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| The view from my Dad's back yard of the eastern part of Penobscot bay. |
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| Center Harbor in Brooklin, ME |
Monday, June 13, 2011
Oops!
Oops! I meant to include two more pictures on my last posting so I'll just add them here.
Polly gets a visitor
Monday morning and it's chemo time! I'm sitting in the recliner getting my infusion. Only this time my Aunt Mary is sitting in a chair keeping me company. She came yesterday afternoon from her home in New England to hang out with me for the next five days while Mr. Pincushion is in Houston. It's wonderful to have Mary here. Unfortunately, it's hotter than hell (100 degrees) so we can't do too much outside. Last night, Mary brought us live lobsters from Maine which was a real treat! I LOVE Maine lobsters. We had a real summer feast with lobsters, local corn on the cob and ripe tomatoes and basil drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Yummy...
Normally we go to Maine for a couple of weeks in the summer to escape the Texas heat but this year chemotherapy has derailed any plans to go there. Instead I have to suffer through this unbearable hot and bone dry weather. I've been going to Maine since I was a little girl to visit family. It's one of the most beautiful states there is.
Normally we go to Maine for a couple of weeks in the summer to escape the Texas heat but this year chemotherapy has derailed any plans to go there. Instead I have to suffer through this unbearable hot and bone dry weather. I've been going to Maine since I was a little girl to visit family. It's one of the most beautiful states there is.
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| The view from my Grandmother's front yard in Damariscotta, ME |
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Taxol's less taxing...
It's been almost a week since my first infusion of Taxol, the new chemo I'll be treated with for the next three months. So far, the Pink Ribbon Cowgirls were right; the side effects have been much easier to deal with compared to my experience with the dreaded "red devil." Other than a little fatigue and some muscle and bone pain one day, I've felt pretty darn good. Well, there has been one rather unsettling new development: one of my big toenails appears to be coming unattached. So there's that...
Anyway, I felt good enough to do some painting this week, and completed the small still life below. And I even went to a yoga class for the first time in a long while. Another perk of having cancer: FREE yoga classes every Thursday at Texas Oncology! It's one of the few places where I felt completely comfortable showing off my bald head in all it's glory! The class was great, except one of the women seemed unable to keep herself from farting. Loudly. Thank god they weren't smelly.
Speaking of baldness, Mr. Pincushion got to shave the stubble and leftover peach fuzz off of my head the other night. Pretty kinky, huh?
Anyway, I felt good enough to do some painting this week, and completed the small still life below. And I even went to a yoga class for the first time in a long while. Another perk of having cancer: FREE yoga classes every Thursday at Texas Oncology! It's one of the few places where I felt completely comfortable showing off my bald head in all it's glory! The class was great, except one of the women seemed unable to keep herself from farting. Loudly. Thank god they weren't smelly.
Speaking of baldness, Mr. Pincushion got to shave the stubble and leftover peach fuzz off of my head the other night. Pretty kinky, huh?
Friday, June 10, 2011
Polly's Bucket List
Though my body was tired, I couldn't for the life of me get my brain to turn off last night. I was tossing and turning until 5:30 in the morning, all while Mr. Pincushion and the dog lay next to me, snoring happily away. One of the many things I thought about was what would be on my "bucket list." For those of you who may be unfamiliar, this is a list of what you want to do before you kick the bucket. Not to be too morbid, but as someone living with both MS and cancer, it's hard not to ponder these kinds of things.
Here's what's on my "bucket list" so far, not in any particular order or priority, though I would like to travel while I'm young and relatively healthy.
1) Go to England, Scotland and Ireland. See where my Stare family ancestors came from.
2) Travel to Switzerland, Netherlands, Germany and northern Italy.
3) Rent a Winnebago and visit several national parks.
4) Visit Charleston, South Carolina.
5) Travel to Alaska to see the incredible wildlife (though not in the winter).
6) Write a book and hopefully get it published.
7) See manatees up close in their natural habitat (and maybe even swim with them).
8) Live in a house with a big, wide southern style front porch, and a beautiful back yard with beautiful and interesting landscaping, soothing water features, and lots of room for my garden beds.
These ones will never happen, but it's my bucket list:
9) Travel by time machine to attend one of Oprah's Christmastime "My favorite things" shows.
10) Have a romantic dinner with Johnny Depp, followed by a smooch (sorry, Mr. Pincushion).
Some of you may think that my bucket list is rather boring, but I'm really not a risk taker. You won't catch me bungee jumping, skydiving or swimming with sharks. I don't need a lot to be content. Sitting outside of a cafe in Rome, sipping a cappucino and people watching is more my speed!
Here's what's on my "bucket list" so far, not in any particular order or priority, though I would like to travel while I'm young and relatively healthy.
1) Go to England, Scotland and Ireland. See where my Stare family ancestors came from.
2) Travel to Switzerland, Netherlands, Germany and northern Italy.
3) Rent a Winnebago and visit several national parks.
4) Visit Charleston, South Carolina.
5) Travel to Alaska to see the incredible wildlife (though not in the winter).
6) Write a book and hopefully get it published.
7) See manatees up close in their natural habitat (and maybe even swim with them).
8) Live in a house with a big, wide southern style front porch, and a beautiful back yard with beautiful and interesting landscaping, soothing water features, and lots of room for my garden beds.
These ones will never happen, but it's my bucket list:
9) Travel by time machine to attend one of Oprah's Christmastime "My favorite things" shows.
10) Have a romantic dinner with Johnny Depp, followed by a smooch (sorry, Mr. Pincushion).
Some of you may think that my bucket list is rather boring, but I'm really not a risk taker. You won't catch me bungee jumping, skydiving or swimming with sharks. I don't need a lot to be content. Sitting outside of a cafe in Rome, sipping a cappucino and people watching is more my speed!
Monday, June 6, 2011
Polly gets prepubscent
WARNING: This particular entry may be a little "T.M.I." for some of you. If so, I'm sorry, but this blog is about sharing the true, uncensored stories of my journey in cancer land. So you can stop reading if any of this makes you uncomfortable.
I first noticed it while taking a shower this morning. I looked down and... OH NO!! I'm losing my pubic hair!! My nether regions appear to be reverting back to their prepubescent state! Now, I've been told that being bald "down there" is all the rage with teenage girls and 20-somethings. I personally don't like it one bit. My feeling is that we grow pubes for a reason, and they are a natural part of being a mature, adult woman. So for me, looking like I have the private parts of a 10 year old girl has been rather upsetting. In fact, since losing my hair (on my head), I've been feeling less and less womanly and less and less attractive. Having cancer and going through chemotherapy makes you feel about as sexy as a big ol' heap of poo. The thought of "getting it on" sounds about as much fun as eating that big ol' heap of poo. I'm sure that once I have surgery and they lop off one or both of my breasts these feelings will only get worse. Poor Mr. Pincushion... It's going to be a very LONG year for him. Thankfully, he's very understanding. I wonder if men lose their pubic hair when they have chemotherapy? Actually, I don't even want to think about that.
As a side note, tomorrow I begin what is rumored to be the slightly more tolerable chemotherapy called Taxol. I'll be doing this once a week for the next three months. Can't wait!!
I first noticed it while taking a shower this morning. I looked down and... OH NO!! I'm losing my pubic hair!! My nether regions appear to be reverting back to their prepubescent state! Now, I've been told that being bald "down there" is all the rage with teenage girls and 20-somethings. I personally don't like it one bit. My feeling is that we grow pubes for a reason, and they are a natural part of being a mature, adult woman. So for me, looking like I have the private parts of a 10 year old girl has been rather upsetting. In fact, since losing my hair (on my head), I've been feeling less and less womanly and less and less attractive. Having cancer and going through chemotherapy makes you feel about as sexy as a big ol' heap of poo. The thought of "getting it on" sounds about as much fun as eating that big ol' heap of poo. I'm sure that once I have surgery and they lop off one or both of my breasts these feelings will only get worse. Poor Mr. Pincushion... It's going to be a very LONG year for him. Thankfully, he's very understanding. I wonder if men lose their pubic hair when they have chemotherapy? Actually, I don't even want to think about that.
As a side note, tomorrow I begin what is rumored to be the slightly more tolerable chemotherapy called Taxol. I'll be doing this once a week for the next three months. Can't wait!!
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