Monday, December 23, 2013

12 days of chemo

As some of you may know, my family has a tradition of singing the 12 days of Christmas at some point over the holiday. I am pretty sure that it started years ago in Carlstadt at Carol's house. It's been ongoing for years, and brings lots of fun memories. Like the time Grandma Carrie (God love her) kept forgetting what day she had and would just giggle when it came her turn. A new generation of the family continues the tradition and now my nieces and nephews have since joined in the fun. We have taken to modifying the lyrics to add to the holiday sillies. Having had chemo today, an idea struck me... I am happy to share with you the 12 days of chemo. I hope it brings you a smile, especially to my survivors sisters. As the song can be quite long, we will just start from the 12th day and work backwards. On the 12th day of chemo, my doctor gave to me: 12 counts of blood cells 11 nurses cursing 10 ports to access 9 checks of vitals 8 pills of zofran 7 veins a-warming 6 wigs a-spinning 5 siiiiiideeeee efffeeeecccctttss 4 combo drugs 3 sets of scans 2 perky boobs and a benedryl iv naaaaapppppp

Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Stuff I have learned

This journey is an ever-evolving educational experience. I thought I knew so much about life, but I keep learning more. I am sure that there is much more I haven't even come across yet. First off, I have learned that just because you might have a horribly crappy day doesn't mean that the next day can't be decent. I've learned that even if you don't get your way, you can still smile and have fun. I learned that even when you want to crawl under the covers, the best thing to do is to keep walking forward. Sometimes, you might be able to run. Other times, you might just limp along. But you have to keep going. I have learned that sometimes the only way to gain true perspective is to go through painful experiences that open your mind and your eyes. I have learned that the squeaky wheel does get the oil, but it gets the better quality oil if it squeaks politely. I have learned that most people are immeasurably kind when they put their minds or rather their hearts to it. And when they are not, it is usually not intentional. It's so important to keep hope. Keep positive. The reality is that there is no crystal ball. So while things might not be what I want them to be at the moment, that doesn't mean they can't improve. I have learned that some people in worse situations than me have improved and done well. Why not me? I can't think of a reason. So I will keep moving forward. and trying to enjoy as much as I can until the day when I have the joy in my heart knowing things are better.