Better Chemo Day

Just Relaxin'

4/20/11 – Well, I guess I’m a day behind on my blogging.  Chemo makes you a little tired.

I had chemo yesterday.  Fortunately I wasn’t dreading it as much as I was the time before.  It seemed too quick to go back, but better to get it over with I guess.  I think the reason why I didn’t dread it as much as the time before is because I didn’t have as much time to get back to feeling good.  It’s hard to go into something like that when you feel so good.  I also had Todd with me.  I love having people come with me to chemo but Todd is my life line.  I always wish it was him with me – sorry guys. 

Yesterday was also my half way point.  Treatment 6 out of 12!  I don’t know if it seems like a short amount of time or not.  I see it both ways.  I started treatment in January and it is already April – time flies.  I should finish in July and then all my follow up fun starts.  One thing I am worried about it is that when I’m finished everyone will think “Oh, Shea’s done, she’s back to normal now.”  I’m not sure I agree with that.  How do you just go through something so life changing and go “Oh, I’m done.”  I mean, it’s still there.  There are still the follow ups and the possibility of recurrence.  I know my life is forever changed.  I just hope others realize that.  I guess I’m just afraid that people won’t take what I’ve gone through or what I’m going through as seriously once the constant treatment is over.

Treatment yesterday went well.  I got a little nervous at my appointment because I had to wait, and wait, and wait.  I’ve never had to wait so long to see the doctor.  I kept thinking “Oh, no!  Something is wrong with my blood count again.”  I started to catalog all the things I had eaten and done since my last visit.  What could cause a problem?  After 30 minutes I went and asked the nurse if I had been forgotten.  Nope.  The doctor was out so his partner was filling in on all his appointments and I was the last patient of the morning.  “Whew!”  I’d much rather be last than have something wrong with my blood count and screw up my whole schedule.  Schedules are important!

I have another funny “small world” story.  My friend Tara had to have IT come and look at her work computer last week.  When the IT guy got up there he saw one of her pictures and said “she looks familiar” pointing to a picture of me.  Tara went into the whole story of how our close friend passed away and how I was currently going through cancer treatment.  The guy said “Oh, my wife works at Longstreet Cancer Center”.  Tara sent me a text letting me know the connection and it just so happens that his wife is one of my chemo nurses and was actually my nurse for chemo yesterday.  Crazy right?!  It’s amazing the simple connections people can have in the most random places.

If I could have anything to eat I would like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and a large glass of milk.  My song of the day is “Set Apart this Dream” by Flyleaf.  I had on a twirly dress yesterday during chemo (my motto is to look cute for chemo because it’s the last day I’m going to feel cute during the week) so this song is fitting.  This is also Todd’s song for me.  “Close your eyes little girl You're a princess now, you own this world, Twirling in your twirly dress, You're the loveliest far above the rest.”

http://listen.grooveshark.com/s/Set+Apart+This+Dream/2zr3Uf?src=5

Later!