Round #2 AC Done and I'm Bald Now

This is us doing the surfer girl cut!

This was a true reality week for me! On Sunday, which was day 11 after my first chemo, my hair started thinning out while I was blowing it dry. I felt a tingle all over my head and then it got to be sore.  It felt like when you wear a pony tail too tight then take it down and every hair follicle is going the wrong way!  It was annoying so by Monday night I was ready to hack it off.  BUT, Dave wanted to video it on the GoPro and he didn't have it so we postponed the ordeal until Tuesday after my 2nd round of chemo. We had some fun with it.  He gave me a surfer cut, then a mohawk then not sure what it turned into.  Finally, it was gone and I officially have a shaved head and it's a WEIRD feeling to not have hair hanging off your head. I went to take a shower and still thought to myself "do I need to clip it up or am I washing my hair?". Duh, there is no hair to clip but I often do this when I don't wash my hair. Then I always lay out 2 towels, one for my hair and one for my body.....well I don't need one to wrap my hair up anymore and boy was that strange! But I'm getting used to it now and I am a little relieved that I don't have to DO my hair.  Now, I just figure out what I can do to accessorize my head. I often go with the GI Pamela look at home but it's a bit chilly so I haven't sported the look in public just yet but I will. I went to the grocery store with my head wrap on and got some looks from people, curious to know what they may be thinking.

First ever picture of my bald head.

I got this beautiful head wrap from Good Wishes Scarves....at no cost! :)  



 I thought I would be more traumatized by this experience but I am ok with it for the most part. I did tear up after we were done because the reality is that I now look like a cancer patient to anyone that sees me. I have a feeling this is more of a shock to my family and friends than it is to me. I think it really puts the reality stamp on it and what I'm going through. To be honest, I wish that the ONLY side effect was hair loss! It's all the other side effects that really suck.

Going back to earlier in the day before we shaved my head. I had such a nice surprise before my infusion appointment. Three amazing friends came by to surprise me in custom shirts made for me! The front says "Team Pamela" and the back says "Fuck Cancer"! I love it!! Then, I just found out they had some made for our friends out in Texas and included the cutest little girls of theirs....this has made my day! Check them out in this picture!!!  I sure have some of the best support out there and it makes dealing with this madness a lot easier.


Some of my supporters out there helping me keep my chin up through all this!

One thing I have to work on is my husband's addiction to technology!  Our businesses never let us breathe and it's hard to be away from the office even for an hour, let alone an entire day! He tries to juggle all of this and I wish it were easier for both of us right now but we have to keep plugging along because this is what we do! I don't know how he keeps up with it all and now trying to keep up with all that I have going on. But somehow he does, he's amazing and I'm a lucky gal!

 



On Day 1 after chemo my bestie, Selma, from Orlando came over with 2 trays of her famous lasagna. She also brought some of the best mini gourmet cupcakes which totally hit the spot along with a beautiful custom necklace from Origami Owl! It's hard to keep up with all the gifts I have received and I plan on getting my official "thank yous" out soon! I even got a beautiful handmade quilt this week from my dear friend, Antonella, that was made by a cancer survivor herself so it means A LOT!

Overall this round of chemo has been a little nicer to me.  I am EXHAUSTED but feel better than I did after round 1.  I prepared myself a little better this go around and made sure I had the right foods available such as fruits, crackers, and soups. I went to work the day after chemo but then was too fatigued to make it in on Thursday. I decided not to drive the days following chemo because I just don't think it's safe and I would hate to be the cause of an accident on top of all this! I am at work today and trying to get "caught up" but you know how that is nearly impossible even when you are at work all the time!


One thing different is that I have developed these little red dots on my hands and feet. I called my doctor about it but they don't seem to be getting worse so I'll just keep an eye on it for now. I don't remember this happening last time. They think it's an allergic reaction but I heard from my cousin that it is caused by leaky capillaries and low platelets which also makes a lot of sense considering the toxins they pump into me!



Well my mom brought to my attention that I am 1/4 of the way done with the chemo part of this journey and that is a great thing! Just 2 more rounds of this tough chemo then I move on to Taxol which is known to be "easier", yay! So here we are after leaving my 2nd round and waiting for the car in valet.  Gotta love that you get valet parking at the hospital. It's a nice perk to not have to find your car in some parking lot when you're good and ready to get outta there!