So Northwestern has this “Look good feel better….” class at Northwestern free of charge for patients undergoing chemo.  I really wanted to learn how to draw on eyebrows because that’s not something I’m familiar with as I hardly ever wear makeup and when I do it’s minimal.  One other girl was there from the HSCT group so it was good to see Whitney!  We were the only ones with hair (for now) as the rest were cancer patients.  She took the pic actually of me below during the class.  I would suggest if you’re going through this process to sign up for the class.  It will give you more confidence with being able to look more “normal” or whatever for when you lose your hair. At the very least you’ll leave with a bunch of cool new cosmetics!  🙂

Wow my hair looks dry!  Good thing I’m getting rid of it….more on that in a minute…

Anyway, the class was really nice.  It was a great group of women and it was really cool to see their transformations from bald to eyebrows and eyelashes and color in their faces and you could tell they felt so much better.  The instructor went through all the makeup steps of how to apply the makeup including what I was interested in with how to draw on eyebrows.  They gave us each a kit with a ton of stuff that was donated from so many different companies!  When you sign up you just tell them your skin color….I’m the palest of the pale.

After the class I was able to visit my stem-cell sister Daniela as she was starting mobilization.  She’s doing great!

So as for everything else…..the hole in my neck from the vascath didn’t have enough steristrips on it so it didn’t close and it kind of freaked me out to see it.  But at this point it’s healing.  I’ll just be glad when I can’t see it at all anymore.

Other than that the norco hangover is over and I’m feeling a little more of my recent “normal” with just my usual fatigue and balance issues.

Yesterday my hair started falling out….not in clumps but in large groups of strands.  My head started to feel a little tender so I knew it was coming  I was prepared for it because yesterday was day 14 after chemo as others had experienced.  Today I’m losing a lot more hair and it’s coming in larger groups of strands and the amount that came out in the shower was a little unnerving but my sister will be over tonite to shave my head so that will be good.  I can already imagine how my vacuum is going to feel sucking up all this hair that’s fallen all over my condo.  Tomorrow we will go to Northwestern for the wig appointment as part of the Look Good Feel Better program….they give you a free wig and it’s by appointment.  They asked me what color and length and I told them brunette chin length to shoulder length and the lady said she will pull some styles for me to try.  I am guessing I will probably not wear it as often as other head coverings but it will be good to have when I can start interviewing and working again.

May 31st I’ll go in for my PICC line to be put in and then I’ll be admitted June 1st.

Big thanks to dad for helping plant more flowers and getting my patio together and staying with me this past week.

I’m sure I’ll post some of my bald pics tomorrow since I’m sure tonite will be fun with my sister and friend Denise if she still comes.  I can only imagine the styles my hair will be shaved into before it’s gone.

Be well!

Ellie