So here I am on Day 14 -- the day many patients on Taxotere/Cytoxin chemo regimens notice visible loss of hair. It's still hanging in there, but I must say that there was a fair amount that I noticed after my shower that was not where it should have been. It was the most noticeable amount of hair loss yet -- although not enough to make hats de rigeur quite yet. That said, I did receive a lovely birthday gift in the mail today from my Aunt Pat and Uncle Bob filled with several styles of hats. I should have known Aunt Pat would be a great hat resource -- she is a hat lover. Thanks!

Other than that, we're trying to enjoy this week of feeling mostly good, especially since I only have one doctor's appointment this week. I just want to enjoy the sunshine with a good book. I could almost pretend I'm not a cancer patient this week. Almost.

Then there are the reminders -- those hairs beginning to fall out after my shower, or needing to stop to get my supplies for cleaning the chemo port at the specialty infusion pharmacy, or that mouth ache. When you're a cancer patient, nothing is just an "ache" -- is it just a swollen gum, one of those "chemo" mouth sores, a bad tooth? And who do I call? My oncologist? Dentist? Do I take a "wait and see" attitude like I might normally take, or do I treat it like an emergency? Finally I decided to call my oncologist and let her decide what to do. Waiting to hear....