September 2008
2 posts
End of Treatment!!
This Friday is my last day of radiation and I am EXCITED!! No more treatments after this (ever)! Last week, I saw the oncologist and he said not to come back for six months (yippee). And yesterday the radiaologist told me not to come back (after Friday) for six weeks (double yippee). I will still have a number of tests and check-ups but I will no longer be in treatment. Yeah! Party party!!
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Blame it on Korean TV
I’m sorry I haven’t been keeping this updated. Getting back to a “normal” life takes time and energy. Everyday I’m feeling stronger and more like myself. Really… I have no excuses - I’ve been watching too much Korean TV and haven’t gotten much else accomplished. :) Hee hee.
Radiation is going smoothly. The doctor said I am responding well to...
August 2008
6 posts
Let the radiation begin...
I started radiation treatments yesterday and they seem like no big deal. They only take fifteen minutes and I don’t even feel anything while it’s going on. The only real inconvenience is that I have to go everyday but small price to pay I guess. :)
StandUp2Cancer - get involved in a different way...
From Jill: This came to me from Matthew Zachary, who started the group I'm Too Young For This! (for young adults with cancer). Please send the woman at the bottom an email asking her to allocate some of the funds raised from StandUp2Cancer for young adult research and survivorship. Thank you for your support and sweetness! :) From Matthew: (1) 100% of the money raised by StandUp2Cancer will be...
July 2008
17 posts
Interesting Blog on Cancer →
Read about how there is a way to cut breast cancer deaths by 50% (and it’s probably not what you think).
Why was candy invented?*
I just ate the most delicious thing ever - Trader Joe’s vanilla and cream yogurt with fresh blackberries. So tasty! With natural foods that taste that good - why was candy even invented?
*Please excuse the unedited title which was “Why did was candy invented”. Apparently, I was overcome with yogurt love and could no longer write.
I HAVE FINISHED CHEMOTHERAPY!
Thursday was my last chemo! I am so excited! Yesterday, we went to the surgeon for my six month checkup - and she said everything was going well. Both the surgeon and my oncologist said that my recurrence rate was quite low and that I am healing well. They also said I should be sure to live a healthy life with exercise and nutritious food. No problem - good bye Frappuccinos and hello new...
I have a part!
No, not an acting role but a part in my hair. This is more exciting than having bed head! Hmmm.. pictures will come soon.
Speaking of things on my head, I have a big goofy hat to wear to chemo next week. It was a gift from my friends the Schumachers and it’s perfect! Dr. Hu and all of the people at St. John’s will be so surprised! :) Pictures will come soon on this too.
Chemo is starting to catch up with me
So even though I am flying through this whole thing pretty well, it seems as though the chemo is finally catching up with me. I am always tired and now I seem to have “chemobrain” or “chemofog”. (It’s a real thing). I’ve been noticing this all week long because I’ve been doing things that are unlike me, such as oversleeping, confusing times and days,...
What Old People Do For Fun →
Xiang Yu sent me this… :)
What Comes Next
While I have been home, I have had a lot of time to think about what I want to do when chemo is finished. I’ve been able to prioritize and focus my attention on what is important to me. So, what comes next? I will be going to Georgia State University in Atlanta, GA in the spring to get a second Master’s degree. This time it will be in Applied Linguistics with an emphasis in TESOL...
Our garden - Oh the yumminess
I am so excited - our garden is growing 15 tomatoes! The peppers are starting to have flowers but no actual peppers yet. But the tomatoes… yippee! There will be some good eating when they are all ripe. :) That is, as long as the racoons don’t spoil all of my fun in the meantime.
Yesterday we cooked some little red potatoes we bought from a farm near our house. To make it extra...
June 2008
7 posts
My new love
I have a new love - blueberries! And I really love them in blueberry pancakes - so delicious! Yummy! Everyone should eat blueberries everyday!
Just in case anyone missed this →
Such a fun music video!
My new favorite show! →
Everytime I watch anything from this show I think “that’s so crazy!” Yeah for Yo Gabba Gabba!
New Chemo
The new chemo is not so bad - not that any chemo is good but it could be worse. Although there are some concerns, such as permanent nerve damage and what not, it doesn’t actually make me feel all that sick. It does make me feel a bit tired and off (my timing and responses to things are delayed and a bit different than normal) but other than that its pretty ok. The last round was a bit...
15 years off chemo (No. 1)
Tomorrow, June 1, is my 15 year anniversary of being off of chemo from the first time. Some people maybe would not celebrate this since I got sick (again) and have to be on chemo (again). But I am not one of those people. I think if you have a reason to party - any reason- you should party. So tomorrow I will party! :)
May 2008
7 posts
Race for the Cure →
Here is my page for the Susan G Komen Race for the Cure. Click - support - and kick breast cancer’s butt!
The best air guitar ever! →
April 2008
11 posts
Super good and less good
Super Good: My DNA test came back and I am not a mutant! This means that I get to keep all of my original parts! Yippee! And, I had the last of the “hard” chemos yesterday and am feeling pretty good. I’m even going to go see Wong Kar-Wai’s new English-language film, “My Blueberry Nights” today. Less Good: The next 4 rounds of chemo are this drug called...
Wanna be on my team? →
St. Louis is hosting a Race for the Cure (against breast cancer) on June 21. Everyone is invited to come and be on my team! It should be a lot of fun - plus, the proceeds from any money we raise go to breast cancer awareness and research. One of the reasons why cancer is so scary is because we have no control over it. This may make cancer patients feel like passive victims. The reason I like...
"Be Kind Rewind" Movie Site →
This is one of the most creative movies I have seen in a really long time. Check out it’s official site and prepare to see things a little differently. :)
I am back! Prepare for the silliness...
Ok - I am feeling back! So watch out and prepare for some silliness. And don’t worry - every time the chemo makes me feel bad I always bounce back more energetic than before. Ha ha! It won’t get me! How do I type an evil laugh…..
the 2 worst things about chemo
For me, the worst thing about chemotherapy isn’t the baldness or the tiredness. It is the fact that you feel great going in and then leave feeling bad. Here is a good example of this: on Wednesday (before chemo) I worked 8 hours and then ran/walked for 1 hour and still had energy to go out to dinner and get some work done. Yesterday (after chemo), I ate a tiny amount of dinner and then,...
FYI: Chemo Schedule
Just in case anyone wants to know, here is the schedule for the remaining chemo treatments: #3. April 3 #4. April 24 #5. May 15 #6. June 5 #7. June 26 #8. July 17 And then radiation mysteries and who knows what. :)
“Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high;
Where knowledge is...”
– Rabindranath Tagore
The best part of right now
The best part of right now is reconnecting and spending time with people I haven’t talked to/seen in awhile. All of you are so sweet and lovely! I’m glad to have this time to catch up. We shouldn’t wait so long in between visits. :)
5 Very Recommended Movies
Choosing five favorite movies is extremely difficult so I have decided just to recommend a few of my all-time faves: 1. Hable Con Ella (Talk to Her) - 2002 - Director: Pedro Almodovar I love this movie because it is visually exquisite, the music is haunting, and the story touches your heart in a very non-Hallmark way. It creates a truly lovely space where the characters are genuinely...