7th inning. (etc)

Hi friends,

I’ve been spoiled these last few weeks in having my family tell my story, so please forgive the length and tardiness.  It was so special to have my mom in town for my last treatment and to see her perspective in her writing.  While she was here we enjoyed a nice weekend in NY and met Erik as he returned from Spain… and of course went to a Phillies game (at Mets Citifield).  

In this blog I wanted to of course play catch up for the 7^th inning and also try to express how grateful I am for the love and support that Erik and I continue to receive on a daily basis.  I recently went back through all the cards we’ve received, and I was overwhelmed by how many people have taken the time to show how much they care.  I wish that I could adequately thank everyone and give that recognition here, but I know that would take quite a long time and still wouldn’t be enough.  I did want to share something truly remarkable that Erik and I received a few weeks ago.  It’s a hand-stitched Phillies quilt depicting a patch of every logo since the beginning (the year 1900 I believe) and with a very special extra patch on the underside:

We loved it even when we thought it was just baseballs

The quilt deliverers Kristin and Bethany

I was so moved by this gift, in part because this was made by a remarkable woman that I’ve never even met.  She knows Erik well, however, and I know her daughter, but someday I hope that we meet.

In other big news, last Monday, with the help of wonderful friends, including Erik, we shaved my head.  It had become such an emotional burden to pull clumps of hair out each day and clean up the mess that this seemed like the right decision.  I won’t lie and say that it was easy, in fact I cried through the whole experience, but I have hope that the next time I have hair it will mean that I am well.  For now I’m sporting the head scarf, but I haven’t completely discounted a wig, we’ll see.

As for the 7^th inning, I can gratefully say it was one of the best yet with very little nausea.  As part of the "half-way point" my oncologist recommended an ECHO (heart ultrasound) and pulmonary function testing to make sure my heart and lungs were unscathed by the chemo.  It turns out that even though I haven't noticed it, my lung functioning has been worsened by the chemo -- with the most likely culprit being the "B" in ABVD (Bleomycin).  It's also believed to be one of the least active of the 4 so it's been nixed from my treatment plan.  This was the good news because that meant no more IV Benadryl (which leaves me lethargic and nauseous) and hopefully no more allergic reactions.  (They were right!).

Since this inning I've been to Baltimore (for the Phillies) and spent some good time with friends and worked as much as possible.  For the 8th inning my dad will be in town so I'm hoping this next one is as easy as the last.  I hope everyone else is doing well too, I'd love updates anytime.  Thanks for reading.

Love,

katy