CPUHS 1972

Hi friends, It's been a while since I've last communicated and I thank you all for the continued support and prayers. Started chemotherapy last Tuesday, 16th of Sept. did fairly well except for the nurses difficulty in getting my vein. Poked five times, felt like a pincushion.According to Gatsby, they're practicing voodoo on me. Thank you Irms for the card and Becky for those special head coverings..and for all the e-mails I got but unable to respond, Tim and Charlene for the reunion pictures. Had been busy doing some field work for our Nursing reunion and we had our site visit and first meeting just yesterday... At least I am busy doing something. Next chemo will be on Oct. 7th, and hopefully it will be just like the first but I am prepared to become like Telly Savalas.(bald guy) Take care, Charz

Charz, good to hear you are doing well. You'll continue to be in our prayers.......

Luis

 Hi, Charz -

Thanks for the update - good to hear you are tolerating the chemo.  If and when you have problems with hair loss, you could try a nice wig and re-invent yourself!  Maybe become a brunette. The wigs that are available now are so nice and look very real, it is sometimes hard to tell it is a wig.  I know I have complimented a couple of patients about how nice their hair looked - turned out they were using wigs. Stay in touch, Charz - and Luis is right, we continue to uphold you in prayer.

God bless you and your family,

Irms 

 

 

Well thankfully,it will be winter soon and I'll just wear head gears like toque and hats...wigs are so hot, but we'll see if all my hair would fall off. Who knows, I might be a blond once my hair grow back. They say the color and texture of the hair after chemo changes...hoping for a better one..ha.ha.ha. basi pa lang madula ang akon bukay...

Charz

 Hi Charz, I watched Oprah yesterday and it's all about breast Ca. It's comforting to know that we now have all the advancing technology and great hope for recovery. Oprah had Cristina Applegate the star of Samantha Who, I don't know if you're watching the show, it's going to be back next week, or maybe you will remember her in Married with Children? Of course my thoughts were all about you and Mercy Yanson...Mercy didn't choose surgery, I hope she did, she chose prayers, herbal and Chinese medicine and when I met her last July she said she's fine, she's a vegetarian now and is down to a size 4. I know prayers work wonders but in my opinion surgery, chemo or radiation works. Anyway, salute to the survivors and in the next run for breast Ca survivors I promise to run for you....like the survivors said, the hair, the external beauty and looks didn't matter the minute they learned about their condition, it's what's inside and what you are going to do with your life with your family in your heart and soul and for them and your friends to be just supportive because there are moments when you act like a superman and say you are fine but that's not true, you are actually crying for help because you just feel lousy and tired...so Charz, I have my own aches and pains but  I truly admire your strength and keep having it...all my prayers for a speedy recovery and a new pair of breasts(sexy!) remember ma reunion pa ta sang mga BSN classmates ta and I'm going! Take care and hugs to your family.......Nades

Hi Nades, Yeah, I've known for a long time now about Christina Applegate, and I have also watched the fund raising for breast Ca in the States a while back and all the advance treatment that they are trying out on patients but I know that in the States it is hard to get all the treatment that is needed by the patients, unlike here.. I could attest to that because my Oncologist came from there and is now practicing here and she always ask me if I'm covered insurance wise on all my chemo, radiation and hormone treatment...so I told her I'm well covered, all Canadians are entitled to health care privileges.

She also mentioned that we are big on radiation here. Well, Canada is 2nd in the whole world in cancer treatment and British Columbia is number one here in Canada, where I'm lucky to be living in. It is really unlike before when you hear you have cancer it means a life sentence already, awaiting for your turn to croak. Cancer treatment have come a long way.

There are days that I'm sad and feel tired but it's just part of having this ailment.. I have lots,and lots of friends like you who keeps me in their thoughts and prayers and I have good support all around that I can't dwell on my self and the problems that goes with it. I'm constantly busy, reading novels, doing chores at home ( those that I can do without compromising my right arm),and now planning with my Canadian counterparts the 2010 Nursing Reunion.I can't keep on questioning God why?,but I just have to accept His Will and I know that He'll be with me through all this and to be cancer free after, is all up to Him.

The kids and Martin are coping well. They could tell that without breasts and being bald doesn't bother me, so, it doesn't bother them too. Lots of cost cutting measures: no buying of brassieres for a while until I decide to have breast augmentation done and I don't have to go for mammograms yearly but go for ultrasound instead, no hair cuts and hair coloring for at least six months and then I may end up having all black hair again after the chemo,that would be nice. Hey,it's another way to lose weight..lose the breasts and all the hair...at least 2-3 pounds...ha.ha.ha...Right now, I've at least lost 2/3 of my hair that I asked Martin to just do a buzz cut for me tonight..It doesn't distress me to see all my hair falling but finding it all over the house after i just have cleaned and to wear a hair net so I can prepare our food..

 

 

I'll count you in for the reunion. So far we have already found the hotel and we have already booked a chartered cruise ship for our dinner and dance, so spread the word so our classmates will come..even our Canadian classmates from Toronto are too excited already. Elizabeth and Ofelia are gonna start saving for they want to bring the whole family with them.

Take care  and hugs to you too,

Charz