First 4 Rounds of Chemo: OVER!

I have had 4 doses of A/C chemo over the last eight weeks, and to be honest, there are times when I felt like it was trying to kill me. Or I wanted to kill someone else. But now that I am coming out of my self-induced, sitting in the dark, curled up in a ball, I hate everyone "chemo weekend," I realize that I should be celebrating this momentous event!

Holy crap, I survived the chemo designed to bring me to my knees! And it's OVER!

True, I still have 12 rounds of chemo coming, EVERY WEEK, and it will bring with it a whole new set of side-effects and challenges (rumors abound that I get to look forward to my fingernails falling out), but everyone has said that if I survive the A/C doses, then these next several months will seem better. Or much more bearable. 

Fingers crossed!

A Random Happy Moment

Don't get me wrong, there have been happy, and even funny, moments along the way. But this one was something that actually got me through a bad day. On Thursday, on my way to meet with the chemo doc, I had to stop by the school to drop some stuff off. Outside the school, one of my favorite students came running over to say "hi." She gave me a hug and asked me how I was. (And yes, Mr. School District Lawyer, I think the hug was appropriate to the situation). I couldn't really tell her the truth, because to be honest I was feeling pretty horrible about the impending doctor appointment. 

She said that she missed seeing me at school, and told me that I looked pretty good. Having known her for years, I know she is a sweet girl who truly meant what she said, and wasn't just saying it as something canned the way many of us adults do. It made me smile and I really appreciated that she took a small moment of time to stop and say "hi." 

And it also made me laugh to myself just a little because if she thought I looked pretty good in the state I was in, what did she think I looked like on a daily basis at school? Is this how I normally looked? Are these middle school kids taking a toll on me? Note to self: check bathroom mirror for accuracy...