Breast Cancer Blog Update – Sleep… Finally and Video
Here is another breast cancer blog update. I talk about finally getting some sleep, shaving my head because of chemotherapy hair loss, and having a fever during chemo.
Breast Cancer Blog Update – Sleep… Finally and Video
We had a nice Thanksgiving. I hope you all had a great one as well.
I’m still in Dallas. Morry, the boys, and Lizzy went back to Austin yesterday. I’ll be flying home Wednesday.
Achy from Chemo
I’m feeling a lot better. Last weekend was rough. Saturday was the worst. I was so achy I could hardly move. Sunday we shaved my head. It was both a physically and emotionally hard weekend.
Each day this week I started feeling better and better. I was able to eat some of the Thanksgiving dinner and enjoy Morry’s famous chocolate pie (cool whip and pudding).
Breast Cancer Plastic Surgeon – No Expander Expansions With Fever
Wednesday I had an appointment with my plastic surgeon. I had planned on getting expansions at that visit, but since I was on antibiotics and had a low-grade fever earlier in the week he didn’t want to take any chances with infection. Everything looked good and the doctor was pleased with my progress. He asked how my skin was doing. I said great except the itchy scalp. The nurse suggested I shave my head completely bald. She said a lot of patients get relief once they do that.
Shaving My Head Completely Bald Because of Chemo
My mom made an appointment for me with her stylist to get my hair shaved. When I got there he said he wasn’t licensed to shave, but could use the smallest clipper setting. It helped but I still wasn’t completely itching- free.
Later that night my dad shaved my head for me with his electric razor. I’m sure he never planned on ever needing to do that. Anyway, I’m feeling a lot better now.
Bald and Less Nausea
Since Morry and the boys went home yesterday, we had a quiet relaxing evening, though I do miss having them around. I went to bed at 10:30 last night and slept until about 10:30 this morning. Wow! I can’t tell you the last time I was able to do that. I feel so much better today and I hardly have any nausea today. Today, I was able to eat a good brunch (my dad’s famous omelets).
Morry’s dad, Jack was here for Thanksgiving. Michael and Jen are still here and leave tomorrow. It’s been great hanging out with all of them. Evan and Noah really enjoyed playing with Zayde, and Uncle Mike and Aunt Jen.
Well, I hope I continue to feel better. My next chemo is scheduled for 12/10.
Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving and weekend.
Breast Cancer Vlog Update
I just posted a video update with most of this info and a little more on YouTube here.
Read more about my breast cancer journey from 2009 to the present here.
If you know anyone having a mastectomy or other breast surgery, these breast cancer recovery shirts are a must-have.
Rachel K. Belkin, M.Ed, is a journalist and writer with over 15 years of expertise in travel, business and marketing education, health, and local Austin, Texas events.
With a Master's degree in education from Texas State University and a Business Foundations Certification from The University of Texas at Austin McCombs School of Business, Rachel's extensive background is highlighted by her published works and contributions to prestigious publications, including HuffPost, Hometalk, Matador Network, AP News, and MSN.com, as well as on her own platforms, Rachel K. Belkin, Elkin Bay, and Probe the Globe.
Beyond her accomplishments in writing, Rachel is a sought-after educator, teaching businesses effective marketing strategies and content creation techniques. Notably, she successfully built a blog from scratch in 2008, ultimately selling it for six figures in 2021.
Rachel's commitment to advocacy is exemplified by her role on the Breast Cancer Resource Center Advisory Council, particularly contributing to the success of the Young Survivor Project. Rachel is also an experienced public speaker with appearances on TV segments for Fox 7 Austin, KXAN, and CBS Austin and as a speaker at conferences and professional networking meetings for business owners and cancer survivors.
