9th chemo

9th chemo is done ✅. 

My favorite acupuncturist was back,  so it might be the placebo effect, but it was much easier for me his time.

Now, about the cancer-hat. It sounds like you're 

Now I am officially part of the "cancer patient club", where you can spot each other from miles away by wearing the cancer-beanie for the first time.

I'm no fashionista, but wearing a turban to chemo would have been like showing up to a wedding in a clown suit. You just don't do it. So, I opted for a cute little beanie that a friend gave me.

As I walked through the cancer ward, I couldn't help but feel like I was in some sort of twisted club. Everyone was wearing hats or scarves, and there was a sort of unspoken understanding between us all and a sort of camaraderie. It was like we were all part of this secret society that no one wants to be a part of and for a while I pretended that I wasn't. Alas, today I officially joined in by wearing my beanie for the first time.

Sunday

Today was the first Sunday that was surprisingly almost normal. Granted, I had to take a few naps here and there, but who doesn't, right? By noon, I was up and ready to conquer the world.

First, a friend of mine came over to visit from afar and we walked around the neighborhood for almost an hour and a half (the weather this February is very mild). For me it was basically like a Boston Marathon.

Secondly, to top it all off, I went to a friend's birthday party at a restaurant. Talk about living life on the edge!

Dress up time --- it was a risk, wearing a turban out in public for the first time -- but you know what they say, "go big or go home."  After tying the "formal" (as I have three, each has a designation) turban with George's expert help, we drove to a restaurant. The turban outing was a success, if I do say so myself!

Lessons learned, watch for the low car ceiling --- unexpectedly, need to account for additional height :).

Hair now, gone tomorrow

After the 6th chemo, my hair started to fall out.

Well, since I'm clearly on the fast track to baldness, I figured I'd just jump on the balding bandwagon and cut my hair as short as I possibly can, before the eventual head shave. Why not embrace the inevitable, right? Plus, it saves me the trouble of having to do my hair for at least a week.

The three stages of hair:

            

Haircut

It looks like chemotherapy is the first order of business for the next few months and it is coming up fast, next Friday 12/23. 

I was told that the hair is the first to go, so decided to chop off most of mine in the beginning, so that the loss would be more gradual (who know, maybe I will be lucky and most of the mane will stay?)

I wanted it to be even shorter, but the hairdresser kept it more "feminine" as she put it :)