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How I'm doing (10th infusion!): GETTING SO CLOSE I CAN TASTE IT. Plus, plan to celebrate with me on Feb 22!

I'm feeling so good, and my side effects are there and are annoying, but they've become manageable enough again I can still have great momentum toward my last *chemo* infusion, scheduled currently for Feb 22. I'm gonna step up masking to do what I can to make sure I get there without delays! 

Today's infusion went: Great! I really love the nurses there. And, on the other side of the curtain from me was the older woman who plays the ukelele. I'm going to be her when I get older. She was such a happy person and lived the definition of finding joy in mundane moments--you should have heard her glee over getting to choose fun colors and patterns for masks to use or take home (we all wear masks at the cancer center since our immune systems are super compromised). She answered her phone with the sweetest affection: "Hello, love of my life, how are you? I'm going to bring home sandwiches [from the cafeteria]. What kind would you like?" I heard her say she has cancer in her blood. Please say prayers for her too.

The soup was: Cream of chicken with wild rice.

I could write more later about the bullshit side effects women have to go through for menopause, but I'm feeling positive so I won't. I'll just say: MEN NEED TO PAUSE ABOUT THIS. (Get it?) The side effects are insanely annoying and frustrating, and my targeted therapy infusion mimics them. Utter nonsense. I don't even want to have kids and never did! Still gotta deal. Everyone, if you know someone who is in menopause, be kind to them. Women suck up and deal with so much! <end rant>

PLANNING AHEAD! It's tradition across infusion centers to have patients ring a bell when they finish a treatment series. I'll get to ring two bells this year: The first is Feb 22, when I finish the chemotherapy portion (the leg of the "race" with the worst side effects and most damage to my body), and the other in November, when I finish the targeted therapy infusions, which continue every 3 weeks after chemo. 

 ðŸ””💃 Celebrate the end of chemo with me! 🎉🥳

Set an alarm for Thursday, Feb 22, for around 4 pm CT (or whenever, I won't know!) and either:

1) Ring a bell with me! Need a bell? Play the sound of a race bell! Bonus: Record a video of you and said-bell and send it to me! 

or

2) Dance with me! Play Katy Perry's "Roar" or Calum Scott's "Rise: Sam Feldt Remix, or whatever moves you and dance! Even better: Record your celebration and share with me! If you choose "Rise," :46-1:18 or 2:05-end makes for a good short clip.

You can copy and paste the above into a calendar reminder. :) 

If people are like, "Why are you alone in your room ringing a bell?" or "Why are you spontaneously dancing to an inspirational song?" tell them SARA FINISHED CHEMO and tell them to join you! 

I liken this to heading into "T3," or a third transition area, in a race, where you gear up for the next leg. Crowds stand near the transition area to cheer athletes as they come in and out. The cheering works! The energy makes you feel so good and makes it memorable, even if you had a hard leg of the race or complications come up. 

I hope you'll join me. Regardless, thank you for being there!

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