There is so much happening right now.  First of all, I am getting furry.  The hair on my head started sprouting about two weeks ago, and every day I can see the difference.  From a distance, I still look bald, but when you're up close, it's quite petable (is that a word???)  I find myself petting my own head when we're watching movies.  It's so soft.  There's a lot of colorless hairs in there, but some of them look really dark.  It can take a while for the pigment cells to regenerate, so I have hope that I won't be mostly white.  I guess I could just dye it blue and join the little old lady crowd if it is.

 

I can also see little tiny brow hairs and lashes growing in.  I never lost either completely, but they were quite sparse.  I had one lash left on the bottom at one point, and only a few in the middle of the top.  I have had to start shaving the legs more regularly, but the pits aren't growing.  I wouldn't be disappointed if those never came back.  There is also regrowth occuring in the forest, if you get my drift.

 

Today is the day of the pool party and silent auction that my friend Sheryl has organized.  She has put a tremendous amount of effort into this.  I am so excited for it.  There are lots of great auction items, food for the BBQ, a raffle and more.  I am just about overwhelmed with it.  Everything raised will go towards our team fundraising goal for the Komen Foundation.  Next week, we have our Traxx go-kart racing event, too.

 

I had a physical with the doctor who does our annual fitness/physical tests.  I have gone in the last couple of years, so I thought going through it now would provide a good measure of where I am at, and if I am ready to go back to regular duty or if I should consider modified duty.  Everything went well, and he felt that I am just fine to go back.  I also got a release from my oncologist, so once the dept reviews everything and agrees with the recommendations, I will be set to return to duty June 10th!!!  It is so exciting.  I just can't wait to be doing the job again, but even more, to be back amongst the people I work with.  They have been absolutely wonderful in supporting me as I have gone through this second battle with breast cancer.  I can't imagine another place where your co-workers would work every day for you to ensure you received all your pay and benefits as well as holding on to all of your sick leave.  What a gift they have given. 

 

The other day was the halfway point for my friend Tanya's chemo.  Since she is doing 3 months of adriamycin/cytoxan followed by 3 months of Taxol, it also marked the end of the adriamycin treatments.  Her husband, two of her friends in her neighborhood and I had a little surprise party for her at the infusion ward.  It was great because John had planned it ahead with one of the nurses, and she snuck us in the back door so Tanya wouldn't see us.  We decorated the room before they brought her back.  The look on her face was priceless when she walked in.  John had a surprise in store for both of us while we were there.  One of the women I work with, Cynthia Thomas, had made us each a fabulous quilt with pictures from the head shaving party they had at Station 2 in March.  Words can't even describe how awesome these quilts are with all those beautiful bald heads and smiling faces. 

 

We did get some good news from another friend this week.  The same day we decorated Dana's courtyard and that she lost her fight, my friend Stacy spent the whole day at Virginia Mason having tests run and a biopsy done of two nodules on her thyroid as well as a lymph node on her neck.  As she is a melanoma survivor, you can just imagine how stressful this was for her (and for her husband).  Fortunately, the thyroid nodules were definitely benign, and more than likely the lymph node, too.  They will keep an eye on it.  I was on the way home after delivering our gifts to Dana's house when I talked with her on the phone after her procedures.  I just couldn't help thinking, what is happening to my friends.  So I was glad to get her good news.  She has been through enough already.

 

I met with Patti, my fabulous oncology nurse and friend, yesterday.  I will be starting Tamoxifen pretty soon.  We decided to wait until I get back to work and settle in a bit before starting it.  So I will probably start mid to end of June. 

 

I think about Dana and her family every day.  Her obituary was beautiful with a photo of her wonderful, smiling face.  Her family included a whole paragraph on the pink patio day and what that meant to all of them, especially as it was the last day of her life.  I feel fortunate that we were able to be close to her that day even if we weren't able to see her.  I know when we are at the Race for the Cure this year, it will be really difficult knowing she won't be there.  Her spirit will always be with us, though, urging us on just as she did in life.