Last Round of Chemo

This morning, Will detached me from my bag o' chemo for the last time. My final round of chemo -- Round 13 -- is finally in the books.

I'm not gonna lie...it's been an emotional day. Just knowing that I've gotten through a very tough cancer-killing regimen, and have come out of the experience a stronger, healthier, happier person is pretty mind-blowing. Thinking of what my body has gone through to get me to this point fills me with awe. I am in awe of my body's ability to heal itself and to keep beasting through every challenge that has been put before it.

I'm also pretty amazed by how far I've come emotionally and intellectually. Over these past ten months, I've been like a sponge, soaking up every last bit of information on how to live as healthily as possible -- from diet to exercise, to letting go of the things that used to stress me out and the grudges that never did me any good. I have absolutely transformed myself in almost every way imaginable, and while I'm not that different from the pre-diagnosis me, I am different. And in a really, really good way. 

I can't reflect on my adventures and rejoice in this day without remembering all of the people whose love and support carried me through every moment of this incredible journey. My family, friends, colleagues, doctors, nurses, and you, my dear readers. Your friendship and kindness has filled my heart and made each day utterly brilliant. There have been no dark days on this journey. Not one. And you are all responsible for that beautiful, glorious fact. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Today marked the end of my treatment, and in a sense, the end of my battle with cancer. But the war will never end. I will always be at the ready, weapons of understanding and joy and toughness and optimism close at hand. I will never forget the lessons I have learned, and I will always give thanks for every second of my life. I've been through the fire, I've pushed through the tough times, and I've proven to myself and to that silly disease that it is no match for me.  

Goodbye, chemo. Goodbye, cancer.

So How Was Graduation?

Oh man, Graduation Day at Flintridge was so fun. As the commencement speaker, I was treated like a true VIP, which is almost surreal given that I was a student at the school about a decade ago (which feels way, way more recent than that). I donned my graduation gown and hood from Stanford, which is a pretty spiffy ensemble if I must say so myself, and spent a little over an hour with the faculty as we waited for the ceremony to start. I got to be in the formal picture with the faculty, and was placed front and center, between our principal (Sister Celeste) and president (Sister Carolyn). I even got to process in first, right between the two big shot Sisters. 

The ceremony was beautiful and inspiring -- watching all the young women embrace their classmates and await their bright futures was truly uplifting. I got to sit next to one of my favorite people in the world -- my former teacher, Mrs. Sadler -- and her pride in me was palpable and incredibly heartwarming. And my speech went pretty darn well, too. I loved every minute of delivering it, and the standing ovation I received from the 1000+ attendees (including the graduates and the faculty, which was particularly touching) was one of the coolest moments of my life. Having Will, my parents, and one of my best friends, Nick, in the crowd made the day absolutely perfect.

And now, without any further ado and for your viewing pleasure, here's the video of my speech. I hope you like it!

Chemo Round 13

Well, today was the day. My final round of chemo ever, barring any scan-related disasters. It went smoothly and efficiently, and I'm feeling great. And, of course, I'm feeling especially grateful as I reflect on what exactly happened since last September.

I checked into Good Samaritan in mid-September, sick and unhealthy and unaware that the life I was leading was slowly wearing away at my body. Today, as I walked out of Norris, I emerged a changed woman. Smarter, wiser, more mindful of my body, way more educated about diet and fitness, with a world of experience under my belt. This cancer-killing adventure has taken me to some incredible places and it's put me through some incredible challenges. And I'm truly grateful for it. I know it sounds hard to believe, but I'm happy to have had this diagnosis and the experiences that have followed. Life has only gotten better.

In a couple of days, I'll be detached from my bag o' chemo and free as a bird. It's a great feeling, and it's so empowering. I've got my whole life ahead of me, and I'm going to make each second count. I'm going to continue to live life like I mean it, which isn't so tough given how hard I've had to work to earn it. Each day is truly a blessing -- take it from someone who has done and will continue to do everything it takes to ensure those beautiful days continue.

Champagne this weekend to celebrate the end of chemo, anyone?

Graduation Day at Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy

About a month ago, I was asked by one of my favorite high school teachers (and the Vice-Principal of the school), Mrs. Sadler, if I would deliver the commencement address at this year's graduation. I accepted immediately, started getting my thoughts together, made a visit my high school to be further inspired, and wrote my speech. And today, I get to deliver it. And in my Stanford graduation gown! I am really, really excited. By the way, a cool by-product of facing "the cancer" is that I'm no longer nervous AT ALL before or during public speaking. If picking it out and pouring it in doesn't freak me out, speeches don't either.

My high school, Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy, was my dream high school. It is an all-girls, Catholic high school (with uniforms and the whole nine) that boasts a truly unique and close-knit community. For me, it was love at first sight. I distinctly remember the day I first visited Flintridge, as an 8th grader attempting to gain admission into the school and about to have my admissions interview. I sat in the back seat as my parents drove me to La Canada-Flintridge and up the hill that the school sits beautifully upon, adjusting my skirt and blazer, hoping that this would be the place I'd make my home for four years. 

My interview was with Mrs. Sadler, which always makes me smile because back then, neither of us would have known that we would become such good friends and that she would be attending my wedding at Stanford over a decade later. I was so impressed with Mrs. Sadler and her careful, thoughtful questions, and I guess the feeling was mutual. I received the first place merit scholarship to the school. I cried tears of joy when I opened my acceptance letter and found out about the scholarship.

The next four years were just as great as I had hoped. During my time at Flintridge, I was a tri-sport athlete -- volleyball, basketball, and softball -- and managed to graduate with a couple of points above a 4.0. I took lots of AP exams, was our student body Vice-President, was a leader of our senior Kairos retreat, and loved every second of my high school experience. I delivered the salutatorian address at my graduation day in 2000. 

Eleven years later, and a world of experience later, I am honored to address the Class of 2011. In case you're itching for a sneak peek of my speech, I'll give it to you. This little paragraph is in the context of my discussing my diagnosis and my approach to kicking the crap out of cancer:

The more I think about my approach to my disease -- the fearless, faith-based, confident approach -- the more I know that much of who I am, especially in challenging times -- was developed at Flintridge. The things that are so important to our development here at Flintridge -- integrity, hard work, and good character -- are exactly what carried me through every challenge and opportunity in my life. In so many ways, my time at Flintridge made me into the woman I am. 

I am truly thankful for my years at Flintridge, and have never forgotten how wonderful my high school experience really was. I'll never forget the incredible teachers that helped shape me into a super-smart and super-confident young woman, my classmates who provided the love, friendship, and support that made us sisters, and all the experiences that built up my strength, courage, and humor to confront even the toughest of challenges. I look forward to imparting all my wisdom, for what it's worth, to the graduates today, and I hope they're all experiencing their big day in super-HD. 

Fun on the Farm

I never thought I'd spend a lovely summer afternoon at a farm, plucking fruits and veggies from the earth, but that's just what I did today. 

One of my best buds from grade school, Jessica, gave me the tip on Underwood Family Farms, so Will and I joined her and her little girl for some fun on the farm. As Jessica watched me bounding down the rows of carrots and candy stripe beets with the joy of a child on Christmas Day, she said the truest words that could ever be said about the farm: "It's a vegan's paradise."

It really was. I had so much fun picking my own food that I'm already trying to schedule my next trip back. How could it possibly be so fun, right? I'll try to explain. 

First of all, there's the pressure of trying to pick the very best veggies, which is quite challenging in the case of beets and carrots since they're submerged in the earth. That means you don't really know what you're getting until you've already uprooted them at which point, they're yours for better or worse. My first few carrot choices were less than stellar -- the tiny little nubs of orange were a bit underwhelming and threatened to shake my veggie-picking confidence. But then I hit my stride: nice sized and well-shaped carrots, then beautiful earthy beets in yellow and red, and then green handfuls of cilantro and spinach. Why do I turn everything into a competition? I don't know. But I was going for my personal best, and I think I got it by the end of that first round of picking. I'm happy to say that my chosen strawberries and squash are beyond criticism. They are simply gorgeous.

I also really loved the idea of getting my food directly from the source in the most literal sense. Getting my hands dirty while pulling a fat red beet from the soil, inspecting each strawberry in the sunlight before putting it in my crate, and twisting the green squash to wrench it from its base was so satisfying. Much more satisfying than grabbing them from the produce section at Whole Foods. 

And then there was the price. For all that organic produce picked straight from the soil, along with celery and jicama from the market there, we paid a grand total of $14.80. Seriously? I thought the cash register was broken. A vegan's paradise indeed.

Let me know if you want to come with me next time. Potatoes and tomatoes will be in season by the end of the month.