I started out my breast cancer experience being inspired by flower crowns, and had the blessing of a good friend take a beautiful photo shoot of me before the chemo started.
My chemotherapy started with 3 months of chemo with a drug combo of Adriamycin and Cyclophosmamide. The nurses called it ‘red devil’. Four times, three weeks apart, for 3 months. This kicked my butt. B.A.D.
I was bed-ridden for a week and a half after each chemo treatment. Apparently most people don’t have it quite that bad. My doctor told me maybe only 10 percent do. Lucky me.
I didn’t really have time to form a game plan going into this first half of my chemo treatment, aside from trying to look my best. I didn’t even have a camera to take pictures or anything. My BFF showed up at my second chemo treatment and took the pictures of me bald. I am so glad she did. I don’t have photos of my first, third, or fourth treatments, and I wish I did. I don’t remember what I wore, how I felt, etc. But, that is ok. I survived. I am here.
The next 3 months I was switched to a different drug, Paclitaxel. This chemo would be administered weekly for 12 weeks. A game plan came together for these 12 weeks.
Flower crowns!
I fell in love with flower crowns after my photo shoot. And I have a new love for artificial silk flowers. I was not much into fake flowers before, but real flowers are not really an option for making crowns if you want to keep them.
The right flowers started to appear at Walmart and Michaels, and even my mom bought me some. Suddenly I had a bunch of flowers in my bedroom, which were an encouragement to me.
My youngest daughter had a glue gun, so I borrowed it. I got myself some wire. And I made flower crowns to wear to my chemo appointments.
Something about flower crowns is just so fun, and pretty, and makes me feel like a fairy princess. If I had to do this chemo thing, I was going to do it looking cute! I loved wearing these flower crowns! And the combination with the colored wigs were especially fun.
When I wore them to my chemo appointments, I felt inspired, encouraged, and STRONG.
May you find your own special way to be encouraged, inspired, strengthened by a game plan, your special game plan with something beautiful, whimsical, fun! May you see your own beauty, may you feel beautiful. May you find the strength to fight, even if with something like flowers.
Huge, beautiful, flowery, and sweet blessings to you that give you strength for your journey.
To see Day 7: My Cancer Artwork: Watercolor Blobs click HERE
