"HITTIN THE WALL"

KENNY AND I ENJOYED SOME MUCH NEEDED TIME AWAY this Monday and Tuesday night.  We used some Hilton points he had accumulated and stayed in Orlando.  Tuesday we even took the big step of splurging on Epcot not knowing how I'd do with all the walking.  We took it slow and enjoyed most of the park with the finale of laser lights and fireworks at closing that only Disney can do.  SO good to get our minds on other things.

I HAVE TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT to the encouraging and supportive nature of cancer survivors everywhere - especially fellow breast cancer survivors.  As I've said early on, it is a close sorority that you never signed up for.  I decided to wear to Epcot my pink "Fight Like A Girl - Breast Cancer Survivor" t-shirt and hat Brittni my niece bought me.  I thought since I'd get my fair share of stares all day from the scarf draped head, I'd go ahead and give people the answer they were curious about through letting them read my t-shirt on their own as we all stood in those long circling lines waiting to get on a ride, everyone staring at everyone.  Little did I know that I would have the opportunity to meet and speak with several fellow survivors over the day at Epcot.  The first dear lady in her 60's we met was 2 yrs. post mastectomy/reconstruction, no chemo.  Her and her husband stood right behind us in the 1-hr. (yes, I said 1-hr.!) line to get on "Soarin" (which WAS a great simulated hang-gliding ride, BTW).  We had a long time to talk to her and her husband about her experience.  It's amazing how even with a stranger, you can pick up and immediately begin talking the cancer-ese language with someone who totally "gets it" and doesn't need translation.  She was doing well now and encouraged me that the "permanents" are so much better/softer than the tissue expanders I like to call "rocks".  Good to know!

WE SHARED A CROWDED TABLE at lunch with a sweet Christian black woman and her friend who we quickly bonded with in the Lord.  She noticed my shirt and told us of her daughter in her 20's who was post melanoma cancer and now doing her sociology dissertation on cancer survivors.  We exchanged cards at the end and wished blessings on each family.  Then later while drying my hands in the restroom, a sweet woman about my age, tapped me on the shoulder briefly and said "I was just where you were 2 yrs. ago, and I want you to know there's light at the end of the tunnel, hang in there!". Such precious words, and great hair she had!  So neat to meet such encouraging people, ones I wouldn't have met if I'd have scratched the t-shirt and hid behind a hot, itchy wig all day, which I DID consider.

UNFORTUNATELY, our fun did have to end and I had chemo yesterday, the smaller dose this time.  I'll go again every week for the next 8-9 weeks, but so far today the symptoms are minimal, PTL!  Let's hope that continues.  In reference to my last blog about my mind battle last week, I DID speak to my oncologist about that.  He conferred that goofed up hormone levels could definitely play into the severity.  He also shared with me that he was not surprised to hear me tell him about the depression.  He sees it in a lot of his patients around this point in their treatment...he called it "hitting the wall" and compared it to the 17th mile for runners in a marathon.  You're tired, tired of it, gone through much already and yet aren't close to the end.  He said, like runners as they get closer to the light at the end will get that boost in their mental spirits as will cancer patients.  Good to know I wasn't just mentally weaker than I thought and we did talk about how to take the medications I needed when I needed them.

WHILE CANCER SURVIVORS are of great support, I continue to shout out thanks to ALL my loving supporters including Diane Green and her husband Roger, members of my church, who felt led to shave their heads to support me.  WOW!  Certainly not expected...but how sweet.