Editor's Note: NewsChannel 2 Anchor Wendy Chioji is grateful to all of the viewers who have expressed their best wishes as she wages her fight against breast cancer.

Chioji has chosen to use NewsChannel20000.com as her way of keeping the public updated on her health. New diary entries will be posted every Friday.

BREAST CANCER INFORMATION Four Steps Promote Early Detection WENDY'S DIARY Oct. 31: Ride For The Roses Oct. 24: Another Cycling Weekend Oct. 18: An Emotional Finish Oct. 17: Singin' In The Rain Oct 16: Rally In Indianapolis Oct. 15: Chilling In Arkansas Oct. 14: Monster Crosswinds Oct. 13: Tailwind To Texas Oct. 12: An Uphill Climb Oct. 11: The Race Begins Previous Diary Entries WEB LINKS Florida Hospital mammography locations Complete Guide For Breast Cancer Breast Cancer Decision Guide Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation National Breast Cancer Coalition American Cancer Society National Breast Cancer Coalition INTERACTIVE Breast Cancer Survivors: Share Your Experiences Meet Other Breast Cancer Survivors

Two down, 10 to go; this Taxotere is a piece of cake compared to the Adriamycin-Cytoxan.

I know I keep saying that, but it's such a nice surprise that it really is what it was described to be.

I'd gotten to the point that even if Dr. Dave, or the nurses, said something wasn't so bad, I still expected something bad to happen. I know that the drug builds up in your bloodstream, so I'll be tired and maybe achy by the end of October.

But for now, I feel great. I'm actually able to build up some endurance in my running, cycling and swimming. My speed is coming back, and I can go longer. :-)

The chemo experience this week was even less exciting than the one last week. The one thing that did bring a smile to my face was my white blood cell count: 7.8. Can you believe it? I had to resist the urge to go straight to get sushi.

I was in the doctor's office for about two hours this time, then went home. I left myself a couple of hours to lie down before I went to work, but I just lay there awake. It was the steroids. I take steroids the day before to minimize the chance of allergic reaction.

Of course, I forgot, for the second week, to take the full dose the day before. Mental block, I think. I don't really like to take the steroids.

I've decided to take a more conservative approach to the whole eye-tear duct procedure. Rather than just have the stents put in, I'm going to have a doctor closely monitor me. At the first sign of any scarring of the tear ducts, then we'll take action.

It's a hard decision, because although 70-percent of people who take weekly Taxotere get the scarring, sometimes permanently, that still means 30 percent do not.

Plus, the discovery of this side effect is so new, there's no data on whether the procedure even works. So, do I get the procedure just for insurance? I'll try to put it off as long as possible.

Last weekend, I took full advantage of not having my regular hair. I have hosted the Hope and Help Center's Headdress Ball for years. It's a really outrageous event, and I always try to outdo myself with wacky hairstyles.

I went as a platinum blond a couple of years ago. Well, this year, my friend Michael made me a wild, blond mohawk with little shiny jewels in it. We shaved my head smooth, and there I was in all my mohawk glory.

What I told everybody was that all I could do is work with what I had (or didn't have)!

The funny thing is, last year, I had considered shaving my head and going bald for shock value. It shows you that you have to be careful what you wish for!

I've been wishing for my hair to come back, and guess what? It's starting to grow back! I don't want to get too hopeful, but it's definitely growing back fast after we shaved it on Saturday.

It's not that fine peach fuzz either. This is G.I. Jane (which is what I'm going to a masquerade ball as, by the way. Why not?) Maybe I'll have to shave it down again to be G.I. Jane. I'm not sure I'll have the desire to do that, but we'll see.

So let me share this with you, since several people have asked, over the months, how to talk to their loved ones who've been diagnosed with cancer.

This weekend, I had two people come up to me and say, "My mom/dad/relative had cancer too. He/she died." Period. Then they waited to see what my response would be. This has happened a few times in the last few months. I am sympathetic, and I understand that people are looking for a connection.

But, speaking only for myself, comments like that do not make me better. What am I supposed to say to that? I also know, from talking to lots of cancer survivors, that conversations like the ones I had are common.

The last thing I want to be reminded of right now, as I get better, is that death is still a possibility. Because as far as I'm concerned, it is not an option. Not for a long, long time.

Wendy
September 28, 2001

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