Posts Tagged ‘betty bloom’

Wigged Out

Monday, October 3rd, 2011

October 1, Saturday, almost like a starter’s gun went off, the hair started to leave the head! Weird feeling, like you’ve parted your head the wrong way all over the place.

Wig shopping with Betty and Steve at a place I highly recommend  “the Headquarters.” Hundreds of wigs to choose from and an insurance that covers it all. I tried on dozens in all colors, lengths, and styles. Bought FOUR!!!  A blonde, a brunette, and two auburn.  Steve was hoping the “Farah Fawcett” look would be the real me, but we dashed that fantasy with the way it looked.

Today a good friend, who is a beautician, in shaving the remnant hair so I have a clean start . I choose to have fun, and I certainly am (most of the time)!  Photos coming soon.

My blood work from Friday showed my white count back up and I can rejoin the world and feel pretty good for a week or so when we can do it all over again next Friday!

Chemotherapy Begins

Saturday, September 17th, 2011

I find it amazing that yesterday was actually a little fun?  I was with my good friend Betty for 14 hours while she drove me, sat with all the infusion junk, and stayed with me until Steve returned home from Pfizer travels. We met new people, some awesome medical folk who we charmed the pants off, had an awesome dinner brought in by caring gal-pals, flowers on the front door step, cards in the mail…what’s not to like?

Oh yeah , the medical stuff.  I am so medicated at the moment NOT to have the scary side-effects that I am ok. But THOSE pills have side-effects — restlessnes. NO sleep when I am impossibly tired. But prayer and books are filling the time. I just dusted the house!?

And it’s time to be germ cautious as a little bug could do me in.  So there will be no gardening, no crowds, no food prepared without absolute cleanliness of all ingredients — regrettably not even fast food or even healthy take-out — can’t be around kids who have just had vaccines, or any one exposed to anything even if they didn’t come down with it. No petting the dogs, yes double flush the toilet, no shoes in the house or at least on the carpet, no flossing, and the list goes on.  

Gotta have a sense of humor, and oh yeah, no hair in 3 weeks! But I went into the Chemo with the best blood pressure in a month and lifted up,up,up in prayer. It was a Good Day!

Calvin And Hobbes New Adventure

Trip to Cancer

Tuesday, February 16th, 2010

Last year was an awesome year of travel; 22 weeks away from home and on the road!  The sights and tastes of the journey were incredible, awesome, priceless.  From Barnoldswick, England to Pisa, Italy,to Orland, Sweden the adventure far exceeded all expectations. And the people; oh the kindness of Raymond, Alessandro, Gunner and Dieter, Miranda, Giovani, Father Piernino, and many many others.

We returned home with some inklings that all was not normal, so doctor appointments started lining up. Sonagram, pap,biopsy, specialists, waiting, and then the day you have a date with an oncologist. How do you be cheerful as you walk in that door, the one at the very end of that long hallway?

But just like the adventures in Europe, the doctors, nurse-practitioner, staff and volunteers at Scripps-Mercy Hospital, Scripps-Green and RB joined with all my friends and family to hold me up in prayer. Betty and Mary and Andy babysat me after surgery, Donna cooked and Steve e-mailed updates. I was so loved and cared for that fear NEVER had a chance to take hold. Radiation zapped some strength, but not the knowledge that God loved me and had placed me amongst the most wonderful people in the entire world.

I need to get a map with some bright pins to mark all those special destinations I hold in my heart. Just not sure where to put the trip to cancer pin, cause  I don’t want to forget it…it too became a good memory.

The BIG 60

Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009

60I have been known to tease my “older” friends about me being younger….the south side of 60. So, when it came my turn to hit that landmark number, I thought I would sneak out of town, and no one be the wiser.  Could I get away with it? Nooooooooooooooo. A heavy package was delivered bright and early on the big day FULL of cards, gifts, and jabs at making the big turn into this new decade. To Betty, Andy, and Nikki…and all their other partners in crime, thank you, thank you! It’s great to feel loved. ..so many nice things said and special thoughts shared. The birthday I sought to avoid became the blessing I will never forget!!!!!!!!