Adjusting to Changes

This round of chemo has been really rough. I think my body is having a harder time adjusting to these powerful drugs. I have felt more nauseous and tired following this go around. I’ve also noticed I have been experiencing frequent headaches and body aches. So far it is Wednesday, about 6 days after the chemo session, and I'm still feeling a little run down. It’s been harder to get myself going in the mornings and each night I'm exhausted. I have been going to sleep each night at 9-9:30pm and I'm still very tired. So I have noticed some changes, but I'm keeping positive and I know I'll be better soon! Just looking forward to the weekend!
Danielle

Lime Green

I wanted to give a special thank you to Dr. Tolentino and his staff at Avera. Michelle and Jill gave me this lime green balloon after my second chemo. I really appreciate all of their support. Lymphoma's awareness color is Lime Green, so I thought the shirt and the ballon were perfect!

Pictures After the Hair Cut

Here are some pictures of my parents and I after I shaved my hair. I am so grateful that both my mom and dad were there for that big day. Here is also a picture of Lisa cutting my hair, she did a great job and made me feel very comfortable!

VIDEO: The Hair Cut!

Over the weekend I decided to cut my hair because the hair loss was unbearable! Her is a video clip of my transformation. Thank you to Lisa for the hair cut.
September 25, 2009
Danielle

Second Round of Chemo

September 24, 2009 was my second round of chemo. The Chemo session went a lot smoother than I expected, so YAY. The nurse got the IV started in just one prick! I was a little worried about my veins, but so far they are doing great. Plus, my body didn't react to the drugs like it did last time. and we were out of the doctors office in 6 and half hours, a few hours earlier than last time. Plus it was really nice to have my mom, Aaron, and especially my dad there during this round of chemo. I know it must be hard for him to be all the way in California, while I'm going through all this in South Dakota, so I was really happy he could be there yesterday. Plus, I was so proud of my dad, he didn't even faint once!

However, one thing I have noticed is my "after chemo symptoms" are coming on a lot sooner than what they did after the first session. After the first session I didn't start to really feel sick until Saturday morning, but now I already felt sick soon after the Chemo on Thursday night. I have been a lot more nauseous this time around!! So I think the "chemo symptoms" must be cumulative and now my body is having a harder time fighting them off. I also had a harder time sleeping last night and woke up at 5:30am, much too early!

So today we are going back to the doctor for a shot to increase the production of my white blood cells. Plus today is the big day that I have decided that I am going to shave my hair off. It has been so stressful slowly watching my hair fall out day after day. I still have some hair left, but it is very thin and my hair part is now a half of an inch larger. So hopefully I'll feel a little better when I don't have to consistently see my hair falling out all over the place. Stay tuned for pictures, here comes bald Danielle!!
Danielle

VIDEO: Second Evening Show Interview

My station and I did another "Danielle Update" yesterday for the 5pm news. I talked with Paul and Jessica about my first chemo session and about some of my feelings for the second. It was really nice for me to tell my viewers how I have been doing and let them know I appreciate all of their support.
Danielle

VIDEO: Currently at Chemo

So right now I am the hospital receiving my second round of chemo. I feel tired, but for the most part I am keeping a positive attitude. I feel so happy that my dad, Aaron and my mom are all here with me during this time. I can't imagine going through all this by myself. So here is the first video from the Chemo treatment that we just taped.
Danielle

Doctor's Appointment

Today I went to the doctor for a check-up and lab work for my second chemo session scheduled for this Thursday. It was a long day for us because our appointment lasted 2 and half hours (the doctor was pretty busy). However, I did get some great news- my white blood cell count and chemical levels in my blood were all GREAT!! I also did a urine test and everything looked perfect, so as you can imagine that was a HUGE relief. I'm so proud of my body for doing so well, even after all these powerful and dangerous chemicals have invaded my body. TAKE THAT CANCER, you can't keep me down.

The only thing the doctor said is I have to work on finding a better way to handle stress. It seems as if I get stressed out too easily, and I need to find a better outlet that will help me relax. So he is going to help me find some activities that will help my body stay strong. Maybe I'll start to do yoga or sewing! He also wants me to take it easier, I'm pushing my body a little too hard at times. Sometimes I need to just listen to my body, and if my body says I'm tired, I have to rest and not work. It's just hard for me because I'm not use to being sick, I'm use to always pushing myself to the edge, but I guess I have to learn.

As far as the hair situation, its still falling out, but my doctor wants me to wait a little while before I shave it off. He recommends I shave it when I can see bald patches. Its just hard because right now there is hair ALL over! So right now I'm ready for Thursday. I'm not really scared, I just feel determine and anxious to fight this cancer in the butt.
Danielle

VIDEO: Evening Show Announcement

September 2, 2009
Danielle

Afraid to Touch My Hair!

We'll, I think the hair loss process has officially started. On Sunday morning I woke up to find hair strands all across my pillow. It was really scary to see my hair just laying there. Now I have not washed or brushed my hair in two days because every time I touch my hair, more hair strands fall out. As much as I anticipate losing my hair, its still really hard to see it first hand. It's also a weird time because not enough of my hair is falling out to shave it just yet, but a lot of my hair is falling out that its all over the floor, my clothes, and bed. So a part of me just wants it to come out, so I can stop seeing it all over the place, but another part of me wants to hold onto it for as long as I can. Another change I have noticed is my skin is becoming dry. Dry skin isn't too much of an issue for me, since I lived in Wyoming for two years!

Also on Saturday night my sister Brittany went back home to California. I'm so sad to see her go. It was really great having her stay with us for two weeks. I really had a wonderful time spending some quality time with her. She is turning into a wonderful woman, I'm so proud of her.

Tomorrow I'm meeting with my doctor and doing some blood work. Then on Thursday is my second session of Chemo. I hope everything goes well with my blood work. I am interested in hearing about my white blood cell count. I have noticed I have been sneezing a lot. I'm also curious to see how long the second session of chemo will take.

Some good news: my dad gets into town on Wednesday, so I'm really excited to see him!!
Danielle

Hair Changes

Today has been an anxious day. For the first time I have noticed some changes to my hair. My scalp has been sore, in particular the back of my head feels as if there is a bruise there. Also the texture of my hair feels different, almost more brittle. However, what really scared me was I noticed a lot more of my hair begin to fall out when I took a shower. Sure every woman's hair falls out a little when they shower, but I noticed more hairs than normal. My mom keeps telling me it is a sign the Chemo is working to kill the cancer, so that is something to be happy about. I hope I'm not being a hypochondriac, but I am noticing some changes. I'm just wondering if now is too early to be noticing these changes in my hair.

Also today I received my flu shot and Lupron shot. Since I don't have a spleen and since I'm going through Chemo, I really hope I don't catch a bad flu or cold. I also decided today I am going to get the Lupron shot each month. Hopefully by receiving the shot each month, my ovaries will be protected from the chemo. On a positive note, I am feeling better, I went to the driving range and I even went on a 4 miles walk. It was really nice to be outside in the sunshine getting some exercise. Its funny how a little thing like a walk could brighten your day. But come tomorrow night I know I'm going to be sad because that's when my sister leaves to go back to California. It has been really nice having her here with me during this time.

So now the count down to the second chemo treatment begins. I'm a little scared and nervous for Thursday, but I'm keeping positive.

VIDEO: Tie One On

This past weekend I went to a special event for women undergoing Chemotherapy. At the "Tie One On" event I got to try on a few different scarves and I learned a few different ways I can style the scarves. It was nice to see some of the scarves are fashionable and actually look good with the shape of my face.

I'm so nervous for when my hair falls out. I am dreading the moment when I see the first pieces of hair begin to fall. However, I'm trying to keep a positive outlook. I am not going to let this Cancer consume my physical beauty, and I know even with no hair, I'll still try to have my inner beauty shine through.
Danielle

Fertility Questions

Recently I've had some questions about fertility and Cancer. When my doctor first told me I had Cancer, he told me there was a risk that I could become infertile after the Chemotherapy. The chemotherapy can sometimes have devastating effects on a woman's ovaries.

So at the age of 24 I'm sure you can imagine the despair I felt. I have always wanted to have children of my own, but at the age of 24 I just wasn't ready. So the idea of not being able to have children in the future was devastating. I know I can always adopt, and that's still a potential option, but I just hated the fact that my cancer could take something I have always thought to be so precious away from me.

Then the doctor told me there are things a woman can do to reduce her risk. What I am doing is a shot every month called Lupron, which temporarily shuts down the ovaries, hopefully protecting them from the chemo. Another thing I am doing is going on birth control. Birth control also helps to protect the ovaries. Finally, before I started my Chemo I froze some of my eggs. I was lucky enough to have a few days to freeze my eggs. That way if I can't produce my own eggs after the chemo, I can use one of my eggs that I had frozen in the future.

So as I said before, infertility does not always happen, just in my case I wanted to be safe than sorry.
Danielle

12 Day Update

We'll it's been 12 days since my first chemo treatment and I'm feeling so much better than I did before. I'm still pretty tired, but my headaches have gone down and the pressure in my eyes has significantly reduced. My stomach is back to normal and I can tell I'm slowly beginning to get some of my strength back. However, one thing I have noticed is some mouth sores begin to develop. I have one on the back of my tongue that hurts pretty bad. But I must say I'm so happy to be feeling better than how I felt before. Yay!
Danielle

VIDEO: Morning Show Announcement

When I found out I had Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma it was important to me to share my story with others. Since I'm a young, healthy woman at the start of my career, I thought my experience battling cancer could help someone else. So I decided to share my fight with cancer with my viewers in South Dakota, and others across the country with this blog. What I have learned so far is that Cancer is scary and there are so many feelings and emotions that not only the person fighting cancer feels, but their family and friends, so its illness that impacts so many people.

So after I had my tonsils removed and doctors found the Lymphoma, I wanted to go back on air and tell people where I have been and what I have been up to. This video clip is from the first morning I was back on air after I found out I had Lymphoma. The date is August 25, 2009.
Danielle

A New Haircut

Today my sister and I got new haircuts. My hair was fairly long, and I thought it would be better to have shorter hair, once my hair begins to fall out. I know it will be a very emotional time for me, so I would rather see shorter hair beginning to fall out versus longer ones.
Hope you like the styles.
Danielle

VIDEO: Look Good, Feel Better

This week my mom, sister and I went to a "Look Good, Feel Better" class at the Avera Cancer Institute. The class was informational and very fun. I couldn't believe all the wonderful make-up products that were donated for the class.

I can still remember the first time when my doctor told me I had cancer. There were two defining points in the conversation that brought me to uncontrollable tears. When he said I had cancer I didn't cry, I was more in shock and fear. It wasn't until he told me my ovaries could be damaged by the chemo and that I would lose my hair, did I break down into sobs.

I don't know what it is about having hair that is so important to me, but the thought of not having it really frightened me. My hair has always been such a huge part of who I am, and I guess I feel without it, I might lose a piece of me. So regardless to say, attending this class really helped me gain a positive outlook about when the time comes and I lose my hair. Del, the instructor of the class, did a great job explaining some of the wig, turbine, and scarf options available for women undergoing chemo.

I cannot express the amount of appreciation and respect I have toward this woman Del. I first met her the week I found out I had Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma. We met up to discuss some wig options for me once I lost my hair. My mom and I were impressed by her help and knowledge of the hair lost process. She was so compassionate and kind, as I struggled to except the fact that my life was beginning to turn upside down. Then she shared with us her own battle with cancer, and I remember being blown away by her courage and strength. In the short time I have known Del she has been an inspiration to me and my family.

So in this clip I talk to Del about her favorite part of teaching the "Look Good, Feel Better" class.
Danielle

A Must-See!!

As I continue to fight my cancer, I try to use humor to get through the harder times. So I thought I would share some photos that bring a smile to my face. These photos are of my sister Brittany, from the Look Good, Feel Better Class we took this week at Avera. Our WONDERFUL teacher Del asked my sister to model some of the wigs. I think myself and the other women appreciated Brittany modeling these wigs!
Enjoy
Danielle

A Great Day

I wish you all could see me tonight: A big smile from ear to ear. Today has been a great day. A week ago today I had my first chemo treatment, and finally today I'm beginning to feel better and more like myself. Last night I even got some sleep, sleeping till 9am!!! That is the latest I have been able to sleep in a very long time. After many sleepless nights, its was nice to get in an hour of shut eye. Its amazing how my attitude has lifted now that my body is feeling better. My last treatment has made my appreciate those good days where I feel my best.

So, since today I felt more like myself, I was able to spend some time outside. I even went to the driving range!! My golf swing was horrible, but it was nice to be out in the sun and outside. However, I did notice my body got really tired after hitting a few balls, just another indication I'm losing some of my physical ability. But I have to keep telling myself I'll get it back. After the golfing range, I took my sister for her first time to Falls Park, a must-see staple of Sioux Falls. We had a fun time and I think she liked it. I hope my other sister and brother will some day get the chance to visit! Sioux Falls is a beautiful city.

We then had dinner outside, and it was a beautiful evening to spend some time in the fresh air. I don't know what it is about eating outside, but its always so much fun!! It was great to take a moment and enjoy those around me, as well as the outdoors. And talking about enjoying those around me, I am so grateful for the love and support I have received from everyone around me. It has been so inspirational to hear the advice and guidance from so many people all around me. I continue to be amazed by the stories I hear each and everyday. So Thank You!!!
Danielle

President's Health Care Address

This evening I watched President Obama's address to Congress about Health Care reform. I wanted to write on this topic NOT to pick a certain side, but to discuss the importance of health care in general. In no way am I saying I have the answers or that I lean to the left or right, all I'm saying is I'm gracious I have health insurance.

I'm so grateful that as I battle cancer, I have great doctors, nurses, and staff helping me along the way. I know I'm still early in my treatment and I haven't received my bills and insurance letters yet, but I can't imagine trying to go through this fight alone. Fighting any disease requires so many different doctor appointments, medicines, surgeries, and lots more, and if you didn't have financial help along the way, it would be a very dire situation. I think facing that fight would be just as hard as fighting the disease that's making you sick.

So my heart and sympathies go out to those people who do have to fight for their life uninsured; I can't imagine what you're going through. My thoughts also go out to those people who have run into problems with their health insurance not covering certain medical issues. I'm learning that this is a problem that has affected so many people in our nation. It is disturbing to hear that many people can quote their own stories with insurance battles in the past. I know for me I had my own insurance battles while I lived in Wyoming and I was battling ITP. Since Wyoming is such a rural state, my insurance company would not cover any of the doctors in the region. Therefore, when I had to have my spleen removed I had to use a doctor that was out of the network and pay more.

However, as I remember that time, about a year and half ago, I'm grateful that I'm no longer in that same situation. It was a time of tears, frustration and anxiety that I hope no one else will ever have to endure.
Danielle

Climbing Uphill

I must say its been a busy past few days. I have found it funny how fast the time can go when you least expect it. A few times I have felt like I was a chicken with its head cut off because I really wasn't ready for all that I still had to get done in my normal life. That's one thing I have learned since going through Chemo, even though you are sick, doesn't mean your work load shrinks. There is always something that needs to get done. I guess the trick is to know how to balance everything and keep organized. I'm still learning how to juggle work, with doctor appointments, with resting, and with keeping up with family and friends. Its still all a learning experience.

A few times I have felt pretty down over the past few days because one aspect of my life would become overwhelmed and I would get stressed out. Sometimes I can get into a tunneled vision and get really stressed out, but I know all I need to do is take a step back and re-evaluate the situation. I must admit though sometimes its hard, especially when you're in that stressful moment.

As far as how I have been feeling the past two days, I would say tired. Especially today for some reason I feel very tired. I am still having a difficult time sleeping through the night. It seems as if I wake up several times during the night because I'm either uncomfortable or I have to use the restroom. Then this morning I woke up at 5am and just couldn't fall back to sleep, which I'm sure you would agree with me is very annoying. I also still have a pretty bad headache everyday and my eyes are constantly aching. But there is some good news!! My stomach is finally beginning to go down a little, since I was so bloated. Plus, I have started to use the restroom (number 2) a little bit (sorry if that was too much info, but I'm just being honest). Right before my first Chemo treatment, doctors found two ulcers in my stomach, and now I think the medicine is beginning to work.

I'm also excited to say that tonight and tomorrow I am going to be working on a story about the "Look Good, Feel Better" class in Sioux Falls. I went to the class yesterday and met some amazing women. I'm really excited to share their stories, as well as my experience in the class. I had a great time learning how to look and feel good about myself, while getting in a good chuckle. And then sharing that chuckle with my sisters over web cam!! So make sure to stay tuned!!

Once again, I need to say thank you to everyone for your love and support. I have been blown away by the compassion and understanding I have seen from so many people.
Thank You!!!
Danielle

Bracing for the Unexpected

We'll, its the first couple of days after my first Chemo treatment, and I really had no idea what to expect. The common advice I have been hearing from everyone is each person is different and reacts in their own way. So I thought I should write how my body is reacting so far.

I noticed my first obvious change Friday night/Saturday morning, around 2a.m. I woke up unexpectedly with a horrible nauseous feeling, and every muscle and bone was aching in my body. It felt like a bus had slammed right into me and my body was completely bruised. I took some medicine to help, but whatever position I tired to go back to sleep on felt painful. Needless to say I didn't get too much sleep that night.

On Saturday I tired to take it easy, and just took a little walk to move my leg muscles around. However, I felt nauseous at times and my body just ached constantly, with a horrible pounding headache. I also did notice my reaction and processing time was significantly decreased. I felt as everything around me was moving very quickly and I had a hard time catching up.

This lack of physical ability has been the hardest part for me so far. I'm such an active person that it has been hard for me to not be able to lead the once busy schedule I'm so accustomed to. Its hard to see such an obvious change that constantly reminds you that "yes, you are sick." Instead of traveling or going out with friends or enjoying the outdoors, I'm a young woman who can't, at this time, do what I love to do. But I know this is only a brief time in my life and things will get better, but it is hard, especially, when I know this is the first treatment in a long series of other treatments I still must face. I just have to keep strong and hold onto my positive attitude.

So far today (Sunday) I have felt similar to how I felt on Saturday, just nauseous, tired, aching, and lethargic. I must say though, my sister and mom have been great, helping me keep positive and entertained. We have been watching movies, looking for mini-daschunds to buy, and I have started to create collage. So for now, we are just taking one day at a time.

Thank You everyone for your comments, stories, and support, they have all been so helpful for me during this time of fighting Lymphoma.
Danielle

VIDEO: First Day of Chemo

Since I'm a Television Anchor, of course I had to bring a camera with me on my first day of Chemotherapy. Here's a first hand look at how the first day went

The Morning After Chemo

Right now its Friday morning, and currently I'm feeling better than I expected, just a little sleepy. I had a difficult time sleeping overnight, but the nurses said that would happen, since I have so many different steroids in my body right now. So I woke up pretty early and made breakfast and just relaxed throughout the morning. The nurses told me come this afternoon the steroids will begin to wear off and I'll begin to feel exhausted. Then Friday evening, Saturday, Sunday and Monday will be the toughest days. Then during the middle of next week I'll begin to feel really tired, since that is when my white blood cells will be at their lowest.

However, I did want to write about the rest of my time receiving my chemotherapy yesterday. It took about 5 hours to completely receive the Rituxan, but the good news is this amount of time will shorten each session, as my body gets use to the medicine. After the Rituxan, we started the Chemo drugs. I think the significance of this situation eventually hit me, when I saw the nurse come to my bedside in full protective gear. The nurse told me all the nurses wore that type of outfit when administering the Chemo drugs because they are so dangerous. So this kind of scared me because I realized I was putting these dangerous drugs within my body. Something that others avoided was going directly inside of me. For so long I have made an effort to keep healthy and now I have to put poison inside my body to save my life. So it is a strange contradiction and a scary one in fact.

We finally completed the Chemo drugs at around 7:30pm, so a very long day. From the start of the steroids to the end of the Chemo drugs was a grand total of 8 hours. However, the time didn't seem to drag on because of my wonderful support team. My mom, boyfriend, and sister were with me the whole time and were great company. They made me laugh and they really helped me feel relaxed in this scary situation. Then today I have to go back to the doctor to receive a shot to help stimulate my white blood cells. I hope the shot won't be too bad, but I guess each time I get pricked, I'm learning to be not as scared.

Danielle Dupuy

One More Picture

The Californians are becoming real South Dakotans.

My mom and sister flew out from California to be with me during my first treatment. Not the greatest tourist attraction, but we'll hopefully have some time to do something fun. Here is a picture of us waiting to begin the Chemo.

At the Cancer Institute Receiving Chemo

The picture on the Left is me taking a nap and receiving some of my medication.

The picture on the Right is me and my doctor, Dr. Tolentino.

Right now I'm still at the Cancer Institute receiving Chemo. It has been a very long and hard day. We got to the doctor's office at 9:00am and then met with the doctor for an update on my situation. We then got the results back from Mayo on the biopsy and they confirmed my diagnosis. Finally I found out from the doctor that I have to take a shot every month called Lupron to help protect my ovaries- Oh great another shot :(

After meeting with the doctor, the nurses began to prepare everything for the Chemo. Since I did not want a port, the nurses had to put an IV in me. Administering an IV can be difficult at times because finding an obvious vein can be challenging. We had a hard time this morning and the nurses had to poke me three different times!! Needless to say I have a few different bruises all over my hand. So I am wondering if anyone out there who has undergone Chemo and can give me recommendations to whether to have or not have a port to administer the Chemo.

Once we got the IV going I started to receive several different medications to help with some of the side effects from the Chemo. Everything from Tylenol to steroids to Bendrayl. We actually began the Chemo at around 11:30am. The doctor says I will probably be here for 6 hours.

Then around 2:30pm, I noticed I was having a hard time breathing and that my throat was beginning to close off slightly, with what felt like mucus. My throat also felt scratchy and uncomfortable, so I let the nurse know and she thought we should take a slight break from the Rituxan. She thought these were signs of some of the possible side effects and that my body was getting overwhelmed. Finally after 10 minutes my body began to feel better and we started the Rituxan back up, just at a slower rate.

So this whole experience has been a learning adventure. It feels so weird to just sit here for hours with an IV and medicine. I hope my body is strong enough to take these drugs and fight off the Lymphoma. This whole process is an emotional rollercoster with high and low drops. I am lucky to have such a great support system with me during this difficult time.

Anxious for my first Chemo

Tomorrow morning will be a big day, its my first Chemotherapy treatment. I must admit I'm a little nervous. I don't know what to expect and I have no idea how my body will react to these toxic chemicals. I'm also fearful of some of the side effects. I guess all I can do is hope for the best, and I know with love and support from my family and friends I can do it.

Danielle

Here we go...First Post

I've never done a blog before, but I thought it might be nice to write down some of the things I have been dealing with over the past few days, and some of the challenges that still lie ahead of me. So here we go...

On August 6, I had my tonsils removed because I noticed my right tonsil was enlarged. I can remember when I first saw it, I thought it was strange, but I didn't really think anything of it. I was so nonchalant about the situation that I can remember my friends, family and I joking about the "Huge Tonsil." It was so big in fact, that it covered half of my throat, and food would get stuck in it, so yeah it was big.

Then after the operation my doctor told me they had found some sort of infection within the tonsil. I thought it was just a little infection and nothing too serious. It wasn't until after the weekend did I find out it was Lymphoma. I can remember being on the phone, hearing the nurse tell me it was Lymphoma, but not really registering it. Almost like words were coming into my head, but nothing was sticking. So that very day we met with one of the doctors, and he confirmed it was indeed Lymphoma.

Now of course there are many different forms of Lymphoma, and each of the different types can be very different, so I didn't really understand what I was in for. It wasn't until August 14th did I find out which type of Lymphoma I had. The doctor told me I had Non-Hodgkin's Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma. This is a fast and aggressive Lymphoma, but it is curable- so that was good news. At that point I decided to fight the Lymphoma head on, with full force. I knew it would be an uphill battle, but one I could and would win. I thought it was interesting how my brain went into this fighting mode, almost as if I gained a new level of determination.

Following my diagnosis, I went through many different tests and scans to see if the Lymphoma had spread to any different parts of my body. I was very lucky to find that the Lymphoma had not spread to my brain or bone marrow.

So as I write my story down over the next few days, weeks, and months, I hope others can learn from my exerpience, so no one else will be caught off guard.

Danielle Dupuy