This morning we woke to a beautiful blanket of snow covering Anchorage.  We weren't prepared.  Snowblower is in the shed, lawnmower is in the garage, and lots of other summer/winter items need to be swapped.  Our strategy, wait to see if it melts and then get a move on it.  Jared had a team 5k run this morning and Caleb had hockey practice.  Hockey doesn't stop for a little snow - six inches at our house.  

I'm so thankful to be at the halfway mark of this 12 weeks of chemo.  This past week was marked by a cold that moved into my chest, so I am taking antibiotics for 5 days.  My acupuncturist also did cupping to help with my chest and cough.  It seemed to help, but left some interesting marks on my back.  (No, it isn't my wedding dress - it is a cami I wore beneath my suit jacket.)   I'm still trying to eat foods to improve my qi and I took last week off from working out just to sleep.  It felt good, but now I think I'll try to thrown in a few walks or workouts this week.

My counts were all similar to last week's counts and seem to have stabilized a little low, but high enough to have my treatments.  James will continue giving me shots for three days after each chemo treatment to keep my counts up.  I was "dry as a bone" according to my oncology nurse and was given the bonus bag of fluids via IV.  It could be the result of hot flashes, loss of heat through my bald head, or just not drinking enough fluids.   

The day of chemo still pretty much wipes we out.  I'm thankful for wonderful friends who have brought by food on Thursday so we don't have to cook.  After sleeping all day, it has been a treat to wake up to a wonderful meal.  I haven't felt any nausea to speak of, however occasionally the smell of someone's food can turn my stomach.  The day following chemo has been difficult emotionally.  I'm not sure if it is the Paclitaxel or menopause, but it is typically a very sad day for me.  Each day following Friday improves.  

Although I probably work too much, I do love my job.  I was visiting classrooms this past week and stopped in a kindergarten class.  I was kneeling down talking to a little girl on my right about a picture she was drawing when the little boy on my left said, "Mrs. Huffman!  Your hair is growing!" Then he gave me a quick rub on the top of my head.  The little girl behind him asked if she could rub my head too - of course.  

You never really realize how much you love something until it is gone.  We had to put our wonderful St. Bernard down yesterday due to severe hip dysplasia.  Tucker couldn't get up and walk, and when he tried, his hips gave out from under him.  He was in a lot of pain.  James and I took him to the vet while the boys were at school, and although we all knew it was going to happen, it has been a difficult week.  Not only is it difficult because I miss Tucker, but it is so difficult to listen to the heartache when your child talks about how much they love and miss their dog, how they miss vacuuming up Tucker hair, scooping Tucker poop, and how Tucker was supposed to be there until they moved out of the house.  He was only 4 1/2 years old.  Those of you who know James and I well, know what a change we had to make to welcome that furry friend into our home - dog hair and slobber is not something that either of us tolerate well.  I will miss walking downstairs each morning to a warm welcome from Tucker; our morning walks; the head shake with fur flying everywhere; the slobbery dog dish; the muddy paws from his water hole; and feeding him carrots, apples, and peanut butter treats.

I'd like to think that I'm doing well, but the stress this past week took a toll, making it more difficult to keep the tears from flowing.  My counts dropped before Thursday's chemo treatment so I'll need to continue the Neuprogen shots for three days following each chemo treatment.  The good new is that the doctor thinks I'm doing extremely well and inquired about acupuncture so that he could refer others in treatment.  He also said that I wouldn't need a blood draw or doctor visit for three weeks.  And hair?  I have hair growing on top of my head!  I'm not sure if I should let it grow or keep it trimmed.  Wondering if it will stay with this type of chemo treatment and if it will stay when I start radiation.  I have an acupuncture appointment on Monday and will see the naturopath on Friday, with chemo on Thursday as usual.

Knowing that stress can be a leading health problem, I'm trying to keep the stress from work from invading my recovery.  I'm thankful that I'll have a substitute once a week to help my assistant principal.  And I'm thankful for my husband, family and friends that keep me grounded, remind me to take care of myself, and show me they care in so many thoughtful ways.  Thank you...

Yesterday was my third round of Paclitaxel.  Three down and nine to go.

The staff at ANMC is fabulous.  Since the beginning of this journey, I've been so impressed with the staff, nurses, and doctors.  The dread that I get every week having to go to the infusion room quickly changes when I see the staff.  They know the right things to say and do.  It must be a challenging job, but they all do it with such ease and care.

My acupuncturist is amazing as well, and she too is part of the ANMC system.  She knows exactly what is ailing me and is able to place needles so strategically.  She always asks how I'm doing, and like a kid asked what their day at school was like, I answer, "Fine."  She probes with specific questions about my mood, or stress, or pain, and she's always right about the ailment I hadn't thought to mention.  Amazing!

This weekend I'm going to try to eat foods to help my Qi.  I play Qi in words with friends all the time, but didn't even really understand what it was.  Qi is the energy in our bodies, and mine is lacking.

The other thing lacking in our house is healthy bodies.  Caleb had been sick with a chest cold for several weeks, then Jared got the germ, and now James is sick.  We couldn't decide who should wear a mask last night, so we both wore it to bed.  I'm not sure how long it actually stayed on after I fell asleep, and if I fell asleep before James, I'm not sure if he kept his on.  :)

July 26!  I can't believe it has been a month since I last posted.  Believe me, I've thought about it.  My last round of AC was on August 1.  I had the typical week of not feeling well and had I posted then, you would have heard more about the negatives of cancer and chemo.  I try not to dwell on those things, or even ponder them, as they will pass.  I might not even be honest about all of the affects it has on me.  What good would it do?

It has been a little harder more recently to keep up the pace.  I went back to work on July 26 and have hit the ground running ever since.  Working ten to twelve hour days, seven days a week was difficult when I was healthy - now it is pretty much impossible.  Beyond all of the side effects, I think the inability to maintain the family, house, and work schedule is the hardest for me.  That's what brings tears to my eyes, not my hair falling out.

But, I am over half way done with chemo.  I had my first round of Paclitaxel last Thursday, August 23.  I'm scheduled for 12 treatments, one every Thursday until November 8.  My blood count has been low, but high enough not to delay treatments.  Today's white count was 1.8 and red count was 10.2.  A little lower than last week's 2.9 and 11.6.  My absolute neutrophils were 1.9 last week and 1.8 this week.  After this week's treatments, I'll probably need to resume neuprogen shots to boost my count since they continue to drop.  Other than a headache the day after treatment and increasing fatigue, I haven't experienced any of the other side effects.  Things to watch for with this drug:  allergic reaction, lower blood counts, neuropathy, joint and muscle pain, heart problems, vomitting, diarrhea and constipation.  Hmmm...

Speaking of allergic reaction, when they did the first Paclitaxel infusion last week, a nurse watched me closely, along with James, to make sure I didn't have a reaction.  They had a kit ready to go - just in case.  I did leave staggering, as always, but thankfully had no reaction.  After getting home, I slept for four hours.  That's the plan tomorrow - infusion at 8:00am until 11:30 and then home to sleep.

I'll be working part time from here on out taking sick leave every Thursday and Friday until the end of my treatments.  Although I still keep up with work at home, the doctor has advised that I need to reduce my work load.

Speaking of work, I love my job.  The honesty of kids and the joy they bring to a challenging job.  I've heard things that make me smile each day.  "Mrs. Huffman, why did you shave your head?"  "Mrs. Huffman, are you supporting cancer?"  "Mrs. Huffman, are you okay?"  "I don't remember what you looked like last year." (Then I showed the student my id badge from last year.)  "You're the first bald principal I've ever met!"  "You look nice without hair."  "We made this for you." (As a group of fourth grade girls handed me a lei made of clover flowers.)

Next time I won't wait so long to post and you won't have to read so much!  Here are a few pictures taken over the past month.  Thank you for your prayers.

A beautiful bike ride up powerline pass from the parking lot at Flat Top.

The office staff asked me to Take it Off.

A fun hat.

Lovely head wrap.

One of the lessons God's been teaching me through this process is to keep my priorities straight:  to cherish my family and friends, to enjoy each moment and live in the moment, and to take care of myself.  It is easy for me to get caught up in the business of work and day to day routines.  As I head back to work today, I know that I need to avoid falling into that trap.

Fatigue has been the predominant side effect I've noticed most.  There are some funny things like "prickly" hair stubble on my head and inconsistent bowel movements, but fatigue is the hardest for me to deal with.  I don't rest well.  I stopped by the Oncology department to ask if they thought I should do a blood check - they told me it wasn't necessary, fatigue is a part of the game.  I am still taking my supplements and going to acupuncture.

I had an appointment with the naturopathic doctor today who thinks I am doing well - no joint pain, no mouth sores, no neuropathy - lots of things to celebrate (and I'm not being sarcastic).  After reviewing the supplement list, he asked me if I minded adding one more pill and I paused before answering.  He picked up on my lack of enthusiasm, but explained the benefits of taking alpha lipoic acid and I was on board.  I left with a updated list of supplements as my chemo regiment will be changing after the fourth treatment on Wednesday. 

I have thoroughly enjoyed my summer with family and friends - what a blessing each and every one of you are to me.  We just finished another trip to Homer with James' brother and even though there were some rough seas, we were finally able to get out and fish, enjoy the scenery and have fun. 

It has been a fabulous week with family visiting from Kansas City, MO.  We were able to enjoy the outdoors including hiking Flat Top; mountain biking (for the boys) and Saturday Market for the rest of us; and a trip to Homer and Seldovia to fish for halibut.  My energy level has stayed pretty good with lots of help from family and friends.

45 Pounder

Double hook-up

Fishing out of Seldovia was a lot of fun with calm seas and plenty of fish.  Our largest fish was about 45 pounds but most were around 20 pounds.  We kept the fatties and threw the rest back.  Everybody caught fish - we even caught a few rays and cod.  The halibut were fun to watch as they followed up their hooked buddies in schools.  I was even able to lean over the boat and gaff an unhooked halibut.

My blood work Wednesday was good showing my red count had climbed to 12.2 and my white blood cells were at 6.4; everything else looked good.  With that being said, I had chemo Thursday morning and followed the usual routine: 7 anti nausea pills, hook up to the medi port, steroid iv, anti nausea iv, Adriamycin iv, Cytoxan iv, and a final flush.  Everything went well and I had some great company and a fabulous nurse who kept me smiling and laughing for 3 hours.  I was pretty tired, so came home and slept for over 3 hours, but was able to enjoy some deep fried halibut for dinner. 

Looking forward to acupuncture today so she can address the nausea that woke me up last night.  I'm still taking all of my supplements which seem to be helping a great deal.  I did start my menstrual cycle Tuesday, however the flow was only heavy one day and night so that's an improvement.  Wednesday night I woke up covered in sweat - so maybe menopause started and that was my first hot flash.  But probably not.

7/5
I haven't blogged in awhile and have been feeling kind of blah for a couple of days.  I can't quite put my finger on what it is.  Could it be all of the chemo drugs running through my body?  I forget about that.  My request for acupuncture tomorrow - stick the needles in where ever they will make me feel happy and full of energy!

My therapy has been cooking (and Pinterest).  The boys love it.  Chocolate chip cookie batch number 2.  Vitamin waters - my favorite is pineapple, lemon grass, ginger, and mint.  Spicy smoked salmon and barbequed ribs were on the menu this week. And home made hamburger buns for moose burgers tomorrow. 







I took a few days off from working out and this morning while running, I ran into a black bear as a rounded the corner.  He was "looking into" mailboxes, basically getting on his hind legs and looking at the closed box.  He was about 100 yards down the road and I didn't get a very good picture of him, but I did turn around and backtracked the way I came.  I was still able to get in 3 1/2 miles and didn't run into him again.  James' reminder - run with the bear spray - which I usually do.  This was the first time I didn't have it...really!

Thank you for all of the notes, emails, phone calls and prayers (and hats).  They really lift my spirits.  James, Jared and Caleb are very understanding and patient, but often aren't sure what I need.  I often don't know either.  So thank you!

Much love,
Lisa