Tuesday, March 22

I’m adding pics to my blog-  Mike’s says it’s boring and I need to add some pizzazz to it!  So please scroll down, sometimes there is a gap between pics and next paragraph!

Quote of the Day:  “It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog.”   Mark Twain

From Waking the Warrior Goddess:  Custom # 10  Include wakame or mekabu seaweed in your diet.

I kept working around the house last night because I knew if I went to bed, morning would inevitable come.  It’s here.  It will be good to get treatment #1 over with.  They say the first one is a bit hard since they are trying to figure out how the meds work.  I worry because I rarely take any medicine- even ibiprophen or Tylenol and when I do take medicine, I don’t think I metabolize it well since I need very little to do the trick.

Today my visualization will be in the Tetons on Jackson Lake-  the water is clear and glassy, the sky is a deep blue and the mountains loom high before me.  The sun is warm and I am surrounded by family members laughing and occasionally jumping into the water where the coldness envelopes and refreshes every pore!

Chemo Treatment# 1

I had an incredible experience this morning getting the treatment.  It was so much more pleasant than I had thought possible.  I’m sure fatigue and nausea are in my near future but I was so relieved that it went as smoothly as it did.  Sue Buehner was my chemo-buddy.  She picked me up, came to the doctor’s appointment before the infusion, and carried a bag laden w/ grapes, almonds and cranberries, and games to play.  She is an angel and, as anyone who knows her can vouch for me, she is one of the most kind and empathetic people ever!  It was so great to have a friend there to talk with and I appreciate giving Joe a break so he can concentrate on work- it’s not easy being the caregiver.  The doctor went over all the medications and then Melissa, my favorite chemo nurse, went through each chemo and anti-nausea drug and explained what to expect.  She looked at my veins and said “Oh you have good veins, that’s a plus!”  She put the IV in and then took out a few vials of blood- one for a study at BYU where they compare the blood of a cancer patient before and after chemo, and another to runs some tests before they can start the chemo.  She administered the anti-nausea drugs, then did a push of the chemo- red- which also turns your urine red- and then in what seemed a short time, came and put in the last bag.  We were done by 12:30 and so was shorter than I had expected, which is always nice w/ medical procedures.  I am feeling a bit drowsy now and my thinking seems a bit clouded!  Definitely, it feels like I have something unusual in my system.

Joe wrote me a letter that he put in my bag and I’m glad I didn’t read it until I got home, it was touching and made me cry!

I talked w/ my sister, Lynne, on the phone from Oregon.  She has gone through this entire treatment, plus radiation and more.  She didn’t get really sick w/ the chemo so I am hoping to follow in her footsteps.  I loved talking to Lynne.  It always boosts my spirits.  Lynne has such great words of wisdom.  She remarked about how this struggle in your life teaches you so much.  I relate it to taking a crash course on understanding what’s really important in life and increasing your empathy.  Hey, that’s what we are here for!  How fortunate I am to have Lynne for a sister- what an incredible blessing in my life.

Like I said before in my blog, I don’t really believe in coincidences.  I have had so many spiritual experiences since this diagnosis.  Today, Sue and I sat next to a man, Travis Hess, who was receiving chemo.  He told us his story and it was incredibly touching.  He is now battling cancer for the 3rd time.   There is a gene in his family (I wish I knew more of the science of it) that makes family members very susceptible to cancer.  There were 4 children in his father’s family and they all died at young ages of cancer, including his Grandfather which left his Grandmother without her husband or children.  He was diagnosed w/ cancer at age 32.  He lost a daughter, to cancer at age 3- Maggie’s age.  Another daughter was diagnosed w/ breast cancer at age 12- is now 16 and youngest survivor of cancer in Utah.  He took all this heartache and started a foundation to raise funds for people who are unable to pay for funerals and other expenses when their children have had cancer.  His website is called Hess Cancer Foundation.   I am looking forward to passing this information on to my students so they can volunteer for the up-coming events.  Another connection I had w/ Travis is that he is an avid runner- Ironman Finisher.  He told us about all the races he has planned!

Check out the darling purse that Carol Skeen made for me to take to my chemo appointments!  I love you, Carol!