Herceptin #14 Baby!

The drive to my treatments can best be described as the time that I get my 'good juju on!' The routine usually goes like this: silence in the car...turn the phones off...breathe...Hil sings me 'Our Song' (thank you Dave Matthews!)...hold hands and follow it up by doing our 'good intentions!' And for some reason, the guy upstairs always seems to make sure that it's a sunny day, hence my ritualistic phrase, "It's a GREAT DAY for a Herceptin treatment!" Drive. Check.

After seeing my oncologist (luv Dr. G!), I'm escorted into the treatment room by him like he's my own personal chemo valet. To my surprise, I am greeted by my old 'Chemo Mixologist' Amber! Yippee! She's been hitting the books hard and getting her teaching degree (science and math of course) so we haven't seen much of her lately, but let me say that she always lifts my spirits as she brings me my Herceptin cocktail bag on a tray! Luv her too! Treatment. Check

Lastly, Hil and Amber get caught up and swap recent life stories all the while we all ignore the pink-breast-cancer-elephant-in-the-room! And while my veins are being flooded with my cure, this is about the time I doze off and fade into my meds slumber before heading back down the coast to home and bed.

Herceptin #14. Check

Herceptin #13: Lucky 13!

LUCKY 13! That's what I'm calling this one. Full of brightness, sunshine, good friends and love. Doesn't get any better than that. And while 2012 may have been looming over me and my health like a hawk, I still cannot express enough, the gratitude I have for my 'Pac-Man Medicine' munching away in my internal arcade of cells fighting against that Herceptin gene protein with Blinky, Pinky, Inky and Clyde eating away and obliterating the bad guys as they attempt to roam through the maze of my cellular structure. Simply said, I feel victorious with each treatment (insert Pac-Man music here!).

                                           Me, Zeb, Sydney                                            Hil, Me, Zeb, Sydney, Julie-Bunny

Adding to my 'Lucky 13' theme of this treatment were visits from my gal-pals which spread like joy from the chemo room to the cancer center parking lot. While Zeb and Sydney have remained a steady source of inspiration for me as we have all sat in those chemo chairs over the past couple of years, the ongoing support of Hil and Julie-Bunny remains a major cornerstone of these treatments.

So, I pronounce yet again, my thanks and gratitude to Buddha, the Universe and the Herceptin Gods. They really are on my side.

Welcome 2013!

Cheers! From my iPhone camera to yours!

Happy New Year! Or, as I have been saying, 'Thank you, for the love of God, that 2012 is O.V.E.R.!' And, heeelllloooo 2013! 

To the bitter end, (and by bitter, I mean sour, brutal and down-right ridiculous!) 2012 proved to be the year of digging deep for that inner strength in spite of the obstacles staring me right square in the eye. But luckily now, it is indeed, a thing of the past. Thank you Buddha! 

Moving on.

So now that the year of hell is behind me, 2013 has already and seemingly reminded me, that fresh starts are undoubtedly SUHWEET! So, if you'll excuse me for a brief paragraph to quote all of those cliches that absolutely ring true, here I go: When one door closes, another one opens. Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end. There are two mistakes one can make along the road to truth... not going all the way and not starting. You will never win if you never begin.

So, there you have it. My New Year's message to myself and to all of you. May you all be blessed with love, health and healing. I know I have and am forever grateful for the past and the greatness that has already come my way.