Week 5
At Mercy Infusion Center
Five down, 7 to go!
If you've been following my journey since my double mastectomy, thank you for being here. Writing these updates has become a way for me to process everything that's happening while hopefully helping someone else who may be walking a similar path.
After my mastectomy, I took about five weeks away from the salon to focus on healing. Stepping away from the work and clients I love wasn't easy, but my body needed that time. Returning to the salon felt like getting a little piece of my normal life back, and I'm so grateful for the support and encouragement I've received from all of you.
Now I'm in the chemotherapy chapter of this journey.
This week marks five of my twelve weekly Taxol treatments. Every Wednesday is chemo day, and between treatment and scalp cooling, I'm at the hospital for about 3½ hours. It's become my new routine—one I never expected, but one I'm learning to embrace one week at a time.
So far, I'm celebrating the little victories.
My hair is still hanging in there, which I'm incredibly thankful for. Since I shared more about cold capping in my last post, I'll just say that I'm continuing to take things one wash day at a time and hoping for the best.
Another part of my Wednesday routine is icing my hands and feet during my Taxol infusion. If you've ever wondered why chemo patients wear frozen gloves and socks, it's because Taxol can sometimes cause peripheral neuropathy—nerve damage that leads to numbness, tingling, pain, or weakness in the hands and feet. Cooling them during treatment may help reduce that risk by limiting how much chemotherapy reaches those nerves.
Thankfully, I haven't experienced any neuropathy so far, and that's something I don't take for granted.
Looking ahead, chemotherapy isn't the end of my treatment plan. Once I finish chemo and my blood counts recover, I'll have my final breast reconstruction surgery. Having that next milestone on the calendar reminds me that there is life beyond treatment and that every Wednesday is bringing me one step closer.
People often ask me how I'm doing, and my answer is usually the same: some days are harder than others, but I'm doing well. I'm working, spending time with the people I love, and trying to find gratitude in the small wins.
Thank you for continuing to follow my journey, for checking in, and for cheering me on. Your prayers, messages, and encouragement mean more than you know.
Here's to treatment number six.
One week. One treatment. One step closer.
This Week's Update
💗 5 of 12 Taxol treatments complete
💇♀️ Hair is still hanging in there
🧊 No neuropathy so far
✂️ Back behind the chair and grateful to be working
🌸 Reconstruction is next after chemotherapy and recovery
Love,
Kate Colton