On Thursday, I stopped by my doctor’s office to visit my friend Pam during her chemo treatment. OK we weren’t exactly friends before Thursday-we had one phone conversation, exchanged a couple of emails, and I read her blog religiously. I thought chemo would be a good opportunity to meet her so I swung by for a short visit, which turned into an hour and a half. Now we are officially friends. When I walked in, the receptionist pointed me towards her and she immediately recognized me from my photos. She introduced me to her new friend Missy-also getting chemo for breast cancer. The 3 of us chatted non-stop for the entire time. I could have stayed a few more hours but I had to pick the kids up from school. And their treatments were ending. We talked about the usual stuff that 3 women in there 30s normally talk about-breast expansions, chemo and medication side effects, bald heads. We have so much in common that goes way beyond the fact that we are close in age and raising young kids in suburbs of Detroit. I am pretty certain that if we met under other circumstances we would have hit it off, but cancer connects us in a way that nothing else does.
Tonight I got emails from both of them and it sounds like they are doing ok during their post chemo time. Missy’s cocktail doesn’t include Adriamycin so she had a bit more energy after her first treatment. In fact, she’s doing the Race for the Cure Saturday, shaving her head and meeting family for lunch afterwards. I could barely take a shower two days post chemo so I’m guessing that drug (or maybe the 3 together) could be the kicker. Pam has a pretty similar experience as I did with her 3-drug cocktail so I imagine she won’t be joining Missy.
I’m excited about my two newest friends and excited for them to finish their treatments, feel great and enjoy life as survivors.
What a beautiful weekend. Though the temperature might not have been exactly pool weather on Friday, 3 kids and a pool in your backyard equals pool weather when it really is only pushing 60. Saturday was a much longer dip in the pool. And Sunday’s lasted all morning and into the early afternoon. Monday was a perfect pool day! For me, it means the end of a cold, long yucky winter. Saturday after swimming, the kids and I had a picnic in the front yard. I turned to L and commented on how happy I was to be enjoying the pool, the sunshine and the great outdoors. I reflected on laying in bed and daydreaming about summer time during my post chemo haze. She turned to me and said “Mom, you picked a good time to have breast cancer”. I still appreciate her innocent comments and love that my open and honest discussion about cancer makes her so comfortable.
She is very excited for my 3-day walk and even wants to train with me. She’ll do absolutely anything to raise money and so far both L and B–along with their friends–have sold cookies, vitamin water and lemonade. Without a second thought, they hand each penny over to me for our 3-day team. L is busy planning a carnival in our backyard which sounds like a lot of work for me (and probably a lot of money too). Hopefully she’ll stick to the lemonade stands! Wishing everyone a happy summer!!!
Since I was diagnosed with breast cancer, I’ve made lots of new friends. We’ve all heard those 3 little words that changed our lives. We’ve spent many hours in hospitals, lost our hair and watched it grow back. We are part of a “club”. We didn’t ask to join but now that we are here most of us want to make a difference for others. When I was first diagnosed, I was connected to Robyn, Suzanne, Teresa and Kim. Each of them helped me in a unique way, and I was comforted with each phone conversation that lasted no less than 1 hour. Suzanne brought me hats that I lived in 24 hours a day. Teresa brought me a gift that sat on my nightstand all winter long. Robyn and Kim made me laugh with each phone conversation. The usual chatter about kids, husbands and friends was replaced with chemo treatments, side effects and surgeries. Through friends of friends, I discovered caringbridge and lotsahelpinghands.com.
Last week I was connected to my newest friend, Lori. She was diagnosed with Stage IV Ovarian Cancer 3 years ago six weeks after the birth of her son. She is absolutely amazing!! I’ve joined her team for the Relay for Life in two weeks, and she’s asked me to speak at the luminary event. I’m looking forward to meeting her in person. Our phone conversation went on and on. There was so much to talk about and still so much we need to cover.
Of the six of us, five of us carry the BRCA gene mutation. On June 18th, we’ll hold our first meet and greet for the local BRCA outreach meeting at Beaumont Hospital, and I am certain I have many new friends to meet.
With breast cancer, I got new perky tatas, a huge appreciation for feeling good, a short hairdo for the summer and another group of friends. Not so bad!
