It’s not just hair

Physically, I’m feeling pretty good this week. Why am I letting my emotions get the best of me? The “name my wig” contest was supposed to snap me out of this funk. Everyone has been so kind and supportive. Their suggestions have been incredibly thoughtful. My family and friends care. It’s still not enough. I’m … Continue reading It’s not just hair

Name my wig!

I bought a wig right before chemotherapy started. The doctors had all told me to expect hair loss in as little as two weeks, and I wanted to be ready. I don't think anyone who knows me would describe me as vain, but being bald is not a look I'm confident enough to wear. I … Continue reading Name my wig!

The calm before the storm

The weather forecasters on both the local and national news have been giddy with anticipation. A big storm is coming tonight. Snow, sleet, freezing rain – a trifecta of precipitation worthy of daily dissection on the regular news and special alert cut ins all week. I have my own storm brewing this week. Chemo infusion … Continue reading The calm before the storm

P.S.

I posted a few weeks ago about a challenging experience I had at Baystate when the chemo port was installed (January 3, A Long Day). I sent Dr. Mark Keroack, the CEO of Baystate, a shorter version of that post. I want to acknowledge here that I received a phone call from the radiology department head … Continue reading P.S.

All that I am

“All that I am or ever hope to be, I owe to my angel mother.” This quote from Abraham Lincoln describes exactly how I feel about my mom. I hadn’t told my mother about my blog. I wasn’t trying to keep it from her, but I didn’t want her to feel worse than she already … Continue reading All that I am

Too much, too soon

The steroids had me starting the day early again. I was able to stretch it out until 4:30 am, but getting up at that time makes for a long day. I felt good enough yesterday that I wanted to try to go to into the office today. In hindsight, that was probably overly optimistic. I … Continue reading Too much, too soon

First day on the job

My first day at the new job started at about 3:30 am. I had slept for a solid three or four hours, but once awake, I kept tossing and turning. My body was not cooperating. My mind was not cooperating. Usually I can distract myself by thinking of something fun or positive. It relaxes me … Continue reading First day on the job

Hitting the wall

I do some of my best falling apart in the car. Today was one of those days. Driving around to do errands, I found I could not stop the tears that kept coming to the surface. My mood matched the weather. It had been raining all day and still has not stopped as I write … Continue reading Hitting the wall

A long day/P.S.

To: Mark Keroack, MD, Baystate CEO From: Linda Edwards, Patient I experienced the best and worst of Baystate today. There were a few staff members who were friendly, respectful, and professional. My experience with them was in keeping with what I expect, and I would imagine, with what you expect. There were a few others … Continue reading A long day/P.S.

Good news

I found out today the bone marrow biopsy was negative! Apparently PET scans are sometimes overly sensitive to activity, so inaccurate readings happen. The nurse practitioner told to disregard any concern about the area in my lower back. Back to stage 2. I never knew I'd be this excited about having stage 2 cancer.