Here we are - almost at the end of the road. What will be there? A pot of gold? A big, green castle with a weird old man and a bunch of cool little people? How about a Cancer Free diagnosis?
Oct 8 - Chemo treatment number 5 brought about a few different things - all of them wonderful and unexpected. As you all know, my sister is very social. Although this horrifies and embarrasses me, this is Bonnie in a nut shell. She has always been very open, friendly and a real people person. People are drawn to her and I can understand why. Actually, it works out perfectly for me- I can sit quietly in the corner while she enjoys the spotlight. Today was no exception.
During the course of her treatment that day, Bonnie noticed a young woman (I will call her Jill) who had been in before as a "newby" to chemo. Her first round exposed the fear and anxiety as she and her husband sat and tried to take in this new path they were on. Bonnie couldn't help but notice how scared she looked. The next treatment, Jill was back, with a couple of girlfriends. She noticed Bonnie and eagerly engaged in a conversation with her, as Bonnie introduced her ride to all of the "Poison Nurses" and telling stories that reduced all of them to fits of laughter.
During that time, Bonnie was telling Jill about the blog - ok, mostly talking about my witty humor and uncanny ability to shed a sarcastic light on a serious matter, when another woman overheard the conversation. She wanted to start a blog as well....blah, blah, blah. More talk about how funny I am, how creative I am, how eager people are to read my posts. Ooops, I digress....
Turns out this new blog woman is someone Bonnie knows from NCL (her own chapter). Go figure! Seriously - we can't take her anywhere. Picture more chatter, increased volume. At one point Dr. Banerjee came in to talk to Bonnie and realized he was out of his league. Just turned around and walked away:)
This day resulted in a few things: Bonnie getting to see first hand, the positive affect she has on other people. The power of suggestion. How influential one can be when you think nobody is watching. The enduring human spirit and one's ability to overcome their fears.
Not only was this a great day for those already in treatment, but for those who are facing the start of their chemo journey. The chemo room is at the end of a hallway and is an open room where anyone in the hallway can see right into the room. Imagine being a new patient, having tremendous fears and then walking down the hallway to hear nothing but laughter and good times. What a powerful statement. I wish that scene had played out when we were first there. It just looked awful and scared me.
October 29th will bring Bonnie's last chemo treatment. I will attend this session with her. We have matching outfits, which I know will make Dr. Banerjee cringe. I can't wait!
I look forward to celebrating the end of this long road with her, with a nice lunch and an ice cold margarita! She'll have water:)
Once the chemo treatments are done, there is a chance that Bonnie may lose her eyelashes and/or eyebrows. If that happens, we will need to change the code to the garage so Marcia can't sneak in and create the Tammy Faye/Frieda Kahlo, eyelash/eyebrow look!
Hang in there for more info. I will be posting a separate blog regarding a Halloween Breast Cancer fundraiser. I hope to have it posted within the next day or two.
Talk to all soon!
Heather
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