Chemo. Round 1. March 16, 2026.
"I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living." Psalm 27:13
4:40 am Wake up and start the day. This includes reading Scripture, writing in my journal, and having a cup of coffee.
5:20 am Do an easy workout while watching a 60 Minutes story about one of my favorite podcasters.
6:15 am Take a walk around the neighborhood and listen to the first half of a sermon.
6:45 I check my bags one last time to make sure we have everything, and Rick applies Lidocaine to the port site, per instructions.
7 am. Breakfast
7:20 am We leave for the Zimmer Cancer Center
7:40 am Port access and labs
8:15 am A quick appointment with Dr. Robinson to review labs. All is well.
8:40 Crystal, my awesome capper, arrived and got right to work educating me about what is ahead. Rick took photos and videos of us both.
9:09 am Pre-meds and cold-capping begin
10:32 am Taxol starts. Icing my hands and feet is far harder than icing my head, surprisingly.
1:00 Ethan visits
1:45 Carboplatin starts
2:17 Finished at Novant. Cold caps are changed every 25 minutes, so we change the cap before heading home.
3:00 pm Home, ready to cap for about 4.5 more hours
All in all, a good day, in spite of it all.
4:45 pm update. Clara is here, and the world is even brighter than it was 5 minutes ago.
“I’m confident as seasons change, His faithfulness remains.”
Embracing a new routine. March 13, 2026
Because I am trying to minimize hair loss by utilizing Penguin Cold Caps - The Original Chemo Cold Cap during chemotherapy, today was my last opportunity for the foreseeable future to wash my hair under warm, running water and use styling products and heat to dry it, so I snapped a photo before getting into the shower. What will my hair look like in the weeks ahead?
Because of my experiences in Haiti, I don’t take warm running water for granted. But today was different. I appreciated the warm water running over my head in an entirely different way. Washing my hair was not a task for the morning. It was a luxury to savor.
Ironically, when I went to use the shampoo and conditioner I love so much, both bottles were nearly empty, and I had to shake them down to get enough of each product to adequately clean my hair.
Starting today I am not allowed to use styling products on my hair, but I was told I could add just a bit of nourishment to the ends, so I chose to use this oil that I have loved for many years. (This oil is the reason my hair is always shiny! I am going to miss being able to use it as usual.)
I am allowed to dry my hair with heat one last time today, but I have decided to let it air dry to see how manageable it will be as I adjust to the new normal.
Many things will be completely out of my control in the days ahead, but I’m hopeful that having this one option will give me something on which to focus my time and desire to “do something.”
If I keep my hair, that will be a win. If I don’t, well, that was what was expected anyway.