"My hair isn't there because I care"

Dian King read the article in the Leader Times about "Mindy's No Hair Day" and decided to shave her head too in honor of her sister who lost her battle with breast cancer. Dian told me that she couldn't do anything to help her sister, but maybe she could help someone else . . .


I am so blessed and inspired by her--may God bless you richly, Dian!

(I will be posting a list of contributors next week, after the last of the donations will probably be in. We're gonna make it!)

My friends and me are Hair-Free!

Many thanks to my wonderful friend Karen at Hair Tricks in West Kittanning for donating her time and talent to shave six heads today, and my deepest gratitude to the family and friends who sacrificed their hair to raise money to fight breast cancer. Praise God, I am almost to my $5000 goal, and there is still some money to come in!

My nephew, Jason

Josh, a friend

Morgan's boyfriend, Bobby (he looks handsome, huh?)

Bobby's Dad, Blaine

My husband, Burger

Isn't he cute?

Me

Me, again

Morgan sharing her hair

Hair-Free!

We had a great time today!

Beautiful Hair for a Breast Cancer Patient

My dear friend Roxanne had her hair cut off today in honor of "Mindy's No Hair Day" to have a wig made for a breast cancer patient. Pantene Beautiful Lengths encourages women & men to donate their hair, and they provide a wig for a woman who has lost hers due to cancer treatment.


Roxy has gorgeous, thick red hair--what a blessing for someone who is devastated over the loss of her own!


Thank you, Rox! You are one of the best Christian witnesses I know; you and your family are always a blessing to me.

I love flowers--pics from today

Pics from another beautiful day

Back to normal . . .

Thank you, everyone, for your faithful prayers. I felt like my old self both yesterday and today, and so enjoyed normal activities. I hung clothes out on the line . . .


and took a walk and photographed God's creation.


What a wonderful day!

Praise God! I pray that He will richly bless all of you.

I lost 7 pounds on the chemo diet!

. . . I don't recommend it, but at least it was one good thing to come out of the last week and a half.

I visited my oncologist, Dr. Diane BuchBarker of Medical Center Clinic, today. I am just one of those people who is not going to handle chemo well, but we have some plans to try to mitigate the side effects next time.

Thank you, everyone, for you consistent prayers and expressions of support and love. I am doing much better--my sense of humor returned yesterday afternoon!

I actually know a Olympic bobsledder!

How cool is this (no pun intended)--my good friend Tiffany is off to train at the US Bobsled Team's Official Training Camp in Lake Placid, New York. She has started BlogSled so we can follow her adventure. I am so proud of her!

Tiffany is the leader of my Armstrong County Community Foundation's women's giving circle, Infinity. She is bright, fun, creative, professional, beautiful, and now a possible Olympic athlete. I am honored to be her friend.

[Tiffany explaining Infinity to some terrific local women!]

Tiffany is also my very talented ACCF website designer and Vice President of Allegheny Graphics Website Design.

Please visit her blog and encourage her with comments!

Chemo Schedule

My sweet friend Margie asked for my chemo schedule on my blog, so folks would know when to pray, so here it is . . .

I am scheduled on Mondays every 3 weeks for 6 times, beginning last Monday:

April 9 (Cytoxan, Epirubicin, 5-Fu or Fluorouracil)
April 30 (same 3 drugs)
May 21 (same 3 drugs)
June 11 (new drug instead of previous 3--Taxotere)
July 2--my birthday! (Taxotere)
July 23 (Taxotere)

I go the day after every chemo tx for Nuelasta, a drug that stimulates white blood cell production.
Also, I go for blood work every Monday in-between to check my blood counts (my red count needs monitored, as well).

After the chemo, I have 6 weeks of daily radiation therapy.

I don't tell you these things to whine, (although I was really ill yesterday and ended up over at the hospital on IV fluids, an anit-emetic [anti-nausea med], a steriod, and an antacid). If I had had the energy to whine, I would have! Thank God for my husband, who took charge when he got home (I was totally incapable of taking care of myself yesterday--I could not even imagine in my wildest dreams picking up the phone and actually talking . . .) And thank God for the wonderful folks at our Armstrong Cancer Center, who stayed to take care of me. Hutch and Dr. BuchBarker, I don't have words to say how grateful I am. Thanks also so Chris and Hutch, who called today to see how I was. (Shaky, but better!)

We have plans to try different anti-nausea meds next time so this doesn't get so bad. No one ever knows how they will react to chemo--some people breeze right through, so don't be scared.

Those of you with friends going through this, just please be aware that there is so much more to the regime that "just" surgery, chemo, radiation. There are tests and more tests, and surgery to insert a port, and doctor visits, and more tests, and complications. And even after tx is over, there are continuing tests (usually every 6 months) and monitoring, and always the concern that the cancer may recur. For many, there are financial difficulties. Keep them in your prayers.


From a person who hates to take medication (my previous repertoire consisted of ibuprofen and M & M's!), I now have a whole arsenal. It is hard for me to see myself as a sick person who needs taken care of. I want to take care of my family, not the other way around.

Please pray that I can submit to this better than I am. James says "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have it's full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing" [James 1:2-4 ESV]. I really do want to be perfect and complete in Him.

Thank you all again for you love, concern, and prayers.

All Hooked Up

First morning of chemo was good--you can see I'm still smiling. Anti-nausea drugs and steroids did their jobs all morning and into the early afternoon.

I got to see my good Christian friend Chris, who works at the cancer center, and to talk to my friend Joanne (in tha black hat) who has been battling breast cancer for 8 years. Please add Joanne to your prayer list, as 2007 has not been a good year for her so far. She hasn't been able to get treated because of her blood counts are too low. Joanne has always been an encouragement to everyone around her, and now could use a little encouragement herself.

My afternoon and evening, however, did not go so well. I started to feel queasy in the pm, so I took my (very expensive) anti-nausea medication, and proceeded to get much sicker. I took another anti-nausea med (I'm allowed to take more than one at time), but I think it was too late, and I was really ill last evening. My wonderful oncologist, Dr. BuchBarker, called me back and suggested that I not take the expensive med again (a possible side-effect is nausea--go figure), and to take the other one. By 2 am I was feeling somewhat better, and I am at work today, albeit a little queasy.

I went back to the cancer center today to receive my Neulasta shot, which will "whip my white blood cells into producing" so I have less change of getting infections. I'm told it will make my bones feel like they are being whipped, so I would appreciate prayer for that, as well.

I thank God every day for family and friends who care enough to pray, and for a Savior who understands. My husband is a wonderful concerned nurse and helper, and Morgan is such a comfort. Thank you, Lord, for all these blessings.

Ahhh, Chocolate

Burger's Easter candy--cute, huh? Bet he bites the ears first.

I Serve a Risen Savior

I serve a risen Savior, He's in the world today;
I know that He is living whatever men may say;
I see His hand of mercy, I hear His voice of cheer,
And just the time I need Him, He's always near.

Chorus
He lives, He lives,
Christ Jesus lives today!
He walks with me and talks with me
Along life's narrow way.
He lives, He lives,
Salvation to impart!

You ask me how I know He lives?
He lives within my heart.

Hallelujah, He is Risen!
HAPPY EASTER!

Copyrights:

Wikipedia information about He Lives This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.

What's WRONG with this picture???

My view on my way to work today . . .

Hope has Pink(ish) Hair

How amazing is this--my dear friend Dawn Kocher-Taylor, the Administrative Director of Lenape Tech, had the cosmotology class streak a wig pink for me! How sweet is that? Here is instructor Mrs. Zita Como with their handiwork:


The color is pretty light, and because it is a semi-permanent color, it will fade and need re-done. Eventually, I think it will be almost all pink!

Hope is modeling the wig; I will wear it for the first time on "No Hair Day." (By-the-way, did you see how much money I've raised so far? Look at the Firstgiving widget. I have such generous friends.)

Use your gifts for the Lord

My husband loves to work with his hands--gardening, repairs, working on the cars, and building things. He used his skill to honor Christ on Easter by building a cross with white lights around it. It is amazing how far it shines from the hill our house is on--our way of reminding everyone who drives up our road after dark that Jesus died for our sin; that Easter is about the cross and not just bunnies and candy.


Have a blessed Easter. Please pray for those who don't yet know the Savior!