~What I DIDN'T KNOW about CHEMO & BREAST CANCER~

Not necessarily in this order but just as they come to mind.....LOL

1. That the steroids make me have a 15 pound weight swing. Maddi wants a BABY BROTHER......LOL and asks me "Are you SURE you aren't pregnant?"


2. That the sores in my mouth make me want to not only pull my teeth out (the pain is in my jaw line too) but also have put huge cuts in my tongue making it impossible to taste anything. The sides of my mouth feel like ground hamburger too. OUCH!!! It's very painful. And my lips have a constant slather of Burt's Bees LIP BALM on them. Maybe I will finally find that diet plan I have been working on....Enter Chemo, let it screw up your mouth, teeth and taste buds so much so that all you will want is COLD ICE WATER.....CALORIE FREE TOO!!!! LOL



3. Every day I think I will feel better than the last, but it's not happening. Right now, I feel like I am getting the flu. My bones are aching and my head is cold and pounding. I have the chills and I just want to go back to bed.



4. Chemo can make you have short term memory loss. THIS IS ONE OF THE WORST FOR ME as I am not as sharp as I was just 2 months ago. I lose my place on the keyboard and forget where I was going or what I was going to do. IT IS DRIVING ME CRAZY. I can't remember who I have talked to on the phone, written to or told what to....ARGGGG!!!! I tried to write it down but then I either forget what I was going to write down or I lose my list.



5. That riding in the car or driving can make me car sick.



6. That I never loved ice cold water as much as I do right now (it freezes my tongue and mouth so the sores don't hurt so much) I am also chewing ice like crazy, meaning, my iron count is way down AGAIN. I have that checked on Friday and might have to have another shot for that too.

7. That losing your hair on your head makes you so cold at night and even during the day. Now I understand why my Dad didn't want to cut his "COMB OVER"......LOL



8. Not only did I lose the hair on my head but on my legs, under arms, private areas and now my nose hair and eye lashes are falling out. Not to mention my eyebrows are thinning out and I am losing the hair on my arms.....WEIRD HUH????

9. That going thru menopause in the same amount of time I have to go thru chemo makes me have hot flashes and cold sweats, all within minutes of each other. BOY IS THIS A STRANGE THING TO ME!!!! And a bit funny too because one minute I have layers of clothes on and the next minute I am taking a cold shower to cool down!!!!

10. That I have what they refer to as phantom pain around the area of my nipples on my breasts, even tho they cut them off and are not there. I keep thinking they are itching.....SHOWERS take me about 5 minutes because I don't have to shave, shampoo, or condition my hair. THIS PART I COULD GET USED TO!!!!

11. That my right armpit is still numb from them taking out my lymph nodes yet it itches and I can't feel anything if I try to scratch.

12. I have now been on over 20 prescribed medications (this doesn't even include the chemotherapy drugs) all from the side effect of the chemo and to the tune of over $1100.00 in RX Bills. That one shot the day after chemo costs $6000.00!!!! THAT STILL SHOCKS ME!!! And I have no idea how much the shot is going to be on Friday to get my RED BLOOD cell count up and I am ANEMIC so that should help that too (with the side effect of heart attack or stroke.....OH GREAT) I REALLY SIGNED UP FOR THIS???? Did you slip something into my soda or my food before I said okay, lets do it!!!!????

13. I am 3 months AHEAD of my reconstructive surgery and I can BURN MY BRAS!!! I will never have to wear one again because they used all the skin to reconstruct and there will be none there to sag. NOW THAT IS TOTALLY COOL......I might have a bra-burning party with my girlfriends!!! WANNA COME ALONG???? Or I can give away my pretty chic Victoria Secret ones.....NAH....JUST BURN EM I SAY!!!!

14. That wigs, hats and jewelry look TOTALLY UPTOWN GIRL to me and make me feel like a different person wearing them. (THANK YOU GIRLS for ALL THOSE AWESOME HATS) I never wear makeup...no one has ever showed me how, so I am what I am.....

15. That light headedness is a sign that your white blood cell count might be headed down and that you need to chill out and make sure you don't have a temp over 100.5 or you have to stay in the hospital for at least 3 days in hopes you don't catch anything else or you might die. WAKE UP CALL FOR AMY!!!!

16. That being QUARANTINED to your house means just THAT....no sneaking down to the gas station to buy milk or a loaf or bread....it means STAY IN YOUR HOUSE!!!!! LOL (yup, I broke that rule a couple times) and NO VISITORS, which to me is really hard when you have 6 kids and most of them drive and bring friends along to "hang out".

17. My fingernails have never been so long and strong ever before in my whole entire life. Kinda crazy too!!!

18. That the BONE MARROW SUPPRESSION is worst for me right on my sternum. So much so that it drops me to my knees crying because it feels like someone hit me several times with a baseball bat. IT'S FROM THE $6000.00 SHOT.....

This concludes all that I know right now.....the screen is moving in front of me and it's midnight already. I will be working on the website tomorrow so hopefully you will get a look see....I will try to post some pictures here on the blog for you to see....
Goodnight Everyone....SLEEP GOOD.....Hugs and Love, Amy