VIDEO: Celebrating 1000th Cancer Wig Giveaway

When fighting cancer, patients often loose their hair due to chemotherapy. It's a side effect that can have a big emotional impact.

Tonight we find out how free wigs are giving patients the motivation to keep going.

"This year I turned 50, so I had my bucket list of things to do and fortunately I went in and had my colonoscopy," said Pam Mathison, Cancer Patient.

2010 marked a big year for Pam Mathison. But it was this colonoscopy that changed this mother of two's life. Pam and her family found out she had colon cancer.

"It felt surreal. It felt like it wasn't me actually that they were talking about," said Mathison.

It was only a matter of time until Pam started chemotherapy.

"I started loosing my hair quickly," said Mathison.

So she turned to one place where she knew she could receive a free wig-Bloom the Boutique at Sanford Cancer Center.

"It's fun and it just makes you feel good, it really does," said Mathison.

But Pam is just one of many who have received a free wig. Over the past four years 1,000 women sat in this same chair-getting fit for their new wig. Hopefully giving them the confidence to keep fighting.

"Before you know it they're laughing. It's their time to forget that they were battling cancer a few minutes ago," said Donna Harrison, Bloom the Boutique.

Donna Harrison helps cancer patients find their perfect look and says a wig can go a long way in the fight against cancer.

"If you get depressed things are so much worse than if your having fun," said Harrison.

And Pam agrees. She says when life changes in a heartbeat, knowing who you are makes a huge difference.

"It is nice to have that reflection of yourself in the mirror and you're like, oh yeah, that's who I am, that's how I feel," said Mathison.

Wigs are provided at no cost to cancer patients by a grant made possible by the Sanford Health Foundation.

VIDEO: Stand Up to Cancer 2010

VIDEO: A New Haircut

It's time for my first haircut!! My hair started to grow back in December after my last chemotherapy treatment in November. I of course was so excited to have my hair growing back, but it has been difficult to get use to!!! I've never had this short of hair before, so I really don't know the cute ways to style it. This month though, I have noticed it getting pretty long in the back, so I decided to get it STYLED. Here is a look at my first time getting my hair styled after cancer treatment. Hopefully I can keep this style up?!
Danielle

VIDEO: The Birth Control Pill

I know there is still a lot of controversy surrounding the birth control pill, but this year marks its 50th year anniversary. This story I am posting is a "look back" at the pill over the last 50 years and how it has helped define a new role for women in the household, as well as in the workplace.

I also wanted to post this interesting article about "The Pill" and cancer. In a population-based study of women in the U.K., researchers found death from any cause was 12 percent lower among birth control pill users than among those who never took the drugs. Here is a link to the article I was reading at abc.com: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Wellness/birth-control-pills-reduce-cancer-death/story?id=10084482&page=2

Danielle

VIDEO: "Choose You"

Here is a startling statistic: One in three women will in one point develop cancer in her lifetime. It happened to me unexpectedly and it took me by surprise. However, I think it is important to get the word out that there are things we can do to reduce that risk. Of course you may still get cancer, like I did in my case, but if you keep healthy lifestyle, it will help in the recovery process. Here is an interview I did with the American Cancer Society about their "Choose You" campaign. Make sure to spread the word to other women out there.
Danielle

VIDEO: Walking Across the Country for Locks of Love

I wanted to share this story we did at KDLT about this man walking from Washington all the way to Florida, the headquarters for Locks of Love. I'm very inspired by his determination to not only make a difference for cancer patients, but set and example.

Danielle

Cute Picture

I just had to share this cute picture of my puppy Riley. He is taking a nap on my sister's bed. WOW, what a life!!

Danielle

Great Results

I'm happy to say that my preliminary CT scans did NOT find any cancer in my neck, chest or abdomen. Plus, my blood work came back normal. I feel so relieved to hear this great news. I was trying to keep a very positive attitude going into my tests this past week, but I can't tell you how good it feels to hear the official results. I feel as if a huge burden has been lifted off of my shoulders and I can now lead my life confidently. Before hearing these results, I was never really holding my breath, but I did always have the threat of cancer in the back of my mind. That threat is still there, but I have now bought myself some time until my next scan in three months. I guess I'm going to have to get use to this up and down roller coaster of ecpectations, since I'll be continuing to check-in with my doctors by different scans for the next five years.

So last week I flew into California for blood work and a CT Scan. The CT Scan was the first kind of scan I've had since the doctors diagnosed me with lymphoma back in August of 2009. For the scan I had to drink two bottles of a liquid contrast medium that would help the technicians see into my abdomen, chest and neck. I had an hour to finish both of the bottles, and boy, was it hard. They had three different flavors: banana, coffee and berry. I got the coffee drink and after the first few sips, the taste really got to me. Although it smelt alright, it left a horrible aftertaste. The liquid wasn't as bad as the liquid I had to drink for my lower GI (this was the WORST), but it still gave me that nauseous feeling at times. Thankfully my dad was there to encourage me along the way and keep me motivated.

I then had an IV hooked-up for the technicians to administer the iodine into my veins. The nurse couldn't get the IV started in my left arm, so I had to get pricked twice until the nurse found a vein in my right arm that would work. I was joking with my dad that I preferred getting poked, then drinking the liquid, but he said he would rather drink 10 bottles of the liquid than get poked!!!

During the CT scan the technicians gave me the iodine through the IV. It was weird because during and slightly after the injection, I felt a metallic taste in my mouth and a warm sensation go through my entire body. I also got the urge to pee, even though I had just gone to the bathroom minutes before hand. However, all of these side effects only lasted a short time, and afterwards I felt back to normal. I was happy I could eat again, and that all I had to do differently during the day was drink LOTS of water.

I found this picture of the CT Scan off of radiologyinfo.org and thought it was a great picture of what the machine looks like. I preferred this machine over the MRI or PET/CT machines because this one was open. The other two machines were closed around your body and head, so I felt claustrophobic at times. Really this test wasn't half as bad as some of the other tests I had to do before my cancer treatments.

After my CT Scan, my mom and sister, Brittany, went with me to my appointments with my radiology doctor and oncologist. We first met with Dr. Selch and he said my throat and tonsil area look good. He could tell my saliva gland was improving and my irritation from the radiation was going down. I won't have to see him now until 6 months-YAY!!!

We then met with Dr. Pinter-Brown, and boy was it a long wait. I think we waited for an hour and a half even before we got to see her!!! However, the wait was well worth it. She told us that on her preliminary scans she didn't see any new forms of cancer coming back!!! As you can imagine I was overjoyed to hear this fantastic news. Now I won't have to come back for another 3 months. However, in the meantime she really wants me to listen and take care of my body. She made a big point of stressing how important it is to stay healthy, since I'm now regaining my strength and health. I was surprised to hear that in most reoccurring lymphoma cases, the patient them self will notice a change in their health that indicates the cancer has redeveloped, so it is essential that I listen and take care of my body.

All in all it was a good medical trip and I'm so grateful for my family's support. Thanks guys!!! Hopefully each and every trip to the doctor will go just as smoothly.

Danielle

Traveling to California

As I write this message I'm on board my flight to Denver and then to Los Angeles. I'm going back to California for my first CT Scan since before my cancer treatments back in August. I'm planning on having blood work done to check all my levels, then I have the CT Scan, meet with Dr. Selch, my radiation doctor, and then finally I meet with Dr. Pinter-Brown, my cancer doctor. I can't believe this time is already here. I can still remember going through chemo and radiation like it was yesterday. I'm so glad that the treatments are over and I'm so happy that I made it through everything. And now comes the test of truth, whether or not I still have cancer. It is scary to think there may still be cancer in my body.

When I finished my treatments I was so happy to be done with having to think or deal with cancer issues, so I really hope everything comes back okay. As far as how I'm feeling, I do feel a lot better. I have regained a lot of my strength that I lost during my cancer treatments. I'm still not as strong as I use to be, but it has been nice working out again and doing physical activities I didn't get to do while I was going through chemo. I'm still tired often but I'm hoping that is because of the morning show schedule and not because of cancer. I don't even know what I would do if the caner came back. I guess I would fight it again just as hard, but I must admit it would be hard.

I hope my flight gets in in time for my blood work this afternoon. Wish me good luck!

VIDEO:American Cancer Society

Here is a video I put together for the American Cancer Society talking about their "Look Good Feel Better" class and one of the volunteers.
April 13, 2010

VIDEO:Head Shaving

Today I got to do a story with an amazing girl named LilyAna Hunt-Watts. She is 10 years old and is in 5th grade. She is a true inspiration because the last three years she has shaved her head all in the fight to conquer cancer. Each year she raises money for Saint Baldrick's Foundation and shaves her head. I think she is an amazing young lady who has so much wisdom beyond her years.
Danielle

VIDEO: Harlem Globetrotters

Ever since I did this interview last week, the news has been spreading that the World Famous Harlem Globetrotters came on the KDLT News Today Show. So I have been receiving a lot of requests to see the interview, and I thought I should post it on my blog for all of you not in Sioux Falls. As you can tell I had a great time having them on the show. I'm so lucky to have a job where everyday I get to learn or do something new and exciting. I hope you like the interview!
Danielle

VIDEO: Back to Work

I think a good word to describe the last few weeks is "Busy." I've returned back to work and I'm now working a 40 hours a week schedule. It has been a little challenging on my body to get use to this type of work load once again. I've noticed that after work I'm really tired and all I want to do is hit the hay. I've also noticed that my throat and the back of my head are sore, which I'm not sure why, but I think it might be because of all of the talking I now have to do. However, I have to admit it has been nice to return back to work. I really missed being on the news. I like the feeling that I'm now a productive citizen again, and it is nice to feel "some-what" normal. I just have to focus on continuing to take care of my body. My family and I don't want me to fall back into my old habits of over-working my body. I would say that is one of my biggest flaws. I have a hard time knowing when to stop and take a break. I'm such a hard worker that sometimes I work myself to the point of exhaustion. However, I think it is a good thing that I recognize this, so I can work on it and remain healthy. I miss everyone from home and I hope everyone knows that I love them very much!
Danielle

Welcome Back Party

Take a look at my amazing "welcome back" party at KDLT (February 22, 2010). I'm so grateful that my work threw me this incredible party. It really made me feel so special and important. I was really nervous and anxious to move back and be alone, but these amazing people made me feel so welcomed and loved. I'm so happy that I have this wonderful and supportive family in Sioux Falls. These people are the BEST! Thank you everyone!!!

Danielle

VIDEO: A Look Back Story

In this story I take a look back at my 6 month journey fighting cancer. It has been an incredible fight filled with my high and low points. I have learned so much about myself over the past few months and I'm so grateful for where I am today. Unexpectant events happen in life and you have to do your best when dealing with them. This story ran on KDLT News at 6 on February 25, 2010

Danielle

Back At Work

Hard at work again! February 23, 2010

Danielle

VIDEO: "A Look Back" Promo

Dont miss as I look back at my fight with cancer tonight on KDLT.

Danielle

VIDEO: I'm Back! Promo

February 22, 2010

VIDEO: I'm Back Evening Interview

Here is my first interview back on KDLT with Jessica Hopkins and Tom Hanson on February 22, 2010. I'm really excited to be back and to be returning to a normal lifestyle again. Of course I'm going to miss my family and friends back in California, but I'm glad I am well enough to return back to work. I feel going back to work is a first sign that I'm getting better.

Danielle

VIDEO: New Cancer Therapy

On my second day back (February 23, 2010) I got to do a great story at Avera McKennan Hospital, where I received my chemotherapy sessions. The hospital just received nearly $2.5 million for new technology. The new radiation machine will allow doctors to use radiation inside the operating room for breast cancer patients. This will be a great help for patients who have to travel far for their treatments! Danielle

A Good Heart

Today has been a great day! This morning I met with my heart doctor, Dr. Hamilton in Beverly Hills, and received some good news. I had a heart echo test performed and according to the results, Dr. Hamilton says my ejection fraction has not decreased. The technology involved with the heart echo test is amazing. Basically the heart echo uses high-frequency sound waves to create a picture of your heart. I always love to watch my heart on the screen during the test! I can't peal my eyes off of the screen. Its kind of like when you're staring at a campfire and the flames capture your attention. It amazes me how this one organ can do so much constant work day after day, and without it, all life would end. What a fantastic new sense of appreciation for the human body.

So today's ultrasound allowed the technician to measure my ejection fraction. I of course was worried that my ejection fraction had decreased from the continued effects of the chemotherapy, but much to the doctor's and my surprise it didn't! The doctor says as long as I don't receive anymore chemotherapy or radiation and remain healthy, she thinks my heart should be in good shape. She of course wants to see me again in six months for another heart echo, but in the meantime I can slowly start to exercise.

And in celebration of this good news I went to the beach after the doctor's appointment. What a beautiful day today in Los Angeles- with a high of 79 in February, you really can't complain! Well, I went for a jog at the beach and ended up jogging for 30 minutes, a time I must say I'm really impressed with. I made sure to listen to my body and not push myself too hard, but I'm so glad I lasted 30 minutes. It feels great to return to an activity I really loved before I started all of my cancer treatments.

But on a separate note I have to complain about the state of the beach I went to. Forgive me that I don't know the name, but it is the beach where planes fly directly above when they're leaving LAX. Well, anyways there was trash all over the place. I couldn't believe the amount of liter. It really broke my heart to see people dumping their trash on something so beautiful, like the beach. I tired to pick up as much trash as I could, but there is still so much left over. I guess I'm just really disappointed with some people's lack of consideration, I don't understand it. (There, now you have my rant for the week!)
Danielle

Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day! I couldn't resist the temptation to write about my appointment with my heart doctor tomorrow on this special HEART day (corny, I know). But really I wanted to write about tomorrow's appointment because I'll be receiving an update on the condition of my heart's ejection fraction. As I mentioned earlier, the adriamycin in the R-CHOP that I received during my chemotherapy lowered my ejection fraction (that's a mouthful). Your ejection fraction is the fraction of blood that is pumped out by your heart to the rest of your body. So tomorrow I will find out if my ejection fraction has decreased since the last time we checked it back in November. I will receive a heart echo tomorrow and meet with my doctor, Dr. Hamilton. I am really hoping that my ejection fraction has not decreased!! It is scary to think that I might have a weak heart. Wish me good luck.
Danielle

VIDEO:Training Across America

I now have an actual copy of my interview with Training Across America, so I thought I would put it up on my blog. Once again this is my interview with Sean Cook with Training Across America. Many thanks to Sean Cook who put this video together!

Danielle

My First Trim

This past Tuesday my new hair received its first trim! This day was very exciting for me because my hair had finally grown to the point that the baby fuzz needed to be trimmed off. When your hairs first grow back they are a very soft fuzz that many hair stylists call "baby fuzz." Sure we only took off a little, but hey, it's a step in the right direction. Thanks to Lori and Ashley I got rid of all that soft baby fuzz that crowded the ends of my new healthy hair. It was funny because I felt like I was a little kid going in for their first hair cut. However, I'm grateful there were no stickers or lollipops waiting for me at the end!

Danielle

Training Across America

In December I told you about my interview with Training Across America's Sean Cook. Sean and I talked about my fight against lymphoma, and has now just completed putting together our interview. I encourage you to check it out and tell me what you think.
Danielle
www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_sHPAUiKhQ

VIDEO: Danielle's Update

In case you missed it on the KDLT News tonight, here is my video update:
Danielle

Complete Remission

Here is a picture of (from left to right) my mom, Dr. Pinter-Brown, me, and my dad at UCLA Medical Center on February 2, 2010.

I'm happy to write that I'm now in complete remission. Today I met with my oncologist, Dr. Pinter-Brown at UCLA Medical Center, and she says I look great. She checked for any lumps in my neck, jaw, under arms, and stomach, and found none! We also did a blood test and my platelets look normal. Plus, my anemia is improving. All of this as you can imagine was very welcomed news to my family and I. We were at the doctor's office for two and half hours, but after hearing the good news, the wait didn't seem to bother us as much.

However, more importantly this appointment gave me the opportunity to ask my doctor some important questions about my health and future. Before the appointment I wrote up a list of questions (I can't help but be a reporter!!) to ask Dr. Pinter-Brown. It was funny because my doctor was impressed by how thorough my questions were, she could tell I do this for a living! Here is the list of questions and my doctor's answers. I hope they are as helpful to you as myself.

1. Am I cured or in remission?
Right now I'm in "complete remission." This means they don't see any new cancer in my body, but I'm not yet cured. The definition of being cured is being cancer free for 5 consecutive years. The doctors haven't performed any scans on me yet, but they don't believe I have any new forms of cancer in my body. This is because they did a PET/CT scan right before I started my treatments and didn't find any new forms of cancer. Then during the actual treatments no new forms of cancer can develop, so now I should be cancer free. The real test will be my consecutive scans to see if any new forms of cancer develops in the time after my treatments.

2. Should I be taking any vitamins or supplements?
No, not necessary. Just make sure I eat healthy and get all my food groups. (But I feel like this is easier said than done!)

3. Are there certain foods or drinks I should avoid? No, just eat healthy. I now have no restrictions! (coffee here I come!!)

4. What type of exercise routine should I start? It important for me to get some regular exercise, but I need to slowly ease my body into working out again. I should not push my body to the point of exhaustion, but getting some exercise is a good thing.

5. When will I know if I will be able to have kids? Dr. Pinter-Brown thinks I should be able to have kids. The only thing that may happen is I might enter into menopause earlier than most women.

6. Do I have a greater risk of developing cancer again? Yes, especially other forms of lymphoma, and cancers to my head and neck. This chance increases as I get older, but the truth is everyone is at an increase chance of developing cancer as they age. Sometimes there is no rhyme or reason why cancer develops, and all of us could or could not get it in our lifetime.

7. If I do develop cancer again, would I receive chemotherapy and radiation again? Yes. I would not receive the same type of chemotherapy, R-CHOP, but there are other forms of chemotherapy that the doctors could administer, heaven forbid I do develop cancer again.

8. What is the next step for me? Scans? Heart echo? Blood tests? The next step for me would be to have another PET/CT scan in 3 to 4 months. Dr. Pinter-Brown recommends I do the scan at UCLA. Then after the first scan I would do another one in 6 months. She doesn't recommend doing the scans too often because the x-ray beams are very powerful and could be damaging to my body, but the scans are important to make sure the cancer doesn't redevelop.
As far as my heart, I have to go back to my cardiologist for another heart stress test. Dr. Pinter-Brown wants to continue to monitor my ejection fraction to make sure it is not getting worst. Right now I have an appointment to meet with my cardiologist in the beginning of March, but I'm going to try to move it earlier, like the middle of February.
Receiving blood tests every 3 months will also be very important to monitor my health. Dr. Pinter-Brown recommends coming in every three months for a blood test to monitor my platelets and make sure nothing is out of the ordinary.

9. Will my heart return back to normal? No. Dr. Pinter-Brown says I can't rebuild my heart muscles. The adriamycin in R-CHOP is so powerful that it could continue to weaken my heart as time goes on (but we're hoping it doesn't). She seems to think we caught it early enough that it won't do too much damage to my heart. Plus, there are things I can do to make sure my ejection fraction doesn't get worst. For instance, make sure I don't smoke, develop high blood pressure, or become over weight. The problem with a below normal ejection fraction is it could lead to cognitive heart failure, and I don't want that. It was just surprising to me that I couldn't do anything to improve my heart muscles, I wish I could do something to help.

10. Is there any way I could check for a re-occurrence of my cancer myself? Signs? Symptoms? I just have to pay attention to my body, but I should not worry too much about it. If I recognize a lump or a swollen part of my throat or neck I should go to the doctor and get it checked out. Some other symptoms of lymphoma are: weight loss, Night sweats, and unexplained fevers.

11. If I haven't developed any new side effects now, will any other ones develop? No. The only thing is my heart could get worst and I'm at a greater risk of developing another form of lymphoma.

12. Which side effects are permanent? Possible decrease in saliva, but I have already notice that is improving, along with my dry mouth, my hair returning, and my fatigue beginning to diminish.

13. Should I be concerned about my ITP coming back again? No. Plus, when the doctors do the blood tests every three months they'll look at my platelets and monitor that too.

14. Should my future doctors look out for anything in particular? Not really anything in particular. I just need to tell them my medical history and they'll look out for any new forms of cancer.

15. How and when should I return back to work? I can return back to work, but I need to ease into it. My body has gone through a traumatic experience and it is important that I slowly return to my normal life. Actually my doctor recommends I start out part-time for the first few weeks and then work up to full time. But the good news is I have won the fight and I'm ready to move on!!
Danielle

Don't Laugh (Too Hard)

Here is a short clip of me trying to ski and my sister Brittany laughing! We're at Big Bear Mountain Resort. I'm putting this clip up for some comedy.

Danielle

Happy Birthday Brittany!

Thanks everyone for the great advice on my new hair. As of now I'm not really messing with it because it is still a little short, but I am excited to try out some new styles! I think there may be a consensus for me to spike my hair. So we shall see, it will be fun.

And talking about fun, yesterday was my sister Brittany's 22nd birthday! To celebrate her big day we went skiing at Big Bear Mountain Resort. I must admit I was a little nervous at first to get back on my skis after all of my cancer treatments, but everything went great. I made sure I didn't push my body too hard, but I did get to enjoy the runs. Sure I'm a little out of shape, but I lasted for a majority of the day! It is so exciting to now be able to skii, because just a few weeks ago I could have never been able to do that. Skiing and being active in general, like walking Riley on a daily basis, are good reminders for me that I am getting better and soon I will be back to my regular self- cancer free!

This was my first time skiing at Big Bear and also my first time back on my skis in a really long time, so I kept it simple. I kept to the easy trails, but still had a blast. Nothing beats having the wind in your face, sliding down a big mountain on two sticks! It actually was exhilarating at times and made me feel victorious over my cancer. A feeling of: "Look at me now cancer, you can't keep me down." What a great way to celebrate my sisters birthday!

On a separate note, tomorrow I am meeting with my cancer doctor for a check-up and radiation treatment review. This appointment will be my first time meeting with my cancer doctor since I completed my radiation treatments in January. I don't think I will be getting a PET/CT scan tomorrow, but there are some questions I want to go over with the doctor. One of them being: if I need to take certain vitamins? Also which side effects from my cancer treatments will be permanent? Am I at a greater risk for developing cancer again? How often will I need to come back for check-ups?

I'll make sure to tell everyone what I find out. Wish me good luck. Hopefully the traffic won't be too bad leaving Westwood, our appointment is at 3pm!!

Danielle

Bedhead!

I'm so happy that today I get to write about having "Bedhead!" When I wake up in the morning I finally have enough hair where it gets messy. It was so funny because the other evening I took a short nap before seeing the musical "Avenue Q." When I woke up from my nap I got dressed for the theatre and then noticed my hair was all over the place. Each of the short hair strands were going every which way on top of my head. It's hilarious because who would have every thought I would get so excited about having messy hair? But I guess when you loose your hair and then it comes back, even the smallest reminders of your hair's return really do make a difference.

Now all I need to do is to learn how to style my new short hair. I don't know if I should gel it down or spike it once is grows in a little more. I've never had hair this short before, so I'm really at a loss for how I should style it. I would love to hear any suggestions!!!! Please tell me your ideas, they will be greatly appreciated! The other problem I have is my hair is not growing at the same rate. So I have some portions of my hair that are longer than others. Having uneven hair lengths really do make it difficult to manage, any suggestions?
Danielle

Doctor's Visit

Today I met with my radiation doctor at UCLA. Dr. Selch says I'm slowly getting better and it is only a matter of time until I am back to my normal healthy self again! I guess my throat is still a little swollen and I still need to get plenty of rest, but the good news is I am on my way to a full recovery. Until I am completely better I just have to make sure I don't push myself too hard, and it is important that I continue to listen to my body for what I can and can't do. It has been a long road so far, but it is amazing to think I'm almost done. Now I will be meeting with my oncologist doctor next week.
Danielle

Radiation Check-Up

Here are some photos of my last radiation treatment and some of the equipment the technicians use to administer the radiation:

It is so strange for me to look back at these pictures. It is hard to believe I have survived all of these cancer treatments. I'm so grateful for today's technology, and all of my amazing doctors and nurses along the way. I also feel so lucky that I have been able to make such a horrible disease like cancer into something so positive. I have survived a disease that affects millions of people worldwide each year, and I have learned how to connect with so many MORE people along the way. As I continue my journey, I know for sure I'll live my life with a new appreciation for people and technology.

Tomorrow I have an appointment to meet with my radiation doctor Dr. Selch at UCLA Medical Center. My doctor wants to check-in with me to make sure I am healing after my last radiation session. I am feeling a lot better. I have noticed my throat and dry mouth are improving-YAY! Plus, I'm happy to report that my taste is finally coming back. Food is beginning to have taste once again. It was so funny because when I had no taste I couldn't even really taste cheese and I hate cheese, but now I can taste it once again. So sorry folks, there goes my experimentation with eating cheese!

Wish me good luck tomorrow!

Danielle

More Pictures from My Last Day

Here are some more pictures from last day of radiation at UCLA Medical Center on January 8, 2010. In the top two pictures are my sisters Deanna and Brittany. In the first picture, Deanna and I are waiting in the waiting room for me to be called for my radiation. In UCLA's radiation department they have a circular waiting room with cameras. Instead of checking in at the front desk when you arrive, you take a seat and one of the radiation technicians will look for you in the waiting room using the cameras. At first this was strange to get use to because I'm so accustomed to always checking in at the front desk when you arrive for an appointment. Plus sometimes I would confuse the radiation technicians because I would wear different wigs or hats, so they were never 100% sure if it was me waiting in the waiting room. One time the technicians even got me confused with my sister Brittany because I was wearing a short brown hair wig that day-that was funny!

The next picture is of my sisters Deanna and Brittany also waiting in the waiting room putting together a puzzle. Every day there was always a puzzle out for radiation patients and their families to work on. We saw a few different puzzles out there during my course of radiation treatments. It was always nice to do the puzzle while waiting, in order to get your mind off of the radiation treatment.

The first picture on the bottom is a picture of my sister Brittany and I waiting by the elevators. During the peak hours at UCLA sometimes you would be waiting awhile for an elevator. The radiation department is in the basement of the medical center. They're in the basement with no windows in order to contain all of the radiation. The department even told me they have led panels all throughout the walls, so the radiation doesn't leave the building. At first it was weird to go down to the basement with no windows, but I got use to it really fast, it almost became more like an adventure, my own personal underground bat cave.

The second picture on the bottom is of my mom and I in front of the room where I would enter for my radiation treatment. They had different rooms with different letters for different types of radiation patients. I would always joke that my "D" room stood for "Danielle's Room." This room was where the radiation technicians worked and was connected to a larger room, which was where I went for the actual radiation beams. The two rooms were separated by a HUGE and HEAVY door that blocked out the radiation when I was receiving my treatment.

Thanks mom, Brittany, and Deanna for coming with me to my last radiation treatment and being amazing models!

It has been five days since my last radiation treatment and I'm still feeling really tired and my throat is still hurting just as bad. I also haven't recovered my sense of taste yet, which I'm sure you can imagine is really frustrating. You smell and imagine all of this tasty food, and then it doesn't taste very good when you actually eat it. Like the other night I went out for my favorite food-sushi, and it just didn't taste good to me. However, all of this is normal. The doctors say I have at least 10 days before I'll start to feel better, so I'm hanging in there!

Danielle

Done with Radiation

Yay! I'm all done with radiation. Today was my last day and I must say I am so relieved. I feel so happy that all the treatments are over and now I can really work on healing my body from the inside out. I want to make sure I get enough rest and eat healthy, so I hopefully don't get sick again. I'm going to try to live a healthy lifestyle because one thing that this whole experience has taught me is just how important it is to treat your body like a temple.

Here are some photos from this morning. My mom and sisters Deanna and Brittany and Brittany's boyfriend Dan all came with me to my last radiation treatment. The radiation team let me keep my mask afterwards and also gave me a diploma for completing all my radiation treatments. In this picture I am outside of UCLA and I'm holding my mask and diploma. It is funny that the radiation department gave me a certificate for completion. It is fun and I really like the humor! I also have some photos of the radiation equipment that I will post on my blog in the coming days. So once again yay! it is done. Thank you to everyone for all your love and support during this difficult journey. I couldn't have done it without everyone!

Danielle

Almost a Buzz Cut

Tonight I'm so excited because tomorrow is my last day of radiation!! My mom and sisters are planning on coming with me to my last treatment and then afterwards I'm sure we will do something to celebrate.

I do feel anxious for tomorrow. I have been looking forward to the end of my cancer treatments ever since I started back in August. I can't believe it is already January and I'm almost done. From the beginning of my fight I knew I would have to be patient and that my journey would be long and hard, but now that I'm almost done, I'm so proud of all that I have accomplished. Looking back at everything I have gone through (from MRIs to bone narrow tests to PET/CTs to fertility treatments to chemotherapy to loosing my hair to heart stress tests to radiation) I'm so glad that I was able to keep such a positive outlook on so many of these scary circumstances. I don't say this for pity, but for encouragement: if I could do it, anyone can.

In August I remember feeling overwhelmed with the idea that my fight with cancer would take so many months. I felt as if it was so unfair that I would have to put my life on hold for this horrible disease. I kept asking why did I have to loose my hair and feel sick, when all the other people I knew in their 20s where out having fun? How could I survive 5 months of fighting a horrible disease like cancer? We'll, now it is almost over and I can proudly say I SURVIVED! I have learned that I am BEAUTIFUL with no hair! I have learned that to enjoy life you don't need to be constantly going out on the town, but what you do need is close FAMILY MEMBERS and FRIENDS. And finally I have learned that in order to fight any illness you need a GOOD ATTITUDE and COURAGE. You don't need to be courageous all of the time, but you need to have enough courage to remain DETERMINED. I admit there were mornings when I didn't want to get out of bed or go to my next chemotherapy session (just the thought of the red adriamycin made me sick) but I knew I owed it to myself to get better, and that in a matter of time this would all be over. Now I'm almost done and I'm so proud of myself for sticking with it.

And talking about sticking with it, my hair is growing back! I would say right now I have almost a buzz cut. My head feels very soft, but you can still see my scalp. Today I took Riley on a walk and I was wearing a hat. When we got back and I took off my hat, I was joking I had "hat hair" because some of my thin hair strands were folded over. Hey, you got to start somewhere. I also like to joke that it is coming back gray. Right now my hair is soo thin that it looks a little gray, so now I get a taste for the future, and I must say I don't look half bad with gray hair-hahaha.

Wish me good luck on my last radiation treatment!
Danielle

3 More Days

I am happy to write that I have only three more days of radiation to go and then I'm done! My last radiation treatment is this Friday at 9:50am pacific coast time (and counting!). I met with my radiation doctor this week and he feels confident that Friday will be my last day. He wants to see me in two weeks, but he feels certain I will not need anymore radiation. YAY! Just in time too, my throat is really beginning to hurt. I tired out some medicine from the doctor, but I don't like how it makes my entire mouth numb. Plus, now I'm beginning to lose some taste in my mouth. The food I'm eating tastes a little bit metallic. It is disappointing because the foods I love definitely don't taste the same anymore. And finally, I feel exhausted! My daily routine consists of taking at least a one to three hour nap every afternoon. Sure taking daily naps do seem appealing, but when they get in the way of your daily activities, they get annoying. Plus even after the nap I still feel tired. So I'm excited for this Friday when I'll be done with my radiation. Now all I have to do is think of a way to celebrate. Any ideas?
Danielle

"Invictus"

On New Year's Day my family and I saw the movie "Invictus." I thought the movie was well directed and the actors did a great job, especially Morgan Freeman! However, what really intrigued me about the movie was the poem "Invictus" by William Ernest Henley. Before the movie I had never heard of Henley or his poem, but after watching the film I did a search for the poem online. I'm so happy I read the poem myself because I don't think the movie did it enough justice. While watching the film it was hard to follow the narrative of the poem because there was so much going on in the movie at the same time the poem was being read. Plus I think I got a greater appreciation for the message of the poem after reading it myself and digesting it in my own quiet environment.

The last two lines of the poem made a big impact on me and in particular my fight against cancer. The last two lines are:
"I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul."
I feel in my journey fighting cancer I have worked hard to be the captain of my fight. I have always tried to by determined and strong when receiving my chemotherapy and radiation treatments. I know it is tough at times to be the master of your fate, especially when fighting a major illness, but I truly believe that when you do take that control and are resilient, you can succeed, at least in one form or another. Whether you achieve peace with yourself, your family or friends, or you are cured, taking control over your mind and heart can lead to positives.

It is interesting to note that the author, Henley, also battled with health problems of his own. According to wikipedia, Henley suffered from tuberculosis of the bone at the age of 12. The tuberculosis resulted in the amputation of his left leg below the knee. I am sure this poem reflects some of his courage and strength he had to have, when he had his leg amputated. The title "Invictus" is actually Latin for "unconquerable" or "undefeated", which is a trait I'm sure Henley knows about first hand. I can only imagine that Henley felt a little bit invincible after surviving and learning to live with an amputated leg. That is really strength in its strongest form.

Here is the poem in full form. I encourage you to read it. I hope you can find the same inspiration I did after reading it. I know this will be a poem I will revisit time after time when I'm confronted with future challenges.
Danielle

"Invictus"

Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the Pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade.
And yet the menace of the years
Finds, and shall find, me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll.
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.

William Ernest Henley

2010

I can't believe 2010 is here. I hope everyone had a nice celebration bringing in the new year. I know I'm excited for the new year and its potential for so many new opportunities. I also like New Year's Day because I love to watch the "Twilight Zone." Each New Year's Day it is a family tradition to watch some of the Syfy marathon on TV. I think the show is great. Rod Serling is a creative genius, plus he has the perfect voice. Each story really makes you think about our culture and how we value everyday things and concepts.

For instance, one episode I really like is called "The Rip Van Winkle Caper." In this episode four gold thieves steal $1 million worth of gold bricks. The thieves then sleep for 100 years in a special gas chamber in hopes that in the future everyone would not remember their robbery. The plan works until the men become greedy and turn on one another. Eventually all four of the thieves are dead and you see the twist at the end of the show-that gold is no longer of any value. People in the future had found a way of manufacturing gold, so the men's precious gold was no longer of any importance. So all of that work, time, greed, and death meant nothing in the long run for the four men. I find this concept so interesting, especially in today's economy, because I think in our world we put so much importance on physical objects, like gold and money, and who knows if they will be of any importance in 100 years. Our world develops so fast that it is hard to think of one thing that could not be redeveloped sometime in our future.

On a separate note, I must admit though I'm a little disappointed that I'm continuing my cancer fight into the new year. My original plan was to have finished my cancer treatments by the end of 2009. However, unfortunately that's not the case and I'm still undergoing my radiation treatments into the middle of January. I guess I was hoping the New Year would mean a clean slate and a new beginning for my health, and when I found out my plan had changed, I was crestfallen.

On the flip side though, my radiation treatments are going very smoothly. All of the radiation technicians are great and very helpful. It's also funny because now I feel as if I can get myself anywhere on the UCLA Medical Center. Anyone who has been to the UCLA Medical Center knows just how big that place is, it's crazy! I remember at first being so confused on where I should go, but now it's kind of funny that I'm the one helping other people get around the hospital.

I do sometimes get annoyed with the drive down to Westwood Monday thru Friday (plus what's with $11 parking?!), but my family and friends have been great support. I'm so lucky that I always have someone willing to make the trip down with me so I don't have to go alone. Here is a picture from New Year's Eve when my brother and sisters came with me to my radiation treatment. They're the best!

As far as side effects from the radiation, my throat has been hurting. It is just like a constant sore throat, but I have found keeping hydrated does help somewhat. I'm trying to keep rested, and have actually started taking some light walks. It has been really nice getting some exercise in and being outside in the sunlight. It is amazing how the sun can really brighten-up your mood and health.

Danielle