Hair in My Ice Cream

Chemo #2 went well. My white blood cell count was low last week, but this morning’s draw said
I was good to go for the session. It was faster, not the 7 hours, more like 4-1/2. I was able to tolerate taking in the fluids at a faster rate, without immediate side effects (however, that comes over the next several days at home).

I met a woman there, a middle-school principal with roughly the same form of C. Her’s was at stage 4 though because it affected an organ (her stomach) and was below and above her diaphragm (also in her neck). But that was ten years ago. The cancer came back
(in her face . . . .swollen, deforming cheek!). She comes in for chemo-lite (no nausea, no hair loss) once every three months . . . .been doing that for 1 year with 1 year to go, to keep her lymph nodes clean. And her face is back to normal. Her hair grew back and was thick and long (and dyed . . . having turned gray).

I suspect I will have to keep an eye on my disease with regular check ups (and Cat-scans) for the rest of my life . . . .it may return (if I lick it this time, which I am optimistic about) . . . .but
like this woman, it should not be debilitating, and just something one lives with . . . .just like other manageable diseases. Very encouraging.

She hated the bone marrow biopsy too, agreeing with me that that was the most painful part of the physical ordeal. She hated losing her hair, but kept her eyebrows and lashes (no razor needed anywhere else). She lost arm hair too. Everyone is different on that account. I can stow away my razor now, and I haven’t had to pluck my eyebrows in a while, nothing’s growing there . . . .no doubt my inherited Italian mustache will continue sprouting as well as nose hairs (ah, the rub), and a few chinny-chin-chin whiskers. Figures.

That cute short do I just had is thinning fast, and I’m sporting bald patches now . . . .I should look perfect for Halloween night. I shake my head and it’s like the trees in my yard in the wind...
. . . .fluttering down, leaving trails, on my pillow, on sink tops, in the sinks, in my bowl of ice cream last night. It’s like having several cats or furry dogs in the house. I’ll just have to get over it and get used to bald, hats and kerchiefs all the time . . . . . .and ask Paul and Kelly to please vacuum after me.