Updates from Cancerville, USA . . .

I just returned late last night from Portland, Oregon where I was honored to be with my sister for her last scheduled chemo treatment. She truly was a champ, all bandaged up in pink, signing thank you notes (which I will mail out shortly) and staying awake even during the slow, steady hum o' my incessant yammerin'. Jen had a great chemo party last time when I named it ROCK STAR CHEMO and she got all sorts of rockstar everything for her chemo party! This last appt was unofficially IT'S OVER, ROVER cuz, well, hopefully it is!! If I had been there when she walked out afterward, I would have serenaded her with WHO LET THE DOGS OUT, WOOF WOOF WOOF-WOOF. And while I try to stay positive and not get too pissed at her painless brazilian and to-die-for assortment of cute hats and wigs, I am reminded of the negative side of all that is happening. I mean, for cripes' sake, TAKE OUT LUNCH ON CHEMO DAY???? Hasn't she suffered enough??

And on a TRULY positive and grateful note, on her final day of chemo and the day I was with her, I received the last of donations to meet my fund-raising requirement for my run in June to benefit the leukemia/lymphoma society! I will be doing the 1/2 marathon in Seattle on June 26. I've been in training for months now. Training consists of lots of running, some workout/stretching, massages, chiropractics, and mostly me practicing NOT tripping. But me being me, I can't promise anything, so if you can attend the race, keep those camera's poised.

Last week I was in Seattle for a short trip to spend Brenda's final chemo treatment with her! I wasn't feeling too well but Brenda put up with me and Lori and I cheered her on to graduate! We unofficially named her chemo "IT'S A WRAP!" cuz it's the end of it and I was supposed to be her surprise present (but not wrapped) but when flights got all messed up and everything looked bleak, Lori told Brenda that I was on my way. So in the nick of time, I did make it! Even tho I wasn't quite the surprise we planned, it was still a great celebration!! (BTW, I think I left my 7-up under your private princess chemo room bed. I'm thirsty now. hint hint)

Today is Kari's big day again~!! She's at 7 of 8 chemo treatments, so in two weeks will be her FINAL one! While I was in Portland during spring break, I spent chemo with her, which I aptly named FANCY CHEMO cuz it was darn fancy! Complete with fancy bejeweled rings and Starbucks drinks and OUTRAGEOUS oatmeal cookies (duh!) We put the fancy in chemo that day for sure!! Mostly I thought it was fancy cuz I got to spend the afternoon with sweet, fancy Kari!

While a couple gals have radiation tanning beds to look forward to and we're not sure what they're gonna do with Jen besides wait for her next scan, the path ahead is lengthy but positive!! As I say my universal "prayers" which at one time consisted of begging for their healing, I now say thank you for all the great things. I feel thankful for their recoveries which I know is just ahead. I feel thankful for reconnections with people that I haven't been with for MANY years, which would have never happened, had no one caught the c-word. What a windy, curvy, sometimes confusing road with lots of speed-bumps! My friends and me, we have so much to be grateful for. I love the way we find stuff to laugh at in the face of this monster who is powerless to our fixation with remission. Yesterday while Jennifer and I were complaining that the chemo room had no internet available, Jen said "If we're lucky, I'll still have cancer next year when they finally get wi-fi!!" Cooooool. :-) (Lesson here is only get cancer where wi-fi is available. Makes facebooking and online shopping so much easier.)

Thanks for your cheers, your messages of hope, your donations to the cancer fund, your emotional support, your smiles and your love. It's felt in such far-reaching ways, you'll never know . . .

I don't think I'm alone when I say that my day will be complete when I can blog one day soon, Cancerville, Population ZERO!

With TONS o' gratefulness,
Chatty K