Symbolism

Symbolism is everywhere... 

On my last day of radiation, George and I decided to get lunch as a celebration and finally try the Japanese restaurant on the final day of Boston restaurant week. We drove to Kenmore Square and ended up smack in the middle of a cancer walk with crowds of people dressed in pink going past the restaurant. The restaurant was full and we couldn't get in without the prior reservation weeks in advance (a sign to switch to healthy eating maybe).

All these people in pink made me think that it was some sort of fan club for the movie "Barbie" 😂 that I hear is quite popular, before I read the signs for breast cancer.

I thought it would be great and quite symbolic to get a picture of a breast cancer patient with the pink crowd. A few pictures and several hugs from random strangers -- I take it as a great sign from the universe that hopefully this experience is over and I can move on to better things...

NY trip

After going through the trial run for my radiation setup but before diving into the daunting task of 30 daily sessions with the beast, I was granted a sweet one-week reprieve. So, we decided to visit  New York City over the 4th of July holiday. 

Now, experiencing NYC in July was a whole new level of sensory overload for us. Despite the sweltering heat, a lingering scent in the air, and getting stuck in a subway car, we managed to make the most of our time and enjoy the city. The museums, as always, were soul resting place. MoMa was superb, as always.

Now, here are a few valuable lessons I learned as a cancer patient navigating through the concrete jungle:

Central Park survival tip: Treat the park like your personal oasis of benches. Taking a mandatory 10-minute rest on each one is crucial to avoid complete exhaustion. Trust me, it's a game-changer. 

Ladies and gentlemen, introducing the must-have fashion accessory for the barely-there hair club: the wide-brimmed hat. Not only does it shield your delicate scalp from the sun's relentless rays, but it also adds a touch of glamorous mystery to your overall look. 

Here's a little secret: Approximately one-third of the New York population looks just like you. That's right, you're practically a local! So, as long as you wear some flashy, oversized earrings, you'll effortlessly blend into the vibrant tapestry of New York. Consider it your secret identity amidst the bustling crowds.

Update

It has been a busy several weeks...

First, I had this image in my head, that once the chemo is over, I would be running around like a mountain goat, finally feeling the oh so missed energy of the everyday life. Not so fast. It took another week, till about May 15th, to fully recover, so that I could easily be up and about half the day and get to crawl into bed around 5-6 pm. And surprisingly,  though the chemotherapy supposedly left my body by then, I got several side effects unexpectedly popping up: dry, brown lines on my nails, persistent cough, and sweat.

Secondly, my oldest got back from college and did a week worth of training for her internship -- so there was quite a lot of driving while we were fixing a car she could use. And I was that designated driver most of the time as our household was stuck with just one car.

Thirdly, May is the month for all the end of the year concerts, plays, etc. that I was able to be part of.

We even managed to hold a handmade "vareniki" -- Russian dumplings with cherries or potatoes -- party at our house...yummy!

In one word -- busy, busy life, even if I am still not on a full capacity, more like 70% battery.

And now I have about a week before the operation, and I have to prep for after the surgery (they said at least two weeks, if not more of rehab) and organize the house/food/bills to be able to get away with not moving my arm much for those two weeks.

Weekend

This is my last weekend before my last chemo. I survived the week of side-effects and school vacation (thanks to friends who took Max places) and now that I am semi-functional we even had friends over to celebrate one of them getting American citizenship.

And to nurture the soul, I even went to Evgeny Kissin's piano concert at Symphony Hall. It was obsoletely wonderful!

Birthday

I am a big birthday person --- I always celebrate and always over the top , if possible. My motto: we only live once and should savor any excuse for celebration.

Of course, I had these grand plans to spend my birthday in Iceland this year to see the aurora borealis, or more commonly known as Northern Lights, which is best viewed end of March as the weather tends to cooperate. Well, I guess this will now be my next year plan, so this year we had to do what we had.

I must say, I'm feeling pretty lucky and grateful to have such amazing friends. They really know how to make a birthday girl feel special, even if I had to put my Iceland dreams on hold. 

I had two friends fly in for the celebration -- one all the way from Tbilisi, the other from San Francisco. And they cooked up a feast out of this world for more than 20 people!  And the decorations! My other friends really went all out with those strings of balloons, cakes and the birthday crown. I felt like a queen for the day. It was just the kind of over-the-top celebration I love. 

I got a lovely and unexpected slide show down the memory lane and serval musical numbers about Baba Yaga (funny witches) performed by my friends!!! I mean, who needs to see Northern Lights when you have a group of friends singing songs about witches, right?

Sure, the morning started with an x-ray, but once I got home it was a blast. I feel so lucky to have such wonderful people in my life. Overall, it was an incredible day and I feel so grateful for the people in my life. 

Friday after

Love Fridays, the day after chemo!

You wake up a bit discombobulated, but there is a full day ahead and often the morning is not as bad as one anticipates. 

Today, I decided not to eat anything to relieve the new ongoing feeling of nausea that now follows me around with this new AC chemo cycle.

However, a friend brought me salmon soup at noon, and it made all the difference in the world. It single handedly put away any nausea and as if I got a new lease on life and was not only able to function normally, I even managed to go to a housewarming party and a birthday party Friday evening!

One down, another to go

My recovery after the last 12th chemo was relatively easy and familiar to the bone now, so, of course as soon as the fatigue subsided, I was off enjoying Boston with friends and family. 

Love, Love Boston... the weather cooperated and this week happened to be restaurant week --- even better.

As my white and red cells counts are too low for the next week's new chemotherapy, and the insurance failed to deliver a Granix shot on time -- the best prescription that I know to get these cells up is fun, friends, sun, meat and cod liver sandwiches (the last one beats raw beet juice any time)!

Another getaway

It is so nice to get away even for a day (my oldest is home from college and can babysit Max). 

We decided to drive out to the Berkshires to visit the MASS MoCA - (Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art) and Clark museums to enjoy some culture and art, because who needs romance when you can stare at paintings and sculptures for hours on end! :) Not sure about other married couples, but for us it was exactly what the doctor ordered.

I woke up Saturday morning, figured I was doing ok and off we went at 8 am for a day just for ourselves.

It was a blast of alternative reality with expansive views of snow covered mountains, unexpected and inventive ceramic sculptures at MassMoca and beautiful paintings at the Clark Museum.

Wednesday

Wednesday is now my favorite day of the week! My chemotherapy is my every Thursday date for the next 12 weeks as least, so  today I feel 30 again, full of energy and with not even a hint of side effects. 

Tomorrow is also my port operation followed by chemotherapy, but that is tomorrow.

It was a beautiful day, so besides catching up on all the stuff that needs doing, George and I went for lunch to our favorite Masala restaurant. Despite all the recommendation for plain food, I seem to be craving pickled and spicy variety -- Indian was perfect for that.

In the evening, George persuaded me to go to my regular volleyball game (the first of the year) while I still can and have the energy to. He said that if I am tired, he can easily pick me up. But I played through the evening and had loads of fun! 

2023

 

Happy New Year! May it bring peace and health!!! 

We kept up with our traditional celebrations and even managed to pull together half decent table. We got to dress up, watch a traditional New Year movie, burn the last minute wishes over the candle with a sip of champagne...

Not a bad start to a New Year!