The Dawn of Cycle 3 of Chemo treatments, Busy Season, AND Creepy Selfie Pictures!

I have had some recent requests lately to update my blog. I can't believe it has been over a month since my last post! I guess I have been busier than I thought because this past month, all holidays included, flew by! I can't believe it is already January! January means a start to longer days at work and Saturdays in the office. I have been back to work just as usual!

Here is my medical situation/update: 
(1) every two weeks, blood work
(2) every four weeks, appointment with doctor to get next cycle's meds
(3) first MRI since starting the chemo will be at the end of January 

Two weeks into Cycle 1 (250 mg of Temodar), my white, "fighter" blood cells were very low so they recommend lots of hand washing, staying away from people etc. Four weeks in, they went up but not enough so for Cycle 2, Dr. Weaver reduced my dosage down to 220mg, this remained the same for Cycle 3 which I started Monday, Jan 6. Apparently the dosage may change throughout, depending on my blood work. Its Thursday, and 4 days in, I still feel pretty good. 

I actually went to Brown's tonight with some friends to wish my bestie +Eileen McElduff off to her new career and location! Although she will be missed in Albany, this gives more reasons for group trips :-) LOVE YOU SO MUCH GIRL! GOOD LUCK!!!! 

OH YEAH, getting these pills has been a TRAIN WRECK each month. They have to be home delivered from a specialty pharmacy. Somewhere along the process, something gets screwed up, every time. Also, once a month (and yes, it still gets screwed up), I have to have a 15 minute phone call with the specialty pharmacy to tell them my name, DOB, address, insurance company, dosage, if I have any extra on-hand, if I have any questions, if it needs to be signed for, social security number. Okay, the last one is a stretch but it is just very annoying. AND they don't call you to tell you if it didn't go through, instead, you have to call them and find out that the insurance company didn't approve it and it will cost a low $6,000+ a month, then you call insurance, it's a pain! I have to say, this past cycle (maybe third time is a charm?) went much smoother. 

I started slowly reducing the steroid I have been on since my surgery but then I started getting those weird, hard to explain, headaches, feeling of tightness/pressure, unable to focus, etc. SO, the Dr. says it is probably from that, so I upped the dose again and I have been feeling better. One major negative side effect = sleeplessness. 

So, I think I wrote in my last blog about how my left eyebrow started to thin and "no one noticed" and then every couple days, it would get worse and worse. After crying about it, more than I wanted to, I decided to do something about it. I watched some how to pencil/fill in your eye brow videos on youtube, bought the best products available (Anastasia Beverly Hills), and soon enough, became a pro at making eyebrows. I'll admit, for those weeks where it was completely bare, even the most talented make-up artist couldn't make them look real but I did my best and I had my bangs to help hide them. In addition, I lost a lot more hair than I was hoping. The top and left side was really bad. The clip-in bangs have been really a life saver. I am so used to putting them in and shadowing in my brows, it has become part of my daily routine (maybe have to get up 10-15 min earlier but whatever).

At first, I would say the worst part of all of this was at night and weekends. I still have to take my make-up off and take my clip-in bangs off and then it's just like, oh wow, this still sucks but I'm so used to that now. I can't just wake up on Saturday and Sunday like I used to and run errands without a little work but it really doesn't bother me. And now having people spend the night or me staying else where with groups of people is just kind of awkward. But I just can put on a headband to sleep and wash all the make-up around my brows off. It's worked out so far!

Anyways, Very few people had the "privilege" to see what this actually looked like throughout the process but now that it is finally growing back, I am willing to show the world. I guess I just want to show people again, that life really isn't that bad! 

Brows: Top Left (original), Moving Down (slowly thinning, getting worried), Top Right (non-existent - the WORST few weeks for me, this may have possibly been my most recent break down point), Moving Down (slowly growing back, happy as can be)

Self explanatory missing hair.

BUT, as stated above, I have managed to shadow in my brows, clip in my bangs and get ready for the day! I even look like I did when I was a youngster :-)

Same hair style 20+ years later. Love it!

Or on most weekends and lazy nights, I have been wearing these...

Picture was post eyebrow fiasco.

And I really don't want to gross anyone out so if you hate scars, staples, etc. I would advise you not to look much further (even though you can probably see it already..lol. I'm sorry) but I wanted to show everyone how amazing the surgeon was with re-stitching me and how well it has healed since July.

Who would have thought? Just Amazing.

While I was going through this crazy picture blog moment, I came across this gem that never hit the social world. Me with one of my nurses in ICU after surgery.

I was most likely her favorite patient :-) JK

Alright well I am done with the pictures in this post, I promise!

If anyone is wondering, I had a FABULOUS holiday break. I spent so much time with my family. I got to see all of my friends who live near and far (special shout outs to the out of state and country people, +Ashley Gaylord (Chicago), Randi Williams (Tampa) and Mark Coleman (somewhere in Italy). This was all so special to me! Celebrating Randi's bachelorette was AMAZING! LOVED IT!!! Missed +Laura Konderwich but was able to video chat with her pretty recently :-) LOVE YOU ALL

I also started studying for the CPA exam again. Wish me luck!

Until next time...

<3 Erica Nicole