I'm over half-way done with Chemo! My 5th of 8 sessions was on June 10th. It was a new medication called Taxotere. Although for many it is much easier to tolerate that Adriamycin ("the red devil"), for me it has been harder. I did not feel well this week. It started a few days after the infusion with body aches and shooting pains. THEN, I got a rash on my neck, chest, eyes, mouth and hands! YUK! Talk about looking scary. To top it off, I've got an infection in my mouth that makes it very hard to eat. BUT, I am starting to get better. The body aches are almost gone, the rash is getting better (lots of prednisone!) and the mouth is getting better slowly. I'm trying to be tough. It's hard sometimes. I couldn't do it without Chris. He is the most awesome support I could ever ask for. He has been my rock through every minute of this crazy thing. He's encouraged me through the baldness, doted on me when I'm puny, and even kisses me when I have a rash!

Guess what I did this weekend! I was a model in a photo shoot for a calendar. The Beyond Boobs Support group calendar for 2009. Yes, I'm going to be a calendar girl. Don't get your hopes up though, I'm not a supermodel. I did pose BALD though. I can't disclose any further details (since the whole thing is hush-hush), but I think it will be pretty cool. My hope is that it will inspire others embarking on this journey. The purpose of the calendar is to promote breast health, so remember to check yourselves monthly!!! I'll keep you all posted with the release date.

Chris and I celebrated our 15th wedding anniversary this year (June 11th)! We were able to dump the kids off at the grandparents and escape to Washington D.C. for a short weekend trip. We had a luxurious 2 nights with shows and eating out and sleeping in and watching movies in the room. Ironically, the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure was that Saturday and as we made our way downtown to visit the monuments we saw thousands of supporters in a wave of pink flowing in and out of everywhere. I decided to go around bald (as usual) with my Beyond Boobs t-shirt. I got lots of smiles.

The summer is going good so far. I think the kids are already bored though! I hope I can make it through 3 months without pulling my hair out :) I am trying to keep them on a routine that does not involve hours of endless Spongebob Squarepants. I have employed a young lady down the street to be a Mother's Helper. She is coming over in the mornings and some afternoons to help me with the kids. Today was her first day and it really was a nice help. She kept the kids entertained, made their lunch, helped clean up and was just a nice companion. I was able to exercise, catch up on chores, make phone calls uninterrupted and even rest a little. I sat outside and watched the kids play in the slip n' slide, I gave Alex a haircut . . . Hey, I was busy today.

I think I'll go now. Chris just brought me a bowl of Peach Cobbler (thank you, Kari!!!) with ice cream. Thank you for checking in on me. I'll add a picture soon.