Moving on…it’s always so hard to do. It seems like just when you are in a place “where everyone knows your name”….it’s time to leave everything behind and head in a new direction. New people, new places, new bathrooms to locate……..Oh wait, I should probably clarify here that we aren’t moving to a new house!! This is all just a shameless hustle to get you to read this post! Truth is, my oncologist moved from Lacks Cancer Center to the Lemon-Holton Cancer Pavilion….and I am moving with her. (I have already located the new bathrooms…so no worries!) As much as you can love a place with “Cancer Center” in its title…I have loved Lacks. Amazing people work there everyday and they really do know your name. But when your oncologist tells you she is moving, you go with her. (Actually, it involved a little bit of putting on my most winsome and pathetic game face and asking her if she’d let me go with her. Oddly, she seems to enjoy my sense of humor and agreed to take me along.) So….now I make my pilgrimages to Lemon-Holton…where I am discovering that the people there are pretty wonderful too.
How’s my health? Stable – a very good word when you are talking about cancer. I just had my most recent visit with the doctor and a new round of blood tests. Those little $600+ (per pill) chemo meds continue to do their job! My doctor is hopeful that these will continue to be effective for a very long time. In the event that they become ineffective (which will happen at some point)…she told me about a new drug that she things will be a good match for me. But for now, we are holding steady. So, it’s still an apple a day to keep the doctor away….plus sliding on some rubber gloves and popping a pill I can’t touch (but can swallow!) into my mouth each night.
I really want to thank those of you who continue to ask often about my health. It is reassuring to know that there are so many people out there who care about how I am doing. Thank you. I consider myself fortunate to have such a great community of support surrounding me. It makes a huge difference. (If you know others with chronic illnesses, I just want to encourage everyone to reach out to them. An email, text, phone call, invitation to coffee…..they all matter. After the crisis of a diagnosis has passed, we all tend to move on with our lives…but for those with chronic illnesses, the daily challenges remain…and knowing that others are with you for the long haul can make all the difference!) Thanks!
I have mentioned in previous blogs the value of therapy. My “maybe I’ll go just to see how it goes” experiment continues – for several months now. I highly recommend it. (Cancer is not required.) We’ve all got plenty of “stuff” in our lives. I have learned a lot and have found coping skills that make everyday life enjoyable…and minimize the anxiety. Give it a try….although I have to say that when it comes to therapy, that Lucy character in the Charlie Brown cartoon strip is a good example of false advertising….it will cost a bit more than 5 cents a visit…but well worth every penny.
