One Third, that's 33%, DONE!

.... Yep!  Chemo2 is over and I'm coming out of the fog a little sooner .... and feeling very grateful!  I'm actually looking forward to Chemo3 .... just so I can say I'm HALF done!  hahahahaha ... it's amazing how you can start thinkin' crazy like that!

THANKSGIVING was AWESOME … I hope yours was, too …. All the kids and grandkids were here except Jenee … she had just been in for a couple of days the weekend before … my mom & dad, Tif, Bryce, Ben and Matt, and Aunt Marian and cousin, Skip.   Kendyll & Shanna ran the kitchen with mom & Tif as worthy & willing assistants.  We had all the standard fare plus the best homemade rolls EVER.  And Shanna doesn’t just make enough rolls for dinner … she makes enough for sandwiches for the next two days!  And pies!  Everyone had their specialty … Mom’s REALsweet potatoes, Tif’s jello, Kendyll’s cranberry cheese dip, Marian’s fruit salad (& stuffing with Italian sausage … hard to pick a fav!)  All this magically happened while I was a slug in bed … one time, ONE TIME, Shanna tip-toed in and whispered, “can I ask you a question …..?”  Then, on cue … I actually GOT DRESSED, made a grand entrance …. And enjoyed the feast with my awesome family!  I love them!  EVERYone of them … and I love hearing them  talk and joke and tease and play no-holds-barred-Rumikub … nothing is better than FAMILY ….

…. Except when they   l e a v e   …. Mom & Dad are the last to go … tomorrow afternoon … (insert frowny face HERE)

Next up:  Chemo3 on December 13^th AND I’ll be back-to-good by Christmas!  Whoo Hoo!

.... So, here's the Second Lesson of Chemo ....
No matter how bad the situation is, there's always some good to be found ...

I like to call these little silver linings, "cancer perks" ... so dubbed by my cute friend, Liz!  No really ... there are alot of perks!  Trina mentioned one the other day, after she had spent a half hour blow-drying and curling her blond locks, just to have it all immediately droop in the weather .. she thought, "hmmmm, I bet Shannon didn't spend any time on her hair today!"  hahahahaha ... right you are!  cancer perk!  And, this is a big one ... I didn't spend any time shaving my legs either!  Seriously!  I might have to have laser hair removal on my legs after treatment, cuz it is SWEET to not have to shave your legs!  cancer perk!

"honey, you need to take me to this chick-flick .... "  cancer perk!

no cooking or cleaning on THANKSGIVING DAY….  cancer perk!

an automatic excuse for every mistake, mishap, miscalculation, misplacement, misunderstanding or misadventure … cancer perk!

extra long hugs and kisses from big boys … cancer perk!

extra prayers, extra phone calls, extra cards, love & attention …. all … cancer perks!

a current “cancer card” to be PLAYED whenever I feel like it … cancer perk!

I’M TELLING YOU … this is a good gig! Hahahahahahahahahaha

the first lesson of chemo is ...

YOU CAN'T POWER THROUGH IT!

now this is a hard lesson for me ... cuz I can POWER THROUGH anything ...
 GOOD LESSON



So, I can't believe it's been three weeks and I'm headed back for my second chemo this morning (this was written on Monday & posted on Tuesday, cuz I was having trouble posting the pictures).  It was easier in some ways and harder than I expected, in others.  Isn't that just about the way LIFE is?  The first 10 days were pretty crummy .. and then it was just like I started coming out of a listless fog ... and the last week was GREAT!  So, of course, I ran around like a crazy person trying to get all the undone done ... CHRISTMAS is coming, you know!

And ...

Dane & Jenee arrived on Friday morning (sadly Jenee could only stay for a couple of days because of work), Reed, Shanna, Chad & Blake came in the pre-dawn hours of Saturday, and Kendyll, Brad & WESLEY, JACK & AVERY arrived that afternoon.  And, BONUS, we have my mom & dad (dad spent a day at Disney with my sis).  Plus!  Tif, Bryce, Ben & Matt come on Wednesday!  Thank heaven for friends with extra beds!

.... so you can imagine my delight at being able to get some long awaited family pictures!  Our wonderful friend and photographer, Brit Mann snapped away in a Heaven-sent respite from the rain at South Mission Beach ... I will post pictures & a link to her site soon ... you can find her on facebook as Brit Mann Photography ... do it! 

But ... Oh My Goodness ... I got ahead of myself ....  hahahahahaha .... I got a HEAD of myself ....

.... yep .... I have quite a lot less hair these days ... it's cool ... no, I mean really cool, like COLD!  I did get to make a gradual transition with a fun haircut with FRIENDS ....

(my sweet friend, Suzan Patton, surprised me with a visit!)

And then we got started with the haircut!

  

And this is me as a shortcut, lovingly & expertly done by awesome Valerie Klein!

So, the reason for the haircut is that with my particular chemo, it is expected that I would start losing hair at approximately day 14 ... and it is amazing how the body works ... because exactly at day 14 I started shedding! heavily! 

But, and I hope this is ok, I prayed that I could keep enough hair for our family picture ... day 20!  I figured me with short hair looked more natural that me with no hair ... haha ... or a hat or wig or whatever ... and thankfully, my prayer was answered ... very specifically ... because that evening it really started coming out.

Sooooooooooo .... 

.... the boys had some fun with the clippers!

(Dane, Reed, Brad, Chad, Blake & Mom)

... and Reed decided to get in on the action too! He's cute no matter what!

Also, last week, to my great surprise, 5 members of the Singles Ward shaved their heads!  I would never in a million years ask anyone to do that (Kendyll said, "Mom, I totally love you, but I would never shave my head!") ... but I am so honored by their love and concern!  Thank you to all ... shaved or unshaved ... I feel your love and support every day!

my blessings are innumerable ...

I thought, as I sat in my living room 

surrounded by a circle of priesthood

Husband

Father

Sons

YOU tell me .... what more can I ask for?

ONE DOWN ...

... five to go ...

Yes, today was my first foray into chemo-world ... not as fun as say, DISNEY WORLD ...

So, this is how it went ... and this will be short cuz I just want to go to my bed ...

We arrived at 9:45 to meet with the research nurse, Nancy ... my new BFF ... I hadn't told most of you that we had decided to participate in a clinical trial ... more about that later ... but I had to meet with Nancy again since I had had a little trouble with my blood pressure and having a low enough reading to be able to qualify for the trial.  After two tries, we were good to go ... but then it probably took another 45 minutes for her to finish registering me for the trial. 

Harold and I both were very much in favor of participating in the trial ...

first,
why NOT me ... I mean, somebody's gotta do it ...

next,
possible better treatment (all standard or above ... no placebos ... hahaha) ...

and,
definately better monitoring by another layer of nursing staff ...

and,
more testing (also a downside ...)

You don't want to know all the details of the trial ... but ... it consists of 3 groups that are to be compared for efficacy & side effects ... and the selection is blind.  So, we had prayed that I would be selected for the RIGHT group for ME.  And as it turned out, I will receive the same treatment that is commonly used and that my doctor would have recommended if I had not gone with the trial.  He actually stopped by during the treatment and commented that it may seem like it was for nothing since I am not on the experimental drugs, but that it was very helpful to be able to use my data in the study ... data that would go unevaluated if I wasn't on the study.  So I feel good about that ... and will also enjoy the other benefits.

So, we got started at about 11:45 .... a little rough at first when I almost passed-out during the IV insertion ... hahaha ... CHICKEN!  But, I'll get better at it ...

After that ... it was a breeze ... each of three drugs were administered separately through the IV ... they watched for side effects ... and I had none ...

I'm home with a table-full of assorted antinausea drugs ... and ... BONUS ... 7 days of daily injections to boost my white blood count ... THAT was a surprise!  But, Trina is thrilled!  (that stint in nursing school really gave her a taste for blood!)  She will come each evening to give me the injection.  Tiffany was offended that I didn't ask her ... to which I replied that I just didn't think I could handled any possible pent-up, latent, sibling rivalry to be transferred to the needle!

And here's my favorite part of today ... My sister Tiffany came into town last night to spend the week with me ... and she brought a present!

Tif says that cancer is like Cancun ... you can't go and not get the t-shirt!

(and, for those of you who can't find your reading glasses ... it says ...
"No, they're not real.  the real ones tried to kill me.")

hahahahahhahahahahahahahahaha ... Laughter IS the BEST medicine!

I say it every time ... and I mean it ...
I have the best friends and family in the world! 
Thank you sooooo much for your love and prayers
... I CAN feel it!