I had to be at infusion bright and early! I was glad to get in and get it over with. The nurses have had some issues accessing my port the last few times. The port is vital to getting chemo. I have terrible veins, so I really need it to continue working. Other than that, this round was fairly uneventful. Oh, but I met a new friend at chemo - Kristin! She's super sweet and close to my age. Our rooms shared a wall, so I just hopped over and chatted during premeds.
My energy levels fluctuate so much. It's hard to make plans. As bored as I am in the house, sometimes I run out of energy just getting dressed. I know I will start to feel better in a few weeks, but for now it's kind of a guessing game. Sunday I slept most of the day away. I woke up feeling ok, but after breakfast I lost my steam. Jack has been taking the kids to the pool nearly everyday. You should see their tan little bodies! That has helped me get rest when needed. I sure do feel like I miss out on so much though.
Compassion that Compels is an amazing organization that has been with me since the beginning. They sent me a chemo comfort bag, just before I went to my first infusion. I will post pictures, but it was full of essentials. The devotional has been crucial to my daily routine and I love starting my morning off with Jesus. As chemo is nearing the end, Kristianne, the founder of Compassion the Compels, reached out to me about their On Your Feet program. She sent me a box full of Revitalash products which will help me grow lashes and brows. Revitalash has ingredients that are approved by oncologists and personally through my oncology pharmacist. Also, they give back to breast cancer organizations and donate to research. The next part of the On Your Feet program was a private shopping experience at Altar'd State. This was such a surprise! Every Monday 10% of the proceeds from shopping at Altar'd State go to Compassion that Compels. So naturally, we scheduled on a Monday! I have not been anywhere except the Cancer Institute for over 20 weeks. To say I was excited was an understatement!
Kaiah and I arrived at Altar'd State at 9am. This gave us plenty of time to shop before the mall opened to keep me away from the crowd. Face masks are required for everyone in the mall too, so that was another layer of protection. Caroline and Jen greeted us and showed us into the store. Caroline had picked out the cutest outfits for me. She styled the outfits with accessories and shoes. Kaiah and I roomed the store and picked out all kinds of things to try on too. It was so much fun to finally be out of the house and not going to chemo! We each decided on a few items and it was time to head back home. It was truly a once and a lifetime experience!
I am so thankful for Kristianne and Compassion that Compels for all they have done for me through this first phase of my cancer ride. She has been there on so many sleepless nights. She encourages all of us out there on Instagram daily and is a true light on this path that none of us want to be on.
Please check out https://compassionthatcompels.org/ to learn more about Compassion that Compels organization. If you know of a women who is going through the cancer diagnosis and could benefit from one of their bags, please visit https://compassionthatcompels.org/donate to request one.
Kaiah vloged our experience and you can watch that video here!
Here was the chemo comfort bag I received!
Here was a video I did to promote Mission Monday at Altar'd State for Compassion that Compels!
Here are a few fun pictures from our private shopping at Altar'd State.
