CUMULATIVE
As you become a veteran in your battle to reclaim yourself and your health, you learn that it takes an increasing amount of mental and physical strength to overcome the medicine. As many of you know or quickly learned, chemotherapy is designed to kill the cancer cell cells as well as any "sleeper" cells that may reemerge later. The only problem is that they also attack good cells. Each dose you take kills more innocent victim cells. After your second dose, you learn first hand what "cumulative effect" means. The exhaustion and nausea increased and "the bounce back" took longer with each dosage. I was not prepared for that after dose two but quickly became a battle hardened veteran. That is when I learned that for me, there was a strong connection between looking good and feeling better. As sick as I felt, I wanted to try to look like myself and live in the land of the healthy. For me, it made a huge difference.
Of course, the first physical sign of the chemo was the hair loss, which was traumatic. At my doctor’s suggestion, I had my head shaved after the second chemo treatment so I did not have to go through the experience of watching it fall out in clumps. I bought a couple of wigs. One that looked like my hair and one cut and colored differently (hey, I can always use it in Vegas). I prepared myself (and my staff) by posting a picture of my bald husband in my wig on the office bulletin board. After all, my hair would grow back and his would not, and the wigs were actually nicer (and tamer) hair than my own. My staff took supportive to the next level; three associates (including my assistant, Soon Park) cut off their hair and donated 10 inches in my "honor" to Locks of Love. I cannot tell you how loved it made me feel. I also bought a hair band with only bangs in the front and wisps of hair in the back; it was great to wear under a hat during the summer and on the beach (surprise: wigs are hot as hell!). The family member with the most violent reaction to my baldness was our Westie, Spanky. When I got home from work and removed my wig for the first time, he looked at me, cocked his head and proceeded to vomit on the bedroom rug.
Of course, the first physical sign of the chemo was the hair loss, which was traumatic. At my doctor’s suggestion, I had my head shaved after the second chemo treatment so I did not have to go through the experience of watching it fall out in clumps. I bought a couple of wigs. One that looked like my hair and one cut and colored differently (hey, I can always use it in Vegas). I prepared myself (and my staff) by posting a picture of my bald husband in my wig on the office bulletin board. After all, my hair would grow back and his would not, and the wigs were actually nicer (and tamer) hair than my own. My staff took supportive to the next level; three associates (including my assistant, Soon Park) cut off their hair and donated 10 inches in my "honor" to Locks of Love. I cannot tell you how loved it made me feel. I also bought a hair band with only bangs in the front and wisps of hair in the back; it was great to wear under a hat during the summer and on the beach (surprise: wigs are hot as hell!). The family member with the most violent reaction to my baldness was our Westie, Spanky. When I got home from work and removed my wig for the first time, he looked at me, cocked his head and proceeded to vomit on the bedroom rug.
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