Odds & Ends

Well hello! I had no intention of falling off the face of the blog world for almost a week, but I guess that’s what happens when chemotherapy knocks you on your ass. Apart from not blogging or photographing things, I’ve also not been keeping on top of my inbox (sorry to those who e-mailed me), hardly twittering, and only sometimes on Instagram. Netflix however, I’m all over.

I finished off my fifth round of chemo last Wednesday. One “round” of chemo consists of two “treatments” (ie sessions of IV drips in a chair in the chemo room at the hospital). Under my new COPP/ABV regimen, I start a round with the COPP treatment and a week of chemo pills, then after a week I’m back for a session of the ABV treatment. Then I get three weeks off before the whole thing starts again. The COPP drugs aren’t that bad, they just make be feel tired and crummy for an extended period of time. The ABV treatment, the one I got last week, however made me feel like absolute shit for at least 3 days straight. I become completely useless and just wish the days away.

Scored a stretcher in the chemo room last week!

Thankfully, I am starting to come through the other side and am happy to be facing two whole weeks of NO chemo! My next round, the sixth round, will hopefully be my LAST. The only bummer is that the ABV treatment falls on Dec. 21, so I will likely be hating the world come Christmas day. But I will take it if it means the end of this cancer debacle. I’m due for a PET scan once I’m through with chemo, then my treatment “team” will decide if I’m a good candidate for radiation. So far I’ve been told I am not because they would have to radiate over my left breast, which at 25 years of age puts me at a high risk for breast cancer in the future. However, it also depends on how agressive the cancer is at its original site. We shall see! I’m hoping I’ll be able to start working again part-time in the New Year.

Seeing as I’m coming off several days of being highly medicated, and you’re probably coming off a fantastical weekend (or very filling, if you’re American), here are some completely random topics to entertain you (and me) on this Monday:

1. Fellow blogger Abby, from Abby Has Issues, wrote a book. She is hilarious. You can read about how the book came about here. The best part is that proceeds from the book go to the Humane Society. So if you would like to save a kitten whilst being thoroughly entertained, you can buy the book on Amazon.

2. The other night, I was sitting in bed and Buster came up to snuggle on my lap, digging his face into my tummy. I always think of Buster as this poor helpless animal who needs me to survive. But in this moment it dawned on me that if Cesar Millan were to come into my house, he would probably say this dog is totally the boss of me and that Buster is probably the “pack leader” in this relationship. I bet Buster often thinks he is caring for me. And let’s face it, of the two of us, I’m probably the one more in need right now. So I am now convinced that when he waits outside the bathroom door for me it’s not because he misses me, but because he’s looking out for me. He knows I’m sick, and he’s got my back.

3. Speaking of pets here is a funny bit about them:

Stand-up comedy has become one of my most-watched genres since getting sick. Because it makes me laugh! I love that moment where I uncontrollably burst into laughter and for a second, I don’t feel sick at all. No depressing stuff allowed around here. Unless it’s cheesy drama from the 1990s, obviously.

4. I made these biscuits last week and they were really good.

I followed the layering technique and loved how you could just pull them apart. They turned out wonderfully fluffy despite having no buttermilk and being made with whole wheat. The high oven temp really led to them being crispy on the outside but still mega soft on the inside.

Excuse the iPhone photos. I had an issue with my DSLR and was feeling too sick to fix it. Cancer card yo.

5. It’s been a long while since I last did a music post. Here are five fun songs I’ve been listening to and are perfect to jumpstart a Monday (if you’re reading this in e-mail subscription, you may have to click out to view the videos):

Johnny B Rotten by The Monks

Sometimes I Cry by Tricky Woo (this whole album is ridiculously rockin)

To Be Young (Is To Be Sad, Is To Be High) by Ryan Adams (off another amazing album)

Fucking Boyfriend by The Bird and the Bee

The Letter by Joe Cocker (not the most “finessed” version of the song, but the video is worth it)

6. Last but not least, today I am going in for my third pulmonary function test in five months. The last time was to help diagnose the lung toxicity caused by chemo. This time will be to determine my lung capacity before I meet with the respirologist next week. I’m nervous! I hate having to blow through those tubes, and this time they’re going to make me get on a treadmill. I’m crossing my fingers that the damage to my lungs will be reversed, I know that my symptoms are already much better with the steroids I’m taking. I reallyreally hope the damage won’t hinder my ability to run when the cancer is gone!

Anyways, that is all she wrote. I should be back more regularly for the next couple of weeks. I’ve got a few recipes to share per usual!