Birthday Chemo

I have known for sometime now that my birthday fell on a Monday, and therefore would be a Chemo day. When it turned out to also be a Dr. Appt day (which goes like this - 9:20am labs, 10am Dr. appt, wait for a long time, see the Dr. at 10:30am, 11am Chemo check-in, 11:30am called back for Chemo, Chemo ends around 2pm) - a long day - I knew we were going to have to find a way to make it a little more exciting than usual. Jenny and Heather always come to visit during Chemo, and I didn't even have to ask anyone else - both Steph and my Mom wanted to come as well. My sister also wanted to be there, but couldn't due to being in Indiana. Plus, of course, Matt. And then Steph's husband, Geno, ended up coming as well. So, with the drop-in of Dena there were eight people in the room, plus sometimes the nurse. A definite party. How cool! Thank you guys!

But, that was not enough for me! I told Matt that what I really wanted to do was to bring cupcakes in for everyone. The doctors, nurses, techs, receptionists, etc. - have all been SO nice to us. I wanted to find some beautiful cupcakes and hopefully brighten everyone's day. I was even hoping to have enough to give to all of the people waiting for Chemo (and in the end we almost had enough). So, we went to the Metro Market and ordered 60 cupcakes - 30 vanilla with pink and yellow flower frosting and 30 red-velvet with cream cheese frosting. I didn't try any of the vanilla cupcakes, but that is because I thought the red velvet was so delicious. Yummmm.

Matt did most of the handing out of the cupcakes, which was fine by me. I am more of a behind-the-scenes kind of person, anyway, though I think I would have liked to have been the one to give the waiting room people a cupcake and I would've loved to have taken a picture of their faces (these are not, typically, the most happy-looking people in the world), but alas, I was pretty busy having a nice time with my friends and for most of the time hooked up to Chemo or getting checked out by doctors, or having blood drawn. BUT, Matt said there were lots of smiles! Mission accomplished. Next time we do something like that, I think maybe 100 cupcakes would be a better number.

I think possibly, though, that the best part of my birthday was talking to a little old woman who was at the hospital to look for a wig.  She had had breast cancer nine years ago, and sadly, it has come back...in her liver.  Sigh. She was so sweet, and so adorable, and was putting on such a good face.  I really admired her and it was so nice to talk to her.  I hope and pray that all will go well for her.

So, I am now thirty-seven years old.  Yikes.  That number seems, to me, to be much older than thirty-six.  I feel like that is very officially middle-aged.  In fact, John Green says that if your age tripled is not an age you could expect to make it to, then you are, indeed middle-aged.  Yeah...I hit middle-aged quite a few years ago now...so lucky me for denial.  Oh well, as I have been telling anyone who asks, having a birthday is better than not having one.  I doubt birthdays will ever freak me out again.  I am happy to be alive and happy to be thirty-seven.  I know there is a lot left to accomplish in this year (three more Chemos, surgery, radiation and follow-up appointments), but I hope that in my thirty-seventh year I can officially join the "Survivor" club, rather than the Cancer Club.  I think it will be one to remember.

To continue my birthday week, I am lucky enough to have an MRI tomorrow, Tuesday, at 1:45pm.  If you think of it, please say extra prayers this week that the results are AWESOME.  Thank you!

And finally, hee hee hee heh.  Check out the shirt Steph gave me for my birthday.  We have been having fun with our Benedict Cumberbatch obsession.  This is only funny because (A) Our husands think it is, too (B) It is good to have fun distractions in life, and (C) Ummm...Sherlock!  Khan!  Smaug!  Do I need to say more?!