Ruth Update, March 17, 2008

Dear Friends, Relatives, and Prayer Partners,

 

Happy Birthday, Matt!  He was home for the whole week for spring break, but had to go back to classes today, so we had his birthday celebration on Saturday.  Tony was here, too, and it was great to have him.  Especially since we had Big Tony's pizza.  He had some advice, but he made some fine pizza.  Used my recipe for the flour, but he did the work, except for forming the dough.  I do have a bit of experience with that.  He also made Sunday dinner for us.  Yum!

 

We gave Matt a video camera for his birthday, and Tony gave him some video editing software.  Gee, I wonder how Tony knew!  ;-)  So, be watching for Matt on YouTube -- timsbro2000.  He has already posted some videos he "shot" with his laptop.  Thank you to all who were watching his monkey video.  You can stop now, as the contest is over.  I don't know the final results yet, but he was pretty high in the numbers race.

 

Another event this weekend was the head shaving.  Matt got video, and Tony took stills.  I will try to post some on the blog, and will link to whatever Matt comes up with.  I think he may delay posting the video, as he has plans for it for the future. 

 

My hair was not coming out in chunks yet, but was beginning to fall out.  We didn't shave off the stubble this time, so I am not completely slick.  If the stubble doesn't fall out, we'll know I jumped the gun.  I am not too worried, though.  The Taxotere is related to Abraxane, which took out my hair completely.  The Taxol I had the first time around was given with Adriamycin, which would do the trick by itself.  I did get some peach fuzz, or "preliminary hair" at the end of my first treatment regimen, but then I was having weekly low doses of Taxol by itself, rather than the powerful doses every three weeks.

 

Tomorrow I take the last oral dose of Xeloda for this cycle.  I take it morning and evening for fourteen days and then get seven days off.  I start again on the day I get my next IV Taxotere treatment, the Tuesday after Easter, and my doctor wants to bump up the dose.  I think this is the drug that is giving me the metallic taste in my mouth, and spoiling my enjoyment of licorice.  Oh, well, licorice does other things to me, so I can't eat much of it anyway.  Have to switch to gumdrops!  I still like chocolate, too!  No, you don't need to send me candy.  I have enough trouble walking by it in the grocery store.  Also, Matt brought home most of the ten-pound bar of dark chocolate we gave him for Christmas, so we are working on that.

 

Yesterday, I had coffee with a friend I had not seen in a while.  I had to tell her to wipe the wrinkles off of her brow.  "But I'm worried about you!"  I can appreciate that.  Thanks. 

 

Get your mammograms.  Do your self-exams.

 

Love,

 

Ruth