The Plan

(Nov. 8)

So, I got my schedule for the next week on Thursday morning.

Monday, Nov. 12: Port placement surgery. This is a quick, outpatient procedure, and I will actually return to work in the afternoon. Because I'm crazy people.

Tuesday, Nov. 13: MRI on pelvis and abdomen, Echocardiogram.

Wednesday, Nov. 14: MRI on spine. (I don't know why they can't take pictures of both things at the same time, but lucky me! I get to lay in a tube while someone bangs a hammer on the outside and shoots lasers at me from 1968. Twice.)

Thursday, Nov. 15: Test results. Praying again for clean scans. I'm living under the assumption that they will be.

Friday, Nov. 16: Chemo education, then start chemo.

What the next few months look like: 

I have already given notice from teaching private lessons at O'Gorman (11 students). I had my last day on Thursday.  I will probably finish the month with home studio (8 students), and I will soldier through the last 4 weeks of the semester at USF (25 students). I will still do my end-of semester cabaret recital with them. I also still plan to do the Good Night Theatre Happy Holidays Cabaret on Dec. 13-14.

Chemo on Fridays means my second treatment will be on my birthday. Aw, how sweet. At least they treat you really nice at the Cancer Center. And they always ask your birthday before they start dumping poison in your veins. I shall, of course, wear my birthday tiara that day.

I will get a feel for the rhythm of days that feel good and bad over the next few weeks. I will probably take advantage of the acupuncture offered at the Prairie Center (not cheap, but it really helped with the gastro problems last time.) One nice thing about starting before the holidays is that I will have a solid 8 weeks off between fall and spring semesters, which will get me 2/3 of the way through the first round of chemo. It's hard to say what I will feel like in the spring. I may take fewer students, or the full load at USF only.  The biggest challenge that I can foresee is that Steel Magnolias runs the 2nd and 3rd weeks of March, which will coincide with the last two big chemo treatments. Chemo's side effects are cumulative, so I'll feel pretty gross by then. But I just can't give up playing the role of Truvy! (And hey, I'll have fun with some outrageous wigs)

I was pretty shook up on Wednesday, (so sorry to my parents and work friends) but now that I've had a few days to think things over, and know what the schedule is, I guess it's time to suit up for battle.

One of my sweet middle school students gave this watercolor to me, with the words, "Um, sorry about your cancer." (my heart!)

I guess since I know my tongue will taste like cardboard for the next 5 months, this week is my personal mardi gras. Matt's birthday gift to me is a family photo shoot on Sunday afternoon before I loose my hair. Xander is home for the weekend. It's cold outside, but it's cozy warm in here.