June | 2012 | meyerturner.com

Last week was my first week on the Carboplatin and Neulasta. If the time that followed was any indication, this is the pattern I expect to emerge:

Day 1: carboplatin treatment–hang out with Mom ;)
Day 2: neulasta shot–feel good due to steroids given the day before
Day 3: start feeling a little puny–take a nap or two
Day 4: Oh my word, everything hurts and I think I’m going to be sick. Spend the day in bed on Vicodin and Zofran while my parents and Mark do everything else.
Day 5: Who was that in bed yesterday? Why that funny look on your face, Mark, was I not like this yesterday? I think I’ll run a few errands. OK, a nap sounds good.
Day 6: Feel fine. Maybe a little puny and blue.
Day 7: Let’s decorate. Your house or mine?
Day 8-20 (I’m hoping, I haven’t gone to day 20 yet) more of the same.

If this is the pattern that emerges, I’m more than happy. One awful day out of 21 is not bad at all. And, of course, with so much help, life is really manageable.

This morning my parents came over and cleaned with Zoe and me. Then Zoe and I went to babysit our sweet niece Vivian after which we really loaded up on groceries. Just now Zoe and I were in the backyard reading magazines and eating chips while Birdie trotted around. It all felt so fortunate and lovely.

Life in general feels really rich and abundant right now. No pleural drain. All this great time with Zoe. My sister and her family headed this way. Evenings out on Dad’s boat with my brother and his family. Hanging out with dear friends in long, leisurely days and evenings. Looking forward to time with Mark’s family this weekend while his grandma is in town. Watching the Tigers with Mark. My parents–always my parents.

I can only hope that this wonderful blessed feeling continues all summer long. With buddies like the two pictured below, it will be hard to complain…

On Thursday of last week, Mark and I met with Doctor Campbell. My tumor markers were again slightly up, which is now enough of an upward trend to warrant switching meds. So, I am leaving behind Herceptin, Halaven, and Fareston to begin Carboplatin today. I feel fine about this change (was expecting it) and look forward to the neuropathy in my hands and feet clearing up.

Thursday night I headed off to the Veal Retreat (my sister’s house) and was rewarded not only by seeing my sister and her wonderful husband Jim, but also by the fabulous people who are my nephew and nieces.

Becki and I quickly settled into doing what we do best: thrifting and being silly. Fortunately, the thrifting gene is highly dominant and Ramona, Josie, and even Ike joined us for most of our adventures. Here is the traditional “sisters with thrifting haul” photo that Becki and I take on sister weekends.

And then, one day, we stumbled across my new performance art. It started innocently enough while we waited for a store to open in the mall so that Ramona and Josie could buy a gift for a party that evening. “Hey, Becki, take my picture in front of these mannequins.”

By the time the store opened (a matter of minutes, I must admit), Ramona had scouted the perfect store window display…

And once you have climbed into a store window display, there is really nothing stopping you from climbing onto tables, joining floor displays, and holding up mannequin heads near your own all in the name of performance art (and in the name of embarrassing some teen nieces who never expected it to go this far).

I am considering taking my art to the next level: actually trying on department store clothes that coordinate with the mannequins. The only rule for the mannequins is that they must have facial features and they must be bald. Other than that, they are all fair game. What, exactly, is the fun of being bald if you can’t climb into store displays, anyway?