A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS

A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS

Make that a lot of help from my friends.  And friends I have...young ones, old ones, over-the-top religious ones, spiritual ones, agnostic ones, holistic ones and complete vegan ones.  I love them all.  And each of them want to help me. In fact, they have to help me. Their beliefs are honest, and strong, and I respect them for that.  So I  have a lot of people praying for me, taking me to lunch, making me soup, calling me, massaging me, sniffling over me and urging me to sit under their magic lights that they truly believe cure cancer. On my desk beside me sit three bottles of herbal remedies: organic flaxseed oil, green barley grass, and a jar of homemade "6 root revival tea" which one of those dear friends absolutely could not wait to put in my hands (and tummy).  What to do?  My head swims with the offers, and, honestly, I wouldn't have it any other way.  I can feel myself tearing (sniffle, not tearing as in paper) up as I think how lucky I am to have such an eclectic group pulling for me.

But, and here is where it gets complicated, or simplified, if that is how you want to look at it, I lean more toward toward the doctor/medical approach in a case like this.
So I asked my oncologist what to do as far as the herbs go.  She recommended holding off of them until we can see if the chemo is doing it's job.  To introduce other things at this point is to muddy the waters - so magic lights and herbal remedies are out for now.  I'll take all the prayers I can get, and short phone calls (forgive me if I say I've had enough and all I want to do is sit down and read my book :>), soup on occasion, comments on my blog (love those - thank you all who have commented!, massages, and gentle inquires (that's you, Dhyana).  What give me the most pleasure are WALKS and LAUGHTER, second best: a good book, and a glass of wine and a good movie.  There - my treatise on funky and not-so-funky friends ends!  Take it from me, you are all worth your weight in gold (even the sniffly one!)

Now on to chemo...  Yesterday was D-day, the first of an unknown number since it all depends on how I respond to the drugs and whether they are doing their job.  The schedule is fairly simple: the first three Tuesdays of the month I will have chemo (it takes about 2 hrs. each time) and I will have the last Tues. off.  I asked if I could possibly be put in a room with another reader (I hate to be in with someone who is watching TV), but I do have BOSE earphones to block out sound if worst comes to worst. The oncology office is right across the street from Bob's office, so that is a plus.  Pictures below.

I also met with my oncologist to go over the whole procedure and to check my blood work.  The chemo went swimmingly (whatever the hell that means...) - I had no nausea, I got to read my book in a nice quiet room and I even got to put my feet up (all the squishy leather chairs are recliners :>)  The only problem seems to be my low hemogloban, which could mean I will need an infusion. SHIT TO THAT!  Common' chemo do your job!  Anyhow, it will tested again on Fri.to see if there has been any change so stay tuned on that one.  That's it - sorry it was so long... I tend to write more, and more honestly, when I am emotionally psyched, as I was today.

Grim Nancy

"Eat Food, Not Too Much, Mostly Plants"
                  Michael Pollan






(download)