Day 27

I cannot believe how great I feel. After the last treatment (Oct 8) I felt a little icky again and had a headache as well. This lasted until Monday (Oct 13), but Tuesday I woke up feeling great.

Rick's Mom & Dad came on Friday and took us out for dinner for my birthday :) We went to a Chinese Buffet - yummy!! They also stayed overnight at our house, which they never do. It was great to have a spare room to offer them. We had a wonderful visit together and they couldn't believe how I was doing after 2 treatments. And I still have all my hair! I had gone to the cancer clinic a few weeks ago with my mom and brought home some turbans and knitted hats just to be ready. Also, a new friend I haven't met in person yet, only through email and via her blog, has lent me some hats. This new friend is the sister of the wife of one of our pastors. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in January and has gone through some difficult months with chemo, surgery and radiation, and she is now praying for ME as I begin my journey. It's amazing the people God brings into your life. Thank you Debbie for the hats and your prayers!!

Today I had my oncologist appointment. He said that they will book a CT scan for me for the end of November to check my liver and see what the next step is. If there is anything on/in the liver it will have to be removed surgically. So please pray specifically that God would remove any cancer from my liver. I had asked my surgeon where the liver is and where would they do the incision. She showed me and it seems that it would be a pretty serious surgery (being an organ and all) and the incision would be much longer than the one I received for my colon surgery. My oncologist also said that I would have 6 months total of chemo. I was hoping to be done after 3 so 6 sounded like a lot. But then I realized I've got 1 month done already and only have 5 months left. That's not too bad. By then it'll be close to spring and Rick's & my 25th anniversary. He also said if surgery is needed they'll give me a break from chemo.

Today I attended a Look Good, Feel Better workshop offered at the clinic for women with cancer. It's a fun 2 hour get-together with women who are going through many of the same struggles. They teach you how to take care of your skin and use some makeup techniques while going through chemo. You get a box of skin care and makeup products which have been donated by the Cdn. Cosmetic, Toiletry & Fragrance Assoc. (CCTFA) After the workshop you get to bring the box of goodies home. It's like Christmas came early. I met a lady that had been diagnosed with colon cancer in April of this year. Her eye doctor brought it to her attention. He saw some degeneration (I think) and suggested she get a colonoscopy. She did and had surgery by the end of April. She had 3 months of chemo and never lost any hair. She said it all depends on the chemo cocktail used and of course "symptoms vary from person to person". So maybe I won't lose mine. Who knows. We'll just have to wait and see.

Well that was my day and week. Thank you for letting me share with you. Tomorrow is another doctor appointment, this one with my family doctor just to keep up with all that's going on with me. Then Wednesday my 3rd treatment.

Thank you so much for the cards, email, comments and prayers! I really do feel covered in prayer and very blessed to have family and friends like you.