Just got my shot......

I had my followup appointment with Dr. Habal today, and he was pleased with how my incision looked. I do not have to see him again until September. I also went and got my Neulasta shot today.

I have not felt very well today. I came by my townhouse after receiving my shot and took a nap. I feel much better now. I am scheduled to work tomorrow, but am going to play that by ear. I have a nurse willing to work for me if I am not able to, and I would work for her on Thursday. Last time I received chemo, Tuesday was the day I got sick.

I do not have any more appointments until my next chemo treatment, which is June 11. We're hoping things will start calming down a little now.

Thank you so much for your prayers and concerns. I never tire of reading your messages or cards. Please continue to pray for me as I continue with the chemo treatments.

Thank you,
Cindy

Infusaport is the BOMB!

Hello everybody. Today is Friday, May the 21st, and I'm at my townhouse waiting for a cousin to arrive. My cousin, Robin, is coming from Apex to spend the weekend with me, and she is going to pick me up here. A shout out and a hearty thank ya to Cindy (Bullock) Brinson for updating my blog for me Wednesday night. The infusaport placement went well with no complications except, of course, placement of the IV beforehand. Having had a mastectomy, I now have one arm available for IV's, and my veins are getting pretty good at saying no. The nurse got it on the second stick, but I can honestly say the IV's have hurt worse than the mastectomy or the infusaport. BUT................that will no longer be a problem, for I have the latest, newest, hightech, super duper POWERPORT!!! I can now leap tall buildings with a single bound!!

Except for being a little sore, I was okay yesterday and was able to work. Mama made sure I had a hearty meal with lots of vegetables last night, and I went to bed with a smile on my face. The further I've gotten away from my last treatment, the less gi upset I've had. I am still sleeping in the recliner, but continue to rest well.

Chemo went well today also. Infusaport worked like a charm! It didn't take as long this time either. They premedicated me with three different drugs, one of them being Benadryl, so I got pretty sleepy. I probably slept 75% of the time I was there today! Woo hoo! Thank God for small blessings!

Well, Robin is here to see my house and take me to Bear Grass. I'm looking forward to having some cousins hanging around the house this weekend. I will post another update on Monday hopefully. I have an appointment to go back and followup with Dr. Habal to check my infusaport incision, and then it's to Physician's East to get my Neulasta shot. My labs were not as good this time, but my oncologist said that was about where she expected me to be at this time. However, she encouraged me to continue to be cautious and wash my hands a lot. So, please, if you are sick, think you may be sick, or have been around anyone who is, please refrain from visiting me until you are sure that you don't have anything that could be dangerous to me. If you come to visit, Purell hand sanitizer will be visible when you come in the door. Please don't think I'm being paranoid, but being a nurse, I know just enough to scare myself. If I were to have to go on an antibiotic, it would add to the effects of my chemo, especially the GI upset.

One good part about it all is that I'm forming better eating habits and losing weight. I have lost a little over 12 pounds so far. I have given up, Mountain Dew completely. I'm eating healthier foods, smaller portions, and drinking Gatorade lite. My goal is to have these habits engrained in me by the time chemo is over.

Okay, that's all folks. I just read that line above about "If you think you are sick......" It sounds like the commercial, "If you are pregnant, or think you may be pregnant......"! Ha! That's too funny.

Talk to ya'll later............
Cindy

Infusaport is done

I talked to Cindy after her procedure today. The infusaport is in and ready to go. She said the IV was the worst part of it all. She was on the way home when I talked to her this afternoon and had been for a nice meal at Cracker Barrel. She is preparing for her second round of chemo on Friday. Please continue to keep Cindy and her family in your prayers.
Thanks again for all of your outpouring of love and suppport!
Cindy B.

I've had my cry, now I'm over it.......

It happened the night of the 13th, which just so happened to be the 13th day. They said it would happen between day 10 and 14, and they were right. I had worked 7a to 4p that day with Aly, and it was a very long day. We had right many people over for supper that night, and had cooked some fish that my Uncle Tony had caught. After everyone had left, I went to my room to put on my pajamas. I decided to test my hair one more time before going to bed. For several days, I had been "testing" my hair by gently tugging on several strands at a time to see if it would come out. I had noticed that Thursday it no longer hurt to do this. That night, before going to bed, when I tested it, my hair came out in my hand.

And yes, I knew this was coming. And yes, it will grow back. But try as I might, I do not have nerves of steel. So many of you have commented to me on how strong I am. I appreciate that; but you should have seen me. I went straight to my mama and cried like a baby. Yes, I did, and I'm not ashamed of it. I sobbed for about five minutes while she held me in her arms and soothed me. Then she kissed me on the cheek and we went to bed.

The next morning, Mama called my cousin, Sandy, who lives closeby. We made an appointment for noon that day when there would only be one other person there. I could see that my mother was struggling to hold it together while Sandy took the clippers to my hair. I knew that if I got emotional that she would, so I concentrated on staring at the pine tree outside the door. As my hair fell to the floor, my cousin started to crack jokes about how I wouldn't have to take so long to get ready for work now, and how I wouldn't have to shave my legs anymore. Before long, we were all laughing, including the perfect stranger sitting under the dryer. I've been informed that I have little ears, a well-shaped head, and beautiful eyes..........

And now I'm over it. I came home wearing a baseball cap that says, "Mom loves ME best". I have removed the shampoo, hair spray, and hair brushes from my bathroom. And yes, it didn't take as long to get ready for work last night. I just put on a baseball cap. For those of you who know me personally, you know I have a variety of these in every color.

So, now I'm at my townhouse. I worked 11p to 7a last night and came to my house to have a little "me time". Mama has gone antique shopping with some of my cousins. We agreed in the beginning that we would take time for ourselves and that our lives would not be all about cancer treatments for the next year. So, I'm glad that she's getting out today, and I'm sure that they're doting on her and spoiling her rotten.

Before I sign off, I want to take a moment and speak directly to the people who blessed me financially this week. To the one who wishes to remain anonymous, I want you to know that Mama respected your wishes and has not told me who you are. And to the couple who wishes for me not to mention your names, I will respect your wishes as well. From the bottom of my heart, I thank you. I am humbled that you would care so much about me that you would want to bless me in such a generous way. I pray that God will return it back to you sevenfold and bless you exceedingly and abundantly for having a giver's heart.
Thank you so very much. And before I do anything with it, I will give 10% of it back to God as tithes.

So that's it for now. The next hurdle is having my infusaport placed on Wednesday. I'm not looking forward to another surgery, but I know that having this port will make my chemo infusions much easier. Please pray that all goes smoothly and that there are no complications. I hope all of you are having a great weekend. Talk to you soon.......

Labs look good!

Hey! I went to see my oncologist today and had some labwork done. She was very pleased to see how well I am doing, and was glad to hear the side effects of the chemo weren't too bad. She was almost ecstatic to see that all of my labs were within normal limits. I think, looking back now, she even looked shocked. My white cell count should be between 4.2 and 10. Mine was 5.6! Yes, that is a little low for the healthy person, but for someone going thru chemo, that is great. I discussed my concern about working with a patient that has three other siblings, two of which are in the public school system. She said, at this point, she is completely comfortable with me working, and that she will let me know if and when she feels that I am at risk. So, so far, everything looks good, and I am on schedule for chemo next Friday, the 21st. I will be receiving my infusaport at the Surgicenter on the 19th.

Work went well yesterday. It did me a lot of good to go back, and Aly was very glad to see me. She said that she had missed me, told me that I was her favorite, and gave me a big hug before I left. Her little brother crawled up in my lap twice yesterday, and even held my hand while we took a walk down the lane. It was a very sweet day. I felt absolutely fine all day, and didn't have any problems from the chemo until an hour after I got home.

Day 12, and all is well!

Returning to work tomorrow

Hello everybody. It is about 6pm on Monday evening. Mama brought me home today to pick up my jeep. I am going to attempt to return to work tomorrow morning. A lot of you have questioned whether or not this is a good idea, or if I'm really ready for this. All I can say is I don't know........there's only one way to find out. Of course, the ideal thing would be to not go back until I can at least get through the six chemo treatments, but that is a luxury I simply do not have.

There are days that I feel fine, and then there are days that I'm grateful that I don't have to leave the house. Sunday being one of them. We had a great reunion, and I actually felt better Saturday than I had in quite some time. I was able to eat what I wanted, and, surprisingly, felt no ill effects from it. However, about 11pm that night, the chemo kicked in again, and I was sick until about 3am. This was by far the sickest I have been, and I'm grateful for my two cousins, Betty and Gail, for everything they did to help me. By doing this, my mother did not have to know, and was able to get a good night's rest after a very long and tiring day. I felt fine on Sunday, but was very fatigued and dehydrated. Mama stayed home from church to be with me, and we had a quiet Mother's Day at home this year.

I am scheduled to work 7a to 4p tomorrow with my 3yo patient Aly. She usually wakes up about the time I get there, and we sit in the recliner and watch cartoons until about lunchtime. Hopefully, the hardest part of my day will be getting up at 0530. Her mother has told me to come back whenever I think I'm ready, and what I cannot do, she will do for me. Aly really is easy to work with, and I need to get some sense of normalcy back into my life. However, this IS a trial basis. I'm not going to push myself beyond what I think I'm capable of, or beyond what's in my best interest. It is my goal to work when I feel well enough, and listen to my body and my doctor and stay home when I need to.

Please continue to pray for me this week. I was told to expect to lose my hair between day 10 and day 14. Today is day 10. I have tried to prepare myself for this as much as possible, but how do you do that? All I can do is pray that God will give me the strength to endure it. Sometimes it seems, as soon as I recover from one blow, here comes another. But things could be so much worse. It really is trivial in the whole scheme of things. Other people have problems so much worse than breast cancer or losing their hair. I can handle this. If I couldn't, God would not have allowed it to happen.

Thank you so much for praying for me and my family. It's not just about me..........my whole family is going through this together. I appreciate each and every one of you who take the time to do something nice for us or encourage us. It means so much to me.

I have to wrap this up for now. It's almost 7pm, and I'm still here in Greenville. I have to get home, iron a uniform, pack a lunch, etc. I'm getting ready to get in my jeep and drive for the first time since April 6th! I'm gonna roll the windows down, crank up the radio, and let the wind blow through my hair while I still have some!! : )

I'll post again after my labwork on Wednesday,
Cindy

Friday, May 7th

Hey everybody. Just stopping by the house for a few minutes. I'm being driven around in Greenville today by a cousin who's in for the family reunion. We're "bonding". I had a few Mother's Day surprises up my sleeve, and she's helping me accomplish them. I'm going to keep this short because we still have several places to go, it's very hot, and we don't know how long I'll last before the effects of the chemo kick in again.

Overall, I am doing extremely well. The fatigue and diarrhea are the only effects that are really bothering me. I have headaches on and off, some bone pain from the Neulasta shot, and loss of appetite. Considering what other people have gone through with chemo, I consider myself very fortunate that I'm doing as well as I am. I'm just very thankful that it's not any worse.

Got my wig, and my mama is very pleased with how it looks. (I told her to wear it then.........). So far, I still have a full head of hair. Today is day 7, and I was told that it would probably start to fall out between day 10 and 14. Hopefully, I'll get through the reunion tomorrow with no problems. Please pray for me. I'm not a very vain person, but I sure am dreading losing my hair.

Not sure when I'll post again. We'll probably be in Bear Grass mostly due to the reunion. I don't have another appointment until Wednesday when I have my labwork done. Will probably come by then and give ya'll an update.

Thank you so much for everything. I sure can feel your prayers.

Cindy

Feeling the effects a little.........

Hey everyone. It is Wednesday afternoon, and I am at my townhouse again. I have an appointment at 5pm to see about getting measured, fitted, etc. for a wig. It has been five days since my first chemo treatment. I was told to expect my hair to start coming out around day ten to fourteen. At this particular salon, you go before your hair comes out so they can see what color it is and how you wear it. Then they order a wig and cut and style it to match. I have really been dreading losing my hair, and if this makes me feel more confident and comfortable, I'm all for it.

I started feeling some side effects from the chemo yesterday evening. Up until that time, a little fatigue was all that I had experienced. Some time late yesterday afternoon, I started running a low grade temperature, I got extremely "wiped out" feeling, and I had several bouts of diarrhea. Nothing too bad, but it sure drained me. I rested last night like I had been suckerin' tobacco all day. Today, I have felt much better, and have been able to eat pretty much what I wanted. I think I'm going to have to give up Mountain Dew though; it already tastes different, and just seems to make my stomach churn when I drink it. I've switched over to water and am tolerating that much better.

So, that's all for now. Overall, I am doing very well. I'm still staying at Mama and Daddy's due to not being able to rest in a bed. That doesn't bother me too much. I'm just as content there as anywhere. Mama's still tucking me in at night. : ) We're having a lot of company due to our family reunion being this coming Saturday. Some family members came in last weekend, so we've had a good time visiting this week. I don't have another appointment until the 12th, I think. I will see the oncologist then and have some bloodwork done. We know that the chemo should pretty much wipe out my immune system, so every Monday after chemo, I will be receiving a shot to boost my immune system. Being this was my first chemo treatment, she wants to see how my labs are going to be affected. If I'm okay, my labwork will be done the morning of chemo from now on. She said she just didn't want any surprises.

That reminds me though: even though I will be receiving injections to boost my white cell count, my level will still be lower than normal. That means that I will be susceptible to things that I could normally fight off. Please refrain from visiting me, hugging me, or preparing food for me if you think you are getting sick or if you have been around anybody that is. That will help me lower my risk of acquiring something that my immune system cannot fight off.

As always, I thank you, and my family thanks you, for everything. I am continually amazed at how much support we are receiving. I've never had children, so I can't speak as a parent; but I know that nothing means more to me right now than the love and support you are giving to my parents. I thank you for that. It means more than you'll ever know.

Take care,
Cindy

Infusaport placement scheduled for May 19th

It's Monday afternoon, and I am at my house while Mama runs a few errands. As you already know, I had my first chemo treatment Friday, and it went extremely well. I am very tired today, but have not experienced any nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea. So far, I've been able to eat what I want to, but I'm trying to make good choices. I was also able to walk in the survivors' lap at the Relay for Life Friday night. What an experience..........

I have just gotten out of the surgeon's office again. I wasn't supposed to see him for about five months, but he is the one who is going to put in my infusaport for chemo. I am scheduled for surgery on Wednesday, May 19th. This one will be at the Surgicenter too, but will not take very long at all. I went straight there and preregistered when we left. Dr. Habal also checked my incision while I was there, and he seems to be pleased with the way that I am healing.

After leaving the surgeon's office, I went over to Physician's East where I am receiving my chemo treatments. Because the chemo is going to wipe out my immune system, I have to have injections to boost white cell production. I will be receiving an injection every Monday after my chemo treatment on Friday. Otherwise, I would not have enough white blood cells in my bloodstream to fight off infections. I received the first one today. As always, they made me hang around for about twenty minutes to make sure I wasn't going to have an adverse reaction.

The only other appointment we have this week is at The Salon on Wednesday afternoon. Someone is going to professionally measure and fit me for a wig. This has to be done before my hair falls out so that she will know exactly how I style my hair and what color it is.

Mama is on her way back to pick me up. Gotta go! We're eating supper with Aunt Rose tonight! : )

First round of chemo

Cindy had her first round of chemo on Friday in Greenville. She did well during the whole process and was even able to attend and participate in the survivor's walk for Relay for Life on Friday night. She is still in BG and is resting comfortably. So far she has had little to no effects from the chemo. Hopefully she will continue to do very well with the chemo. She has an appointment with the surgeon tomorrow to schedule the infusaport. She sounds great and still has her wonderful, positive attitude. She is still enjoying all of the phone calls, cards, visits, etc. I am sure if she gets a chance she will stop by her house and update the blog herself.
I will continue to update the blog for Cindy if she doesn't get a chance to.
Thanks for everything,
Cindy B.