Malcolm-1 Cancer-0

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

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.

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

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