First Week at Work

This was Kathy's first week at work since she started treatment.  (Is it fair to assume all readers know that she teaches college? We just finished the first week of our spring semester).  So how did it go?
 
Kathy was able to arrange her schedule so that she can maximize time to rest, time for appointments, etc.  I think it is fair to say that she enjoyed the first week in YEARS where she has been consistently on her way home at a reasonable hour!  (It's important to recognize those silver linings wherever they may occur!)
 
Another positive is that she looks absolutely as stunning as always in her new wig!  We liked her short haircut too, but she is wearing the wig to school and keeping her "look" for now.  I predict she may keep the wig well after the kemo days.  How nice to have your hair already done and just pop it on your head as you rush out the door!  Ok, I know it isn't quite that easy, but isn't that a fun visual?!  If the road from her house wasn't so winding she could be installing it as she drove to school, just as you see people applying makeup as they commute. ;-)  "Officer, it isn't dangerous to put on my wig while I drive, women are great multi-taskers."

Unfortunately, the nausea lasted about a week this time, so she was having to deal with that annoyance.  I wonder if these Queasy Pops from Chemochicks would help.  If not, there are always the Chick Sick Sacks.  Talk about attitude!  Here is a quote from the site.

"Nausea and yes, vomiting, is something that we really can be prepared to handle with confidence.[Blogger note: Confidence?  Really?  Wow!]  Each lightweight disposable CHICK SICK SACK comes in a set of five or twelve. The firm round holder allows you to cover your mouth area with the knowledge that you are protecting your outfit, your car, or your desk…Don’t let a little queasiness keep you at home; this couldn’t be an easier, cleaner solution!" 

These Chemochicks are hardcore!  Then again, Hardcore 101 is a prerequisite for entering the Kicking Breast Cancer Program. 
Have a great weekend Kathy!  You have a kemo free week coming up!

Who is Out There?????

I talked with Kathy today and we have both had many people telling us that they are following the blog.  That's great news!  When writing a blog, it's nice to know there is an audience!  I suppose when you are the star of a blog it's also nice to know you have an audience, don't you think Kathy?!?!?
 
So this post is to all of you lurking out there.

Please feel free to come out of lurkdom!  Bloggers (and blog stars) love comments.  So in case you are not sure how to make a comment, here are the instructions:

1. Click on the blue "comments" word under the title.  (My husband says it is too hard to see, but this was a canned blog template and I don't know enough to safely fiddle around and change the colors).
2. You will get a window where you can read any comments made by others and you can also make your own comment in a text box at the bottom that says "leave your comment."
3. After leaving your comment, choose an identity.  If you already have a google account you can use that.  If you don't, or you don't feel like logging in, you can choose Name/URL and put your name.  Or you can click on anonymous and just put your name in your comment.  Or you can just make an anonymous comment, but that isn't as fun for the blog writer or the blog star.
4. You might get a squiggly word that you have to type into a box--this is to make sure you are a person and not a machine.
5. Click "publish" and you're done!

See, it's easy!  Then you can go back to lurking! 

Hanging Tough

My daughter sent this image to me, and between it and my new t-shirt, how can I not be strong? I continue to be surrounded by love and support, which helps me fight. Two of my worst kemos are over, so I'm looking forward to the end of February and the last two, when the nastiest drugs are replaced by kinder (and hopefully, gentler) ones! Thanks to all of you for keeping me in your thoughts and for your kind and generous actions. I appreciate you!

A great way to spend an afternoon!

We descended on Kathy and Rob today after our usual Sunday walk.  By we, I mean this group...

We had a wonderful minestrone with cheese bread followed by blueberry crisp for dessert.  All of this was courtesy of Melissa.  She is such a great cook!  It was good to see Kathy.  She hasn't been out to walk with us since before the semester ended.  Next week Kathy???

We laughed, caught up on the last few weeks, enjoyed great food and company, complained about work, and commiserated about the winter break being over and being back to work tomorrow. Our usual after walk conversation, except for the location!  Kathy sported a new haircut which I LOVE! (Ok, I am biased in favor of short hair) and showed us the wig (also very cute!!) and scarf she got from the Cancer Resource Center of SVMH. 

The Cancer Resource Center is a wonderful thing.  They provide many services for people who are kicking the crap out of cancer.  They also have services for the families.  Together with the American Cancer Society they make it easier for women with breast cancer to say...

 

Great News from Kat!

The Ass Kicking Continues!

During lunch today I stopped by to see Kathy at her kemo.  She looked great and was eating ice cream while they gave her the most protective and snarling of the kemo drugs. 

or maybe

(Kemo fact:  The cold ice cream slows blood flow to her mouth and lets less of the drug into her mouth tissues.)

I also got an update on all the appointments of the past week.  The port is in, although it required a second surgery to be repositioned. It was causing an irregular heartbeat (yikes!).  But overshadowing the annoyance of two surgeries to put in the catheter, the scan results show that the cancer is confined to one breast and a lymph node on that same side.  Yay!!!!!!!  That really is good news!  They may find it in more than one lymph node once they do the surgery, but the fact that it wasn't seen outside of the one breast area  is HUGE!  Another really good piece of news is that the tumor has already begun to shrink.  The doctor said it is about 20% smaller!  "Die, you @#$%&*, die!!!"  Great job Kathy!  You really know how to Kick It!

The Ass Kicking Continues

Today is the second kemo treatment for Kathy.  I have already posted about the reason for using "kemo" instead of chemo.  I think the word treatment is better than infusion, too.  There are spa treatments, acupuncture treatments--all things designed to enhance your health.  The first part of the word is treat--now that is going a bit too far!  But words and their subtle connotations have an effect on moods and even the subconscious. 

The cancer treatment and support world agrees.  We don't have cancer patients or cancer victims, we have cancer survivors.  That is an important distinction.  But I found an even better one that has been developed by cancer bloggers.  Cancer asskicker.

Kathy, kick some serious cancer ass today at your kemo treatment!

Books, Books, Books!

Today Kathy goes in to have the port installed.  Think of it as a doggy (or kitty) door for her protector, Kemo!  

Meanwhile, here is a list of books that I have compiled.  I have only read one of them (The Middle Place, which I really liked) but they all come highly recommended from blogs of survivors and the reviews on Amazon or Google Books were 4 or more stars.  They are all linked to author websites or to Google Books where they can be perused.  

Cookbooks

What to Eat During Cancer Treatment, published by the American Cancer Society

The Cancer Fighting Kitchen, by Rebecca Katz

Guides and Memoirs

The Breast Cancer Book, by Ruth H. Grobstein, M.D., Ph.D.

Breast Cancer? Let me check my schedule!, by Peggy McCarthy, Jo An Loren, Donna Cederberg

The Middle Place, by Kelly Corrigan

Uplift: Secrets from the Sisterhood of Breast Cancer Survivors, by Barbara Delinsky