The Wigging (a video), and chemo round 2 tomorrow

Thank you family and friends for your incredibly positive and supportive comments after taking this step with my hair. I had family and friends with me to pick the wigs out two weeks ago (helped by online comments on this blog), and I had family and friends with me during the donation, buzz and wigging. Special thanks to the beautiful, smart, creative, brilliant and fun Julie Percha for shooting and producing this video so I could share the experience with you all. Special thanks also to Hans of Eivind and Hans Salon in Georgetown. Friday, I'll be helping them celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the American Cancer Society's Look Good, Feel Better program.  Good thing I got the wig on day 16 after round 1. Today is day 20 and it is coming out like crazy. Day 14 was the day it really noticeably started coming out.



Wednesday, I will be at the hospital all day. My first appointment for bloodwork is at 9:15am, doctor visit at 10:30, chemo infusion from 11am-probably after 5pm. I plan on doing my ice chips during the infusion. I also decided to follow the research trajectory of Valter Longo at USC and do a water-only fast for 48h before chemo, the day of, and 24h after for 4 days total. It has shown a marked reduction in side effects (esp. nausea and diarreah, to a lesser extent fatigue and oral mucositis). Mixed evidence suggests it might help in cancer cell apoptosis, aka death, including specifically for breast cancer, though maybe not all types of cancers. It won't hurt me, and it maybe will help. Most people (70% of those surveyed) just think it would not be for them. After having experienced round 1, I would do anything to feel better, including only drink water for 4 days straight. If Jesus could do it in the desert for 40 days, surely I can make it for 4.

Other things I have been looking at lately include exercise oncology. It actually may be helpful to do light/moderate activity DURING chemo to help the blood vessels enlargen and better reach the tumor with the chemo. I may walk around the infusion center a little and do some air squats every 15 minutes or so to help. Moderate intensity has a whole new meaning for me these days, especially after I had to nap 4 hours after GI Jane this weekend. Exercise oncology is a brand new, emerging field. Even more so than the nutrition oncology stuff I have been looking at. Still, Duke is studying it. Sloan-Kettering is studying it. More benefits than harm I think. I'm doing it. One of my favorite exercise from a physical therapist whose name I have now forgotten is: "Motion is the lotion of life."  Gotta keep on movin'!