The final installment of my cancer story took place on September 20, when I underwent reconstructive surgery at MD Anderson. The surgery was a cinch compared to chemo and the double mastectomy; my only issue was a prolonged feeling of fatigue, for which I blame anesthesia, rather than aging. Driving back into the medical center … Continue reading A Circuitous Path
In Byzantine and Renaissance painting and sculpture, artists adorned saints with identifiable items called attributes to help us distinguish one from another of 10,000 peers canonized by the Catholic Church. Those martyred for their faith hold palm branches. Examples of saints and their attributes include: St. Peter - who holds keys because in Matthew 16:19, Christ hands him the keys … Continue reading Attributes of Cancer
April 18th seemed eons away when I sat with Brad the Pharmacist last fall to learn about my chemotherapy protocol: Taxol once a week for 12 weeks, the "Red Devil" once every three weeks for 4 treatments. Along the way, I spent four days in the hospital for fever, received a Neulasta patch three times to elevate my … Continue reading Getting My Bell Rung
A 100.4 fever gets a kid out of school and definitely creates low-grade aches for the "normal" person. For a chemo patient, however, that fever is synonymous with a "Don't Pass Go, Don't Collect $200" Monopoly card. Tylenol is forbidden because it could mask an infection that could take down a cancer patient. Therefore, at … Continue reading Broken Tiles/Lives
My first week with the Red Devil is drawing to a close, mercifully. I did not experience violent nausea (TMI, but I didn't), just the precipice thereof. Taking anti-nausea meds around the clock and knowing my mother sat one groan away in my home all week assuaged my illness to the point that said she and I … Continue reading Contemplating Contradictions
I confess, I enjoy coming to MD Anderson each week. I think it's because everyone here is trying so hard. The staff, the patients, the families - we're all on the same boat paddling in the same general direction, which tends to make us kind and empathetic with one another, too. Today a fellow patient … Continue reading Indelibly Stained
My Tuesdays at MD Anderson involve three, sometimes four, appointments: getting my blood drawn to see if I'm healthy enough for chemo; accessing my port (sticking in the needle used for IV chemo); checking in with my oncologist and receiving chemo. Schedulers try to stack these appointments as close together as possible, but it's never … Continue reading Migration at MD Anderson
For several weeks my mother gently encouraged me to consider a wig. "We all wore them when you were little. Remember the picture of you and me when you were tiny?" The picture arrived on my phone. I demurred, saying I was opting for the Jackie O look to make use of my scarf collection. She revisited the subject … Continue reading Mother Knows Best
My sister Sarah has been harassing me for days asking to help. Truly, every morning I get a text asking, "How may I help you today?" Her persistence and annoying texts paid off and today was her big day. She got the bid to take me to MD Anderson for my echocardiogram and chemo using … Continue reading Sister Act
