Happy New Year!
I have not been one for keeping you up to date, I know. Holidays and general laziness. Also, despite being from the North, I just really do not enjoy being cold and thus end up bundled up under blankets with a book and a cat as often as possible. As such, I am quite happy that the next five whole days will be noticeably warmer, and Toby the dog will love me once again as we resume our walks in the woods. Also, if I have not told you yet, or you do not follow me on Instagram, there are gorgeous deer in the nearby woods. I love them. One of them is piebald, which means mostly-white but not albino (not the technical definition, but you can look it up). Very rare! and I consider a positive sign for me. Also, we have come to call her my patronus. Which in my head sounds like the song "My Sharona." Are you with me? lulz
Public Service Announcements
It seems that the flu is really terrible and an epidemic this year so please stay home if you are sick. THANKS
Also if you did not get a flu shot, please do so.
THANKS
What's New
I did finish my first phase of chemo-- all 12 TC or Taxol/Carboplatins are complete. That was a lot of chemo, my friends. Yuck.
I also began Phase 2, which is known as AC or Adriamycin/Cytoxan (sounds delicious!). I will have just 4 total of these infusions, every 3 weeks, so cross your fingers that March 2 is the end of chemo for me. Prior to starting the AC, which I did the week after finishing TC, with no breaks, I had to have another Echocardiogram and ECG. Adriamycin is apparently not always great for heart health so they monitor it pretty closely. Additionally, since I only go every 3 weeks, each time is a potential Pembro infusion. John is convinced that I am getting it, and I am not sure, except for a slight rash on my cheeks (attractive, yeah?) I have gotten the last two times of potential Pembro. All I know is that saline solution does not give me a rash. Chemo is definitely testing my beauty limits, and I praise the Sephora goddesses (monetarily).
Chemo Buddy Features!
In December, my chemo buddies were: Christine (who I unfortunately never did get to see, due to my low neutrophil count-- and I so appreciate her taking the time off work for me! I was sad to not have chemo that day-- because what is worse than chemo? Not having chemo... and not getting to hang out with your chemo buddy), Megan (featured
here), Jessie, Barb, and John.
Jessie also brought me a gorgeous quilt that she MADE HERSELF. As I get older, I realize that more and more of my friends have creative talents, and it shocks me every time. How amazing! How did you even make time for that?!
I have known Jessie since 2004, when we met in Vegas on a post-election sad sack trip with a bunch of Dean friends (although she worked for Edwards... blame Courtney 😉).
Jessie is the best.
My MIL, Barb, who is amazing, was in town for Christmas, and got to be my final chemo buddy! (John will be chemo buddy for the remaining infusions.) Barb is wonderful, and I am very lucky to have married into this family.
Best MIL ever. 💗
The loml, at my first AC infusion.
Gratitude
I also want to thank all of you for every single one of your well-wishes: your cards, care packages, tea, gift cards, a free week of food delivery service!, blankets, books, text/social media messages, phone calls, chemo buddies!, in-person visits (Becky! Kate! Matt!), FaceTime chats, flowers, and the *many* other incredible and thoughtful gifts and your different ways of being there for me during this suboptimal period. You get me through the tough parts, which mostly are just feeling as though this will never end... chemo is drudgery, and it can be discouraging on the vanity front... and I can do anything for another month and a half-- so wish me well with tomorrow's labs (let's go neuts!).
