Acupuncture and Accessories

Emily has taken a new naturopathic course in her cancer recovery. She visited an acupuncturist last week and had a treatment that has really helped her feel better physically and mentally. They put three pins in her wrists and ankles and one in the middle of her forehead. The acupuncturist said that some people start to feel relaxed right away but Em was too concerned about the reality of having needles sticking out of her body to relax immediately. By that evening, she was bright and cheerful and feeling good. They also gave her suggestions on supplements to take that would ease some of her other woes. Among other things, they suggested drinking about 4 cups of green tea each day. She has been following all of the recommendations and really notices a difference in how she feels.

Another bit of good news comes in the form of vanity. Emily's hair is starting to grow back! She even had enough hair to clip in one of our beautiful barrettes. It took a few tries but she managed to get it in her hair to stay. Unfortunately, when she tried to unclip it, she lost one of her precious new hairs! The doctors told her that there was a possibility she wouldn't lose her hair with this new chemo drug and so far, that seems to be the case. Let's all cross our fingers that her beautiful hair continues to grow and flourish!

Thursday marks her third chemo treatment, leaving only three more to go. Once again, we find ourselves at the halfway point. Yay!

A little bit of normalcy

Emily has decided to go back to work! Her company is allowing her to work 15 hours per week so she can get back into the swing of things during this round of chemo. She will take 6 days to recuperate from her treatment, then work 3 days, have the weekend off and work another 3 days before she has another round. It seems like a very reasonable schedule to jump back into her regular routine. Monday was her first day back and things went smoothly, though she felt unbearably tired when she got home.

The side effects of this particular regimen are a little different than the first time but no matter how we look at it, it still sucks. She describes the feeling as more flu-like this time around, with nausea, fatigue and body aches. She finds that she feels nearly normal a week after treatment. Her next treatment is Thursday and she will be 2 down and 4 to go!