The first week of chemo

After Catherine's first round of chemo, we were all holding our breath while waiting to see how miserable it'd be. But, despite all the worrying, Catherine's been holding up very well! The medication she was sent home with managed the nausea pretty well. The most notable difference has been in her energy level, but so far it's been nothing that an afternoon siesta can't fix. She's stuck to her goal of making it out of the apartment at least once every day!

We want to again thank all of you, our friends + family, for all the help in the last few weeks. The calls and emails and letters of emotional support have been so incredibly touching and have meant so, so much. We really do appreciate it and it's almost overwhelming to feel so loved. We've joked that Catherine receives an average of 2.5 care packages per day and we're generating more cardboard recycling than ever before. At least Jane is getting her exercise up and down three flights of stairs every time a package arrives! We've been so grateful for the home-cooked meals delivered by friends this week and have been eating like kings. Jane is enjoying city living and being able to walk to the grocery store easily when needed. We might set-up grocery delivery in the future, but things are working well for the time being.

Catherine went in on Monday for an echo-cardiogram and we're happy to report that her heart is healthy and strong. The rest of the week was spent recuperating, following up with Doctor messages and getting ready for the next round. In terms of what's new in chemo treatment, we went in for Catherine's second round on Friday. We learned a bit from the first trip and figured out how to speed up the process: show up early. We even got out of there by 2pm! Since the Carboplatin is only needed once every four weeks, this round was just Taxol. Catherine was pretty green when we left though, and spent the rest of the afternoon in bed. She's been feeling fine this weekend and has been saving the nausea medication for when she really needs it. Things are going well and spirits are still high.

The biggest news lately has been on the follicle front. Catherine took the plunge and chopped off most of her hair! Her mom says that she hasn't had hair this short since the first grade. While Catherine is not wild about it, there are those that think it's cute! Luckily pixie cuts seem to be in these day. Now we're just wondering how long the hair will last...