Thursday, May 3, 2012

And Round 2 Goes to.....

Sydney visiting me during 'Round 2'
Me!

That's right folks, I do believe we can call this chemo score officially even. Not that there needs to be a clear winner here, but might I simply say that I will NEVER go back to the black hole of side effects of round #1. Nope. Not gonna do it. Refuse in fact.

After talking with Dr. G. and his team, we decided that I didn't need to return to the abyss of chemo #1, so they made the necessary adjustments to help me through this round - whew! So, I took my bad-bald-self into that room with my Keep Your Skirt On book (courtesy of the very kind and uber talented writer/columnist *Starshine Roshell) and faced this one head on. Four hours later, I had read some hilarious musings from Ms. Roshell, visited with my good friend and pal Sydney (a chemo rock star in her own right), and even sent Hil out for a 'chemo break' of her own (Starbucks!).

Now here I am, one week later, sitting upright with my wits about me. Yep, no days lost, no severe bone and joint ache, just a tad more fatigued and some gnarly nauseousness. Not fun, but THAT, I will deal with compared to a month ago.

And as the stats go, I'm now done with 2/6 chemo treatments, and yes, I am counting them down until I'm done and only doing the Herceptin treatments every few weeks for the next year. Sounds a little crazy, but I am looking forward to only that!

In the meantime, I need to escape from myself and the severe cabin fever that has clearly set in. And since I think I can now tolerate the motion of being in a car, I'm gonna ride shotgun in the passenger seat today as Hil runs some errands. Haven't been this excited in a long time. May even sneak in a break to the beach or roll the windows down and hang my bald head out and take in the smell of some fresh air.

So, if you'll excuse me...

*Ms. Roshell sent me two of her books after I wrote her to thank her for her brilliant writing, musings and humor that are getting me through this cancer gig - WOW! How awesome is that?! I'm telling you, there are good people in this world and she is one of them!

10 comments:

  1. Woot. You kicked that chemo's butt. :-) I'm going to have to check out Starshine's books. I love her column. Hope you had a great cabin-break today!

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    1. Woot is right! Gonna do the same with Round 3 this week! And yes, you should most definitely check out Starshine's books. It will give you the belly laugh that we all need! Hope you all are doing well! Would love to see you and the kids over the summer!

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  2. Of course round two went to you. That's because you're a rock star and you're my sister! I'm so glad this round went better for you. Love you bunches!!!

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    1. Thanks sister! Planning on taking that rock star attitude into Round 3 this week! Will have a part of you in there with the feathers and your beading! Love you bunches back!

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  3. Just now catching up on these posts... I lost the bookmark when I switched browsers! So glad to have seen you so vibrant after this round of chemo. Inspiring + Mind Blowing, Miss Yog. Group hug!

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    1. Group hug back to dear you! Jo-Jo sends his love along with us for all of your wonderful words, kindness and support! xoxo to you Cath!

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  4. This would be easier if I weren't a recovering English major with little techno savvy. It would also help if I didn't also suffer from PKSD (K for Katrina--I left Ventura & UCSB after grad school in '89 & have been in New Orleans ever since) and the dread pirate chemo brain. Anyway Kathy Patterson is one of my best friends (plus Cheri & Mikey & Patrick) & she thinks we may have met at their wedding. Kathy recommended your blog and I just read it and loved it! Thank you.
    Just before Thanksgiving I was diagnosed with a ribbonless cancer, small cell lung. And yes, I got it the old-fashioned way-I earned it. Nevertheless, I have been surrounded by love and prayer thru radiation & chemo and quitting smoking and all the nasty side effects of treatment. That same love has surrounded my husband since he was diagnosed with stage four prostate cancer in January. (simpler treatment, fewer side effects, but still...I don't mean to sound like "queen for a day"--and you're probably not old enough to remember that show!) Right now I'm in the middle of tests to determine if I am in remission, and the waiting IS the hardest part. Uncertainty however is one of the permanent side effects, isn't it? We "know" that we could be hit by an asteroid or run over or have a heart attack, etc. etc., but once you've been diagnosed with the big C, you darn well better learn to live like Ferdinand and sit just quietly and smell the flowers, and letting so much light in that there's no room for cancer. Anyway, thank you for your blog. If I understood the tech aspects of posting, I wouldn't post as Anonymous: if you do FB I'm Lydia Elliott Hopkins. Peace.

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    1. Hi Lydia! It's so great to hear from you and yes, I know exactly who you are per some conversations with Kathy. I think about you each day and send you healing, positive vibes your way for your ribbonless cancer. But, may I just say, that pink ribbon of mine hasn't exactly found a cure as of yet so I'm thinking of coming up with my own ribbon and design. No solid colors, maybe a psychedelic one instead for an all-inclusive cancer ribbon that truly raises funds for a cure!
      As for you AND your husband, I think you deserve a bit of 'Queen and King for a day!' And if I had my way, a special wand to wave over all of us that immediately removes side effects and takes us past GO and straight to remission. So, I'll get right on that. I'd rather take the hit of that asteroid than these darn side effects.
      So, in the meantime, we should continue to sit quietly, smell the flowers, look at cloud shapes and play with children. So, peace to you and your husband from up here in Santa Barbara! Keep me posted on your healing too! xo, Yog

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  5. Thank you! Glad that you are halfway thru chemo & YOU have hold of the reins!
    My tests were (don't curse, Lydia, you're s'posed to be an ordained person!) .........inconclusive. Brain MRI good, ditto pelvic CT scan & whole body bone scan.
    Chest CT scan showed previous tumors gone but 2 tiny spots that might be infection, scar tissue, or new cancer. I trooped into the chemo doc's office with both my daughters, 1 nursing granddaughter, my husband, and my fellow deacon/spiritual director/girlfriend. My oldest, Jess (with lovely little Magdalena attached) asked my doc straight out about prognosis if it's new C....& it wasn't good. He referred me to pulmonary doc for diagnosis. He said its unlikely to be new tumors in an area irradiated so recently, & anyway the spots are too small to biopsy (He doesn't want my lung to collapse again the way it did in my original biopsy). He said it might be a bacterial infection, fungal pneumonia, scar tissue, or TB--damn the things that can happen when you ain't got no immune system! So he put me on super anti-b's and sent me to get lab tests which will take a week or so. On June 8 I get a new CT scan, & bc my C is the aggressive type, the spots will be bigger if that's what they are. So, more waiting. I NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD BE ACTIVELY HOPING FOR FUNGAL PNEUMONIA, for heaven's sake.
    Q & K for a Day factoids: my king lost his job 12 hours before my chemo doc appt., so he flew home & we're thinking about income (good severance pkg & they'll pay Cobra ins for 6 mo.). Tomorrow he's got big time dental surgery & Monday he & his older son--ask Kathy about him--have to drive to MD Anderson for more tests & hormone shot. Will wonders never cease???? But hey, we're all still able to howl at the moon and give thanks for our blessings (however mixed they may sometimes seem). Peace.

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    1. So sorry for the delay in my response to you. Blaming it on my new chemo brain yet again! I think of you late at night as I'm sending out healing light your way as you face yet another bump in the road with your health. Please let me know how you are doing and how you are proving to your docs that you are unstoppable! You will especially be in my thoughts on June 8! Peace to you all as you continue your ride on the crazy cancer train! Howling to the moon for you!

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