Chemo No 5

Well chemo number 5 is done and behind me.  It was truly a milestone in a couple of ways.

The most amazing and profound way is that my dear, courageous and inspirational friend Isabelle was crossing the finish line in Austin, just as I finished the treatment. Isabelle approached me at the time of my news with a card, heartfelt words and an offer to be by my side on this journey in many ways.  Isabelle, was training for her trip from Vancouver to Austin Texas as part of the Live Strong Organization event, and made it her personal goal to raise 10,000 and make the voyage and wanted to do it in my honour. I was humbled and touched and thus we started our journey together. We have drawn strength, courage and a determination from each other and that has served us well in many ways….We are kindred spirits and I am grateful to have her in my life. Isabelle was victoriious on so many fronts and then some….and she continues to support me as only she could……I would like to take the opportunity to mention Isabelle’s group of riders, who too, rode in my honour for a leg of the race, and victorious in their jouneys.. Thank you from the bottom of my heart….
The other milestone was getting number 5 under my belt, with much trepidation and anxiety.  The side affects from last treatment were much more difficult to deal with and i worried whether it would be worse.  It wasn’t long when those symptoms experienced after the last treatment started to return.  I recognize now that the last 6 weeks will be the most difficult for me to deal with and I may just have to rest…lol…what a thought. Again, I have the most amazing support system, and my dear friend Rosanne made the trip for this treatment.  I know how hard it has been on those who love me and how much they want to be here, and those treatments with friends and loved ones mean so much. I really could not have got through them without each and every one of you…. Our chemo day was good, all went well, and we had a great visit and some laughs……Rosanne cooked an unbelievable birthday dinner and Pete joined us for supper.  It is so important to try and maintain some sense of normalcy and experience life and what it has to offer each day….. and that continues to be my focus..

It is interesting that it takes you almost an entire couse of treatments to know what you should do, what you can do, what will come next, is this normal, why didnt they tell me this the last time, I am just now finding this out and i have one treatment left………The experience is like no other, and is so different for everyone, where is your point of reference, why is there not a better guided reference…maybe there is where is it…….I have learned so much and it is all information i hope i never need again, but yet there are so many …just starting out…..food for thought….what will i do with this experience……For now, I am working through the side affects of this treatment and focusing on one more treatment and a time, in the not so distant future, where I will feel fabulous and ready for my next adventure..

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