When Is It Time to Feel Normal?

It’s been 3 weeks since my last chemo spa session. I confess, I’m still not back to normal. But what is normal?

I know that it will take a while for my body to build itself back up. I know that it will take months before my hair starts to make an appearance. I know Rome wasn’t built in a day.

Yes, I’ve been doing closet cleaning and reorganizing. If I’m going to be in the house I may as well be productive. A new thrift shop opened in town and I’ve got bags of clothes waiting to be delivered.

There are other things to be considered as well. I need to see the dentist. It’s been a year. I was told no dental appointments while on chemo. I also need to have my eyes examined. I can see fine with my glasses if I’m looking at something across the room. Otherwise it’s squinting or ditching the glasses. Squinting isn’t a good option.

Wine in Trieste

I also need a glass of good red wine. No wine or beer or any kind of alcohol while on chemo. Chemo is over. Not that I’m a big drinker. But a nice glass of wine will be much appreciated.

MacArthur High

In two weeks I’m going to my 40^th high school reunion. Gasp. 40 years. How scary is that? The reunion is in New York in the town where I grew up. I’ll be seeing people I haven’t seen in 40 years. I’ll be seeing people I didn’t even know in high school. Our class was something over 500 and maybe 60 of us will be at the reunion. We’re making a weekend of it. I wanted to lose a ton of weight, have my hair look perfect etc. etc. But the reality of it all is that I’m happy just to be going. To be healthy enough to enjoy the experience. One thing I don’t have to worry about is my hair frizzing. There’s always a silver lining!

Every day I’m feeling my energy renew. It’s about 50% right now. But in a few weeks I’ll be at 100%.

100%. Now that’s awesome!

Home town (Wantagh)

Everyone Has A Story

When I was first diagnosed with breast cancer back in February, I had a gazillian people giving me advice. What to eat. What not to eat. What vitamins to take. What kind of chemo to have. What kind of surgery to have. Everyone has a story. Everyone has advice to give.

Everyone knows someone who has had breast cancer. It’s a fact. I know many people who have had breast cancer. Do I have advice for someone newly diagnosed? Sure I do. Listen to your oncologist. My oncologist knows what she’s doing. Her advice is the ONLY advice I’ve been taking. Yes, I’ve listened to suggestions from women who have been through this.

Delicious!

I tried being a vegetarian. Then a vegan. It didn’t work. I craved meat and I caved. OK, I don’t eat burgers and steak every day. Or every week. In fact I haven’t had either. I did have a nice roast beef sub the other day…

I eat what I feel like eating which isn’t much. It’s also summer and the heat affects my appetite. The steroids make me blow up like the Goodyear Blimp. What I eat in one day, most people can eat in a meal. I’ve been told to drink protein shakes, drink my vegetables (gag), eat less of this and more of that. Are you kidding me? I am the QUEEN of the diet. I could write a book on it. I know what’s nutritionally sound and what’s not. What it boils down to is this: if  I’m craving a pizza, then so be it. And by the way, that red sauce on the pizza is loaded in potassium.

Someone suggested to me a homeopathic approach to reduce the tumor instead of chemo. Yeah. No. I don’t think so. In 4 months what was a tumor is now a dot. Of course chemo sucks. But it’s over. It was 4 months of misery. 4 months. When you think about it, it’s not so bad now. If you had asked me a month ago I would have probably screamed.

I’ve also stopped taking the massive amounts of herbal supplements that were making me nauseous. Now I just take my daily vitamins that I’ve been taking forever. A lot less complicated.

I’ve been told by so many women who have been through this, what kind of surgery they think I should have. I’ve been told by my oncologist and surgeon what kind of surgery I’m having. I think I’ll go with that. They are, after all, the professionals and modern technology is amazing.

I still feel yucky from the last infusions of chemicals. But I’ve got a lot of great stuff to look forward to. A high school reunion in August (40 years, gahhhh), surgery in August which is something I’m looking forward to being done with. Going back to work. I’m missing my little bookstore a lot. I also need to be in Trieste singing and chilling with my band mates and dear friends.

Bye-bye chemo!

And of course, I’m looking forward to my hair growing back. Wearing a turban is chic and all that, but I really miss having hair.

So good!

And now for some much needed watermelon!

Summertime and the livin’ is easy….