Saturday, December 20, 2008

Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow

Seattle is home and doing pretty good. We are so thankful and happy to have our 4-legged friend back.

We brought him home Thursday night with his IV capped off to see if he would eat in his home environment. It didn't go well. You could tell he was traumatized from his ordeal and having the IV still in his leg. Vic was able to get him to eat a little Friday morning - his first food since Sunday. Seattle went back to the vet hospital Friday morning and they released him last night. He was given appetite stimulation drugs and he is eating just fine! He is weak - can you imagine being in a cage with no exercise or food for 5 days?

I was able to get out on a lunch hour this week to buy Vic a birthday gift. That small act lifted my spirits. Even though he saw the gift already (brat), it felt good to do something "normal". We went out last night after work to get the last items for Christmas.

Today we are preparing for the new round of snow and wind that is expected tonight. The Seattle area just can't handle this amount of snow. . . . there aren't enough snow plows and equipment to clear all the roads. It doesn't make sense to purchase alot of snow equipment given that the area gets hit with big storms every couple of years.

The post-chemo dry eyes and blurry vision continues. Vic just brought home a new humidifier so we'll see if that helps. I am using TheraTears 4 times a day, but it helps only for a little while. Then let's go into the dry skin . . .ugh. Winter always brings about dry skin for me . . .but add in chemo, it is so much worse.

The fingers and toes continue to hurt. Not sure how much is neuropathy and how much is from the nails. The nails hurt when buttoning shirts, typing and when I press on them. Each hand has two nails with red/pink marks starting at the top. The article I just linked talks about the line reflecting the timing of chemo. I've found that keeping the nails short helps, but darn if these things aren't growing an inch daily! Okay, I exaggerate . . . but I haven't seen this much nail growth in my life!

While I am so glad and elated that chemo is done, it is definitely a gift that keeps on giving and giving and giving.

Hair continues to grow and fill in. Anyone going through chemo, I highly recommend using the 3 product system of Nioxon! I started using it right after I buzzed my hair and have never gone completely bald . . smooth, shiny bald. I've had peach fuzz the entire time and now 3/4" growth. Losing the hair and finding what's right and comfortable to wear (scarves, wigs, hats) is the hardest part of this whole journey. I find that I still battle the "depression" when I see myself in the mirror.

Life continues and I'm thankful for that!

~Renee



3 comments:

  1. I love you Renee and am sooo thankful you are finished with Chemo. I pray for you often, and I will be really praying for your depression. I totally can relate to that, it's not fun, that's for sure. I'm sure the gloomy, snowy weather doesn't help.

    I pray you can have a wonderful Christmas and Birthday with Vic. And I'm sure the family doesn't even expect gifts in light of what you've been through. Just "throw a few dollars their way and they'll be happy!" =0) Really though, their gift is you! That's all they want. I bet each one of them would say and feel that way.

    Praying you feel the Lord's presence at Christmas and each day.

    Love you!
    Kim

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  2. Kim,

    I love you! Thank you so much for your continued prayers and support.

    I'm amazed at those who have stood by me through the BCC (breast cancer crap) and continue to support me with comments, prayers, emails and such. I'm so thankful for you and these others!

    ~Renee

    P.S. Vic said the same thing, with tears in his voice, "they'll be happy to just have you".

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  3. That looking-in-the-mirror thing...when I finished chemo, a woman I'd just met said to me, "try to picture yourself as God sees you." I still struggle with it, the intangible, as well, but I hope you can feel calm at least sometimes. Nails...hair...everything takes time. Plus, you're impossibly hot. Have a merry Christmas.
    Kathy

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