I had my first chemotherapy treatment last week, and the chemo itself wasn’t too bad. The treatment lasted 2.5 hours, complete with a sassy nurse who administered the drug.
My chemo experience was dwarfed by THE COLD CAP - a contraption that will allow me to keep my hair. The cold cap process was a seven-hour ordeal, after my precious friend Carol Augusto sought out 60 pounds of dry ice and prepared my four freezing caps to -32° F. With an ice chest, a pair of gloves, and a lot of stamina, Carol followed the 21 page instruction manual to a T. She put on the first cap like a pro! The caps have to be changed quickly, every 20 minutes, so it was a lot of work for my dear friend. I was a little whiney, so she firmly told me "don't be a p***y." Well, that made me laugh and realize it was no picnic for either one of us.
My BFF Brenda helped too, and took me home for two more hours of the cold cap treatment. She loves me dearly and started nervously patting my (heavy, frozen, painful) head, but she did at least try to stop when she realized that it was more painful than reassuring for me!
All in all, it took two days for my head to feel unfrozen!
These cold caps have been used commonly in Europe 20 years, they have up to a 90% success rate, and they are fairly affordable. Most women learn about these caps too late, because you need to start them with your first treatment. I was blessed to know about them immediately through my connection with Debra Neill, who owns our Aveda distributorship. She and Carol Augusto, Executive Director of Serious Business (the most amazing Salon Conference in the Nation), are my SHEroes!
I certainly will pay all of this goodwill forward.
Even though the only real side effect I felt on the first day was my frozen head, I have to say the after effects of chemo ain't no picnic. The second day was the worst – I had nausea, a migraine, chills, and neuropathy. All of this is still going on today, 7 days later, but is getting better. I do love my job, but I came back too early so I will probably pull back a bit more. I will see the doctor today to check in and figure out my new limits. My goal is for my body to renew by August (the doctor says it’ll take a year), and then I can resume my normal schedule.
In the meantime, I feel like I’m finally turning into the princess I was meant to be! All of these sweet people are doing so many things for me. I am used to being the helper, not the one being helped, so I am enjoying this new role and learning some great lessons from my friends and my Garbo tribe.
At Garbo, we are in the throes of our ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL with $33 deals - check them out! Along with the regular facials I’m receiving to combat my newly dry skin, my new can't-live-without Aveda product is the Tulasara Oleation Oil. It’s really a face product, but it’s great on your hands too. I want to bathe in it!
Our company is built on love, education, kindness, respect, customer service, and teamwork. If you visit Garbo and you have any issues - good or not - email me at jaybirdjunior@gmail.com.
Love and Peace,
Marsha Power