It's a Wonderful Life

I am alive and well, contrary to my one month absence, I am in fact safe at home after a busy couple of weeks on chemotherapy (stage: consolidation). I apologize for the lack of communication but just as the mental affects of chemo began to wear off, the holidays started.

December proved to be a more eventful month J It started off with migraines and sleep deprivation but that quickly faded off by the end of the first week. The only major side effects were nausea and minor fatigue. Luckily, Christmas was enough of a distraction for me and the excitement of its normality was enough to get through this month with enthusiasm! (Candy canes and shortbread helped too)

Never have I gotten more into the Christmas spirit. When you’re not loaded with stress and end of term exams, it’s amazing how worked up you can get over the minor festivities. We had planned on spending the holidays on vacation in Hawaii, for which we inevitably have postponed (I take full responsibility)... so instead we spent Christmas (and my 17^th birthday) at home with the family. What’s Christmas without the slushy snow and foggy mornings?  

Today’s the last day of 2013, but as I look back to appropriately reminisce on the year, I can recognize nothing but events from the past 3 months.. Which are not fun to reminisce about. So instead I look ahead; never could I have predicted the changes or the situation I’ve landed in, but I intend on moving as far away from it as I can. New Years Resolution: 

Hopefully by next New Years Eve I’ll have landed where I need to be, and can reflect back on the year with confidence and fulfillment. I’ll be like James Stewart in the last scene of It’s a Wonderful Life. 

Breeding Optimism on New Years Eve! (promise to keep persistence with my posts from now on)

-                Serena Bonneville J

Food for Thought

Meals for today:

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•       Half a pancake
•       Bowl of grapefruit

-    

Well I’ve transitioned from one extreme to another; my appetite dropped drastically, just 1 week into the second phase. The nausea is consuming, influencing my every decision (including food intake). The other major side affect that I've been coping with over the past couple of weeks has been the repeated migraines.

Even though these phases are intense, their side affects consuming, I can now look back and check two months off of my calendar. Whether this gets harder or easier, I’ve learnt so far that the best way to take on the challenges is to endure them day by day.

Today I haven’t had any chemo drugs. In fact, I haven’t been to the hospital for about a week and have been feeling quite normal; although I go in again soon to finish off the last bit of this phase.

Like I said, two months down, two weeks till the next phase, five months (hopefully) till the end of treatment and 17 days until Christmas.

Breeding optimism,

-         -      Serena Bonneville :)