Hip Hop Music, Acupuncture, and Golf

So how did I shake my chemo side effects? You got it: with hip hop music, acupuncture, and golf.

This morning, I awoke with an emptied bag o' chemo and was detached from the needle in my chest soon after. As is always the case on Wednesdays after a Monday chemo session, I felt a little headachy and gross, but this Wednesday seemed like it would be better than most. 

I slowly had some breakfast (my appetite was decent but not great), took my first shower since Sunday night (showering with the bag o' chemo is more work than it's worth), and loaded myself into my car for the drive to the Palisades to get an acupuncture treatment with Mary Ellen. I wasn't feeling fantastic when I first got into the car, but I soon felt my energy level rising. It was, in no small part, because of hip hop stars Nicki Minaj, Drake, Lil' Wayne, Chris Brown, and Busta Rhymes. There's something about hip hop music that turns melody, beats, and rhyming into pure adrenaline, and I felt it when I listened to the radio this afternoon. In just a couple of minutes, I started to feel better and instead of reclining in my seat, I was bobbing my head and dancing. I've always loved hip hop music, but now I've got even more of a reason to revel in it. Hip hop helps eliminate chemo side effects! 

I felt even more refreshed after acupuncture with Mary Ellen. She's been working on a couple of spots near my ribs for the last several sessions, and I haven't really been able to feel anything there. This area near my ribcage, where Dr. Sugarbaker did most of his pulling and pushing, had felt tender and numb at the same time. Today, though, that region felt much more healed and not numb anymore -- in fact, I felt more in touch with my entire body during today's session which was pretty exciting for me. I left Mary Ellen's feeling even more energized and almost completely normal.

Even though I felt well enough to hoof it to the gym, I decided that I'd do a little pitch and putt golfing with Will instead. In the last hours of sunlight, Will and I hit the mini-links and did a little golfing. Being outdoors, in the crisp air and amidst the beautiful trees and landscaped lawns, gave me the final boost that got me back to normal. I golfed pretty well considering that it had been years since I'd picked up a club, and the friendly competition between the hubby and I was enough to make me feel like my old, rough and tumble self. By the last hole, I was soaking up the beauty of our surroundings, the satisfaction of being active, and the promise of an even better tomorrow.

And throughout the day, as I felt better and better, I remembered my favorite lyric from Nicki Minaj's "Moment for Life," the song partially responsible for buoying my spirits and body today:

No, I'm not lucky -- I'm blessed. Yes.

I'm with you, Nikki. Definitely blessed.