Chemo Round 39 and Giving Thanks

I knew Chemo Round 39 would be a bit of a challenge, but not for the reasons you'd guess. My time at Norris was great, as usual -- I popped in earlier this time around and was out by 2pm. I headed back home, hydrated and ate well, and rested. Resting was key, because Tuesday night and Wednesday morning were not going to be easy. It wouldn't have been easy for anyone, let alone a person with a needle in their chest, guzzling up chemotherapy drugs. But I was going to do it. On Tuesday night, my three nurses and I took a red-eye flight to New Jersey followed by an early morning flight to the Bahamas. Imagine walking around LAX (and the Newark airport) and taking two 4+ hour flights while feeling hungover (headachy, queasy), dehydrated, a little congested (chemo always gives me a slightly stuffy nose and -- this part is pretty gross -- thicker, more mucous-y saliva), and with a needle in your chest. It wasn't my favorite experience in the world, but it wasn't terrible either. And it was worth it. I was heading to the Bahamas for this Thanksgiving holiday to cheer on my Blue Devils. Duke was set to play in the Battle for Atlantis tournament at the Atlantis Resort in Nassau, and I wasn't going to miss it. After experiencing Duke's win at the Maui Invitational last Thanksgiving, I had my heart set on following the team (led by my constant supporter and hero, Coach K) to the Bahamas this year. For people who aren't sports fans, I'm sure it's not easy to comprehend my love for Duke Basketball, and how the team inspires me and fills my heart with joy. But they do. I love basketball and, in my opinion, there is no team that plays it better and the way the game is supposed to be played more than my Blue Devils. And it goes without saying that there is no coach who does it better than Coach K. And beyond that, the family that is Duke Basketball is a beautiful thing to see and -- since my diagnosis and friendship with Coach K -- a beautiful thing to be a part of. To love your team because they play great is one thing, but to love your team because they play great and, more importantly, are great people is quite another. So we made it to Atlantis on Wednesday. Since Monday, I had almost counted the seconds to when I'd be able to rest in my plush hotel bed and let the after-effects of chemo slowly ebb away. I paced myself, though, placing one foot in front of the other, getting through each task one by one until the bed was mine. I slept most of the day on Wednesday and woke up on Thursday still not at 100%. I was operating at about 80%, which was good enough for me. I hit the gym, then the pool, and made my way to the ballroom-turned-basketball arena for Duke's first game. We won that game (vs. Minnesota). And the next (vs. VCU). And the championship game (vs. Louisville) last night. And as we racked up wins and I racked up trips down the lazy river, I knew my body was fully bouncing back and that Round 39 of chemo was a distant memory. Instead, my memories consist of happily howling while I flew down steep water slides and happily howling while my Blue Devils soared to victory. In the world of WunderGlo, the Thanksgiving holiday doesn't get much better than that.