Merry Christmas !!

Hope everyone is having a wonderful day.

Bright sunshine in Boston, it looks beautiful outside. Steve is out for a walk, the kitties are napping and soon I'll be blessed with a "kitty bag" dinner in bed when Steve returns.

I'm feeling so much better today, back from the Dark Place I settled in a few days ago. A week of feeling good every other week is over-the-top fabulous. I'll never take for granted even the smallest pleasures of the day. Even if some days that means just waking up. Or looking in the mirror and seeing how much I actually do resemble Jack Benny. Or my uncle Louie. (Aunt Norma, it's true.)

You are my strength, I feel your support, prayers and healing thoughts. To each and every one of you, my family, friends and loved ones, thank you for being you. I'm able to face the journey ahead because of you. Very best wishes of the season, and a happy, healthy New Year. "God bless us, every one."

Sicker Than a Junkyard Dawg

Well, that, apparently is how this cancer goes. Feelin’ groovy one day and sick, sick, sick the next. It’s Irene here; Kathy has asked me to fill you in on what’s been going on. As she mentioned in her last posting, she was feeling pretty queasy for about a week. Then, on the 7th day after her treatment, she popped out of bed, full of energy and sunshine. Recognizing that she had a week until her next treatment, she took full advantage of feeling great by meeting with friends, getting out to restaurants and doing some final holiday preparations. A group of United girlfriends got together to toast the season. To everyone who was there, thank you so much for coming. For those who couldn’t make it, we missed you, but ate your share of Maria’s fabulous praline torte. If successful, you should be able to see a picture of that fun night here.
The week was also devoted to more scalp prosthesis research (wig shopping). An order has been placed, and, none too soon since the cats are no longer the only ones leaving their hair on the chairs. More on that, next time.
Thursday was not a good day. Kathy’s treatment was scheduled to begin at 12:30. We decided to try to make it a fun day and arrived at MGH armed with the Mama Mia DVD and boxes of Junior Mints and Charleston Chews. We would blithely watch movies while killing Igor. Igor had other plans. Dr. Erban examined Kathy and declared that Igor had gotten a bit smaller. Igor was insulted and decided not to go quietly. Kathy developed an excruciating headache and an extremely elevated blood pressure. Her pressure was so high that the infusion treatment had to be postponed while all efforts were put into quelling the headache and bringing the pressure back into the normal range. The more drugs they administered, the sicker Kathy became. Through it all, she kept her sense of humor and suggested the title for this posting. It took several hours, a CT brain scan and an extended trip to the ER to fix things up. But 12 hours later Kathy was home and sleeping soundly.
What a difference a day makes! Friday, Kathy’s headache was gone. She and Steve headed back to MGH. Surprise! She got an upgrade. Of course she did. Who knew that there were private areas in the infusion wing? Bed #2A for her Friday’s cocktail hours. This is bad news for MGH. Now that Kathy has seen what’s in front of the curtain, they’ll never get her back in economy again. Vitals were taken, all signs were “Go” and Igor got his next blasts of poison! Take that, Igor! You Will Not Win!
Kathy sends her love and thanks to all. The cards, emails, good wishes and prayers mean so much to her. She loves checking in and reading your comments. She feels blessed to have such supportive family and friends.
Happy, Healthy Holidays to Everyone.

Am I Awake Yet ??!!

WOW, the chemo treatment last Thursday really threw me for a loop. Because I had a biopsy first thing that morning, my day was long and I ended up at the hospital for 10 hours. The infusion took 3 hours, a lot longer than I had anticipated. I slept on and off, Steve was able to find a computer to keep busy. So went the social event of my week. Sleep took over soon after I got home.

Armed with more drugs than ever, for me, I didn't get sick from the treatment. This is VERY good. However, I was in bed for almost 3 days. Kitties couldn't believe their good fortune to have found another sleep companion 24-7. I hope the "normal" part of the cycle starts soon.

I had a busy morning, visiting the wig salon with Irene. It's come to this, so we're taking it on. Somehow fantasizing about trying on "glamour" wigs and actually sitting in the chair trying them on, isn't quite the same. Maybe Dolly Parton has a different take. Maybe by next week I'll be here to say "I'm sittin' pretty" too. Reality check: not a good look for me, right ??

Not much activity out of Igor of late. He lost his coat, boots and hat at the hospital last week. His hair is thinning and he's feeling queasy. Winter is coming, he's cold and no one offers to help. He faintly hears voices in his head shouting "DIE ... LOUSY ... *&#% ...". He can't make out the rest. He thinks it's just another nightmare, but we know better.

My thoughts are with you !! Thanks again for being YOU, so supportive and caring. Hope your holiday plans are easy, breezy and FUN. And know how much I care about you.

The Calm Before The Storm

Hope everyone had a GREAT Thanksgiving. Steve laid low at home, recovering from a cold. I went to visit Country Martha and Garden Club for the feast of the year. SO much fun. Friends from around the country gather at different locations every year to celebrate Thanksgiving. To those, including Steve, who couldn't make it this year, know you were missed. And if your ears were ringing, know we WERE talking about you. I thought I'd better take advantage of still being able to want food, eat food, and drink wine, all at the same time. And I did.
Steve has recovered, and just so you know, enjoyed a huge goody bag of turkey, stuffing, cranberry, etc., when I got home.

This week is reflective for me. I feel good and continue to do "normal" things. I've spent time reading books given to me by the doctors and nurses on my team. I'm making lists of things I'll need to buy. I've picked up prescriptions and started a "pill chart" so I can keep track of the many drugs I'll soon be taking. I've put together a binder of all the written information I'll have to reference in the weeks to come. I've gone out to dinner and to the gym, and taken long walks down the Cape. I've enjoyed phone calls, emails, blog comments and cards.

I learned from Garden Club Ann that "Igor" is the name of a villain in Romanian folk lore. Very evil and mean. My grandmother on my mother's side was from Romania, a fact I learned only a few years ago. This bit of information has lead friends to speculate about my long lost relatives living in caves, dancing to gypsy music. Which would explain my passion for the Gypsy Kings and their music. Of course, now it all makes sense. Igor IS evil, nasty and mean. Close my eyes and this IS who I would conjure up as the the WORST possible being. He's SO going down.

Thursday, to be precise, will not be a good day for him. It will start with another core biopsy. The radiologist will take 5 bites out of him. I'll let her decide which pieces to pick. And it won't stop there. The first real-deal chemo session hits in the afternoon. He has no idea what he's in for.

I feel your support, prayers, love and well wishes as I get ready for Thursday. Steve will accompany me to treatment, which is scheduled to last an hour. I'm not exactly sure what to expect, as people are affected differently by the treatment. I do know the cocktail mix is strong, and I'm in good hands. My thoughts are with you, thank you for being there for me.