Tomorrow I get weekly chemo #2 (Taxol). Last week I had a body shaking/teeth chattering type reaction to the loading dose of every three week Herceptin which I hope not to repeat again again. In 2011-2012 I never had any difficulties with Herceptin and I'm counting on a year of it in my aersenol again now. Hopefully that drip going slower than already slow and the additional pre-med, all will be fine.
I posted a health update, a link to a fun "Bald Headed Blues" song I thought you guys might enjoy, and a B & A of my daughter's hair donation to Pantene's Great Length's Program in my blog today:
http://jpoliver.com/wordpress/archives/1623 . You fellow Her2 warriors are welcome to subscribe to my blog if you'd like. Anybody else here have a blog they want to share? I'd love to check it out.
I am thankful that two plus weeks of lots of PT/scar work at the clinic and at home helped my post mastectomy contracture that I got despite proactively exercising and using that arm: what a relief to be making headway on that challenge!
I read somewhere long ago that every cell in my body is listening to my thoughts. My friend Deb recently shared this quote with me along with a few of her impressions and I’ve been thinking about it’s implications in my life and especially in this cancer battle:
“The expectation of an event causes the same set of complex neurons to fire as though the event was actually taking place, triggering a cascade of events in the nervous system that leads to a whole host of real emotional and physical consequences.” from The Happiness Advantage. This is a psychological study of people who excel and seem happy in stressful, overwhelming circumstances. Basically, fully expecting something to happen produces all the same emotions and physical reactions as if the event actually happens. To repeat: We can fully experience all of the same anxiety and depression about an event JUST by expecting it to happen. I’m wondering how much grief I have caused myself over the years worried/expecting the worst to happen. Even if the worst does happen, I don’t need to experience it all weeks ahead of time. No wonder I’m exhausted”.
After reading this, I unearthed my "Cancer Fightin' Words" I started years ago and posted them here if anyone is interested:
http://jpoliver.com/wordpress/archives/1548. Maybe you guys have some positive affirmations to add to my list.
One day at a time and we'll get through.
Have a great day!
Paula