Adventures in Chemoland: Episode #4

Chemo #4: 4/10/09--"Good" Friday--Herceptin, Taxol and Carboplatin

I was in a complete state the entire night, a dark night of the soul as intense as any I've ever had and I've had many. I kept thinking about Wendy Ladner-Beaudry, the woman who was murdered in Pacific Spirit Park on Friday, April 3 as she was jogging. The killer has not been caught and the police are saying that they have no suspects.

I was feeling exhausted from the week. Personal hassles. Whistle co-ordinating. Media interviews and Chemo. God I hate chemo. It is so brutally hard to be doing this to my body and yet...it seems to be working...symptoms of the cancer are lessening though it is clear that the cancer has not miraculously vanished.

I desperately did not want to go to the Agency. I slow-poked my way through the early morning packing up all of my soothing comforts and distractions. I was so worried about my fragile state, thinking if I feel so ill and wasted now what am I going to feel like after the chemo? I tearfully phoned my dear friend Dolly and she dropped everything and came and picked me up and took me to the Cancer Agency. I had asked Natasha the night before if she might stop in...we ended up having a bit of a party.

Natasha and Dolly were all dolled up looking gorgeous in their colourful outfits showing lots of cleavage. Their two chairs formed a circle of protection around me.

Natasha brought bright pink heart stickers which we stuck on all of the chemo bags labelled: "Spectacular Healing Juice".

My session lasted for 6 hours. I had about an hour's nap after the Benedryl (one of the "pre-meds") which gave Dolly and Natasha a chance to bond some more...this was only their second time seeing one another but both Dolly and Kelly felt the same way I did from the first moments of meeting Natasha. The rest of time we just told stories and laughed. The time really flew. The experience was enhanced by the fact that I lucked out and got chemo nurse Fran who is both highly competent and extremely lovely. You can just see the back of her behind D. & N.

We walked out of the building. Dolly http://www.dolly.hopkins.com/ took off to meet up with her team who are helping to staging a huge Earth Day event at Jericho Beach on April 18th from 11 am - 4 pm. http://www.evergreen.ca/earthdayvancouver/

Nathasha had a bit of time before hooking up with another friend and so we grabbed a bit at the Eatery. I had an enormous Lava Roll and a pint of Russell Cream Ale and then since it was so delicious together and I was still hungry, I ordered another roll and another pint. Natasha drove me home and came in long enough to fall in love with the noble mutt and threaten to dognap her. I hung out with Sadie for a while, read for a bit and fell asleep.

I slept very soundly until about 7:30am and woke up with absolutely no chemo side-effects other than extreme fatigue. Was it because of the pink heart stickers saying "Spectacular Healing Juice" on the chemo bags or was it the wonderful, wonderful company of two girlfriends who "get" me or was it the 2 pints of dark beer? I'll never know for sure but I sure am grateful! May it last, last, last.