I love you all but...

 I don't want to piss anyone off with this post, but something needs to be addressed. Many of my friends and family have never had cancer, so I don't expect you to understand. But it must be known that the worst thing you can ask a cancer patient is "How are you feeling?".  As my hilarious fellow cancer friend puts it: "I feel like shit. How do you think I feel?!". I have good days, and I have bad days, but overall chemo SUCKS.

I have been getting daily messages from loved ones asking me this very question. It gets overwhelming and exhausting explaining my daily condition to everyone. I am trying to stay positive throughout my treatment, and constantly talking about my symptoms, side effects and overall wellness is bringing me down. Don't misunderstand me, I love and appreciate that everyone is concerned about me and checking on me. This is not about one individual person, so don't take it personally. But there are better ways to go about showing that you care. 

If you want to know about my treatment and how it's going, the best thing you can do is follow my blog at pinkdaysahead.blogspot com. I post regular updates there. Otherwise, if you want to send me a message, send me funny memes/videos (I dont get offended easily), or just say "I'm thinking about you today" or "I'm praying for you". But please do not ask me how I'm feeling or how treatment is going!

If you want more details or don't have access to my blog, you can text my mom. She is more than happy to talk to people and has been advised on how much to share. Any close friends or relatives should have her cell phone #. 

Thank you for allowing me to vent. Do not stop caring, just do it differently please.

Chemo #1

 On Monday, June 21st, I had my first round of chemotherapy.  My mom and I entered the cancer center at 11am and there was so much hustle and bustle, no one realized I was there for my first treatment.  They were so busy, I was there for 4.5 hours, even though the infusions only took about 2 actual hours. I asked the nurse and she said it's like this all the time (It was not like this 8 years ago when I went through chemo).  So, unfortunately, I will not have the same nurse every time, like I did 8 years ago, which was really nice....times have changed. I did have a private room with a wall of windows over looking a nice little water fall and bird feeding area.  I had a cardinal come and visit 3 different times.

I started feeling nauseous and had a headache just a couple hours after my treatment on Monday.  I woke up Tuesday and felt great all day.  I ran errands and had normal energy. Then, Tuesday evening around 6:45p, my Neulasta On Pro was injected (to increase my white blood cells) and the bone pain started. Wed-Sat I was feeling bad.  Symptoms included, nausea, headache, bone pain, slight fever, major fatigue and just overall unwellness.  I will say, that the symptoms this time around are much more tolerable than they were 8 years ago, which is a blessing. My next treatment is Tues, July 6th.  Right now, I'm planning on working the day of treatment (until I have to leave for the appointment), working the day after treatment, and then taking the rest of the week off.  

I have received SO MANY cards, gift cards, flowers, gifts from my Amazon List, well wishes, prayers, texts, FB msgs, and phone calls. I appreciate every single one of them.  I have tried to individually respond to and thank each one of you. They mean the world to me!

How to Support Me

 Since I have several friends and family that live too far to visit or show their support in person, I have come up with an idea. This idea comes from my 2018 cancer camp roommate, Vanessa, who passed away last year. In the link below, you will find a "Support Squad" t-shirt, that can be purchased on Amazon for $15. If you would like, you can purchase one, or many for the entire family. The idea is to wear this shirt on the days of my treatments, to show your support from afar. You can wear it as is, style it, cut it, bedazzle it, add my name...whatever you wish. But TAKE A PICTURE AND SEND IT TO ME! This will really lift my spirits!! The crazier and funnier, the better (i.e. shirts and photos). My first day of chemo is Monday, June 21st, so start prepping! I cant wait to see what you all come up with!

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09131V3V6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_glt_fabc_9ZJWHX0ZY5E5S4XSJKDT?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

(Copy and paste to web browser if link doesnt work)