Better

Maybe it was my two-day camp-out in a healing garden, with accompanying campfires, music and healing, or maybe it’s the low-dose sustained release morphine, or maybe it’s knowing that the end to chemo is in sight, but I’ve been doing a little bit better. The steroid crash is still no fun, but at least [...]

“A wild ability to endure misery”

My dad recently handed me a gift in an envelope labeled “Amanda-Strong-As-A-Horse-M. (lastname)” and told me that the women in our family excel at getting through. Along the same lines, my friend Celina just sent me a book that cracked me wide open with its beauty: “What the Ice Gets: Shackleton’s Antarctic Expedition, 1914 [...]

PJ day

One day at a time, and I’ll feel better tomorrow, right? Starting the post-steroid crash, and everything just feels icky. Nausea. Blech. Off to take a bath and go to bed. And thank goodness for reruns on abc.com.
And many many thanks to my friends Alicia and Scotty, for flowers, a [...]

A/C # 4 of 4

Yep, almost done with the Red Devil! What a milestone. I’m looking forward to visiting the Washington Park Rose Garden at the end of the day. Chemo is so icky that I tend to want to fill my memory with something really beautiful instead of the chemo, so that I have something [...]

A/C #3, Day 3

Day 3, chemo round #3, with friends from Boulder, Seattle, Ottowa and Vashon. A wonderful day. That’s me with my new wig on the far right.

Caring

One of the blogs I read these days is the NPR Cancer Blog. Today’s post: Caring Can Be the Toughest Part.
Ahh….the worrying that goes on around me. It’s almost too much for me some days, but it’s natural, normal, and in reality can’t be any other way. It is what it is…and [...]

Grand follicular exodus :)

It’s begun! Running my hand through my short, short hair and it comes out….YIKES. Off to shower in a bit once Mariana is awake and can come over for coffee and support. This is Day 4 of chemo #2, pretty shaky but taking things an hour at a time. My hair [...]

So far, so good

Had my first A/C treatment on Thursday, definitely felt drugged, but the nausea meds work. Knock me out, but they work. So far, so good. I think my mom and I both expected something more dramatic – Friday morning I was fine and at home doing paperwork, and sent mom off to [...]

Chemo dates :)

Ok friends and family – time to sign up! Especially you out of towners – I’d like to save my Portland crew for help with the 6 weeks of daily radiation following chemo.
#1 May 3 – 5 – mom , Hallie on the weekend
#2 May 17 – 19 – Lizzy on Thursday; [...]

Wig news & gift update

Ok, I think I used a whole week’s worth of whining yesterday – on to better news:
1) More gifts arrived yesterday! A joke book from my friend Mary, and a breast milagro from my mom’s friend Judy. And a few days back, a funny book and two beautiful silk scarves from my mom’s [...]