7 Lucky Years

Matt and I tied the knot 7 years ago.  Despite not being able to get out and do much, Matt planned a nice Sunday dinner complete with strawberry cheesecake for dessert.  For dinner, he made chicken salad sandwiches b/c that's the dinner we had 7 years ago when we realized we were starved after taking a few extra pictures at the temple.  My Aunt Sherry fed us chicken salad sandwiches on the go and away we went as a married couple.  I had forgotten about that, but not Matt.  He's more sentimental than me, and I like that.  Seven years doesn't seem so long, does it?  Yet it feels like I've been with my Matty for.... forever.

My One True Beauty

I love my hair.  Do you remember the scene in Little Women when Jo comes back from getting her hair chopped off and Amy cries out, "Jo!  You're one true beauty!"  That's kinda how I felt when I knew I'd lose my hair.  My teeth are crooked, I have an over bite and freckles, I even have a lazy eye when I chew food.  My hair was really the one thing I loved about my looks.  But it's gone now, and I'm okay with it being gone.  Really.

My friend, Julie, offered to do the chopping.

Going to give my locks to a wig factory for someone else to enjoy.

And here I am without my one true beauty.  I'm okay with it.  Really.

What is Chemo Like?

Chemo affects everyone differently.  Here's how it affected me:

After the first treatment, I came home and slept the next 3 days.  Matt would wake me to give me my medications.  I had zero energy and just felt yuck.  The medications would make me dizzy and light headed and I'm sure I just wanted to close my eyes to it all and chose sleep as a way to do that.

Days 4-10 were the hardest.  It was like I couldn't do ANYTHING but wanted to do EVERYTHING. I couldn't even look at my phone or return texts bc I would get so dizzy and sick.  I couldn't even watch a movie.  I would just have to listen to it while I closed my eyes.  Reading was also not an option.  So I probably did what any normal human being would do.  I cried.

I had to go to the cancer clinic a couple times to get hydrated with IVs.  I was even saying things that didn't make sense.  Luckily Matt took an entire week off work so he could be here for the kids and me.  I felt trapped in my own body.  Nothing tastes good and I didn't want to eat.  I would have diarrhea in the middle of the night and always felt "sick."  

After day 10 - my mind still isn't what it used to be, but I'm blogging now, and that's huge.  The doctors told me I have something called "chemo Brain".  It's a real thing.  they are a little concerned I have signs of it so early.  Most get it toward the end of their treatments, so we are hoping my body just likes to do things backward.  Chemo Brain can stay with you for a very long time.  I'm a little (lot) concerned about this, but the doctors insist on going forward, so I guess I'll trust them and all the research they say they've studied.  There really isn't more I can do.

First Chemo Treatment

July 5, 2018

First Chemo Treatment

Ward members decorated our home with hearts for the occasion.  Teal is the color that represents ovarian cancer.

Took my chemo bag that a sister in our ward croqueted and it was filled with loving items from dear friends and ward members - chapstick, sudoko, card game, magazine, etc.

Here we go!!!

Have you ever had medicine strapped to the back of your arm and administered 2 days later via robot/machine and catheter?  I have.

Gunnison's 4th of July Celebration - Good for the Soul

It was a blessing that we got to enjoy the 4th of July.  The Cancer Center wanted me to start chemo on July 2nd, but I told them no.  Spending the 4th together was important, and it did wonders for my psyche.  After Matt got home from work, we headed down to Gunnison and saw the concert (Beatles group) and fireworks.

We stayed the night and attended the parade the next morning.

Then had fun at the carnival afterward.

Got to visit with old friends.

The Sorensens got out of the heat and went to the cabin for the BBQ.  It was nice and cool and fun.  Zip line (that's Gavin on there),

hike, good food and laughs.

We got back to Saratoga around 10 pm and were able to see all the neighbor's fireworks and light our sparklers - the only kind of firework this momma allows us to buy.  Laynie wouldn't dance with hers so...

I had to show her how it was done.

Happy Day of Freedom, Family, Fun, Food, and Festivities!

I Love America!

Burger King! Gimme the Calories!

After recovering from C. Diff, we went out to eat in celebration of being able to eat.  In fact, it was so momentous that we went out to eat two days in a row.  First to a pizza place and then to Burger King. (Had to try to pack some calories on.  I've lost over 20 lbs through everything I've been through.)

We went to the opening day of the Cory B Wride Memorial Park in Eagle Mountain City Center.  AWESOME facility.  Laynie kept running to the splash pad then back to me in shear delight.

During the ER visit, Cousin Ashley came and watched the kids.  She put together a little superhero video with the kids.  Laynie was Bubblegum Girl.

Ahhhh....  Could it be?  A "normal" picture that doesn't involve something medical?

Severe Reaction to Vancomycin Warrants Visit to ER

Well folks, down here in Saratogy, we don't do things the usu'l way.  We likes to go round about things, stirrin' up trouble and gettin' ourselves severe allergetic reactions to the medications we be on.

Why, just the other day, when I thought I was sittin' high an mighty on my bottle of antibiotic, it decided to buck me right off.  Patches of itchiness took over my epidermy, my left eye got all swollen shut - reeeeeal tight.  Once it got to the point where I told Matt I was havin' breathin' difficulties, we saddled the Corolla and headed for help.

The doctor and nurses were reeeeeal nice and gave me steriods and Benadryl.  Even got to find out my port does in fact work.  So... let this be a lesson to all you younguns out there.  When ya ain't feelin' right, be sure ya got some proper medication workin' your way through your plumbing's.