Chemo Round 22

Yesterday, i turned up my jams, got my new t-shirt on, and headed to Norris for Chemo Round 22. Like mostly everyone, I too got a day off for President's Day -- a day off from treatment -- but by Tuesday, I was ready to get after those silly cancer cells. I knew Norris would be a packed house considering that all the Monday chemo kids were sharing time with the Tuesday chemo kids, but I don't think I was quite prepared for the onslaught of cancer warriors. Even though I showed up at around 11am, I didn't start my chemo until 2ish, and didn't get out of there until 6ish.  

But it was no big deal, because I had my buddies with me.

No, I'm not talking about my three nurses, although they were there. I'm not even referring to my sister-in-law, who made the trek from NYC to spend some quality time with me and Will. I'm talking about two of my friends who are also my fellow cancer warriors. Two chicks with Stage IV colon cancer who face their struggles with grace and strength. I'm not sure how cool they are with me using their actual names on the blog, so I'll go with A. and A. since those are the initials of both of their first names. I've known one A. for over a year now -- she found out about the WunderGlo blog through Dr. Lenz and we met randomly when we were both getting PET/CT scans. The other A. contacted me in September of last year, recently diagnosed and needing advice -- she took my advice and is now Dr. Lenz's patient, too. The three of us, entrusted to the care of our brilliant oncologist, doing everything we can to beat this disease.

Sometimes on this cancer journey of mine, it's good for me to focus on myself -- my attitude, my path, my challenges. But sometimes, it's comforting and empowering to share stories and strength with fellow cancer warriors, especially these two tough women. We inspire each other, make each other laugh, and compare notes. We travel along a path that most would never want to travel, but here we are: strong, resolute, determined to fight for our lives and determined to stay alive, for ourselves and for our loved ones. We don't give up, and we'll never give up. We show others what it's like to have true grit, even when the chips are down, the odds are long, and the treatment puts us through the ringer. Cancer is a real jackass of a disease, but the family of cancer warriors it creates is a truly special one. 

So was Chemo Round 22 long and laborious? Yeah, a little bit. But did I get by with a little help from my friends? Absolutely.