Did the Affirmations Work? And Other Answers

My foot is not stress fractured and I am overjoyed! It is a pleasure to walk with two feet, however gingerly.

Yes, the affirmations did make a difference. Most side effects have lessened except for neuropathy (nerve damage) in my fingers and toes, causing numbness, tingling, burning.

Otherwise, I have good energy, especially when I pace myself and really listen to my body. Fatigue has not worsened as Dr. DeGreen predicted. I fall asleep faster, don’t always stay asleep, but sleep deep enough that I wake up rested and even skip naps some days.

I do have times of complete ‘brain sludge’ and moments of foggy headedness that feels quite different than absent-mindedness or senior moments, but much less of both this round. Over all, I’ve been able to study, write, teach, be with clients and function much better than I ever thought possible.

My white counts have remained stable and though I’ve caught viruses with the last three rounds of chemo, I’ve never had to delay treatment due to illness or low counts. My throat is much less sore this round and my voice is not as hoarse either. I have no asthma or sinus symptoms this round and am not doing the daily sinus irrigating as before.

I’m aware all of the above could be helped by the other things I’m doing for healing and support, but the real surprise and success of the affirmations is...

…my hair is growing!!

Since I already lost my hair, I did the hair affirmations with much humor. Last week my head itched and felt tender again. I assumed skin and hair follicle damage from Adriamycin, ‘the red devil’, as the nurses and pharmacists call it. The chemical is colorful but my head is not; it’s pale white. Imagine my delight when someone noticed the pale isn’t from pasty-colored scalp skin, but from snow white peach fuzz! The white hairs on my head are definitely growing. Even during chemo! I lost a patch on each eyebrow too, so I quickly checked my face. Sure enough,I see eyebrow stubble. Time will tell how soon my brown/blonde hairs regrow, but this is a fun surprise!

Joyfully, Sharon