Happy New Year...meet Heather!

Cycle 2, day 1 of carbo-taxol (warning TMI to follow) brings emotional turmoil, diarreah and stomach cramping. And insomnia (it's the steroids they give you as pre-meds. Barry Bonds ain't got nothing on me!)

Our New Year's Eve: Spencer and Kaelin's Japanese teacher picked them up tonight and took them to a Japanese New Year party while Dave and I were at my all day chemo appointment and then rented all 3 of the "Ocean's" movies and watched only the 1st one so far. Dave picked Kaelin up around 10pm and Spencer stayed the night (I think he's secretly hoping to defend his title in the traditional pancake eating contest). Kaelin passed around these glasses she made at school and we stayed up and took photos (my photo was just too too scary to share) as we watched the Ball Drop and counted down with Dick Clark's Rockin' New Year's Eve.

Here's a photo of my balding head. More and more seems to get lost each day. And boy is this weather cold on this girls naked head! I find hat's itchy or that they affect my hearing if they have ear flaps and affect my peripheral vision if they have brims. And they definately affect my look. I'm definately looking like a cancer patient now, for the first time really. It's very odd. But I love my assortment and continue to alternate wearing them. My photog just hasn't been around lately to take my photo. Or vice versa.

Meet Heather, my wig. It was donated to me. It's not real hair but it's hair I don't have anymore. The color is a little darker than mine, but it looked the best on me. It's straight out of a tiny box, so it's very messy and wild and well, stuffed-in-a-box looking. I guess I need to wash it and set it on a wig stand (which i need to go down the street and buy. It's that simple, you'd think I could handle this!). The ladies at my hat shower, and many people (friends and family) donated money for me to buy a wig for myself. I think, if you all don't mind, I am going to put that towards my trip to reno when the time comes. I just am hoping that I dont' need the use of a wig that long and I can't justify spending that money on a real hair wig yet, even though that is it's purpose. I thank you dearly and am so very very appreciative of your kindness, thoughtfulness and generosity. Wow. And who knows. I might change my mind as time goes on. Bald isn't all it's cracked up to be. But it sure is easy to get ready in the morning! I bet I have you all beat shower to dress and out the door in 15' tops! Maybe you all should shave your heads and buy wigs!!!! I know a couple of great wig shops! ;) And I have lots of friends named Tiffany and Alyssa and Courtney etc! Think of the fun we could all have! And we could mix and match (as long as none of you with hair has lice! LOL) What do ya say? Are you with me????? Chickens!

I hope your New Year is filled with good fortune. I've been told by several people that 2008 is a lucky year. First of all, in numerology the numbers in 2008 add up to a "10" or something like that, and that means good luck. And in the Chinese calendar, it's the year of the mouse. The mouse is supposed to be good luck. I was told to get a mousetrap and break it in half tonight! I think I may just do that tomorrow! I can use a little luck!!! But not in the friend and family department. I won the lotto on that one - I'm the luckiest girl in the world! I love you all!




xoxoxo
Shauna and Team Immel

ps. forgot to say that my locker partner and friend since 8th grade, Tami, got wherehouser (how do you spell that correctly???) to donate a lap top to me thru a non-profit company for my trip to Reno! Woo hoo! I know that my women with Metastatic Cancer Support Group (known as "the Death Squad, but that's a whole nother story and post) were just talking about this very type of thing for our group to have and loan to the women going onto hospice and being bedridden in their comfy hospital beds! Maybe we can look more into this and I'll try and get more info from my awesome friend Tami! I just was a little overwhelmed today with decisions as the chemo nurses kept coming over and asking if I was ready or if I had made my decision yet to have it or not. I did a lot of arguing with myself today trying to come up with the best case scenario, and with cancer, there really isn't one.