The Calm Before the (Cycle 2) Storm/Beginning of Cycle 2

Well, I am enjoyed my last week of freedom before another full week of chemo began on Monday.  We spent the last 2 weekends at the cottage for 4 days each time.  I managed to get a hike in each time, walks around the big city of Alma, ate a lot - ice cream, home made nachos, lots of bbq, walked on the beach, slept, read, played crib and board games.  The ice cream and nachos I am blaming in part for the 2.5 pound weight gain over the past 3 weeks.

I had a jam packed day on Monday as I had to be at the hospital for blood work at 8:30 am, followed by a 10 am doctors appt and then my chemo was scheduled for  10:30.  Every day I am hooked up to 2 hours of IV hydration before my chemo starts.  Monday I had 2 15 minutes chemos and a half hour bag.  Tuesday-Friday I have 2 hours of hydration followed by a 15 min bag and then a 30 min bag.  I was anxious to see how I feel after the combination of the chemo drugs this cycle as they are different (and all IV) from Cycle 1.  Last week I was feeling great but the first week after chemo I spent a few days being very sick.  Nausea came and went but only very briefly.  What got me was the stomach pains... I felt like I had been stabbed.  I was trying to enjoy my brother's birthday dinner with my family and when we sat down to eat (ribs, broccoli salad and a chocolate cake with chocolate cream cheese icing I had made him), I already felt queasy.  I forced myself to eat and right away it did not sit well with me.  I managed to pass out and woke up hours later in the fetal position.  Thankfully that passed after a couple of days.


I didn't know if I would lose my hair or not until at least 3 weeks after chemo.  On the weekend I started to notice more hair loss than normal but no one knew for sure if it would just thin or totally fall out.  Well, it got worse and today my brother shaved my head.  I don't look bald yet, just like last time as it will take the stubble a while to totally fall out.  My hair was long this time I didn't cut it short and today when I was in the tub and washed my hair I noticed handfuls and handfuls so I dried my hair, had an entire brush FULL of hair and then put it in an elastic.  My mom cut my ponytail off and my brother shaved my head...just like 2 years ago.  I won't be minding the heat so much now.

I have been having a few really rough weeks still... I can't seem to even begin wrapping my head around the cards I have been dealt.

A friend of mine from PEI, now in Alberta contacted a Priest when she was home a few weeks ago and spoke to him about me and her dad who is also unwell.  She got is number for me and I am going to call and go see him as he is known worldwide for his incredible healing with injury and illness.

I have been juicing twice a day- there are many benefits to juicing and I did my research on the type of juicer, what to juice, etc.  I decided on twice a day so I can get the added nutrition and more of the enzymes get into the cell faster.  I don't juice during chemo weeks, or 2 days before or after as certain vitamins can interfere with chemo in high doses.

I was taking a supplement called Essiac every day.  A good friend of mine has been selling supplements for many years now.  I was asked to stop taking these so long as I am doing chemo as there is no proof they won't interfere with chemo.

I ordered Plankton from B.C.  Again, a friend of mines mom contacted me about it. We did our research and ordered a bottle.  You take 1 drop a day, building up to a 15 drop max.  I kid you not- this stuff is green like algae and smells like an aquarium that has not been cleaned in a year.  At first I tried mixing it with ginger ale.  When I got to 3 drops, the can of ginger ale had turned murky (I put it in a glass) and I had to chug it.  I have since discovered that chocolate milk is best and I divide the drops in 2 glasses throughout the day.  The milk has the same thick consistency and I don't taste a thing.  I was joking around that I would burp up tadpoles.  I was asked to not take the Plankton 2 days prior to my chemo and wait for 2 days after but can take the Plankton in between treatments.

Taken from the website, Phytoplantkon is represented as: A species of micoralgea that grows in the ocean. More than 43,000 known in existence with an estimate of over 200,000 in total. Oceans Alive is a single species, selected from careful study to find the best match to the human nutritional profile.

Marine Phytoplankton is a micro food that feeds 95% of the life in the ocean. 

It is an ultimate powerful superfood.

Also, 0% of the plankton goes to waste in your body.  

More interesting information on it can be found here.

Another friend of mine asked me if I had heard of Chage Mushroom Tea.  I am waiting for some to come into the local health foods store.  I told the pharmacist I was planning to drink this and he requested I do the same as with the Plankton.  So once I get my hands on this I will begin this alternative treatment as well.

Everything I have chosen to do has been with natural products and I don't want to do too much at once.  I was also introduced to Shungite by the same friend who told me about Essiac.  There is a local store (Olga Moda- Brookside mall), where the woman, Olga, sells Shungite.  I bought a bracelet, a pyramid for beside my bed and shungite rocks to purify my water into "health water"- very neat.

One of my very good friends gave me a gift of a photo of Saint Charbel who performs miracles as well as a bottle of holy water.  She said I can drink it, put it on my body, whatever I want.  She instructed me to sleep with the photo under my pillow every night which I have done and I put a cross of the water on my forehead every night before bed.

I have never been an overly religious person, and used to go to church often until speed skating began consuming every single weekend.   Lately, I find my faith could use a jump start and plan to go back to church.  I think it is important to find something to believe in- no matter what that might be individually.  I thought I had a lot longer to figure out what my beliefs were.  My brother's girlfriend's father is a minister and I will speak with him.  He is also going to baptise Molly, my niece.  I asked Kyle and Alison to do that sooner than later so I can witness it and they agreed.

As you can probably tell from this post I have had a very rollarcoaster like time thus far.  I spend a lot of time with my family, see a lot of my friends- girls- guys have a lot harder time dealing with this. My coworkers, more like my work FAMILY have been absolutely incredible, but all of that being said I like to spend time alone too.  When I can't sleep at night- which is very often- I try to read, listen to music and I do a lot of writing and of course thinking.

I best sign out- chemo in the morning. Until next time,

Laura "Baldy"