LivingGood

I could use a vacation from these treatments. I'm trying to keep the glass half full, but all these bitches (friends <3 I love) are taking vacations to the beach, and I can't help but feel dumpy and jealous.   The travel bug has got a hold of me and I wish I was not plugged into this treatment plan for another three months. It feels like I'm wasting my life away with all the mundane trips to the Dr. to get poisoned and then recovering from the poisoning just to get poisoned again.  Just four more treatments! We spent Saturday at Turner Falls, not quite the beach, but I got my nature fix. I was able to spend time away from home and had a nice adventure with my love. The trip was to see John Waters do a talk at the Ada film festival; patting myself on the back for seeing all his films. Traveling across the state through Oklahoma spring thunderstorms was an adventure in itself. The storm left the valley floor flooded at the falls, so we were not able to ...

A very nice woman approached me while I was shopping for head bands and shit at The Rack, she wanted me to know that life will continue after all the treatment is done. She was an older gal, probably in her mid 60's. She beat cancer got a new job as a medical specialist at Healing Hands; coincidently a low income clinic where my mother worked before. She has travelled to London, Ireland, and the Caribbean if I remember right, but, I'm probably lying to you because my short term memories are falling out like my hair, after cancer she wanted to do the things she always wanted to do. She seemed really happy to share this with me, and I accepted her story. I did not find a head scarf. After the rack I went to the Civic Center to volunteer at The Lion King for opening night, I volunteer so that I can see shows for free. And no, I did not find a head scarf so I had to  go to the theater bald. I am warming up to this new image of myself, but it's dramatic to be a bald chick....

I love Wonder Woman she is a warrior!

This is a chemo week, on Friday I’ll be getting my third knock out round of Adriamycin and Cytoxan drugs.   My treatments are every other Friday. One more round of the A&C combo and then I get to look forward to five rounds of Taxol. If the treatments follow the schedule I’ll be finished by my 37th birthday, the first week of July. My last round of chemo will be on the 4th of July. So at least I might be able to enjoy my ice cream cake before nausea takes over. Chemo is preventative, just like my preventative bilateral mastectomy. The chemo should lower my statistical predisposition to the cancer reemerge. Dr. Dureka, the first Oncologist that I saw at OU, said the statistical likelihood of cancer coming back is upwards to 60% likely without chemo, but with chemo and possibly radiation following the stats drop to 30%. It’s like a choose your own adventure book with every new Dr. visit. Maybe this next visit will send me to someplace tropical with warm sands and beautiful c...

Why do you still have hair? Oh, no! My automatic Nulesta shot did not go off on time.  At my last treatment the automatic injector did a final countdown for a full minute or so… tic tic tic tic and then, I was injected with the medicine. This week it did not ring at all. So, I called the 1-800 number and was ordered to take it off and go see the Dr. the next day. So, no need to rush to the ER, thankfully.  I got off the phone and immidiatly passed out until the next morning. On Monday morning,  I removed the sticker shot without checking the fill line, and tossed it in a Ziploc bag, and  then placed it in my briefcase and went to work. I was completely wiped and I was barely able to hold my eyes open all day Monday. I scheduled an appointment with Oncology to get my shot manually, since the automated injector did not go off. I drove myself to the Dr. the drive was hard because I was so tired my eyes did not want to stay open. The nurse in oncology, I call her ...

Dr. Varghese wants me to keep a written journal of my reactions to the chemotherapy.  My first Chemo treatment was the last Friday of March. I am ready for it to be done. My treatments are scheduled to take place on every other Friday until the first Friday in July. My birthday is July 3rd so my final chemo will be a very happy birthday present to celebrate the end of chemo. The first treatment was so nervous for me. I went into the hospital visit prepared. I brought with me my bag of goodies I had been given from chemo class, which had taken the previous week. The class was informative, it helped to relieve some anxiety at least I had some expectations; hair loss, nausea, fatigue and lack of interest in food. Husband of a gal approached me after class and exclaimed that he sensed that I had been a healthy eater from my interjections about food during our class, but he said, you still got cancer. I’m unsure if he was telling me to hang up my healthy eating hat because wtf...

Soak two cups of red lentils, rinse them until foamy water runs clear.   1 tsp of coconut oil    One small yellow onion   Two garlic cloves   A pinky nub of ginger & a nub of fresh turmeric root diced fine.  Sauté in a heavy cast iron dutch oven until the onion is almost transparent. Add the Lentils and Three cups of water and cook the beans until liquid is almost gone and Stir in   1 can of coconut milk   1Tbsp of gram masala spice Season with salt, pepper, and parsley leaf. I put the Dahl over rice and topped it with sautéed leek, squash, yellow peppers, and shrimp.