Skip to main content

Chemo #6

Tomorrow I report for breast cancer chemo treatment #6. Lord willing, it will be the last. 

As I lay here in bed trying to fall sleep, clearly not a task I’m succeeding in at that moment, I’m overwhelmed with gratitude.

I remember the first visit with my oncologist where he laid out my treatment plan. To start, “you’ll be having 6 rounds of chemo every 3 weeks.” I’m not great at math, but it didn’t take me long to get to 18. It sounded like an E-T-E-R-N-I-T-Y.

I was terrified. 

Now, somehow, here I am. On the other side of 18 weeks. Did I really make it to the other side? 

Nothing about the past 18 weeks has been fun or easy. It also hasn’t been as bad as my imagination told me it could be. Grace, good medicine, a fabulous oncologist, and support team I feel undeserving of have escorted me on this journey. They get the credit for getting me to the other side. 

Grace has bolstered me when darkness has clouded my mind. 

Good medicine, oh man, it’s kept from making my bathroom floor a permanent home. 

My oncologist, wow! Apart from one doctor who shall remain nameless, my oncologist is the best, most kind, empathetic, approachable, “wicked smart” (please get the movie quote) doctor I have ever encountered. Appointment after appointment he has sat with Clark and I as if we were the only patients he had for the day. He listens to me and answers my never ending stream of questions. I’m confident he finds it taxing, I definitely would, but he never lets on. And for some reason, that’s really important. 

The support team I feel so undeserving of includes a long list of friends and family. My husband, Clark, first and foremost. Helplessly watching your spouse endure a sickness like this can’t be easy. Especially for a man. They are, mostly, “fixers” by nature. And this is something he can’t fix. He’s been a trooper. #Gratefulforhim. Family has rallied around us like a team of secret service agents swarming their leader in danger. They’ve kept our fridge full and acted as our personal errand runners. They’ve sat for hours with us on our back porch as we sorted through the weight of our circumstances. They’ve spoken comfort and resolve into our lives.

The endless food train meals, random acts of kindness, facetime chats, and “You’re on my heart and in my prayers” texts from friends and even people I barely know have been an unforgettable outpouring of love and support. 


-Abby



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Peachy Comeback #8

 It’s wild to think about the unexpected situations and decisions we so quickly find ourselves in. “Do I want to save my hair while going through chemo” is one such question I and far too many women have asked themselves.  I elected to let my hair release. This decision was made mostly because I don’t have thick hair to begin with. The thought of going through the effort to keep it, only to end up with a sprig or two was a chance I didn’t have the eagerly to take.  My good friend faced the exact same question a few years after me. She elected to go with cold capping and preserved her hair throughout her entire course of chemotherapy treatment for breast cancer. Wow! I mean, I just think this is so awesome! My goal in having an in depth conversation with her about her experience is to create more relatable, real-life content and support for women who may be asking themselves the very same question right now. Watching my friend’s strength through this journey has been so in...
Post a Comment
Read more

Post 1: Introductions

 Hi,  My name is Abby. At the time of this entry, I have recently been diagnosed with breast cancer. I’m starting a blog as a way to share my story. Over the past several days, as I’ve come to fully grasp the road underfoot, two thoughts have settled in my mind: 1. How can I use my experience to help someone else?  2. What can I learn from this? A blog seems like a good place to start. My hope is that someone will be able to connect with my experience and find support and encouragement for themselves. At the very least, I hope it makes someone laugh. Seriously. A good sense of humor shouldn’t be underrated. It’s helping me get through some long days. I highly recommend it.  A little about me: I’m married to Clark. He’s my best friend. We live near a downtown square in a tiny bungalow. I work in healthcare marketing. I’m from Leesburg, GA. You get a big shout out if you know where that is. I’m the youngest of 4.  Talk soon, Abby
Post a Comment
Read more

Saturday Thoughts

"Don't fear your weakness....be afraid of those moments when you think you're independently strong." The caption of my morning devotional from Paul David Tripp, New Morning Mercies. Personal confession, I absolutely loath, despise, hate, cringe, die on the inside, when asked a question I don't have an answer to. It makes me feel weak and incompetent. Please don't roll your eyes. This is a confession and a judgment free zone. You feel? The author goes on to list all the things that can make us feel weak, and I identified with almost everything on the list. But oddly enough, I found comfort in the fact that everyone has something, that one thing, that fleshes our own personal vulnerability or weakness.  Feeling or actually being weak isn't a problem. That's normal for everyone. It's more about being self aware and proactively processing the felling or situation. Three take aways... and yes, they are free today. I'm not the only one. Could say mor...
Post a Comment
Read more