Dear Friends,


Well...I made it through my first Chemo....I was ready to embrace this step on Wednesday...I had insomnia on tuesday night due to some pre-chemo meds that they gave me...so when the alarm went off at 5am...I had just fallen asleep at 4:30 when I last looked at the clock...so needless to say ...I was not ready to go at all much less get up...I behaved and did it anyway and I felt pretty good even without the sleep...I figured I would sleep all day at chemo anyway...


On the road and traffic was a nightmare...oh well....finally made it there..Lab work prior to my chemo appointment proved to be a challenge due to collapsing veins that had acutally started in the hospital...I used to have amazing veins...so they tried to get blood from my hand and it collapsed...after some interesting pain we finally got some drizzils (sp?) of blood that would or would not end up enough to work with...so off to chemo...everyone was ready for me and I proceeded....when the nurse was preparing my first bag....pre-meds....anti-nausea ect...it hit me that I was really there and I started to cry...I guess that's all I needed and that was over and I was upbeat and ready to go...unbelievable...first bag.....oh and by the way ...it turned out that my chemo nurse was a expert vein finder...and she found one in my other arm on her first try....WHEW...so...second bag ....benedryl ect....this started to make me feel funny..I got reckless legs syndrome which is really restless legs syndrome....but it felt reckless to me...hahaha...then I got hyper when I was supposed to get drowsy...so I was everything drowsy and hyper and my legs were jumping around...then that calmed down and then my first bag of chemo was ready to go...Taxel....I did great ....we had to drip it very slow...due to burning and pain in my arm....that was the worst of it...so instead of 3 hours for that bag...it was over 4 hours...then...the last bag...carbo plastin....regular speed and over within the hour....I had my full chemo for 7 hours plus the hour early for the lab work....LONG ASS DAY....I DID GREAT...even this morning ...after another night of insomnia...I feel great...from what I hear....this won't last too long....but I'll take it for now...


I will have an acupuncture treatment today...yeah...with Dr. TSai of course...and I'll take it hour by hour...day by day...I have no idea how my body will respond...


IMPORTANT NEWS!!!!


My white count is already showing low...even though a low white count is normal for me...the chemo will drop it even lower...not good...I am suseptible to colds...flu...anything really...I need your help to stay healthy ...I don't want to have to miss any treatments due to a set back or worse....so these are the rules:


When you come to visit...regardless as to the reason....personal visits...dropping off food...personal training...classes...ect... you must:


WASH YOUR HANDS BEFORE TOUCHING ME...you may use the bathroom to the left as you walk in or in the kitchen when you come back for a visit...or when we have classes...the bathrooms provided at each location...


PLEASE DON'T COME SICK TO ANY LOCATION esp. for those of you with small children that may be getting sick...wait a few days to make sure you are not contagious...please take this seriously...I want to see you but I would rather talk to you on the phone if you have the slightest doubt that you may be catching something....we all know that right before we get sick...there are subtle symptoms right before...so...just pay attention to those subtle details...so even if you have a slight sore throat ...or no big deal sniffles...just be sure....I have to be extremely careful....especially in this next stage and with a white count already low...


PLEASE DON'T PREPARE FOOD ON DAYS YOU ARE SICK call me or Fatma and we can switch you with someone else...for the same reasons as above...

As much as I want the visits...I won't know if I can visit until that day or hour...please forgive me if I have to cancel you at the last minute...for those of you training with me...I will follow this with a personal email so we have a plan to start training again...

Once again ...thank you for your incredible energy and love... I could feel it yesterday...maybe that is why I got through another difficult day....keep it coming....

I will have regular chemo appointments every 3 weeks with possible lab work and other shots inbetween with Dr.s appointments inbetween as well...so ....busy and hectic sometimes and other times there will be longer stretches to rest and deal with the side effects...

Have a wonderful week thursday and friday and a great weekend...Much love...Summer