Riding the Pooka

Beneficial Activities

This is officially the last minute – Beth brought me over information two weeks ago. The event is happening this Saturday, February 8th. It was put together by our unbelievably kind friends – historian, Rex Ziak and musician, Andrew Emlen. It is an evening lecture by Rex about Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, with live musical accompaniment on Cello…

Inspirational People

My chemo treatment in Portland went well- the 2/3 dose of Steroids seems to be working much better this week- less grumpy snarling, though I am still a bit of squirrel girl on speed. I also found a most excellent hat in the hat basket in the treatment room – the kindness of a stranger…

Pick your Poison

There are times when we all have to pick our poison. When I chose to use big Pharma medicine, I signed up to get poisoned. This is definitely a case of the ends justifying the means. From the perspective of the mainstream Oncology world, I will have a hard year that hopefully will be followed…

Orion & Mary of the Miracles

Last night we didn’t take my daily walk until after dinner, when the sky was dark and filled with stars. Orion hovered over our house as he does each winter. I have a special relationship with those particular stars. When I was a child, and knew even less about the constellations then I…

“You’re soo sensitive.”

A kind nurse at St. Vincent told me during BC Bootcamp (the first intense week of my diagnosis) that taking this journey is not about being Tough, it is about being Resilient. On Tuesday Joe and I traveled into Portland to see Dr. Allderdice, the Naturopathic Oncologist. I enjoy seeing him, as he is honest, direct, kind…

The Meanest Woman in Town

“If I hadn’t seen the light in that old lady’s eyes I’d try to be a man you would hate an’ despise I’d rave an’ I’d rant an’ I’d scream an’ yell An’ I’d chase my neighbors from here to Hell… But I can’t be this bad because my folks are too good.” Billy Bragg/Woody…

A.C.K. Road show to PDX

Here you see The A.C.K. Road Show in Portland getting some Yew and Platinum, as well as the targeted therapy infusions that are reserved for HER2+ lotto winners like myself. Treatment #2 went without any drama- no sneaky sedative this time so the full effect of the steroid they give you made me a bit…

Kinwork and Kindness

I have spent a lot of time in the last 10 years thinking about community. I put most all my eggs in the Blue Scorcher basket, working towards creating and supporting community in lots of ways. Ironically that work, with its early mornings, made me a horrid correspondent to longtime friends, and an infrequent participant…

A Cancer-ing we go…

Yesterday there were several rainbows, and today blue skies. Martin and I cleaned the house to sound of the Car Talk Boys. I go back for my second chemo treatment in Portland on Tuesday, and so I am using my current good spirits and energy to get the house in order for having a down…

Milestones & bumps in the road…

It is one month since the biopsy that started breast-cancer-bootcamp-week on December 3rd. The initial acute phase of finding out the details of my diagnosis, and starting treatments is passing, and the process to redefine normal for our household has started. Today Laura and Jon helped me get a new buzz cut. It was…

Time for a new hairdo

We’ve all seen that hair loss is a standard part of chemotherapy. Here at the Alderbrook Chemo Klinic™, (you might know us better as ACK!) the time has come to get a jump on things. Miranda came over last night and, using the barber chair that is part of our living room furniture, shortened Iris’…

A Bigger Piece of Sky

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas. Christmas Eve we were the happy recipients of Carolers- who braved our treacherous steps to come into our house to sing and be offered Wassail treats. Christmas coincided with the ebbing of the more acute chemo side effects- which meant we spent Christmas day playing, & being happy-…