I know that’s a weird title for this page ‘Don’t waste your cancer’… but I was reading an article recently with that topic name and it got me thinking. So many of us spend all our time trying to ‘get well’ and not to use our journey and experience to build our character and faith, inspire others and to change the way we live life. As I said before, I’m living life more with cancer than I ever did without it. So here it goes…

I’M SOOOO EXCITED!!!! Last week I was offered an ‘Artist in residence position’ at Luther College in Croydon. It’s for 2 weeks. I was a little concerned that they wanted me to do it before the end of the year, given my circumstances but after meeting with them today I am excited to say I start next week. They were totally unaware that my 3 kids all went through Luther College from year 7-12 but that makes it even more meaningful. Oh and my daughter in law went to Luther College in Hamilton, Victoria (coincidentally)!

I am going to design a piece which will be left at the school to hang. They are very open to flexibility, which I am not used to in my usual line of work but that suits me very well. We got very enthusiastic and I’m now going to teach 2 classes and include technology, children’s book self publishing and drawing techniques. I’m also going to speak to the 1200 students at chapel and talk about my health, art and my journey.

I am making up the dates I attend and can work from home if I wish. So yes… this week isn’t on my list of dates given that I had chemo today!!

Splinter update

The MOTH is healing up well with his splinter. Today he told the story to all the nurses in the chemo room and again in the breast clinic. They gave him a piece of pineapple and patted him on the head. They are always laughing when we leave and I’m so glad he can cheer them up as they have such a difficult job and he is so good it.He thought the whole scenario was so funny and is now exaggerating it beyond belief. I think they think we are the circus coming to town. If it’s not him telling funny stories it’s me. 

One of the quiet nurses today dished it right back at him big time. She told him that our daughter would never get a word in with him in the house. It was such a surprise coming from her! Dad and Margie were also with us in the chemo room today so we all had a good laugh. Colin was quite speechless at the time which made it funnier. I think we were like some big Italian family in the little chemo room. They all breathed a sigh of relief when we left ha ha.

Vomit and stuff

News flash: My hair started falling out again. I was so proud of my 1″ long sparse white fluffy growth. I thought it looked like grandpa hair but Sophie told me I looked like Hook without his wig. Now we have shaved it off again and Marley has had a shave to match. All of the Wood boys EXCEPT THE MOTH have shaved heads. Marley (dog) looks very very ugly. It matches his endearing personality:)

Eyelash count= Nil

I had my 6 hours in the chemo lab today getting more of that bright red goodie that feels like a baddy. Especially when you pee it out the other end and it’s the same colour. Too much information I know. You lose a sense of dignity when you’re a patient he he.

I’m pleased to say that after a hellish week following the last chemo dose, I had two ‘good’ weeks and managed to run 10k and continue with Les Mills Body Balance twice weekly. Doing all those ‘down dogs’ and other weird body contortions isn’t good with nausea so that’s an achievement which my back just loves!

I don’t want to say ‘I’m expecting a bad week’ but I am ‘prepared’ for it. Already I’ve been nauseous this afternoon but unlike last time the Maxolon helped. The nausea didn’t hit until the following day last time so lets see what happens. I’m not allowed to take the magic wafer pills until Saturday so that’s quite upsetting as I was very happy to have a ‘plan of attack’. Apparently I already have a whopping dose of that drug in the IV during chemo so taking the wafers is doubling up. I had it in the IV last time and it did nothing *sob*. So the doctor said ‘there’s nothing else you can take’. Love to hear that… not!!! I hope to be pleasantly surprised in the morning and bounce out of bed. I can take 3 Somac for the burning pain, stomach ulcer, so that’s something.

ALSO… while I’m on a whinge… my white blood count is low and on the ‘borderline’ of ‘too low’ so they almost didn’t give me chemo today. Given that I’ve had 5 months of chemo now (and 2 to go) that’s not so bad as my blood counts have all been fantastic up until now. Consequently, now I have to be careful of germy bugs. I’m hoping I can re-coup the blood cells before the next chemo or I’ll have a blow out of all my treatment dates so I’m spraying everyone with Glen 20 and eating orange and yellow vegetables. Do Pineapple donuts count? I snuck one today which is way off my ‘health diet’.

14 chemo session down… 2 to go!!! Roll on Sept 29.