Journal entry by Jenna Tarrant —
Happy May Day! We had a wonderful weekend in Madison, Wisconsin reuniting with friends and staying at the cutest retro-themed air bnb with my mom, brother Daniel, and sister in law Megan. I had three straight nights of 8.5 hours+ uninterrupted sleep which has not happened since before little Jimmy entered the world in 2021. My hair held up its end of the bargain and was still passable for my dear friend's wedding on Sunday. It was really really nice trip, and I'm so glad we were able to make it work in the middle of chemotherapy.
My side effects for the past week were more noticeable, but short lived thank goodness. New and different side effects were nausea and facial numbness on Sunday morning, though they faded pretty quickly. I had my first acupuncture yesterday and we focused on neuropathy prevention in the face, hands, and feet and also worked to release the muscle tension built up in my upper shoulders/neck (rhomboid/trapezius/scalene muscles). It was deliciously satisfying for all those muscles to release with the tiny acupuncture needles, the acupuncturist could tell there was "years of tension" resetting, and nerves untangling. I was definitely sore from this appointment, but that was expected. I'll continue to go weekly to keep chemotherapy side effects managed.
Last night, my boys helped me buzz off my remaining hair. It was time, as hard as it was. My part was getting wider, and the shine wasn't there anymore. It didn't really feel or look like my hair, really. We had beautiful weather yesterday, so we put a chair in the driveway and big Jimmy used the clippers for my haircut, and little Jimmy brushed off the hair as it fell on me. A team effort! Both kids were completely unfazed, which is awesome.
Tomorrow I have my 5th chemotherapy treatment which is Taxol only. I get to visit with my primary oncologist, Dr. Gor, so I look forward to seeing her and measuring progress over the past few weeks. On Friday, I have an appointment to pick up my wig from Martino and look forward to having that on hand when I feel like wearing longer hair.
I'm sharing a picture of my new haircut along with Jonas who is (in solidarity?) losing his hair as well. He is such a joyful baby and his sweet personality is really comforting through everything. An earth angel!
Thank you for all your calls, texts, gifts, prayers, and positive vibes - every gesture is so appreciated and helps me walk this path with more confidence and motivation. <3
My side effects for the past week were more noticeable, but short lived thank goodness. New and different side effects were nausea and facial numbness on Sunday morning, though they faded pretty quickly. I had my first acupuncture yesterday and we focused on neuropathy prevention in the face, hands, and feet and also worked to release the muscle tension built up in my upper shoulders/neck (rhomboid/trapezius/scalene muscles). It was deliciously satisfying for all those muscles to release with the tiny acupuncture needles, the acupuncturist could tell there was "years of tension" resetting, and nerves untangling. I was definitely sore from this appointment, but that was expected. I'll continue to go weekly to keep chemotherapy side effects managed.
Last night, my boys helped me buzz off my remaining hair. It was time, as hard as it was. My part was getting wider, and the shine wasn't there anymore. It didn't really feel or look like my hair, really. We had beautiful weather yesterday, so we put a chair in the driveway and big Jimmy used the clippers for my haircut, and little Jimmy brushed off the hair as it fell on me. A team effort! Both kids were completely unfazed, which is awesome.
Tomorrow I have my 5th chemotherapy treatment which is Taxol only. I get to visit with my primary oncologist, Dr. Gor, so I look forward to seeing her and measuring progress over the past few weeks. On Friday, I have an appointment to pick up my wig from Martino and look forward to having that on hand when I feel like wearing longer hair.
I'm sharing a picture of my new haircut along with Jonas who is (in solidarity?) losing his hair as well. He is such a joyful baby and his sweet personality is really comforting through everything. An earth angel!
Thank you for all your calls, texts, gifts, prayers, and positive vibes - every gesture is so appreciated and helps me walk this path with more confidence and motivation. <3
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