Chemo #2 & meet Curious George & Amanda!!

Sorry I''m a little late with with this posting... but thought it's better to wait a few days after each chemo... Chemo #2 was last Monday (4/13) and Beth is doing remarkably well with it. No doubt the meds seem to keep the worst of the sickness at bay, but as good as it is, it can’t stop all of the unpleasant side effects, like the “hot flashes” which can be pretty strong, powerful headaches and the horrible taste in your mouth that so many chemo patients talk about – Yuck!!! But #2 is over and that's a great thing!!!

It’s official – Beth is now bald!! I teased her a few days before Easter, when she knew it was time to shave her hair, that she was going to look like Yul Brynner (Magnificent 7 or King & I) or maybe Telly Savalas (Kojack the lollipop man)..It was immediately obvious we are from different generations: Beth had no idea who they were.. so instead she compared her soon to be baldness to that of Brittany Spears!! Hair falling out from chemo is one thing, but of course they forget to tell you that it hurts when you lose your hair… Anyway, now that it’s done, she’s convinced she looks like Curious George with her beautiful nice round head. She was so worried the kids (her own 2, her nieces and nephews and her friends children) would be “uneasy” but of course they aren’t and don’t think anything of it…

When she showed her little nephew Nicholas her head without hair, he kind of stared at her & said "Uh Oh" Leave it to a child to add sunshine to any moment….

Beth is now introducing everyone to “Amanda” – her wig, who by the way looks very much likes Beth’s own hair… And although she was afraid it would be her baldness that would make everyone uneasy, well it’s not – it’s the darn Styrofoam “head” that the wig sits on – now that everyone agrees is creepy – even the makeup & jewelry Beth added hasn’t helped…Yikes!!!

Beth’s next chemo is May 4th - fortunately it's a few days after her son's Devon's 9th birthday party at the ice skating rink, so it won't surprise any of us if Beth is out on the ice skating along with everyone else... Devon officially turns 9 this Saturday, April 25th... Beth is hopeful that her medical team can arrange for her to have her treatments a little closer to home, especially before she has to begin going in weekly. It’s challenging going in and out of Boston all the time, not just for the chemo, but for the numerous doctors appointments and of course they all take time & the expenses for parking etc. all add up…

Beth received some unsettling news last week a few days after her 2nd chemo while visiting her Plastic Surgeon. Beth may now need radiation as well as chemo. Beth and her family had been told at surgery that she wouldn't need radiation - just the chemo - which is why the decision was made to go ahead with the reconstruction at the time of the mastectomy. It seems that the medical team may now be changing their minds. Beth will meet with the doctors May 14th to find out the details and why they are possibly changing their minds. It makes no sense that they would allow the reconstruction only to have to remove it later for radiation – and of course the thought of not just 1 surgery but possibly 3 (the 2nd to remove the reconstruction and the 3rd to then redo it several months after the radiation is completed) well – it’s just confusing at best…

Everyone who loves and cares for Beth continues to be impressed with her incredible spirit and resilience – no matter how badly Beth feels after her treatments, she continues to smile and push on for the sake of those around her – especially the children – She is proving to be a much stronger woman than any of us ever could have imagined…

So keep the prayers coming that help each day to give Beth and her family the strength and courage to handle whatever comes their way.