Knee Deep Blog

Chemo Side Effects: My Hair Falls Out Easily and Effortlessly

If you're just catching up with me you'll want to start here to learn about my discovery of lumpiness behaving badly which is also known as breast cancer to the every day person, as well as why I am writing about my journey of breast cancer and for the time being a breast cancer blog.

My prior post is here.  My next post is here.

The words easily and effortlessly haven't been tied to my hair or hairstyle until now as the most noticeable side effect of chemo continues to transform my appearance - less and less and soon to be no hair.   Earlier this week I kept wondering, should I get a trim?  Nope, no need, everyone I know and see thinks I've gotten my hair cut shorter, but really it's just because my scarves (neck ones) and the turtleneck sweaters I wore this week rubbed off my hair around my neck leaving a few wisps. The cute wispy hairs by my face have fallen / been rubbed out...I think I can blame my phone's earpiece for that.  So much for my initial cute chemo haircut.

What really cracks me up is when someone I know actually compliments my cute short hair and says I look great.  It reminds me to let go.  Of course my bumbling self often can't help but say, I didn't get my hair cut, it's falling out and got rubbed off all around my neck and ears look how thin it is.  That's why I can't wear a wig.  I just know that every time some says I look great, I'll pull it off and say, it's a wig, and  look I'm bald isn't that just crazy?  So much for manners.

Beat Breast Cancer By Being Full of Hope and Maybe Getting a Haircut

If you're just catching up with me you'll want to start here to learn about my discovery of lumpiness behaving badly which is also known as breast cancer to the every day person, as well as why I am writing about my journey of breast cancer and for the time being a breast cancer blog.

My prior post is here.  My next post is here.

Corinne, my sister, called as Tim and I were preparing dinner.  As usual Corinne never begins a conversation with pleasantries, rather jumps knee deep in to the thought she wants to convey,  "Michele, Sandy is dead" is all I heard.

I immediately thought of our family friend back east, but was soon corrected, no, Sandy Reidel who is / was just 42.  "What happened?" I asked. 

"I don't want to tell you."  and after some urging, "She died of breast cancer.  She was just diagnosed last month."

Growing Up with Eli: T-Ball and the Barracudas

There's been so much about me and the breast cancer journey lately, and life is so much more.  Eli constantly reminds me to check back in.  Last night while at a neighbor's 4 year old birthday party we got the call, Eli had just taken the last spot on the Seattle Little League T-Ball Team called the Barracudas.

I really didn't expect much of a reaction from him other than I thought he'd be excited to play with his buddy Henry.  Instead he began jumping up and down, saying, "I'm playing real baseball.  I'm on a real team.  What's its name again?  I'm a Barracuda.  Will I get a uniform?  Will it have a picture or just words?  Do I get a hat?  This is so awesome." Again, and again, and again.

Truthfully I hadn't even told him I was signing him up, rather Henry's mom suggested we put them on the same team so his reaction surprised me.  What amused me happened once we got home.

My First Chemo Treatment - A Bit Uneventful Until Today

If you're just catching up with me you'll want to start here to learn about my discovery of lumpiness behaving badly which is also known as breast cancer to the every day person, as well as why I am writing about my journey of breast cancer and for the time being a breast cancer blog.

My prior post is here.   My next post is here.

The week prior to my first chemotherapy appointment was filled with lots of shifts and other people illness.  Mom, who moved back to New York State last Wednesday, was back at our house nursing a sinus infection that had moved into her lungs - that's what the doctors said.  My sister had intended on having mom at her house with her three kids, but found other care for all but the dog that joined us for five days. Eli had a double ear infection and kept staying home which lead to Tim and I continually trying to figure out how to take care of him, us, the dog, mom and oh yeah our work, and did I mention I was starting chemo that week?

Once I posted my last post, this really didn't leave me much time to even think about my first chemo treatment, which I'll say was a good thing.  No chemo thoughts, no chemo anxiety.  Amazing how that can work.  I was simply focused on keeping my life that I some times now have outside of breast cancer moving forward.