And here is the “after,” the wig after a little breaking in and with no extra hair underneath. It really looks so much like my real hair.  But, it feels like a step or two above American Girl doll hair.  I’m a fiddler—I’ve always played with my hair, tucking it behind my ears, pulling it up off my neck…  This is going to take some getting used to; long, curly, synthetic hair is not for a fiddler.  I’ll never be able to run my fingers through this “hair,” so I need to learn to leave it alone.  I’m ok with the scarf look, though, and I’m so glad the kids are, too.  Putting on all this hair feels a little like playing dress up to me—it feels too fake.  And somehow it makes me feel stronger to go out sans hair.  So I’m betting this lovely wig may not get a lot of wear…  And that’s ok.

Sally is a dear, sweet friend.  I have a feeling that in the coming months, I’m going to learn even more about what it means to be a good friend by seeing all that she does for me.  There are a few perks to having that dear, sweet friend also be a professional photographer.  For one, I have some super fabulous family pictures! Another perk: meeting more photographers!  Today we met up with Crystal of Lily B Photogrpahy, who took this lovely picture of the two of us.  We had a great morning corralling kiddos and taking pictures, followed by yummy coffee at a favorite coffee shop.  I really love this image Crystal captured of me by myself.

But the funny thing is I was really just posing to goof off a bit, Sally wanted to capture this image of her own:

Yes, Crystal took our pictures that close to a busy road while her infant hung out (pun intended!) in her Ergo carrier.  Because that, my friends, is how we roll.

I had a good visit at the oncologist’s office today. They did my bloodwork and all my counts are in the normal range, so I’m good to go for chemo on Thursday. We talked about how my last round went, I was eager to hear her opinion on whether my reaction to chemo was likely to change. She said that some of the fatigue may increase throughout the process, but the fact that I didn’t have any nausea and little bone pain was encouraging. She said it looks like I may not struggle with those side effects.

I feel so fortunate that my body is handling this so well. I’m also very thankful that I have the opportunity to take a good nap every day, I’ve no doubt that is making a big difference in how I feel. I realize how I feel could change any day, but somehow, every day that I feel well is such a pleasant surprise, a true gift.

I continue to pray that my body will be strong. But do you every pray for something that you know is kind of silly– not really important in the big picture, but it matters to you? This week, I’m praying extra hard that I’ll be able to run this Sunday in the Girls on the Run 5K with Emma Clare. (I should be able to– I’ve been running since starting chemo, so I’m ready!) We have been talking about it for a long time, and she understands that I might have to go slow or walk. She’s been dealing with my cancer diagnosis much better lately, but last week one night, she came downstairs after she’d headed up to bed, crying. She was worried about me. It broke my heart. We talked for a while, and I did my best to reassure her. After she was all calmed down and I was about to send her back to bed, she said, “I’m so glad you’re going to be able to run with me.” It’s kind of a big deal to me, but that’s mostly because I know it’s a big deal to her. So if you’re looking for something to pray for this week, I’m praying that I’ll be in great shape to run with her on Sunday.

There’s not been much new to report in the past few days. I’m still feeling pretty well and certainly am not going to complain about anything. I did miss my afternoon nap one day, and I was pretty worn out, but that’s so much less bad than I’d expected. I also figured out after eating a bunch of fruit last night that my mouth might be getting a little sensitive, so I’m laying off things with too much acid for the time being. After that incident last night, all I could think about was how much I wanted a milkshake, so I stopped and got one today at Chick-fil-A– they make really good milkshakes! I made Sally taste it several times and she said she thought it might be a little “off.” I think my tastebuds might be starting to be affected though, it seemed a LOT off to me. At least I won’t end up gaining a ton of weight from all the milkshakes!

I was next door to the Chick-fil-A because I was picking up my wig. It still needs some breaking in, and it’s hard to really tell how it’s going to look since I have so much hair for it to cover right now. But I think it looks a lot like my real hair, so I was pleased about that.

This week was nothing like I’d feared, and so I’m eager to go to my appointments next week to find out if the week is an accurate representation of what chemo will continue to be like. I’m definitely back to the schedule one keeps with a new baby– do what you can in the morning because that afternoon nap is essential– but that feels like something I can handle. And I know that it might continue to get harder, but I’m so thankful for the unexpected gift of an extra good week.

At this point, I’m taking things one day at a time, trying to make the most of the time I’m feeling well. And I got a special gift yesterday– an extra “good” day! My doctor had told me to expect that I’d start feeling a little rotten on day 5, so all day yesterday, I was waiting for it. And nothing! Today I got up and made us pancakes for breakfast, did a little sewing, and we walked down to the post office to mail a special package. Since it’s election day, the kids are off school, but they’re so good playing with each other and I’m feeling so well I cancelled the playdate I’d arranged and we’re hanging out at home. I’m going to take a nap in a bit, but am thankful for a nice sunny, productive morning.

And so I’m halfway through my second gift in a row. Another beautiful, unexpected, good day!