An improvised life

I finished chemo last week. By some minor miracle, I still have a respectable collection of intact eyelashes – almost 20 on the bottom of each eye and too many to count on top, according to Brian. Likewise with my eyebrows. I wish I could say the same for the friendly flora in my gut, which seem to have taken a beating, but I figure in about ten days I’ll be clear of residual toxins, if not entirely over their effects. Here’s hoping I’ll also be clean of cancer – the surgeon plans to cut it out in five days.   I never did break into the make-up haul I scored at a free Look Good … Feel Better® workshop I attended in July. I thought it would offer tips or encouragement for dealing with hair loss and keeping skin healthy through chemotherapy and radiation. There was some of that, but mostly we just went through our goodie bags and put on make-up under the guidance of a 60-something esthetician who volunteers on the side to help women like me. When we signed up for the class, w

My oncologist is over the moon about my tumors’ response to chemotherapy. It was clear from physical examination that my tumors shrunk, and an MRI last week indicates my largest cancerous lymph node shrunk from about 2.5 cm to 0.8 cm. The masses in my breast are also reduced. Conclusion of radiologist: “Right breast: Marked response to chemotherapy, with much diminished residual tumor.” My oncologist added a hand-drawn smiley face and this comment: “Awesome! Strong work. Very nice response thus far.” I have two more taxol treatments, which I find slightly less abhorrent than the adriamycin-cytoxan cocktail. It’s gratifying to know that the poisons are having some effect beyond stopping up my excretory system and making my eyes and nose leak. Still, tumors are kind of like dandelions--the roots are tenacious. Chemotherapy is whacking back the tumors but, as with dandelions, only with constant application of force (or, say, Roundup) will the weeds stay at bay. The hop