Peace of Mind

So, the bone scan was negative.  Woohoo!

In true Dr. Sara fashion, he didn't beat around the bush but rather walked into my exam room and blurted out those words (well, maybe he left out the "woohoo").  Of course, I was relieved, but after he told me last time that he wasn't too worried about it, I wasn't too worried about it either.

Still, it's very nice to know for sure!  And, who knows, the scan could have showed nothing on my spine but new spots we didn't even know about, since it was a head-to-toe test, so that is nice to know for some peace of mind too.

Dr. Sara reiterated that I am not going crazy or turning into a hypochondriac to start worrying about every little thing.  He said that I am not a "worrier" and in fact I worry just about the right amount.  But once you're diagnosed with cancer, it's hard not to let your mind go there every time you feel a little ache or pain.

He told me that growing up in Lebanon, his family used to get fresh milk delivered every day straight from the farm.  Before they could drink it, it would have to be boiled.  Anyone who accidentally burned their tongue on boiled milk would be careful not to make that mistake again, because it was painful.  Now, yogurt is also a staple of the Middle Eastern diet.  So, they have a saying: anyone who has burned their tongue on boiled milk blows wind on yogurt!  Point being, you become a little paranoid, and that is normal.

Dr. Sara said that I am still a normal person, and I'm still going to get normal aches and pains, headaches, etc., just like I did before I got cancer.  The difference is that before, I would think nothing of it, and now I wonder if every little thing is cancer.  He said that one good thing to keep in mind is that aches and pains that come and go are almost always nothing.  Aches and pains that come and stay are still usually nothing, but should still be checked.  I guess that makes sense - if there is a tumor growing somewhere, it's not going to magically grow and shrink and grow again, but will probably be able to be felt constantly.

He also said that no matter what, if there is ever anything bothering me (even if it's a pain that comes and goes) I should never hold back from telling him, and we'll get it checked out.  I'm not really one to hold back, so that shouldn't be a problem!

Now, I am nearing the halfway point of this course of chemo.  I started in early October and it's meant to last about 5-6 months or so, and I am still feeling no side effects.  Still no numbness or tingling in my fingers or toes, and my blood counts are still good.  My eyelashes don't seem to be falling out as much, which is nice.  They're still definitely thinner than usual, but I'm probably the only one noticing.

My hair is still fully in tact and in fact, I got my first haircut this week!  I decided I wanted a little more shaping too it (longer on top, shorter in back), plus I felt like I had leftover damaged chemo hair on the ends so I wanted to get rid of that.

Check it out:

My mom took this pic in the hospital waiting room Friday.  I'm happy with my hair right now, and you know, according to Glamour magazine, the pixie cut is "in" right now, so I'm going to stick with this for a little while!  Special thanks to my stylist Rita!

Well, that is all for now.  I have two more treatments left in 2010, and then it will be on to 2011!!