Happy Thanksgiving

Thankful it isn't day 3 anymore.  Happy Turkey!

Course 5 (of 12)

My infusion of oxaliplatin - aka Drug with Evil Cold Sensitivity Side Affect - began around 12:15pm today.  We got home about three hours later.  My husband got the mail from the mailbox.  It was cold, having been out there for a couple hours in 40-degree weather.  I opened one of the letters and my fingertips immediately started tingling.  The evilness is now triggered by PAPER.  Plain, matte finish paper.  Not even the glossy magazine stuff.  I probably shouldn't touch the glossy stuff at all.

Gah.

Otherwise, expecting the same old same old from this course.  My oncologist's assistant, with whom I met today, suggested I pay close attention to my level of hydration this time around to see if that may be a factor in the awfulness of day 3.  It's a great point.  I probably don't fill my water bottle as much when the pump is connected because those are the days when I know the cold sensitivity is highest; even touching the water faucet can be evil (it's right up against a wall with no insulation, and there is a draft from the pipe underneath that leads to the outside spigot).  Likewise I don't drink any juice or seltzer from the fridge, unless I let it sit out for a while, and usually I'm too impatient for that.  But this time around I'll try to be patient and maybe it will make a difference.

Back to steeping.

The holidays are coming...

In order to keep my every other week chemo schedule, I ended up with treatment during the weeks of Thanksgiving and Christmas.  Sadly this means we cannot travel to see our extended family, who typically gather in CT, for the former - it will be day 4 and I just won't be up for it yet.  I'm hopeful we can see them for the latter though, as that holiday falls on day 5, and I've been able to go into the office on day 5 for the last two treatments.  I'm thinking I can probably handle the short car ride to the usual Christmas gathering place if that gathering happens this year.

So next week we will have our first Thanksgiving in our own house, just the four of us.  We will not cook.  We are letting a local farm do that for us (Wilson Farms, in Lexington - highly recommend).  It will be restful and lovely.

I am thankful for my amazing family that has taken such excellent care of me since the sudden awfulness this summer.  I still have not truly digested all that has occurred.  I think some part of me does not want to.  It wants the whole affair to fade into the past, some fuzzy and distant memory, an unfortunate blip.  This is what I do on off weeks - forget.  When every other Monday rolls around, I remember, and suffer through, and count how many more Mondays there are to go.  But I'm lucky... because I have my family, my home, (most of) my health... it could be so much worse.

I hope everyone has a peaceful Thanksgiving holiday.

Dinner out is awesome

My last post left this blog on a sour note. To turn it around, I'll offer that once day 3 is over, everything gets better.  Day 3 is just a very, very long day when things getting better doesn't seem remotely possible.

One way in which things get better is I feel up to having dinner out.  This is one of my favorite things.  It can be an expensive vice, but now more than ever I appreciate someone else doing the cooking and serving and cleaning up after.  We have awesome friends who have provided meals and gift cards and lovely company at said dinner outings, making the whole eating thing so much more doable and pleasurable!  A wonderful thing during these long months of treatment.

I am on my way to an impromptu dinner outing now, which I can do much more easily on the "off" weeks.  Today was a banner day at work (successful day 1 of a significant system implementation) and I am celebrating with the fam, who have endured a year's worth of Mom working early and late and weekends.

Looking forward to many more dinners out with many more friends as recovery progresses!

Course 4 - day 3

Day 3 is a bitch.  That is all.

Course 4 - My favorite chemo things

Before the meh sets in (and it's coming on faster this time) I thought I would share my current favorite things while going through chemo.  I noticed so many of them this morning and was reminded of the generosity and thoughtfulness of so very many people, and my mood lifted instantly.  In honor of awesome family and friends and colleagues, here's the highlight reel:

My friends and former colleagues Trish & Violet gave me this amazing tea.  I drink it every morning during treatment weeks.  It is delicious and keeps the nausea at bay.  Thanks ladies!

My mom often gives me household items and other random things she no longer needs but thinks we may find useful.  Once she gave me several pairs of gloves that I was sure I wouldn't ever need.  Lo and behold, this pair is perfect for wearing to avoid the icky cold sensitivity nonsense when I take things out of the fridge and freezer.  As you can see they now hang right on the fridge, rescued from a life doomed to be spent at the bottom of a storage bench.  Thanks Mom!

This is an awesome super-long super-comfy cashmere scarf that I bought myself a few years back.  I can wrap it around my head almost three times if I need to.  Like the gloves, extremely useful for keeping the icky cold sensitivity at bay during cold windy days, especially when walking along the waterfront to my office - cold air in my nose, ears, lungs is not happy, especially when the sensitivity is high.  It has lots of little holes and stains... but it is still warm.  I promise I'll get it cleaned and repaired after this winter :)

This is an amazing letter I got from my NEPC family.  It came with an equally amazing care package full of well wishes and immensely helpful goodies, some of which are pictured here.  This is also prominently displayed on our fridge.  I read it every day and am reminded how lucky I am to get to work there.  Thank you, NEPC family!

This is a box of legit respirators, aka face masks, from my friend and colleague Bernie.  Not only will these ensure I stay as healthy as possible during all this treatment, they also come in handy for avoiding the cold sensitivity that occurs just breathing in cold air - these puppies keep the air by my nose and mouth nice and warm.  If you come to visit us and are in the least bit ill, you'll be trying one on :)  Thanks Bernie!

This is the view from my home "office," which is just my desk in the bedroom.  I work from home during treatment weeks.  It is a pleasant view, even when the leaves fall.  Good for witnessing squirrel fights on the wires and hawks overhead, and people-watching of all varieties: pedestrians, dog-walkers, stroller-pushers, drivers waiting at the traffic light, the guy from the assisted living place on the hill who takes his smoke break at the exact same time every day... you get the idea.  Thanks, Arlington community, for this entertainment!

This is a prayer shawl I got from a former colleague at Berklee.  I had never heard of these before - they are pretty wonderful.  I bring this to every chemo treatment.  It is perfect when the room is just a bit chilly, and especially comforting knowing the history and thoughtfulness behind it.  Thank you, Maria!

These are amazingly soft & cozy & moisturizing & pampering socks my friend and colleague Rosann gave to me.  I have never worn such a thing before - but now I do ALL THE TIME, especially when vegging in front of the TV at night.  I think I've mentioned how dessicating this treatment is and that applies to all my skin, everywhere, and these are particularly helpful keeping my feet hydrated.  Thank you Rosann!

Another awesome helpful clothing item I've received - from many people - is comfy lounge wear!  I was going to take a picture, but I wear these pieces of my wardrobe so often now, they are all in the wash except the ones I'm wearing right now!  Trust me, they are awesome and fashionable :)  Thanks to my friends Hathalee, Trish & Violet, my mom-in-law Bert, and again NEPC!

This is an overflowing folder of letters and cards with well wishes from all over the place - family and friends and daycare and neighbors and work.  I love these so much.  I read these often, especially during treatment weeks, especially during days 3 and 4 when I can't believe I have to go through this how many more times... and then maybe radiation on top of that...possibly one more surgery... ugh.  So I get to that place and then I read these and I'm back on the positive and emotionally stable spectrum again.  Thank you, EVERYBODY!!

Last but not least - these are my family peeps.  I like and love you very much.  I couldn't do any of this without you.  You reggae.  Thank you the mostest :)

Course 4 (of 12)

Sadly, today I have no windows.  The view is not exactly inspiring.  Oh well.

My blood work is all good so no adjustments to treatment.  Expecting the same old same old for this course.  And, last night I cut all the refrigerated fruit I need so I won't have to pick up any strawberries.  Let the steeping begin.

All the stairs

Today I took ALL THE STAIRS out of South Station from the red line.  No escalators.  No cane.  Felt good.  I haven't done that since July.

Today is also the fourth day in a row I've made it to the office using public transportation.  I have not done that since July either.

Appreciative that Mother Nature is giving us a little extra warm weather this week - won't feel like I missed the whole summer. 

Progress!