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29. Chemo cycle #5

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Tuesday September 18th I underwent my fifth treatment of chemo.  The therapy was Taxol (paclitaxel) this time (no more of that awful Adriamycin and Cytoxan).  Although there was no nausea or vomiting following the Taxol, there was A LOT more muscle and bone pain, particularly in my neck.  This is also my shameless plug to please get your flu vaccine this season because that is what the side effects of this treatment felt like- a really aggressive case of the flu.  I have a few answers to commonly asked questions concerning this vaccine: 1. The flu vaccine does not cause the flu .  It takes your immune system two weeks post vaccine to be able to adequately protect itself from the flu so it is very possible that you were exposed to the virus before getting the shot. 2. After any vaccine you may experience muscle soreness at the site of the injection, headache, or a low grade fever (symptoms less severe than the real deal). 3. Yes, the flu can take lives !  I have unfortunately witnes
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28. "Vacation's all I ever wanted" Part III

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After one night spent in my own bed in Jackson, I took off for the next adventure as the weekend approached- Beyonce and JayZ's On the Run II tour in Houston!! I joined my sisters from The Rescue team, a group of friends I met through a bible study in Shreveport.  The turn-up is always memorable with this bunch.  We stumbled upon a small taqueria and ended up salsa dancing that Friday night.  Of course, Saturday was the main event featuring Queen Bey and JayZ.  They killed that performance!  I thought it was better than Beyonce's Lemonade concert in 2016.  Here are some fun photos from our weekend.
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27. "Vacation's all I ever wanted" Part II

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On the last day of our California adventures, Shark and I rented a car and drove to Los Angeles.  The initial hour was beautiful driving through the valleys and seeing the beaches and mountains.  But lemme tell y'all about that L.A. traffic!  Even with HOV lanes the traffic was bumper to bumper.  It was a good thing we left San Diego as early as we did!  Nonetheless, we finally made it to our first destination, the Republic of Pie for breakfast. Here, we met up with Dina and her partner Murphy.  Yes, the same Dina from entry 24 of this blog!  It was a reunion after a 15 year stretch.  Life is nuts in the sense that an illness was the catalyst for reconnecting. It was wonderful catching up with Dina and meeting Murphy.  We reminisced about the ballet days and exchanged several funny stories while I sipped one of the best chai lattes I've ever had.  Dina has made great progress since her single mastectomy but is still in recovery- physically, mentally, and emotionally.  Please
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26. "Vacation's all I ever wanted" Part I

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Japanese friendship garden, San Diego CA After a longer than usual hiatus, I'm back to share some cool photos from a recent trip.  Week of September 8th, Sharkey and I met in San Diego California for vacation.  Chemotherapy was originally scheduled that week, and Shark was planning on coming to Jackson; however, after treatment was delayed, we decided to make the most of our allotted vacation slots.  This was my first time visiting San Diego, and we managed to cram the zoo, Seaworld, the Japanese friendship garden, a few museums, shopping, dining, and La Jolla beach all within that time frame.  Twas a wonderful time! San Diego Zoo    SeaWorld, Japanese Friendship garden, & museums
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25. Finally beat chemo cycle #4

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Hola a todos, hope everyone is doing well!  I have officially recovered from cycle #4 of chemo!! No more Adriamycin (the red devil) and Cytoxan! Hallelujah, God is SO good!  Although there was a slight change in appointment dates from Thursday to Friday 9/24, everything was smooth sailing.  The infection fighting cell count was 2300 (from 800) which was more than enough needed in order to proceed with treatment.  Won't He do it? Big shout out and huge thank you to Kati Mitchell and Rachel Palmer for assisting with rides to and from the clinic.  I appreciate the time taken out of your schedules to help a sister out, and I also enjoyed the company 😊. Usually the day of a treatment I feel decent until about 10:00/11:00 pm the night of- so you know there was a celebration in order!  That's right! My girls and I dined in downtown Jackson to commemorate friendship and health. Malorie- we missed you! And my partner in crime joined us for dessert!  Thank you for the be
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24. Dina's story

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Photo credit: Murphy Mejorada Our earthbound journey is a beautiful collection of pieces that mold and sharpen our frame of mind- an endless pursuit of purpose, strength, and wisdom. Sometimes illness lurks closely behind and presents itself with a poignant sting. It rears its ugly head with the intent to shatter every fragment of hope. Yet, there are those of us who choose triumph over tragedy and prevail with an unwavering faith. Meet Dina, a 26-year-old breast cancer fighter whose name rooted in Ukrainian heritage fittingly means “power and faith.” It was slightly uncanny that an illness and social media would open the opportunity to reunite two former ballet friends, but it did! I have the great privilege and permission to share with you a piece of Dina’s journey and how she’s an inspiration to many including myself. As a portrait artist and entrepreneur, Dina’s day consists of a myriad of projects where she is constantly in a state of envisioning and creating new piece
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23. When things no longer run like clockwork

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Evening folks, Thursday August 9th Teresa and I went to the clinic prepared for Cycle #4 of chemo.  Since Dad was out of town for business, Teresa kindly volunteered her time to accompany me to this appointment.  Thank you x a million, girl!  Anyway, I always have labs drawn the same day as a potential treatment. The blood work results revealed a second drop in my infection fighting cells; it was determined that I would benefit from another Neulasta injection to beef up the cell number prior to getting the fourth hit of chemo. With our newfound spare afternoon we decided to go out for lunch and treat ourselves to pedicures.  What a crazy way to catch up! Cycle #4 of chemo will instead take place on Thursday 8/23 (*fingers crossed*) .  On the bright side after this three week delay, I'm now back on my old schedule where Dad will be in town for the majority of the chemo dates.  Thank you to those who volunteered to bring me when I found out that the schedule was initially offset.
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