive oil. Two of those items were already in my shampoo recipe. Easy. Now for the horror pics! Keep in mind these are just what I have lost during work hours. It doesn't include what I loose in the shower each day, which has been clogging up the shower! First we have yesterday's losses:  Morning loss ...

It has been a very bumpy week! I left work 30 minutes early last Wednesday because of "chemo pain" and had to call in sick Thursday and Friday. My whole body was in agony. It was, and is neuropathy. The doctor told me to start taking Claritin and after 48 hours my pain had gone from a 9.5 to 5. Big change.  I am also going to try taking glucosamine powder to help with the joint pain and the neuropathy.  She also said to take vitamin B6 and Aleve, but I stopped the Aleve because it was irritating my stomach. I'm already battling nausea. Still taking anti-nausea meds. My appetite is still isn't back, but I don't mind that. I know I am losing weight too fast, but I don't care. What I need to do is get more fruit and vegetables in my diet. My taste buds are all messed up. Certain flavors and textures are repulsive. Even my favorite flavor, chocolate, tastes muted and dull. Plus, I don't crave sweets like I used to, not a bad thing. This is where the mental/e...