The halfway point for the chemotherapy has been reached! Session four of the eight went very well on Monday. I am ever so grateful and appreciative that the good drugs Adriamycin and Cytoxol have done such good and thorough work shrinking the tumor so quickly for me. This session was the last time I will have these drugs in my lifetime. Next session will begin a four course treatment with our new ally, Taxol. It is the combination of these three drug treatments (thanks to all those researchers working hard in their labs!) that has the best proven outcome.
This week I have come to have a better understanding of two year olds as my energy reserves aren't what they have been. I go from fifty to zero in no time. This has given me a new insight and understanding as to how toddlers go from being friendly, fine and fun to tired, touchy and irritable at the drop of a hat. It's really been surprising how quickly the energy goes when it does.
So, in light of this halfway point change, I have started to bundle everything into little packets: little bits of food, of sleep, of exercise, of play and of work. This way I can still enjoy the things I like to do and need to do while keeping well rested and strong.
With the shortage of a full night's sleep caused by the frequent bathroom visits from the steroids I've incorporated nap time into my days. Now this is the sensible way to live, I say! Toddlers have it going on. As you can guess 'Naps for Everyone Everywhere' would be be my platform should I ever run for Miss America. Life is always a little more manageable after a good nap... nap on, Good People, nap on!
Thanks to all of you for your continued good thoughts and your support. It has been one of the most touching things about this unexpected journey: to know you are carrying me in your hearts and minds. What a powerful gift it is! As I move into the next four chemo sessions over the coming eight weeks and prepare for surgery in early November your continued thoughts and prayers for strength and peace are most appreciated.
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9 comments:
Oh, sweetie. It's so great to see you keeping your sense of humor (despite your senses) in the midst of all of this. I can only imagine. Well, as Mom said, things have certainly changed a lot in the past 30 years, and it's good to hear the drugs are working so well. I'm back from my crazy month away, and having just gotten off the phone with Mom, it sounds like you guys have had a beast of a summer. Strange, since you wouldn't guess global warming exists in this part of the hemisphere... It's been cold and rainy all of August, and summer was pretty nonexistent. But I've been thinking about you constantly, so please know you're always in my heart and on my mind. Hope you liked the joke-a-days in my e-mail. I know some were pretty corny, so if you didn't have to take more drugs just to get through them, I'll send some more. Very good analogy of 2-year-olds, by the way, and I agree with a little bit of everything in moderation. (Now, if only I could learn to practice that myself!) You're a brave soul, my dear. And because of your positive outlook, those strong thoughts will work in your favor, and you will come out on top, after this is all said and done. And how much stronger you'll be because of it. You're a blessing, and you are blessed. I myself couldn't be happier to have you in my life. Love you much!! XOXOXO Mikey
karen-
Thank you so much for sharing with us about your day to day stuff.....but most importantly congratulations on half way....how wonderful!!! Your positive attitude and energy are an inspiration..... We will be here....cheering for you (Chuck has gotten a cute little skirt and pom poms. Look foward to continued good news and will tlak to you when we return from Big Sky!
Spontaneity! Isn't it a wonderful thing? I have grown to embrace and enjoy it as well (but for different reasons than you). And hey! It's so easy on the mind, too. You don't have to worry so much about planning ahead . . . you can actually live in the moment. It's great.
An additional advantage is that you get to totally avoid "The 'P' Word." Expunge it from your vocabulary. You'll get ideas instead. You'll actually LOVE how ideas work, once you get the hang of them, and quickly discover their outright superiority to 'plans'. If an idea doesn't work out, you just pull another one out of the vast storehouse, and act on that instead. No need to become distraught: no 'plans' were dashed; you just do something else.
And, it goes without saying that you totally avoid butting heads with Murphy's Law when you discard 'plans' and replace them with 'ideas' -- the whole 'plan'-thing is just a magnet for anything that might cause said 'plan' to go awry. There's no point to inviting that sort of chaos, now, is there?
The downside, of course, is hooking up with friends who don't share your feelings on spur of the moment outings. And 'ideas' instead of 'plans.' This can be a challenge. I think that you just have to start warning people that you're headed in that direction, and then hope that they can adapt to 'ideas' as well.
Speaking of 'plans,' we missed you so much at two of the three planned events of this past weekend. I really should have brought the Hombre card on Saturday so that you could have signed it. The Fair, of course, just wasn't the same without you. We tried to make the best of it, but I fear that we missed out on many things that you would certainly have steered us towards. ~sigh~
OK, that's it for now. Good to hear you're wacking away it it . . .
Adapt. Adopt. Adept.
Mark
P.S. Oh, I forgot. I've got something to give to you. Let's idea to get together one night this week . . .
Oh, the things you learn when you're in a place you'd rather not be...
Other countries "get" naps. When I was in Tuscanny, we asked the local Bodega owner when he opened in the afternoon and he said, "When my son gets up from his nap."
Your movement will certainly rock those in charge of the GNP. Rock away!
I'm hoping a shopping and lunch date might come together this month. Fingers crossed. Maybe we should make it a nap date?
Joyce
I can't wait to see Chuck in his little cheerleader outfit! He's got good gams you know...
Karen
Hey Karen:
I figure I better not lurk any more.
Janis has kept us "Fargo girls" apprised of your situation and progress....and dare I say it's been awesome and even entertaining? In facing such an ugly disease you find such humor...it's simply inspiring and uplifting. Thanks for sharing your story with such honesty, eloquence, grace and humor. I imagine a lot of giggles between you and Janis while shopping at Merle Norman.
I hope you feel our extended blanket of love and support surround you, Janis and your entire family as you move towards your next round of treatments.
Oh, and as the mother of 4 and 7 year old kids, I FULLY support your 'Naps for Everyone Everywhere' platform.
Liv Tollefson (fellow Fargoan and friend of Janis).
Halfway there! Go, Karen, go! Grrrrrrrrrrrrr.
:-) Jodi
Karen,
Just a note to 'sign-in' on your site. God(dess) bless you these days.
-Daniel
I remember right before Curt M's wedding, I was having a major job crisis. Of course, I talked about it with the aunts and uncles and cousins and received lots of support and offers to help. I mentioned that to a friend when I got back, and she said "How lucky you are to have a family like that." I was taken aback, because I had taken that support for granted, knowing that it would always be there from anyone in our family.
How blessed we are to be in the family we are in, knowing that they are always there to help.
Michelle, Mike and Adam
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