Hair today, Gone tomorrow

It has started.

The hair loss.

Probably started a couple of days ago, but now it has really started.

Noticed yesterday getting out of the shower. Did my usual "hairtug" to check for hair loss ( a paranoid reality now) and pulled out a bunch of hair. So I did the first thing any man would do and called my wife.

She sympathized for a moment and compared my hair loss to our Golden Retriever's shedding. Looks like I'll be using the vacuum a lot more in the next couple of weeks.

Many, many questions now:

• Do I shave my head?
• Is there any point in using shampoo?
• Does it really matter if I shave?

Some good things - so far.

My eyebrows do not seem to be going.

Neither does the hair on my legs.

On the other hand....

I'll answer the question my brother-in-law Adam was dying to know:

Yes, all the other hair does fall out.

LOL, Are you satisfied?????

He's enjoying this because I've been teasing him about losing all his hair before I lost mine. But at least mine is chemically enhanced as to his being natural.

Side Effects....

Today were my first major side effects of any of the medication I've had pumped into me.

After chemo you receive this shot of Neupogen which stimulates white blood cell growth.

My Uncle Mike - who wet through chemo a year ago for brain cancer - told me one side effect would be pain in your joints.

Holy Moley was he right.

I woke up at about 4:30 and got up to use the bathroom. As soon as I got up I felt pain in my hips and lower back. Progressively got worst for about 30 minutes before I popped some Tylenol. That didn't help either. Popped another Tylenol (the 3rd!) and that finally made the pain bearable.

Went to Sunday School this morning and made it through that - but left the kids and wife there and picked them up later.

Taking some more pain killers right now, then on to watch the Bucs-Colts game.

I'm gonna try to go to work tomorrow, but this pain is incredible.

Chemo - The Start

What a crazy couple of weeks it has been.

The doctor's had been back and forth about starting chemotherapy, but we weren't sure if and when with the transplanted kidney.

We finally got word from Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa when and what to start after we found out the cancer had metastasized to the lung. This was whirlwind as the spot started as a spot and then grew and turned into about 20-30 spots.

Like I said - Moffitt was awesome. The main doctor we worked with was Dr. Fishman. Funny, intelligent guy with a quick wit. Some of my fave lines from him:

• Talking about checking for sterility after the therapy: "We'll check for swimmers after a couple of months."
• As I got up to leave after our first meeting: "Whoooa! You are freakishly tall!"

Definitely lightened the entire situation.

So...... Chemotherapy. Chemo. Poison.

Actually started on September 25, 2006. Did it inpatient at our local Florida Hospital. Great service, great people, good food. What? Yeah, good food.

Anyway....

No sickness. No hair loss (yet....). Well, no more than usual for a 39 year old man.

I actually went back to work at the Kindergarten Learning Center on Tuesday, October 2. I'll blog about that later - I work with a bunch of wonderful people!

But I had some trouble on Thursday at about 4 a.m.

The wife and daughter picked up a stomach bug and I finally got it. Knocked me down and cleaned my clock. It's Saturday and I'm enjoying the Petit Le Mans, but I'm still beat.

Next round of chemo is set for October 15. Let's see how it goes.

BTW- I have received so many prayers from so many people. I appreciate every one who has been praying for my complete recovery and thank God for carrying me through this on His shoulders.

Why I'm Here....

In Blogspot anyway....

So, let's say you're looking for someone's experiences or they're point of view on something.

Where do you look?

Why the Internet of course.

To heck with asking someone with experience!

I want to read the Dirt!!!!

This summer I was diagnosed with Testicular Cancer and had the "mass" removed.

Back in March of 2006 I had a kidney transplant - added another one.

So I looked on the 'Net and didn't find a person who's had both. I know they're out there - the doctors say so.

So this will be my continuing adventure of the process. I'll update it as much as I can - but we'll have to start the process "in medias res." I'll be! That Humanities degree did come in handy for something other than Jeopardy.

So I'm going to make tell you some stuff that goes on with me, my family, my friends, my body, and everything in between. I am a Christian, father, husband, friend, teacher, brother, son, and several other things I can't remember to claim. I will talk about the effect God plays in life as well as every other aspect. I rely on Him for the strength to carry me through this.

WARNING: On the other hand, I am a 39-year old man with the sense of humor of a 14 year old. Stuff on here could be funny and/or borderline stupid and childish.

why am i here?

in blogspot anyway.

we'll find out.

soon enough.

no capital letters isn't artist thing. i have to type with 1 finger right now.