Showing posts with label Tangled. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tangled. Show all posts

Sunday, January 6, 2013

Rapunzel.

I was just watching Tangled and this scene seemed relevant to my life :)



"Well that's the good part I guess, you get to go find a new dream"

This is what someone looks like who is finishing chemo tomorrow. And don't worry, tomorrow's post will be much longer. I've got lots to say!

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

America's Next Top Model

Yesterday was my 14th treatment! (Technically my 13th because before my second surgery we skipped one time when my white blood cells were too low and we never made it up). But man, that means 4 left! Only one month's worth! How crazy is that? In only six short, sometimes long, months I will have gone from normal person, to cancer patient, to cancer survivor! I conveniently forget that I will still have a year's worth of treatments every three weeks when I'm done but....that's not important.

Treatment went well, just the same old. I sit down, they draw blood for labs. I wait around for an hour. Labs finally come back. They give me a Benadryl induced coma, I feel sick and gross, sleep for a while, wake up, feel a little less gross, wait around forever and finally finish. Then I go to lunch or something fun with my mom and aunts and granny. Its quite the routine. Chemo yesterday was a little cooler though. When I was almost just finishing up, a bunch of Miche representatives came around and handed out purses. I got my pick of 3 or 4 different ones. Its super cute and has lots of pockets and is huge. It was so awesome and really made my day. I hope the rest of my December treatments are super awesome. People suddenly decide they want to serve others this time of year. I don't mind it :)

I know your next question is "Have I ever thought about becoming a purse model?" And why yes, after this photo shoot I really think I have a future in it!

So....is it too early to plan my chemo graduation party? Maybe it is because there is still the possibility my white blood cells will be too low again and I'll have to postpone treatment. But I am planning it anyway! New Year's Eve is actually the perfect day to end chemo on. If it was still on Christmas Eve it would be cool, but everyone would be thinking about Santa and presents and all that and not be thinking about the newest graduate in the family :) ha. But New Year's Eve it is, if things go as planned. I will be bringing in the New Year as a cancer survivor, a chemo grad. Pretty cool. I am planning on ordering a gluten free cake from Eleanor's Bake Shop and hopefully they will decorate it like Tangled. If that is too expensive maybe I'll make my own cake and find someone I know to decorate it cute. I will also make/buy a "Chemo Grad" shirt to wear in remembrance. We will play games of some sort. And have lots of fun. Okay, so that is all I have planned, really nothing besides cake. Any ideas?? :)

On Sunday Sterling and I thought it would be fun to see if Koda could swim. So we filled up the bathtub and plopped him in. He loved it! Not. at. all. Haha, poor little guy looked so scared and sad. But he could swim and he did a good job. Mostly he just stood with his paws on the side of the tub wishing he could get out. He's not really very cute when he's all soaking wet! He looks like a rat. Or part chihuahua.
After he was pooped. He fell asleep in my arms :)


Today I got to see one of my best friends Cesia on her birthday! She chose to spend her birthday morning with me at the temple. What a nice buddy. It was really fun, such a great way to spend my morning. And after that I went over to a lady in my ward's house and we played our violins/viola together! That was super fun, I have started playing more again recently and I am so glad. I always forget how much I like to play until I start doing it a lot. The blisters on my fingers have finally worn into calluses again too which is great.

Monkey got her Christmas dress on. I think I'm going to make her a Christmas elf costume like her pilgrim costume. Until I get around to making it, she'll get to wear this dress.


Sunday, July 8, 2012

Starting tomorrow I will have chemo-brain. Apparently its a syndrome

Tomorrow is my first chemo treatment. I am a little nervous just because I am not really sure what to expect, but I'm sure it will be fine and not even that bad :) I meet with the doctor at 10:30 to talk about I don't know what and then the infusion supposedly starts at noon.

I have been planning ahead for when I am a cool bald chick and I have decided a few things:

  • I am going to wear purple eyelashes to freak people out. And maybe long sparkly ones too. I might even draw eyebrows on with purple eyeliner.
  • I am not going to cut my hair to make a wig. I'm just going to let it fall out and enjoy my beautiful long hair while I can. 
  • Not having eyelashes or eyebrows is going to be freaky and weird.
  • I think it will be funny when people stare at me all awkwardly because I am bald and scary
Also I have found some way cool head coverings/hats that I like. I hear your head gets really itchy and sensitive and that you like to have it covered. These are some of the ones that I like:
cancer patient hatslace hat for cancer patientchemo hats for cancer patientsChemo Hat Alopecia Cancer Sleep Cap Cloche BlackChemo Hat Cancer Cap Soft Womens Soft Warm Polar Fleece White Hat Beanie WinterChemotherapy Head Scarf TutorialBearded Beanie - Raspberry Pink Hat W/ Black Bow & Black Beard Warm Face Mask

I also think I should get some wigs like these.....

I will be pretty much so awesome.

I have a special backpack full of stuff for chemo. I call it my chemo bag. In it I have stuff to keep me entertained like magazines, coloring books, sudoku, and my Kindle. I also have a water bottle, my iPod, a journal, Ziploc baggies (explained below), a monkey and my favorite super extra soft blanket.

The tips I have heard that I will do are:
  • Chew ice chips during the treatment. The cold slows blood supply to your mouth, thereby decreasing the chance that you will get mouth sores.
  • Bring your favorite blanket because it gets cold and the ones at the hospital are scratchy
  • Bring something to do because it usually takes longer than they say, especially if you count check-in and set-up time
  • Bring Ziploc bags in case you get sick on the way home. Then you can zip it up and you don't have to smell your puke the rest of the ride.
  • Wear a button up shirt so your port is easy to access
  • Put numbing cream on your port site about an hour before they will use it because it hurts to have it accessed.
  • Eat a lot before you go because you may puke it all up or you might not feel like eating for a few days.
Sounds pretty crazy if you ask me! It will be quite the experience I'm sure. The nurses and a few other people have assured me that the first couple treatments aren't so bad, I might not even feel anything. From what I hear, I shouldn't start noticeably losing my hair till 3 or 4 treatments into it.

My port is doing pretty well! It was pretty stiff and sore those first 2 days, but its feeling better, just a tiny bit sore now. The tape they put over it made me have an allergic reaction and I was soooooo itchy the first two days after the placement that I thought I was going to blow up. Finally I took the tape off and it has felt much better ever since :)

I will write another post tomorrow detailing how the treatment went! Stay tuned for awesome, and possibly gruesome details :)

Ovarian Cancer Shoes with Butterflies I think these are pretty sweet.

Monday, July 2, 2012

Best. Day. Ever!!!!!

Yay I went running!!!!!!!!!! Guess what, its been 28 days since I went running. That is a looooooong time. The longest I have ever not run since I was 14. I'm not gonna lie, it was a lot harder than I thought it was going to be. I have felt pretty bomb on the elliptical cranking out 4 miles so I thought I'd be able to at least run 25 minutes. I was wrong, but it was still awesome and so fun! I ran 2 whole miles in 17 minutes. I love running.
Gettin' ready!
And I had my bestest nicest friend to run with! Its really hard to run a lot slower than you normally do, so it was extra nice that she ran with me :) It was such a beautiful morning and the wind kept us nice and cool.
Running buddies!
Thanks buddy for running with me! I can't wait to run again tomorrow! Running is the greatest thing in the whole world. It is so fun, almost as fun as leaving your tower after being trapped in there for 18 years. If you don't believe me, try it.

This clip captures my excitement quite well......
(my favorite part starts at 1:18 and my favoritest parts are at 1:32 and 1:49)