Bells a ringing

Less than a day until Christmas...the snow has fallen and the presents are wrapped...although not under the tree as Lucy would open them (she's actually standing next to me pawing my hands as I try to type.

After a very successful Light the Night (both Calgary and Vancouver - thanks to everyone!) I made a trip to my favourite city. NYC was fantastic of course, with the 20th annual Sloan Kettering transplant celebration - a room filled with hundreds of people with miraculous stories - being the highlight.  Mr. Pacino did not disappoint either in China Doll.  Totally blew me away.  Bruce W. did a great job too although a hard role to wow the audience as he was limited to the bed in Stephen King's 'Misery'. Colleen, Mom and I walked and walked soaking up the energy.  On top of the Broadway plays we even managed tickets for 'Live with Kelly and Michael' and 'Dr. Oz' for some extra fun.
















I felt a similar but slightly different shade of energy visiting London for the first time in November. I worked a lot while I was there, and my colleague Ruth booked us for afternoon tea at the Orangery at Kensington Palace on arrival. I also had a couple of days on the weekend to check out the city.  Tower of London, Portrait Gallery, National Gallery, a play 'The Father' in the West End, changing of the horseguards at Buckingham Palace, a shopping spree at Fortnum and Mason and the finale - dinner near Picadilly Circus with my dad's cousin  Francesca from Italy who had just moved to London a month before!  Such a treat to meet up with her and enjoy a delicious meal together. The Paris attacks happened the night before my weekend off,so it was slightly strange to explore amongst "imminent threat" but I suppose it is not too different than living with the likelihood of cancer recurring - both unpredictable, both devastating, but both not worth stopping living for :) as can clearly be seen with the French flag lighting up the National Gallery...


I've continued to feel stronger each week since the last post.  I did have a bit of a roller coaster week just after returning from London, as I was sent for an ultrasound November 26 to check a "spot" on my chest wall. Long story short it was confirmed not to be an issue, but I did have to dangle over the cliff for a while, focusing on trying to find the pattern in the ceiling tiles above me as I waited.  With my 18 year anniversary of transplant #1 the next day, I was suddenly frustrated that the roller coaster had to keep throwing me upside down.  But bells were ringing last week - last Herceptin IV treatment was December 16 and now you get to ring the bell when you finish.  I rang it a few times needless to say, for the three other times I'd "finished" before!


Jack and Davis stayed overnight last weekend for the first time since I moved into my new condo, and we had a great time decorating cookies (I improvised as aunties don't always have rolling pins) and watching the Minions movie.  Can't wait for the next sleepover.

Over the next few days I'll enjoy some good food, fun and chill time with friends and family celebrating Christmas. On Monday mom, dad and I are heading to the Bahamas for around 2 weeks to take on a different island to welcome 2016.  2015 has been an interesting one to say the least - but luckily the ride continues...Just hoping for no need to ring bells going forward ;)

Merry Christmas!Wishing all of my family and your family health, happiness and spectacular moments in 2016.  Cheers,

Tricia

Thank you. Thank you and Thank you.

I realize that it has been a while since my last post. But life moves fast when you're actually living. And I'm very pleased to report that is what has been happening.

My move into my new condo has been a major contributor to some good energy. It was a seamless experience that I have no issue crediting Jayman Modus with, and perhaps my Dad and uncle Bob for some heavy lifting....and then a month or two later, two designers named Shelly and Janet, who "frosted the cake".  Some pics below show some of the sweetness.  I literally say "hello place" with a smile on my face some days when I open the door.

Overall, I have been feeling better and better each week, regaining a lot of stamina and even the feeling in my feet!  The laser/light therapy I continued to try for my extensive neuropathy has been nothing short of miraculous. Not only did it help reverse the effects on my feet from the breast cancer chemo, it's reversed some numbness that I've had from the leukemia chemo.  I'm able to walk on the balls of my feet and go up and down stairs without needing to hold the rail....things I haven't done for around a decade :)  Even my calf muscles are returning as a result.  We also tried the same laser/light therapy on my never-closing neck wound, and I was just discharged from the wound clinic as it is now closed - after five years.  Wow. Wow and Wow.

I have four remaining Herceptin treatments that will end in mid-December but really those are more of a hassle to go up to the cancer centre, get an IV in and sit for about 40 minutes.  I don't feel any side effects during or after the infusion, or certainly I am not aware that I do.  So getting very close to being done with that stuff.  I'm now on to doing some sessions with my pilates master Kathleen to get stronger again. 

With all the good health I've enjoyed lots of great moments with friends and family, and of course a bit of travel. A few pics below show some of the fun I had in August/September - including weekends in Regina with family and Las Vegas with friends. I celebrated Tasha and Andrew's "secret" wedding and have been helping Yvette wedding dress shop.  I've been working on some interesting projects at work related to cool global technology the firm has developed, and may even need to do some travel in the future.  I was in Toronto a couple weeks ago with PwC and then up to Leduc for AB Cancer Council meetings.  Almost impossible to capture how great it has been to get back to the busy normal people activities of life.

This Friday I'll get Herceptin and then my quarterly cardio MRI to check how my heart is holding up with the continued Herceptin hits. Then I will literally race up the Deerfoot from my MRI to join about 35 people for Light the Night that night :)  I've added a link to the Calgary and Vancouver teams on the sidebar if you want to join either!  Apparently there will be around 10 trotters in Van this Saturday night!  Amazing. Amazing and Amazing.

On Tuesday mom, Colleen and I will fly to NYC to attend the 20th annual Memorial Sloan Kettering transplant event.  Wild to think what has gone on since last year's event when I spoke at it.  It will be good to see the docs again and for the docs to see me looking stronger than ever.  We managed to secure some tickets in the nights following the MSK event to see Bruce Willis make his broadway debut in Misery and also witness Al Pacino on stage in China Doll.  Awesome.  Awesome and Awesome.

Rather fitting that this post comes a couple days after Thanksgiving.  It is impossible for me to articulate how thankful I am.  Thank you.  Thank you and Thank you.

T

Front entry

Kitchen

Living room

Tasha and Andrew's surprise 

Yvette and I toasting Las Vegas

Master bedroom

Dad's birthday - Jack and Davis bear hug

Mireya and I - May 21 birthday girls are good at puzzles, lego and play-doh :)

Sunshine moments

Life has been very potent since the last post.  Lots of very full moments.  Kind of like the weather - lots of sunshine and heat, both in Maui and in Calgary, with a few wicked thunderstorms thrown in every once in a while.

For the sunshine, the boys turned 9 and made their first communion the first week of June - they are growing up so fast.  They also conquered ball hockey over the last couple months, both playing on the same team and setting up some amazing plays I've only seen in the NHL otherwise!  They won their gold medal game - twin power :)

For serious sunshine of course Maui was incredible again - it really can't be otherwise.  Mom, Colleen and I enjoyed the first week with lots of pool and beach time, walking and tasty eats and drinks at happy hours.  We watched (and saved) lots of geckos too! We celebrated my June 12th 3rd transplant date - 7 years leukemia-free (thanks Brandon!) with a delicious meal at Ruth's Chris Wailea (thanks Ellen!) and a toast to life. A few clouds - Dad didn't make it for the last half of the trip and my sinus infection slammed me pretty hard, but the urgent care in Wailea was a rather marvellous health care experience.  Mom and I continued pool/beach time, walking, snorkelling and happy hours, meeting lots of nice and intresting people, and I returned with my feet looking and feeling a lot more normal and my heart in better shape.  So once again the Maui energy moved me forward (thanks Shannon and Laura!)

On the health front, things continue to improve. I did Herceptin treatment just before and after Maui, and my veins seem to be holding up.  I have a cardio MRI next week to see how my heart is holding up but my guess is that it will show no further decline from the last one.  My energy is getting better each day and my neuropathy in my feet has also improved thanks to some laser/light therapy.  I returned to work the end of June and it hasn't been as exhausting as it was during chemo - good to get back to some normal.  And even more visits with friends, family continue to make life lately more familiar than the past number of months.  Even got a golf game in :)

Tomorrow I take posession of my new condo and move in the next day - after doing the walkthrough a couple weeks ago, I'm really excited as it looks fantastic.  Lots of bright light and lovely finishes. Can't wait to get in there.  Also will reap the benefits of my moving spreadsheet when I know which boxes to unpack first! I'll hope to post some pictures next time :)

It's been really hot in Calgary since we returned with a few crazy thunderstorms.  Yesterday I went to watch Tasha's son Talyn play in a gold-medal soccer game, but the lightning forced a 5-man shoot out indoors! (Nice goal T)

While my family unfortunately has had to weather some storms lately, we always try to focus on the sunshine moments, as we have done so many times before.   I saw a card once that sums it up - Life isn't about trying to avoid the storms, it's about learning how to dance in the rain.

Cheers.

Toasting 7 years June 12th

Jack & Davis 1st communion

Cutest gecko

Maui energy

Turning tides

May 24th - my grandma Gunn's birthday if she were still here with us.  She would have been so totally annoyed by this latest chapter in my cancer journey but incredibly happy that I am done chemo.  She also would have been thrilled that I am heading to her favourite Hawaiian island in 2 weeks.  She travelled there herself to stay with friends long after she joined us on my first trip there back in 1986.  If she was still around I'd have had her join us.

The past few days  I have enjoyed feeling better than I have in a long time.  Instead of getting chemo Tuesday, I had an appointment at wound care (to monitor my feet issues and neck wound) and then had herceptin infusion (every three weeks - 10 to go).  During Herceptin I chatted with a nurse who had cared for me the first weekend I was diagnosed with leukemia back in 1997.  We chatted about memories from "back in the day" so the IV time (only 1/2 hour) flew by. I see Dr. Stewart tomorrow when the results of my bone density test will determine what medication I'll have to take and how long for - it's really to reduce the risk of recurrence related to estrogen trigger as my tumour was slightly "ER positive".  Outside of that, my next few weeks includes some treatment to try to help my feet neuropathy issues and just exercise to get my heart health back up.  Very small stuff.  Back to maintenance phase.  Surgery for reconstruction is still in consulting mode but moving forward and won't be for a while if it happens.

Overall I had a pretty smooth exit from the grey of round 6 - got my week at work done and lots of awesome visits with family and friends - new and old.   I also got to take in the energy of the "C of Red" at the (sadly) last home Flames playoff game - pretty remarkable thanks to Yvette and her fiancee Andrew for giving me a seat at that.

Tuesday night I decided because Thursday I had no appointments (!) I would see if mom wanted to head to Banff Wednesday night and stay a night at the Rimrock to celebrate my birthday - Dad would babysit Lucy to make it happen! I hadn't been to Banff in the summer for a couple years and the forecast was for true summer weather.  It didn't disappoint.  We had a great time walking, shopping, eating and just staring at the view from our room (the pic that looks like a postcard below).  Also took a rare selfie of mom and I in front of Bow Falls.

Thursday evening I enjoyed a barbeque birthday dinner with Brandon, Jacqui and the boys, with a Facetime call with my goddaughter Mireya and family to celebrate as it is our "joint birthday";)   That was followed by a custom birthday dessert with Tasha, Talyn, Tasha's boyfriend Andrew, and his kids Brodie and Ruby - the five of them managed to create three of my favourite desserts into one delicious combo.  So 41 has started on a high note - hard to imagine the wonderful party mom and dad threw for me was a year ago.  I have hope that my 41st year will bring less excitement than the 40th - of the cancer kind anyway.  As a good friend texted me on Thursday "Tricia's tides are turning."

Cheers

Red energy, rollercoasters and bright spots - Round 6 is in.

Round 6 is done - uneventful except for a welcome visit from Dr. Brown to just chat during infusion.  Quite cool.  It was the "light" version again (no Carboplatin) but the very good news was the Heart MRI last week showed improvement from the previous one - enough that my cardiologist took me off the heart med and next MRI will be in three months.  Hard to say how much, but I certainly know that all the "red energy" I received from all of you definitely helped.  I also think the Calgary Flames' success in Round 1 of the playoffs added a nice spoonful too ;)

The go forward health plan is not as toxic as it has been but certainly not quiet.  I continue Herceptin IV infusions every three weeks for the rest of the calendar year to reduce the risk of recurrence given my tumour was HER2 positive.  As well, I'll start some pill form hormone treatment in a month for up to 5 years, determined by the results of a bone density test that I wil do in the coming weeks.  Neither of those should give me much trouble side effect wise, but I will see as I often seem to discover the rare and unusual ;) I will revisit wound care next week a couple of times too to have them look at my feet issues as well as my never-endingly open neck wound.  The neck will be a factor in my appointment next Friday when I see the plastics doctor again to see what plan if any he suggests for reconstruction.  Tomorrow I see my eye specialist about some vision changes I've had in past weeks -probably related to the various meds, and hopefully reversible once they go away but of course you never know.  So combined with the known grey days coming up the calendar actually looks pretty full!  But the upside is I know once the grey starts to lift it won't be just for a couple weeks, it will continue to a brighter fuller state :)

The other very very bright things to focus on happen in June and July - two incredibly generous friends and collegues of mine who own a house in Maui offered me some time in June when they aren't there, so (start the car!) I will be heading back to continue my vacation in between my Herceptin infusions.  Mom will accompany me and then Dad will join us after about a week. And to fully recover my annual vacations that I missed from the chemo schedule, Colleen is able to join Mom and I for the first week and we'll do Vegas Maui style.  Take that chemo! Compliments of Shannon, Laura and their families.  July will include my return to previous 4 day work (been doing the every three week routine) which makes me feel more normal again, but the real perk of July will be possession of my new condo which has been being built since I purchased last summer!  Yvette and her dogs Monty and Isaac have truly been wonderful roommates (and friends) over this unexpected fourth cancer journey, but just as they will be moving into new digs in July, I am very excited about my new place having seen it again over the past few weeks.

So with the June and July light to look forward to, combined with lots of visits and great time with friends and family during the good days of round 5,  as well as the VIP care I get at mom and dad's, I am ready to get the next week or so overwith (watching playoff hockey will also help that go by!) and will deal with the next phase of stuff as it comes. I even think a game of golf might happen soon as well.  It was 27 degrees and sunny today - almost 6 months since I found out about this unwelcome turn in the life rollercoaster - so I take it as a sign of things to come. As always cancer throws a spotlight on things in a different way, and I come out a little different - maybe stronger, maybe older, mayber wiser - each time. Just like everyone does with all challenges, in whatever form and unexpected time they come in.

As always I know that my ability to ride these turns and loops of the rollercoaster without throwing up every time or falling out entirely is due to the love and energy I am so fortunate to have around me from people far and wide.  And specifically in the past few weeks, the red love and energy.  Never able to say how much it all means to me, but Mahalo for now ;)

Tricia

Photos include love from Lucy in grey days, checking out my new condo progress and the last infusion of Taxotere this morning

Heart, Feet and Moments

Good news - round 5 is in the blood.  Bad news - only had 2 of the 3 drugs in the protocol.  Seems my heart MRI showing decline, combined with increasing pain and skin deterioriation in my feet (possibly related to the peripheral neuropathy aka numbness from the drugs but not for certain) made my doctors decide to hold back carboplatin for this round.  I hate taking away of the weapons in this fight, but I suppose the risk of heart failure is not a measly contendor either.  The doctors says carbo is the least effective of the 3, so I'm trying to imagine that I still have a machine gun, high-powered sniper rifle, I just had to drop the handgun strapped to my back calf to make it over the next hill.

The medical theme for this round was definitely heart and feet - my low blood pressure and fast heart rate continued even after the fluid I got with round 4 chemo, and the cardio team didn't like it combined with my decline in the MRI.  So they suggested I get a blood pressure machine for home and monitor those.  Costo to the rescue for $60 you get a good quality one and there wasn't any improvement so they stopped the cardio med I was taking to help protect my heart altogether.  I ramped up water intake and by around day 12 the BP was a bit higher and pulse a bit lower.  Then Friday I started a new heart med that seems to be helping lower my pulse (haven't had a pulse below 100 since flesh-eating disease in 2006 so it's quite amazing) and my blood pressure is behaving the past two days just in time for round 5.  My feet have been getting worse with pain and redness in various spots - been trying all sorts of remedies including some good ideas from friends but that is a concern if the issues become permanent.  And finally I've noticed some vision changes so going to have that checked out - hard to say if it's the multitude of meds but also like to see so will get the specialist's viewpoint.  Kind of feel like I shoud sing my own version of "Head and Shoulders, Knees and Toes" like "Eyes and Heart and Feet and Toes" but perhaps that's inspired by the cool rendition of the former song by Adam Levine impersonating Frank Sinatra when he was on Jimmy Fallon recently - seriously check it out - two other songs he does are pretty mind-blowing and funny.

In the life theme, I continued living pretty fully despite the complex themes above.  I managed to get to my Provincial Cancer Advisory council meetings at the end of week 2, which confirmed that one of the reasons I am still ticking is for the value I can add for generations in the future to make this path disappear or get smoother for them.  I added some value at PwC last week doing some more global project work. I also fit in several lunches, dinners and fun visits with friends, was happy to celebrate my roommate's engagement :) and enjoyed some amazing care packages, cards and flowers sent by friends from afar.  Even started some painting - I'm planning to resurrect one of my passions by creating some tangible positive outputs during this unexpected time.

Speaking of resurrection, Easter and its reminder of new beginnings was timely just before I headed to Tom Baker yesterday morning for bloodwork for round 5 - colouring eggs with the boys Friday, visiting Ryan's hospice (or the pad as he called it) with Tasha and Talyn to mark a surreal 5 years since the end of his human journey Saturday, and a delicious meal with Brandon and Jacqui's with everyone including Lucy Easter Sunday was a perfect use of my "best days" and a reminder that life and the moments now I can still enjoy, and everyone can enjoy despite whatever shape our challenges continue to come in, are spectacular and kind of the whole point.

So Happy Easter, enjoy more moments, and as I know (and am thankful for) you will continue sending me prayers/energy/thoughts - just visualize a bit of red while you do so - my heart and I would appreciate it;) Cheers

The net postive - Round 4 door closed

Well the door has been closed.  Round 4 is officially in my veins and I hope to do the deadlock with round 5 and fill in the cracks with round 6 in three and six weeks.

Round 3 brought better muscle spasm/cramp management with a trade-off of feeling less like myself for the ugly charcoal days (Thurs, Fri, Sat, Sun post Tues chemo) - still a better deal with less pain.  A much slower lightening of the days or a later "pop up" from the grey but week three at work was more tolerable than last round. This past final weekend was rather remarkable with a visit from Colleen and Joelle flying in from Vancouver (aunt and cousin for those who don't know them) including many visits, shopping, a visit to my drywalled under-construction condo, and much sharing of yummy food compliments of mom and even dad (best batch of gnocchi that Brandon and I can recall).  Uncle Bob and aunt Heather made a drive from Ft. McLeod to brunch with all, and Mom, Colleen and I even snuck in a few hours at the casino Saturday night to pretend we were on our annual Vegas trip which we will miss this year. I used a solid amount of hand-sanitizer, and the odds seemed to be with us and we had a moment where could imagined we were at the Palazzo we but the inability to do the quick trip to our suite upstairs and the pool in the morning snapped us back to reality.

So like life, the light of the ups helped dull the shadows of the downs.  And as I've always said, once you've been in the valley, the top of a mountain is breathtaking and remarkable.  While I certainly have days where it feels like everyone is heading on a cruise and I get to stay back and babysit cancer, and that I would prefer a more prairie-shaped life path,  I know the top of a rolling hill cannot compare to the view from a rugged rocky mountain after a hard climb.

At times this weekend, feeling very, very decent, with one of my four wigs (showed off all of them for my visitors) and as close to normal in months, it was realistically daunting to know the familiar storm or slide into the valley was going to come so soon.  It's like Calgary's weather lately - how could it possibly be 22 degrees and truly hot and then snow, blow icy winds and drop to a  -16 just a couple days later?  Even today, after a longer visit with the IV due to low blood pressure and high heart rate yesterday suggested I needed some serious hydration that made my veins cry a little, I feel tired and a bit worn but nothing compared to what I know later this week will feel like.

But for those upcoming charcoal days I am armed with my experience with the three cycles prior, down to notes on which dose of countering meds worked best on which days (almost could do a spreadsheet), as well as the predicted timing of my dark grey starting to lighten (approximately 1 pm on Sunday - more accurate than Calgary's weather forecasters), and complimentary nursing/chef/heating pad services of Marie, Lou and Lucy (featured below sunning herself in the 22 degree day sun) when I head there Thurs.  Supported by the "bubble" of incredible energy from so many supporters who span the globe - lifetime family and friends, co-workers and friends just briefly encountered on trips many years ago, I have no uncertainty and am so appreciative that the balance will once again net out on the positive side.

Mr. Potato Head

So my Cardio MRI and appointment with the cardiologist last Friday afternoon indicated my heart is faring ok with the chemo so far. A slight change but nothing reportable.  Great news.  Bloodwork this early morning looked pretty good as well - maybe even a slight improvement from last round. Whether my improved hemaglobin had anything to do with my focus on eating high iron and protein beef, spinach, quinoa over the past 4 days I'm not certain but I'm happy regardless. So all clear for Round 3.  The heart results even make it more likely I'll get the 6 rounds in.  Which is key for me - this door has to get closed, but I want filler in all the cracks and a few extra nails to keep the risk of it reopening to a very small percentage.

Since my last post the grey lightened each day as I'd hoped and by week 3 I even tried a bit of work out for a few hours of each day.  I managed to get some tangible things done to contribute to a global internal project and enjoyed the taste or normal life that I was craving.  Also a bit more tiring than I had expected - turns out "week three good" is Sooooooo much better than "week three grey" but it is still not normal "pre chemo normal life good".  In any case, got through the week and managed a few visits with friends and family, knowing the storm is coming tomorrow.

I explained to a few that saw me this past while, as a blonde or brunette, that I probably look better than I feel when they complemented me on how well I look.  I'm kind of like a Mr. Potato Head right now...before I put on all my parts, my hearing aids, reading glasses, makeup, hair, breasts and neck banadages, I look a lot different.  But with parts ready to go, it seems to work and no one would guess I'm sick at all.  And while I don't have an issue with my bald head whatsooever, the energy it takes to even just respond to a stranger who gives you the sympathetic "look" is exhausting.  So sometimes the Potato Head allows for less energy lost.

I know all of you don't care what I look like and just love and support the potato and what's inside, and I'm so grateful that you do :)  Cheers

Chemo grey

Round 2 started well...no reactions to infusions, got my head shaved and was generally okay for the first day after.  Wore my new blonde (yes, blonde) wig to my monthly documentary movie with friends and hoped the new strategy for the hand/arm cramps experienced in round 1 would hold.  The cramps took over on the third day though, so I called the chemo line and got an additional med plan...which started to work on the following day, but basically kept me in a very flat, heavy state layered with muscle weakness and fatigue I call the dark grey of chemo.  It stayed like that for about 3 days.

Luckily this morning I had a little less weight and managed to get showered, get my wig and "stuffies" on and make it to the church for Jack and Davis' baptism.  It went well and I delivered on my godmother role - it was really a great afternoon, and it seems the light of the event allowed for some of the grey to fade slightly.  Anytime I feel improvement I am fueled by the hope of continued progress the following day.

Little Lucy just darted by mom, dad and I as we watched the Grammy's with my pyjamas in her mouth (yes they are bigger than her whole body) - can't help but laugh at her persistence for attention.

Tomorrow will be lighter grey.

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The fog

2 weeks tomorrow since round 1 chemo infusion...My last post was pretty up-beat with a solid day done and no reactions.  All good, but that night I had muscle cramps in my forearms that were enough to keep me up most of the night.  Interestingly, with the list of over 50 side effects that the chemo or the supporting drugs combined suggest, that is not one of them.  I suppose I should not be surprised given my history with the "rare and unusual" being more commonplace in my world ;)

I figured out a combination of robaxecet, rotating heating gloves and pads (thanks Colleen) and another med for night that eventually got me some rest, but the bone pain (which is on the list) also set in and the familiar crappy/mega tired/discomfort chemo feeling also layered in.  The good news - no significant nausea - no real appetite but my prior chemo experience allowed me to just eat anyway.  All said, days 3-8 are not great, physically or mentally.  Nothing remotely even close to the days and weeks post flesh-eating disease or even induction chemo for leukemia, but not fun for my now older body and mind.  Around day 9 the slight shades of improvement each day were hope that the fog was lifting, and by last Friday day 11, I felt human enough to go for an hour or so to a friend's birthday party.  Another reminder that the body is so resilient if you can tolerate when it is under fire.

Since Friday I have realized each day how crappy I was feeling as I continue to feel better and more myself each day, and get out and do normal things.   And now I have a week until it starts again.  Not sure how much will accumulate each cycle, if round 5 and 6 will feel a lot worse, or if each cycle I might enjoy the third week of feeling decent.  I also wonder if there is some brilliant thought of how to avoid the intesity of the muscular issue, so I'll give a call to my nurse and see what she thinks in case we can make round 2 smoother.

Beyond the navigation of the chemo and side effects, I've made a few plans with friends this week, and will also be a proud godparent to the twins when they are baptized a week from Saturday.  As if I didn't already have enough perspective on life, this unexpected fourth go at cancer thing is causing me to think about a lot of stuff differently again.  Everyone who turns 40 is usually forced to take stock of where they are in their life and sometimes make changes as a result (sportscars and divorces included).  I turned 40 last year, but I feel like I already did my taking stock 3 times already with leukemia, so this time is kind of bewildering to me, causing me to wonder a lot more about what I am supposed to do during this brief experience as a human being we get.

In any case, I am thankful for the thoughts, prayers and energy you sent, and for the unbelievable weather outside.  And a full week before the fog returns ;)

Mahalo for today

So off to bed right away but a quick post to let you know I survived Day 0 of cycle 1.  Overall better than could have been.  Rolled into town yesterday at 7 AM after overnight flight back from Amazing Maui, dropped my suitcase and headed in to TBCC for bloodwork and pre-chemo appointment.  Counts and all other pre-tests suggested to go ahead with chemo, so Tasha picked me up at 8 this morning and I got three chemo drugs IV until around 3 PM.  No crazy reactions that can often happen, so that was positive.  IV in hand also stood up with no discomfort, another bonus.  I noticed some minor improvements to IV machines and tape for IV (only things someone in the cancer world for multi-decades would appreciate).  Last big bonus of day was finding out my third drug actually was a better one than I expected to get - significantly (5x) less toxic on the heart.  Start the car! as the Ikea commercial goes..  Anti-nausea meds and steroids and other "covering" drugs will wear off by Thurs so then the side effects may ramp up but for now just happy Day 0 was quite a bit better than my expectations.  One day at a time - so I am saying Mahalo for today.  Cheers.

Maui medicine

Aloha from Maui :)  As usual it's paradise here.  We've been enjoying beach, pool and chill time and last night took in a magic show at a place called Mulligans a few minutes away.  The boys are loving it and now when not in the water are learning and practicing card tricks constantly ;).  Sunday we were at the beach and I thought I might try boogeyboarding and it worked...I don't go for the giant waves but boy is it great to not miss out on some of those.  And this morning Davis and I ventured out into some wavy terrain to see about snorkeling...far enough that Dad came looking for us.  I probably don't need to do any further physio for a couple of weeks!  So Maui continues to be a place that my body just loves.  And my mind and spirit.  So for a few more days I will soak it up.  Mahalo for the good energy everyone keeps sending.