Catching Up With Chemo Part One

I have heard from many friends and family that they'd like to stay abreast of this whole cancer business, so to speak.  I've been such a boob about posting so it's high time I get a few things off my chest.  (Yes!  The breast cancer puns just keep coming!)  I do love the attention and plan to milk it for all it's worth. (I can't stop!)

Anywhoozle, much has happened over the last few weeks: more chemo dates, head-shaving, a makeup workshop with my favorite drag queen, my kiddos' birthdays, a visit to Harborview emergency, London, Paris...you know, the usual.  In Part One of what I imagine to be a three-part series of posts, we will learn what has been happening on the chemo front, along with other notable events along the way.  Here goes...

Since the last post, my chemo dates have been primarily with family.  For Chemo Date # 7, I took my little Carter with me and was joined by the amazing positive force that is my Aunt Catina a.k.a. "Tia."  Technically, she's my husband's aunt but I love her so much that I'd be a fool not to claim her as my own.  Back when I worked full-time, she took care of Carter for the first year and half of his life and she and Carter are still very bonded.  Since Carter had been having nightmares and in general seemed stressed about my chemo treatments, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to bring him along so he could see it was no big deal.  It worked!  Whatever he was imagining stopped haunting him and he turned into a calm, perfect little angel who minds everything I say.  Okay, that's a lie.  But at least he doesn't seem as stressed about the chemo.

 

As chemo progressed, my hair started getting thinner and thinner and it was making a mess all over the house.  A clump here, a handful there.  I couldn't stand to watch the slow death of my hair and was tired of cleaning out the tub so I had my head shaved.  It’s very handy that my mother-in-law does hair for a living.  She was kind enough to open up her salon for a little shaving party followed by a lovely lunch and a stop by the Chocolate Man. Eat your heart out, Joan Lunden!

I have a wig that I can wear, which doesn’t look so bad in this photo, but it drives me crazy and makes me feel very self-conscious so I usually just wear a hat.  I’m not going to lie, I miss my hair a lot.  Probably more than I should.  Darn vanity.

The next day after shaving my head, I joined my amazing belly dance students for a Making Strides walk in Tacoma to raise money for breast cancer research.  There were about 25 of us, I believe, all in pink jingly coin belts.  I think we were the 3^rd highest fundraising group?  It was amazing and randomly, my best buddy from high school, Cedric, happened to be there.  It felt so incredible to walk with my kids, my husband, and so many people I love.  We were a force to contend with!  Thank you especially to Michele Loveday for organizing.

The next day after that, I hosted a makeup workshop with the irrepressible Atasha Manila.  Atasha performs at Inay’s Filipino restaurant among other places and is one of the most creative, most hilarious, most big-hearted performers I know.  The Inay’s show includes about a zillion costume changes and so much exuberant raunchiness that my jaw usually aches from laughing by the end of the night.  

When not Atasha, he is Louie and he happens to be a professionally trained, very talented makeup artist.  It was wonderful to share a ridiculously fun afternoon with him and several sweet women.  

Sometimes I feel like the luckiest breast cancer fighter in the world to have Atasha in my life: who better to understand how to use wigs and fake boobs to feel like a woman?  Smoke and mirrors, baby.  I love you SO MUCH, Louie!

My mother-in-law joined me for Chemo Date #8.  She was so kind to bring me gifts including a box of chocolate from the aforementioned Chocolate Man.  (I accuse my mom of being an addict, but I apparently am no better!)  The details of this chemo date are a bit fuzzy because it was about at this point that I had not slept well for several weeks, had been fighting a 40-day cold, and was accidentally overdosing on Ambien.  More on that in the next blog entry (ooooo…foreshadowing!).  However, I remember it being a very nice time and we were also grateful that she came back to Olympia with me and helped us take care of the kids, along with making a giant casserole.  She rocks.

That weekend, we celebrated the kids’ 1^st and 4^th birthdays.  They were born three years and 1 day apart and while they are small, we’re getting away with combining their birthdays (thank goodness!)  The party had a lion theme, complete with homemade tissue paper lion faces and goodie bags, a lion cake and lion cupcakes.  Carter came down with a little bug so he ended up quarantined in his room. In a way, that was okay because Lovisa really had a chance to shine.  We celebrated more the following week to make up for it.

So you might be wondering at this point how I am doing so much while undergoing chemotherapy?  Participating in a breast cancer walk, hosting a makeup workshop, throwing a party for the kiddos, all while running a consulting business, teaching dance, being a parent, and suffering from horrible insomnia and other debilitating effects of chemo.  It turns out that was not such a good idea.  Again, more on that in the next blog entry.  (The suspense!)

Chemo Date #9 was with my dear friend Gabriele.  She started as one of my students but really, our relationship goes far beyond its roots.  We braved Helene Ericksen’s Anar Dana dance program together and have also had fun adventures such as seeing the Shen Yun Dance Company.  I adore Gabriele.  She is the perfect mix of sweetness and spice.  And Gabriele, if you are reading this, honestly, the henna party was the first time I’ve ever been to Len’s house!  You have nothing to worry about!  teehee

Chemo Date #10 was with my little mom again who was cute and supportive as always.  I should also mention that at this point, it was becoming a regular thing that I was getting hooked up with my most favorite nurse for my chemo treatments.  I originally met her as Michelle (see earlier blog post) and Mitch, as she is now known, is like family. But even cooler.  She’s smart, quick, and chic.  Stars aligned and she just happens to get assigned to me over and over.  I love it!

The last two chemo appointments including today’s I have done on my own.  Because I haven’t been having allergic reactions, they’ve been able to remove Benadryl from my list of pre-meds.  That means, I can drive myself!  And I can use the chemo time to work, write, read and simply be quiet.  Heaven.

I’m now done with the first 12 rounds of chemo that included Taxol. Week after next, I start the AC regimen for 4 treatments, every other week.  This one is supposed to be a little more brutal, but at least it’s not every week.  After that, I will be having surgery to remove my left breast (February) and will start radiation in about late March.  There’s much more to go, but at least we’re making progress.  Next entry: my visit to Harborview, and then in the entry after that, I’ll take us to Paris, London and Bath which will be a much cheerier subject.  Stay tuned!

Leaving with a parting shot...my dad photobombing me and my sis after we went to dinner with him. He should have had more than sliders with that wine.  Just sayin'.