One Week Post Chemo #1, by Libby

Hey! I wanted to give an update a week after my first chemo treatment. I’m feeling great. No symptoms except maybe some occasional itching here and there. I do have a little bit of neuropathy in the tips of my toes but I think that was from the initial chemotherapy.

The lump on my face is continuing to shrink from the BV (chemo medicine)! but I still don’t have the full  use of my lower lip. It feels pinned down by the tumor. I am hopeful when it completely resolves, the unevenness will be back to normal. I hope!

I got an email from Dr. Lechowicz that next step is on Thursday at Emory. Hopefully she will have all of the results from my visit to Memorial Sloan Kettering From Dr. Horwitz from my biopsy there. On Thursday they will take 6 tubes of blood from me to start the “typing” to prepare for the stem cell/bone marrow transplant. Mom and Dad, Carl and Sheri will come too so that we have an initial visit with the transplant team. I purposely have not done my own research on stem cell transplants like I normally would. I am taking one day at a time and letting them feed me the information as I need it.

My main objective is to take good care of my mind, body and soul each day by prayer, keeping stress low by laughing a lot, excersise, and healthy eating. I also am getting great comfort from my sweet friends and colleagues and by hearing their stories. In addition to Caroline’s breast cancer, I have been in touch with a dear friend going through chemotherapy for colon cancer, with a friend that has survived ovarian cancer and another friend who was recently diagnosed with thyroid cancer and will be having surgery next week.

Oh! And I painted this picture of my sweet Watson this weekend. Painting has always been very therapeutic for me. More on that subject will be for another day…