Yesterday, as per the results of the portogram, I underwent port replacement surgery. Out with the old, and in with the new. The day was a bit nostalgic because the port being removed had been with me so far during my cancer journey.
Omens and Outcomes
Yesterday was a test day: portogram and bone marrow biopsy. I had to be up at the crack of dawn—except dawn didn’t crack. We had pitch-dark skies, thunder showers, and a transformer that blew in a blinding flash just before we reached the hospital. I wondered whether it was an omen for how the tests would go.
Blessed, Not Brave
Throughout this journey, I’ve heard “you’re so brave” several times. It always takes me by surprise because I don’t feel brave. I don’t feel afraid either—I’m blessed.
Jumping Through Hoops: aka Cancer Rears Its Head
The next chapter of my cancer journey begins. A new lump, with some twists and the hoops I’ve had to jump through.
10 Years of Living with Leukemia
This month marks a big milestone … the 10th Anniversary of my leukemia & lymphoma diagnosis. I have decided that this is something to celebrate.
The New Regime
I have been on the new oral chemo protocol for a month now, and things are going along okay. Do I have any side effects? Yep. But it would be a rare thing if I didn’t react in some way to these drugs. The worst of it is shortness of breath going up and down the stairs or if I … Read More
The Winding Road Ahead
This is not a post I wanted to write. As the United States was falling into the rabbit hole of the pandemic in February/March of 2020, I was finishing up a six month cycle of chemotherapy. A cycle where we had high hopes for a long remission and perhaps a return to some sort of normalcy. Not that ANYONE had … Read More
Thrills, Chills, and Oblivion – Chemo Day 1
Chemo Round 2, Cycle 1, Day 1 The image of the roller coaster is an apt description of how yesterday went. I normally try to get my chemo updates done same day, but by the time I made it home I was well and truly exhausted. The day started early because of the 0800 start time. The staff and I … Read More
The Anticipated Decision
For two years, I was on a targeted therapy drug, and it did its job. My blood values were beautiful and stable. But while it kept the cancer in check, my doctor wasn’t happy with the thought of my staying on medication for the rest of my life. So toward the end of last year we made the decision that … Read More
Infusion Day
Now that I’m a hair less exhausted and might be able to construct a legible sentence or two, I thought I’d share how my infusion day went. Because of the length of time the treatment takes, I have to be to the doctor’s office by 8:30 AM which means leaving the house around 7:30 … just in case I run … Read More
Beware of the Sypot
First off a warning to the reader: this post is likely to be riddled with sypot of all kinds — misspelled words, missing words, or maybe a sentence or two that makes absolutely no sense. I am making no apology for how you find this post, it is as I am writing it and will probably not go back when … Read More
Unexpected Infusion
I am getting to this post a little late because things happened fairly quickly and I have been on the tired side of late — kind of like the kitten passed out in the picture. After my latest cold, which took a few weeks to get rid of, I went back on my chemo treatment and when I went to … Read More