On having a shaved head:

• Turns out, you hold a lot of heat on your head. Its amazing how COLD it is without hair.
• A shaved head has a similar texture and sticky-ness as velcro. Wearing beanies and laying in bed is a new experiencce.
• I’m no longer just using lotion and sunscreen on my face. It’s a whole-head process now.
• I really don’t miss it. I think having a good-shaped head helps.

On chemo, at least in this moment:

• Apparently, I’m bio-hazardous for the first 72 hours post-chemo. That means no one can use my bathroom, or exchange any fluids with me. (Sorry, Kenji.) That includes sharing food. I include this here, because I forget sometimes. Help me help you.
• Taxol backs me up. Cisplatin does not. And they both like to show me on Sunday/Monday after treatment.
• Round 2 was similiar to Round 1, and yet, not. I was much more tired on my “good” week, but I did have a sore throat for most of it. It’s amazing how taxing that was on my body.

It’s sometimes possible to forget I’m sick, especially when I have a good day or complete a normal life task (who knew completing your own laundry could be so satisfying?). Part of that comes from knowing how two other girlfriends who are going through breast cancer treatment are doing. It’s been a lot harder for both of them and so I consider myself lucky (lucky?!) to be doing as well as I am. It makes me grateful and gives me perspective.