Friends of Geraldine

Geraldine just underwent three intense days in Norfolk General Hospital in her second round of ICE chemotherapy.  She is feeling very tired, and has been in bed for a couple of days since that time.  As you can see by her previous post, all of her hair fell out before she went through this round of chemo.  Her appetite and energy level seem to be a bit increased this time vs. the first round. She’ll probably be up and about by the end of the week.

Her spirits are low, so it would be a good time to call, text, or leave comments here.

Geraldine’s first round of ICE chemotherapy concluded on Friday evening, August 8. For nearly a week, she was mostly bedridden, nauseous, and extremely fatigued. As of today, she is slowly coming out of her “chemo coma” as she calls it.

A very real danger is that she may become Neutropenic, which basically means that she is “more susceptible to bacterial infections and without prompt medical attention, the condition may become life-threatening.”

It’s a shame, because just as she is feeling better and ready to get out of the house, she’s being ordered back into isolation for the weekend.

She has also been told that in two weeks or so, her hair will completely fall out. Not just a little at a time, but all at once, in clumps.  She plans on shopping for scarves this weekend, and getting her hair cut as short as she is able to to avoid the shock.  Still, this is a major blow to one’s self-esteem, and is especially hard for a beautiful woman.

We plan on documenting the haircut and the hair-loss with a video camera. It will not be easy on her, but she has refused to let her friends shave their heads in Solidarity, stating “you don’t look all that great now, you don’t need to make it worse…” hehe.