A Little Bit of Hair

In my last post I mentioned that I'd be spending my down time doing several things, including growing some hair.

Doesn't matter how many times it all falls out, I just can't get it to grow back in red.

 It isn't exactly a Pantene commercial, but it isn't exactly bald either. In another few weeks it will start growing down over my ears and looking funny with my hats. Shortly after that it will get long enough to look wild when I wake up in the morning (think Medusa, post-chemo). And, with any luck, after that it will be a pixie cut reminiscent of this...

Yes, I realize I have a bit of a Superman curl on my forehead. I miss those curls!

My doctor has decided that we'll do my next scan at the beginning of March. At first I balked (he'd said February!) but then remembered that the end of February and the beginning of March are really not all that different. Plus it means that I can enjoy my end-of-February birthday without worrying about scan results...or at least not worrying *that* much. I think anyone who's ever had cancer is always a bit worried about scan results.

At my last appointment my doctor was happy with how my GvH looked externally. I still had small patches of very dry, scaly, red skin here and there as well as some irritated areas in my mouth, but overall it seemed under control. When my labs measuring my liver function came back normal I received a phone call telling me to take my Sirolimus dose down again! Now I am only taking a .5mg pill every other day. Since the goal is to get me off the Siro (my immuno-suppressant) all together, this was a step in the right direction. My GvH did flare, with my skin and mouth getting noticably (but not terribly) worse.

As we slowly back off of this medicine I think my body is finding a balance with the GvH. Each time my dose is decreased I notice a flare and some increased irritation, but then after a week or three it seems to go back to the acceptable level it was at. I may always have GvH irritation, but hopefully it is much more irritating to any cancer that tries growing back than it is to my skin! GvH is just my new donor immune system attacking my skin, liver, stomach, ect. So if it's doing what it's supposed to and attacking any upstart cancer then all the minor irritations will be worth it.