9/30/17
Dear Friends and Family,
Today, on Wednesday, September 27th, my day started off with a beautiful rainbow in the sky. The rainbow symbolized God’s way of celebrating that my chemotherapy treatments would soon be coming to an end. As my morning continued, my SCE family gave me a cupcake to celebrate my last chemo session.
9/25/17
Dear Friends and Family,
On Thursday, September 21st I participated in a fashion show for The Wine, Women, and Shoes event. The organization Breast Cancer Charities of America-i Go Pink hosted the event. This amazing organization offers financial assistance to women with breast cancer amongst other things. They also offer Feeling Beautiful Again beauty packages for women going through treatment. I signed up to receive a beauty package, it contained eyeshadow, eyeliner, and Burt’s Bees products, etc. Little did I know that the organization is located in The Woodlands, which is where I grew up. I received an email from someone that works for the organization asking me if I wanted to be in a fashion show. I thought to myself, “a fashion show is so not me”. I thought about it for a few days and with a little convincing from my mom and friend, I decided, “why not”. I emailed the lady from the organization and told her that I would participate. My mom and I went to Dillard’s to pick out a dress for the fashion show. I like things that sparkle, so I was immediately drawn towards a particular dress with sequin.
9/17/17
Dear Friends and Family,
It has been awhile since I have written! I have been really busy working during the day and when I come home from work I rest. I completed treatment number 15 on 9/8/17 by Celebrating Stand Up To Cancer Day! My Chemo Anchors were my mom and dad. I purchased orange bracelets and as you can see in one of the pictures below, my husband and dog are wearing them. Every time I go to MD Anderson, I look for items that say HOPE and I happened to find a wreath that read HOPE that I have never seen before. Day 3 and Day 4 after treatment were rough. I felt nauseous and like I had the flu. I also slept ALOT! Needles to say, I did not make it to work on Monday for the students’ first day at their new location since our school flooded. I had several counselors on standby to help the Licensed Specialist in School Phycology (LSSP), if she needed it. A special thank you to SD, SC, SW, DB, and JH for being on standby! Continue reading “The Anchor 💗⚓️💗 – Edition 22”
8/30/17
Dear Friends and Family
Today is a new day, a day of renewal and HOPE! I actually see the sun shining brightly. The sun serves as a reminder that we must move on from Hurricane Harvey’s havocs and remain strong. We must look around us and notice that what is important are our family, friends, fur babies, neighbors, and fellow Texans.
As you have been watching the news, you know that Hurricane Harvey has completely devastated southeast Texas. I have never imagined that anything like this could happen to Houston and the surrounding counties. You hear the predictions, but you don’t really know what those predictions mean until they happen and are surpassed. I was on several group texts and it is disheartening when people you know are affected by evacuating and flooding.
August 25, 2017
Dear Family and Friends,
I cannot believe that this is the 20th Edition of The Anchor! I hope that you enjoy reading my posts and much as I enjoy writing them! Please pass along my blog address if you know of someone that would benefit from reading my blog. Also, please feel free to give them my email address.
While getting ready for work on Monday, I was curling the few eyelashes I had left and my hand slipped and my eyelash curler pulled out all of my remaining eyelashes! It was a very traumatic experience for me because they have been falling out one by one, not all at the same time! I probably shouldn’t have been using the eyelash curler in the first place… I immediately started crying and my husband asked what was wrong and Maverick, the lab, started shaking because he knew I was upset. I knew that I would eventually lose all of my eyelashes, I just didn’t want it to happen that way. With the few remaining eyelashes on my other eye, I am not curling them or applying mascara anymore. I bought magnetic eyelashes to try, but you have to have eyelashes for them to stick to. Also, they are very hard to put on properly even if you do have a few eyelashes. I may look into getting a pair of false eyelashes, I was told by Kitsa, the “garment” maker, that Ardell makes good false eyelashes. I may try those. My oncologist does not want me to go to a lash salon since I am receiving chemo. I still apply eyeshadow and eyeliner. Continue reading “The Anchor ⚓️💗⚓️ – Edition 20”
August 19, 2017
Dear Friends and Family,
On August 11th, I received a new chemotherapy medicine called AC (Adriamycin Cyclophosphamide). I completed my routine blood work, covered my port with numbing cream, and met with my oncologist and pharmacist to review the possible side effects of the new chemo treatment I would be receiving. My room was ready and it was time for me to face the “Red Devil”, which is the nickname for Adriamycin because it is red. I mentioned to the nurse that I was nervous about receiving the “Red Devil” and she said, “Don’t be nervous, I call it the “Red Angel” because it helps you get better.” Notice in the picture below, the “Red Angel” is bigger and stronger than the “Red Devil”.
August 5, 2017
Dear Friends and Family,
A milestone has occurred in my treatment, I have COMPLETED 12 rounds of Taxol! 🙂 My Chemo Anchors this week were my mom and dad. Throughout my treatment, my mom texts or calls me everyday to see how I am doing. We celebrated be eating my mom’s homemade chocolate chip cookies for National Chocolate Chip Day! It is an amazing feeling to be making such progress, but I do still have radiation in the fall and reconstruction in the spring.
July 30, 2017
Dear Family and Friends,
Things are going well! 🙂 I received treatment number 10 of Taxol on July 21st and my parents were my Chemo Anchors. My parents have been very supportive throughout my journey and have shown me unconditional love and I love them for that. We celebrated National Junk Food Day! It felt good holding up two hands indicating that 10 treatments have been completed!
I received treatment number 11 of Taxol on July 28th and my Chemo Anchors were SC and MV. I am grateful for SC and MV’s friendship although, we share a bond that is much deeper than friendship, it is a bond of sisterhood that was formed through our sorority, Delta Gamma. SC and MV have been very supportive throughout my breast cancer journey and I am forever grateful for the support that they have shown me. Our husbands also get along very well, it is nice when we hang out and the guys can talk about “guy stuff” and we can talk about “girl stuff”. SC and MV showered me with candy for National Milk Chocolate Day and treated me to a hamburger for National Hamburger Day!
7/14/17
Dear Friends and Family,
I met with the oncologist on Tuesday, July 11th and she said that my blood work looks really good and that my body is handling Taxol really well. 🙂
I completed treatment number 9 today on National Shark Day! My chemo anchors were my mother-in-law and father-in-law. My dog, Maverick, is keeping me safe from the shark!
July 7, 2017
Dear Friends and Family,
I have been pretty busy the past few weeks traveling and going to chemotherapy treatments. Overall, I have been feeling fine, but my main symptom from chemotherapy is FATIGUE. This letter is told through pictures…
June 14th: My sister-in-law and me at my oncologist appointment. We celebrated Flag Day and Boy George’s Birthday!
June 16th – 18th: Tom and I went to Iowa to celebrate Grandma Mary’s life. She was an amazing lady and she will be missed dearly.
I met some of my mother-in-law’s friends that read my blog. It was really nice to meet them and I appreciate their support. They made me feel like a local celebrity.
Anchored in HOPE 