#CelebratingLife
- Christie V
- May 8, 2019
- 9 min read
Hello World!
If you haven't noticed the trend in my posts, it takes me a little over a week to write one. It's not because I want to wait that long, but my writing abilities are not up to par on most days. I make many attempts throughout the week to write. However, if it doesn't free flow, I just close my laptop and go do something else because I don't feel like the writing is an accurate representation of what I'm feeling. I'll let you in on a little secret. I write most of my posts in one shot. When my mind is clear, I am usually able to write an entire post without edits. Please forgive me for any typos you may find. The OCD in me should really proof read before I publish, but I'm more excited about sharing updates with you than going back to edit. With that being said, I am THRILLED by the response my ramblings are generating. Not many people have ever read my writing besides friends, family, and professors. I was a bit apprehensive about writing for the general public, but now I am so happy I did. Seeing how I am able to help others through my words and hearing people describe me as "inspiring" has given me some feelings I've never really experienced before. It's a good unfamiliar, but very foreign nonetheless.
"...the tumor has reduced by over 90%"
So let's get to some hot topics. I would like to share with you all some fantastic news. After only 2 cycles of chemo, the tumor has reduced by over 90%!!! Yeah, you read that correctly. Ms. Super Agressive Invasive Cancer is being rapidly eradicated by modern day medicine and I couldn't be happier. My research doctor at MD Anderson called me the "poster child of chemotherapy." I could feel their excitement for me and they even said, "We wish treatment was this responsive for all patients." In that moment, I felt so grateful to them, so grateful to everyone for the prayers, so grateful for my support. Without all these things, my mind wouldn't be so at ease as I continue on this journey. I go to bed every night with my heart so full. There are so many things to celebrate, not only in my life, but for life in general. Obviously, the receptiveness of my body to the chemo is a BIG DEAL! Other things to celebrate are my amazing family and friends. You all have come together like I would have never imagined to rally around me and help with so many things I needed help with.
This was really apparent for Ailee's birthday party. My siblings have always thought my parties are over the top with decor that I spend weeks preparing. This year they had hands on experience putting it all together for me and the outcome was perfect! Ailee's Taco Twosday party was exactly as I pictured and it only took 5 hours the night before to assemble it with my team (not including the 4 hours spent the weekend before for the cake backdrop).
"...having cancer isn't all that bad. It's not that bad when you're constantly surrounded by love"
My mother and sister in law have coordinated weeknight dinners for us while my own mother is traveling. These dinners have been so enjoyable. We have been able to see our daughters relationship with Jimmy's family blossom throughout this whole ordeal. My brother, Bao that lives in Singapore, has even flown down to be physically present as I have started treatments. I love that asshole so much even though he torments my children. It's times like this that I say having cancer isn't all that bad. It's not that bad when you're constantly surrounded by love. All the support makes everyday more bearable and sometimes I forget that there's anything wrong. Life feels totally manageable. Life is good!
Our friends have really stepped up the plate too! As I have mentioned in a previous post, I do not do any reading about my cancer unless it's related to a side effect I'm currently experiencing. On the other hand, my friends have lost sleep searching for ways to help me on my journey. Numerous CBD products, herbal supplements, soft hoodies, socks, head wraps, a complete chemo care kit, and endless amounts of food/drinks have been delivered to me in an effort to make treatments a little easier. To each and every one of you, THANK YOU. You may feel that what you're doing is nominal, but I'm here to tell you that it ALL makes a difference. These items are now a part of my every day life. They are a part of what is helping me kick cancer to the curb. A very special gift that I received has brought me back to life aesthetically. It was the gift of lash extensions thanks to Vi. Her exact words were, "I may not be able to give you anything for treatment, but I can help make you feel beautiful." Prior to treatments, I decided to remove my lash extensions. My primary reason for doing so was because I wasn't sure if they would have decent retention once I started chemotherapy. In the past when I've taken any antibiotics, my lash retention is significantly reduced. Something in the medicine changes my skin's natural oil and the lashes just fall out. A couple weeks before Ailee's birthday, I was really starting to feel like I looked sick and it bothered the crap out of me.
So I decided to give lash extensions another whirl. Vi worked her butt off making sure every lash had an extension on it and boy was the finished product just perfect. The moment I looked in the mirror after she was done, I instantly felt relief. I think the relief was seeing a glimpse of the me BEFORE cancer. It was something familiar and comforting that I haven't felt since this whole thing started. Needless to say, I have been sucked back into the lash life. The confidence and comfort it gives me is so worth the expense (plus I get to support a friend). Those of you needing bomb.com lashes, visit Xtravagantlash.com and book your appointment. YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT. I just had my first refill this week and my retention is even better than it was before chemo. This is likely because I don't have dirty hair making my face more oily. #baldgirlperks
I bet some of you are wondering how I am doing physically. Well I'm disappointed to have to report that this cycle was a bit tough. I've had a significant amount of fatigue. The first day after chemo I went all out. I had a morning smoothie date with Jida and got to meet Roula, Ryan, and Producer Eric from 104.1 KRBE. This was SOOOOO worth it. I have always wanted to meet Roula to tell her that I'm named after her family's restaurant, Christie's Seafood. They were all so nice when I met them and had so many encouraging words to say. Producer Eric even suggested I come in studio to ring my bell after I've had my last chemo cycle. Wouldn't that be super cool to be on the radio to share my journey with an even larger footprint?!?! I could potentially help more people feel less alone in their world.
Anyways, I will keep you all posted about that if I'm able to make it happen. After the meet and greet, the day continued with more errands and ended with dinner at home with Jimmy's family. I didn't get my usual nap in and I sure did pay for it that weekend. I spent the weekend at home on the couch just watching hours and hours of Grey's Anatomy. Though I enjoyed re-watching my favorite TV series, I couldn't help but feel like I was wasting the days away. I have to constantly remind myself that my body is telling me to sit tight and that what I'm feeling is normal. It just feels extremely strange to spend so much time being idle and purposely not making plans that I may not being able to commit to. It was the perfect weekend to be fatigued though. My other mother law and her husband came in town to cook, clean, and keep the kids entertained while I rested. Day 5-7 I was still fatigued to a certain degree and I had a new problem, fluid retention. I felt like I was puffy/swollen in my feet and legs. This was similar to the swelling I had during my pregnancies, but it was not as visible. I just noticed my shoes being tighter and the skin on the lower part of my legs feeling stretched. My head is also extremely hot when I am laying down and when I touch my own head. Although I'm not sweating or having hot flashes. It simply feels like my fingers are little heaters touching my scalp and that my pillow is a heating pad that I'm laying on. One would think having little to no hair would mean everything is easy breezy. Well it is except for when I'm laying down and when I touch my own head. "Isn't it Ironic, don't you think?" keeps playing in my head. The last weird symptom is the overproduction of saliva and some swelling in my throat area. It grosses me out just thinking about it. I feel the constant need to spit out the extra saliva. I try to curb this by drinking more water, eating sour candy, or drinking something tart. With so many things that were pissing me off this cycle, I had a visit with the NP after my labs were done. She concluded that I may have a salivary gland that is clogged, my hair follicles may just be pissed off as they are dying, and the meds may be making me retain water. The only thing I could potentially help get better was the salivary gland. She instructed me to put uncooked rice in a sock, heat it in the microwave for 30 seconds, and then use it for warm compresses frequently throughout the day around my upper neck area under my chin. I followed the recommendation and it has worked so far.
Another problem I had actually started April 23, 2019 before my last infusion. My incision from my port a cath looked mildly infected. We were concerned that they wouldn't be able to access the port to administer chemo which would delay treatment. Thankfully, the doctor gave her blessing after examination and prescribed me a different oral antibiotic in addition to a topical antibiotic to care of the wound. After a few days, the incision looked significantly less red and there was no longer discharge coming out. The doctor did warn me that if the infection returns after my oral antibiotic is finished, we will likely have to remove it and replace it after a couple of weeks. So I ask you, Virtual World, send your good juju this way so I don't have to have another surgery. I hope that it was just a superficial infection and we can continue the treatment without interruption.
Overall, life is great and people are so nice to you when you have cancer. Lol. A solicitor came to the door asking for the head of the household. I came out with my bald head and said I was house sitting, but could I give them a message. The sales guy stuttered and said, "Oh no ma'am it's okay. I'm not going to be in the area long." What?!? I couldn't believe that I didn't have to come up with any other clever excuses to get him to leave. #baldgirlperks But in all seriousness, there is so much to celebrate these days. "CELEBRATING LIFE" has been my tribe/squad/gang's (whatever cool kid term you want to use) motto as of late and it is so perfect for everyone, but especially with my girls that are making moves towards their own happiness.
I'm so proud of each of you for the struggles you have overcome, the things you are working on for yourselves, your achievements, and your continued desire to want more from life. Keep up the great work! We all need to remember that there are always things to celebrate. For me, I'm celebrating the huge shrinkage which is usually something we wouldn't celebrate except this is a tumor so we want it to shrink. Lol. I'm also celebrating the love our family has received since my diagnosis as it is so humbling. We are also celebrating almost SELLING OUT of my support t-shirts. The response was so great, we are doing a second print run with 50 pre-orders already. That means that over 150 of you guys and gals have voluntarily agreed to walk with me on your body at some point. So remember, find your reason to celebrate life or let me help you find it. Let's help one another get through the dark times and all work towards happiness.
P.S. For those of you that are interested in ordering a shirt, please send me a message through here with your size,email, and address info. The cost of the shirt is $25 shipped. There is a button in the top navigation bar where you can fill out a form to order. I haven't tested it out yet. Please message me if you don't receive a message with payment instructions within 2 business days. My next cycle is tomorrow and I'm not sure how my body will handle it. Wish me luck! You all are the best. 😘
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